Miki

 

 

“Damn, I forgot my phone.”

With a huff I give up on digging through my pockets and oversized purse, settling down onto Poppy and Grant’s massive, comfy couch while Hope and Harper run in circles in front of us.

While Hope is dressed up like her favorite princess of the week, Harper is dressed up like a mini batman - mask and all.

Reagan leers at me as she plops down at the couch at my side, bundling up a squealing Hope in her arms and planting kisses all up and down the tiny girl’s cheek.

“I think Aidan will be okay without you for a few hours.” She mocks with a wide, playful grin just as her own cell chimes loudly with a smooching sound.

“Oh, just like Eli is okay without you?” I tease back as she rolls her eyes and sends off a quick text to her new husband.

“I guess they’re pretty busy in the office today.” She murmurs absently.

 “You know, when you and Aidan get married you and Reagan will be sisters-in-law.” Poppy suddenly pipes up from the kitchen, “Also, don’t mind the pregnant lady making lunch for all four of you over here!”

A hide a startled pang at my sister’s words. It was only a painful reminder that the engagement between my fake fiancé and I wasn’t real. We probably wouldn’t ever be married. When the summer was over, I would go back to school and our charade would be over.

It’d all be over. My heart ripples with melancholy but I shove it to the side for now. There was nothing to be done but enjoy the time I had left with Aidan. He truly was an amazing man. Whoever ended up with him someday would be the luckiest girl in the world.

If only it could be me.

A blush rises to my cheeks suddenly. Was I really thinking that?

“Batman will help!” My two year old niece shrieks abruptly to her mother, her curly pigtails bobbing cutely as she rushes into the kitchen.

I go quiet for a moment, watching Reagan kiss Hope one more time and hop off the couch to help Poppy. Hope pats her hands over her chiffon purple skirt happily, kicking her legs over the edge of the couch and adjusting her costume jeweled tiara.

“Does Eli talk much about Aidan?” I ask slowly, leaning against the kitchen counter while Poppy and Reagan slather mustard on fresh slices of rye bread.

Reagan’s blue eyes flicker towards me as she lays ham on the sandwiches with the meticulous care of a surgeon. Finally, she clears her throat and drums her fingers against the granite counter, screwing her lips to the side.

“He’s very tight-lipped about their relationship.” She finally shrugs, “He’s not especially close with his father, I mean the guy couldn’t even be bothered to show at our wedding.”

I nod faintly, trying to look way less interested than I really was.

“Eli loves Aidan.” She settles on saying with a resolute nod, tying her long hair back into a ponytail.

“He’s said that?”

Reagan slaps another slice of bread on her sandwich and takes a big bite, “I just know it from the way Eli talks about him. They’re family, even if it’s only half family.”

Dropping the subject, I head around the counter to stir the big pot of Kraft mac and cheese that Poppy has cooking. My sister brushes her hair off her forehead, exhaling deeply as she massages her stomach and leans against the counter.

“Doin’ okay, sis?” I ask lightly, testing the macaroni, for experimental purposes only, of course. Watching Poppy, I grab another fistful of shredded cheddar cheese and dump it into the pot.

“Braxton Hicks contractions.” She smiles, her lips tight over her teeth, “Doctor says we can’t do anything but deal.”

“And drink lots of water.” Reagan smirks, deliberately pushing a huge glass over towards Poppy and pointing at her warningly.

“This is what you have to look forward to with Aidan.” Poppy laughs, shaking her head and taking a long sip of water as she gazes at me from over the clear lip of the cup, “The joys of pregnancy and childbirth!”

The comment came so quickly I didn’t have time to arrange my face. I could feel my mouth trying to form some semblance of a smile and I could feel my tongue trying to put together some joking words, but nothing happened. Instead, I went pale and slack jawed like a fool.

“…Miki?” Reagan blinks, putting down her sandwich in surprise.

Even my nieces seemed to fall silent in the background while they played with their dolls on the kitchen floor.

 “Did I say something?” Poppy asks, pushing off the counter and walking towards me. She sets a hand on my elbow, her face all twisted up with concern.

“Ah. I um. I can’t… I won’t be having any kids.” I finally sputter, like a chunk of my soul is being spit out with my words, “Ever, I guess. The doctor said.”

Was I making any sense? My mind buzzes like I’m in a plane thousands of feet up in the air, ears popping.

Poppy instantly wraps me up into a hug, her big baby bump pressing against my stomach. Just as she does, little Henry goes crazy inside her belly, his kicks lightly fluttering against me as I gasp in surprise.

“Did you feel that?” Poppy laughs, eyes going big, “Even being my third… it makes me so excited every single time I feel it.”

I press my hands against her belly, closing my eyes as Henry pummels my palms.

Poppy winces, shaking her head, “A little fighter.”

Reagan slides her hands over my shoulders, giving me a light squeeze.

“When did you find out?” She asks quietly, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear.

“A week or so before the wedding.” My eyes drop to the counter, searching for another sandwich to make.

