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Tangled Web
Chapter 11
“Yes, I know… I know….Okay…Yes, you’re right. It was bad timing on her part. I apologize…Okay, I promise. Bye.” I tossed my phone onto the dash with a grunt and continued driving.
“Don’t feel bad bro, I heard it all night long last night.” My brother says with a laugh from the backseat. “At least you had the option of hanging up the phone; the most I could do was put my hand over her mouth and pray she didn’t bite it!”
“Women!”
“What did you promise her?” Duane Lee asks, meeting my eyes in the rear view mirror.
“That I would buy a muzzle for Amy’s mouth!”
We shared a laugh and I shook my head thinking back to last night.
Finally there was peace in my life. Mila had been making an effort to get along with Amy. She even took her to a doctor’s appointment once when I couldn’t make it because of work. Yes, things were looking up, I thought to myself as I sat down at the family dinner Mila and Duane Lee had invited us to. My dad and Beth were there along with all the kids. It was chaotic, but it was normal for us.
A while later, after the dinner plates has been cleared, it was time for dessert. Mila had made a delicious triple chocolate cake. My favorite and one of the things I had missed most about her was her love of baking… well, I missed that among other things!
Mila made sure each person had a slice of the cake and were well into it before she stood up. Clearing her throat, she says, “Duane Lee and I have an announcement to make. That’s why I invited everyone over this evening.”
“And we also have our own announcement to make!” I hear Amy say from the seat to my right.
I turned and looked at her, raising an eyebrow. Knowing exactly what her announcement was, I shook my head ‘no’…everyone knew she was pregnant. Seven months pregnant to be exact.
In my mind, growing up in a large family and having a few kids of my own; a pregnancy was just that…a pregnancy. After so many kids no one really got excited over the sex of the baby anymore. But it was her first and she was happy. That part I understood. What I didn’t understand however, was the fact that she felt the need to announce what we were having to everyone at Mila’s dinner party while Mila was standing there holding a knife covered in chocolate cake; waiting to make her own announcement.
My brother’s eyes were boring holes into the side of my head as he looked at me. I couldn’t meet his stare. The last thing I wanted tonight was to start another war.
“Amy…why don’t we let Mila say what she needs to say and you can tell everyone your news later on, okay?” I bargain, trying to play the peace maker.
“It will only take a minute to tell everyone then she can get on with what she needs to say, Leland.”
This was not good… not good at all!
Mila quietly say the knife down on the cake plate and took a seat. Lowering her eyes she motioned for Amy to say what she needed to say.
Amy beamed at the opportunity to have the spotlight. “Thank you everyone for your attention.” She said happily.
I could see Mila rolling her eyes when no one was looking.
“I just felt the need to tell everyone our good news.” Amy continued. “Leland and I are having twins! And they are both girls!”
I heard a few gasps. Beth muttered a quiet, “Oh wow.” from her side of the table. Dad managed to say “Congrats.” as he coughed up his drink.
The only people that were truly happy were my girls, Laney and Olivia. It meant new playmates for them and they would now have sisters. Amy thanked everyone for their time and took her seat next to me, not once concerned with what Mila had to say.
“Yeah, last night was definitely interesting to say the least.” I remind my brother as we pulled up to a house. “What was it that Mila wanted to tell everyone?”
Duane Lee got out of the car, pulling the pin out of his mace as we walked toward the house and looked over at me. “We’re engaged.”
“Don’t feel bad bro, I heard it all night long last night.” My brother says with a laugh from the backseat. “At least you had the option of hanging up the phone; the most I could do was put my hand over her mouth and pray she didn’t bite it!”
“Women!”
“What did you promise her?” Duane Lee asks, meeting my eyes in the rear view mirror.
“That I would buy a muzzle for Amy’s mouth!”
We shared a laugh and I shook my head thinking back to last night.
Finally there was peace in my life. Mila had been making an effort to get along with Amy. She even took her to a doctor’s appointment once when I couldn’t make it because of work. Yes, things were looking up, I thought to myself as I sat down at the family dinner Mila and Duane Lee had invited us to. My dad and Beth were there along with all the kids. It was chaotic, but it was normal for us.
A while later, after the dinner plates has been cleared, it was time for dessert. Mila had made a delicious triple chocolate cake. My favorite and one of the things I had missed most about her was her love of baking… well, I missed that among other things!
Mila made sure each person had a slice of the cake and were well into it before she stood up. Clearing her throat, she says, “Duane Lee and I have an announcement to make. That’s why I invited everyone over this evening.”
“And we also have our own announcement to make!” I hear Amy say from the seat to my right.
I turned and looked at her, raising an eyebrow. Knowing exactly what her announcement was, I shook my head ‘no’…everyone knew she was pregnant. Seven months pregnant to be exact.
In my mind, growing up in a large family and having a few kids of my own; a pregnancy was just that…a pregnancy. After so many kids no one really got excited over the sex of the baby anymore. But it was her first and she was happy. That part I understood. What I didn’t understand however, was the fact that she felt the need to announce what we were having to everyone at Mila’s dinner party while Mila was standing there holding a knife covered in chocolate cake; waiting to make her own announcement.
My brother’s eyes were boring holes into the side of my head as he looked at me. I couldn’t meet his stare. The last thing I wanted tonight was to start another war.
“Amy…why don’t we let Mila say what she needs to say and you can tell everyone your news later on, okay?” I bargain, trying to play the peace maker.
“It will only take a minute to tell everyone then she can get on with what she needs to say, Leland.”
This was not good… not good at all!
Mila quietly say the knife down on the cake plate and took a seat. Lowering her eyes she motioned for Amy to say what she needed to say.
Amy beamed at the opportunity to have the spotlight. “Thank you everyone for your attention.” She said happily.
I could see Mila rolling her eyes when no one was looking.
“I just felt the need to tell everyone our good news.” Amy continued. “Leland and I are having twins! And they are both girls!”
I heard a few gasps. Beth muttered a quiet, “Oh wow.” from her side of the table. Dad managed to say “Congrats.” as he coughed up his drink.
The only people that were truly happy were my girls, Laney and Olivia. It meant new playmates for them and they would now have sisters. Amy thanked everyone for their time and took her seat next to me, not once concerned with what Mila had to say.
“Yeah, last night was definitely interesting to say the least.” I remind my brother as we pulled up to a house. “What was it that Mila wanted to tell everyone?”
Duane Lee got out of the car, pulling the pin out of his mace as we walked toward the house and looked over at me. “We’re engaged.”