We hugged and said all the things friends say when they haven’t seen each other in a while. “It’s been way too long,” “good to see you,” and so on. But one thing I heard Maia say to Sophia made me question if I had mis-stepped as a husband. She complimented her appearance and asked if she had lost weight. Sophia said she had, and Maia showered her with even more compliments. Of course I noticed her missing weight, but I never said anything about it. I didn’t know if I should call attention to it or not because what if I did and she thought I was glad she lost the weight, implying I didn’t appreciate her body before? Nothing could be further from the truth. Frankly, I preferred her with the weight, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like her thinner body. When it comes to women and their bodies, men need perception, intuition, and a silver tongue to avoid getting blown up in that minefield. But I should still try. Losing weight at our age is no easy feat, and she deserves all the recognition.
Dub’s not-so-little girl marched confidently in the middle of the adults, and those sparkling gray eyes demanded my attention. Maybe me and Dub should start working out together because I know our two daughters will surely be the it girls on campus. I’m not a parent who fights kids, but as long as I look the part, everything should be fine.
“Hello, Tami! Do you remember me, Luca? I swear, you have all the pretty dresses!”
“I know!”
I threw my head back and let out a hearty laugh.
“Oh, man! She still says that, huh?”
“She is very self-aware,” Dub said before turning his attention to her. “What else do you say?”
“Thank you,” she said sweetly.
“You’re very welcome.”
I felt Desiree hovering behind us, so I called her out.
“Des, do you remember Tami from when we stayed in the big house when you were little?”
“I think so?”
“I remember you,” Tambara shouted. “We played pretty girls!”
“Oh, yeah,” Desiree replied.
“Why don’t you guys fix a plate and have a seat,” I suggested.
“We have a tree just like that,” Tambara said, pointing at the money tree.
“Yes, I know. I got mine from your dad.”
We ate, talked, and enjoyed each other’s company before the inevitable. Sophia took Maia to sit in the shade, and the girls went with them, leaving me and Dub alone to speak more freely. In the middle of him asking about my life as a landlord, Desi left the ladies’ table with a stack of dishes.
“You must be so proud of her,” he said.
“Bruh… You have no idea.”
“I do, but I get what you mean.”
We sipped our teas and reflected on our collective pride in our daughters—at least I assumed he went down that rabbit hole with me, heh. When Sophia and I started dating, I discovered how funny she was and thought the relationship was going to be the death of me because I’d surely die laughing. Then I told her I loved her, and we got engaged. The woohoo got exponentially more intense. I didn’t think I’d survive the engagement. Now, everywhere I look, I find another reason to be proud of Desi, and I feel like one day my heart will explode from too much happiness. Being one laugh, one smile away from death is a sweet way to live, I think.
“Did you do well in school?” I asked.
“Yeah, I did okay. A’s and a few B’s.”
“I didn’t like school. Sophia too. We got by, but Desi is killing it! She went from a C to an A in just a week!”
“Wow! That’s quite an accomplishment!”
“Right? I want her to go down whatever path she feels is right, but I kinda hope she goes to university. I’d love for her to be the first in our family.”
“Oh, your parents didn’t go?”
“Nope.”
“Mine did. So did my grandparents. I enrolled but didn’t finish.”
“Everyone finds success in their own way. My family did well without formal education, so I know she doesn’t need a degree, but… I just want so much for her, you know?”
“Oh, I know! Tami’s birthday is in a few days, and I am DEEP in denial!”
“You and me both, brother. You and me both.”
He took another sip of tea.
“By the way, what did you put in this tea?? This slaps!”
“Ha! You like that, huh? I just threw a little of this and that in there.”
“I hope you remember what it is because you need to make this every time I come!”
He enjoys a few more sips and glances behind him at the ladies’ table.
“Since we’re talking about children… I know you guys had trouble and all, but did you and Sophia ever discuss having another child?”
“Yeah,” I said in between a deep sigh. “Yeah, we did.”
“Uh oh. I guess it didn’t go well?”
“Nah, it wasn’t like that. Sophia came to me and asked if I would be satisfied with just Desi because she didn’t want more children.”
“But?”
“Most of the time, I’m cool. When I hang with my niece and nephews, sometimes I go to bed so exhausted and wonder how my sister does it. But other times, it sneaks up on me. Sometimes, I’d really love to have a son.”
He nods like he knows how that feels.
“Would you ever revisit that conversation with her?” he asked.
“No. The IVF process is very invasive, on top of adult pregnancies being harder. She told me as soon as she got home she wasn’t interested in repeating it. It’s too much to ask of her. And Desi is about to be a teenager. Even if we adopt, it’s kinda late to be starting over. Can you imagine trying to intimidate some boy with spit up on your shoulder? I’m good. And even when I’m not, that’s just something I have to deal with.”
“Hmmm.”
He sat there for a few moments, clearly mulling over something, so I let him. Nothing with Dub is random; he always has a reason behind every question. Whatever lightbulb just went off for him, I hope it helps whatever drama they left at home.
“I didn’t think about it like that,” he said, finally.
“Like what?”
“What you said about starting over and adult pregnancies. I brought it up with Maia. It didn’t end well, but she definitely made sure I understood she wasn’t interested. I was gonna bring it up again, but she was upset about something else and wanted me to listen, so I did.”
“You should do that more often. Us men, we like to fix stuff. The problem is women aren’t always looking for a fix. Sometimes, they just want to be heard, or hugged, or seen, or whatever. Listening is vital to learning what they really need.”
The sky opened, and the rain I’d anticipated earlier poured on us without warning. Everyone jumped up, grabbed a dish, and ran inside.