Reagan goes slightly stiff, exchanging a glance with Poppy.

“So that’s why you were so weird.” Poppy murmurs bluntly, shrugging when Reagan glares at her faintly, “It’s true.” She adds in a mumble, obstinately popping a grape between her lips.

I laugh, just glad to have that out in the open, “Yeah. I was being weird. I’m sorry.”

“God, don’t apologize.” Poppy almost chokes on the grape, “We should’ve been more understanding. It was obvious you were going through something.”

“And Aidan? Does he know?” Reagan pours the macaroni into pink plastic bowls, handing them to the toddlers while I just nod.

Poppy grunts suddenly, shaking her head when we glance at her with a nervous little laugh, “Sorry. Little one got my bladder.”

Reagan and I chuckle softly, all settling down on the couch to eat our lunch while the girls watched Paw Patrol on the giant plasma screen TV.

The phone in Reagan’s pocket goes off again as she smiles apologetically and checks it, “Ugh.” She sighs, “They need me back at the office.”

“They? Or Eli?” Poppy smirks, leaning her cheek against the back of the couch, “Hmm?”

“Shush.” She teases, “Oh. Grant says the girls can play in his office for a few hours if you need a break.”

“That would be amazing.” Poppy sighs, all but flopping sideways on the couch, “He really said that?”

“Sure did. I can just take your car since its got the car seats already in it.”

“You’re heavenly, Reags. You and Grant both. Girls! Do you want to see Daddy?”

Hope and Harper instantly start screaming, abandoning their mac and cheese and dancing excitedly across the carpet.

“Follow me!” Reagan beams, waving her sandwich in the air as she snags Poppy’s keys and heads towards the front, “Thanks for lunch, ladies!”

“Thank you for being a lifesaver!” Poppy yells back, collapsing on her side and rubbing her stomach.

“Poppy, you sure you’re fine?”

The woman looks slightly pale, but then again she hadn’t seen a ton of sun lately. Not to mention how awfully she must be sleeping with Henry being so constantly active.

“Everything hurts.” She groans, “You’re lucky you won’t ever-” She cuts herself off with a grimace, “That was so insensitive. I don’t know what happened there.”

“It’s okay.” I murmur softly, trying to brush away the soft sting of her words as I grab her feet and plop them in my lap. I lightly rub her feet while she practically purrs.

I glance around, taking in the wide halls of the home and the beautiful portraits of Poppy’s family on the wall.

“Isn’t it crazy?” I murmur, “A few years ago, I never would have expected us to be sitting here. You with your family…”

“You with Aidan.” Poppy fills in with a grin, “It is definitely crazy. I still expect to wake up and find all this a dream.”

I nod softly, watching a pretty red cardinal as it lands on the patio table outside the nearby glass door. Sometimes I felt that way too. That I was dreaming. That I would wake up and be at odds with Poppy still, or even worse, still in a relationship with David.

“That girl that’s been hanging around the office lately.” Poppy says abruptly, gazing upwards at the ceiling with sleepy eyes. The house is abnormally quiet without the girls running and jumping around. The only sound to fill the silence between our words is the soft swish of the overhead fan. “Who is she?”

“Ariana?”

“Sure.” Poppy shrugs, eyes drifting shut as my fingers swirl around her toes, “You’re better at that than Grant.” She grins.

Chuckling I settle further into the couch, letting the warm, fluffy cushions practically swallow me. The air is still thick with the scent of fresh cooked mac and cheese, the girls’ bowls still sitting on the carpet in front of the muted television.

“She’s Aidan’s ex from college, actually.”

Poppy lurches up onto her elbows in surprise, eyebrows jerking towards the ceiling, “His ex, like ex-girlfriend?”

I nod, still grinning, “Yeah, but she seems cool.”

“She’s in the office all the time now. You don’t think she’s up to something?”

With a shrug I kick my feet up in front of me onto the coffee table, avoiding the dozens of little toys and half filled juice cups littering the surface.

“I did at first. But now, I dunno. I trust her in some weird way.”

My sister just gives a little shake of her head, “She doesn’t seem all there, if you get me. A taco short of a combo meal.”

Laughter bubbles up in me as I rub Poppy’s feet, tilting my head to shoot a look towards a smirking Poppy.

“She’s odd, but she’s nice. If you get to know her.”

“Whatever you say.”

“She came off as salt at first.” I murmur thoughtfully aloud while Poppy’s face crumples in confusion, “But I think she’s mostly sugar.”
 

~~

 

We’ve finally dragged ourselves free of the cozy embrace of the couch and just started tidying up the kitchen and living room when the doorbell suddenly rings.

“It’s probably Reags.” Poppy grins, “She always leaves half her stuff here.” 

My pregnant sister walks towards the kitchen, slapping some glasses on the counter while scouring around for any of Reagan’s abandoned items. Shaking my head, I head over towards the door, yanking it open dramatically.

“Well, Reagan?” I announce loudly, “What did we… what did we forget this time…?”

I stare up at the mountainous, rugged man before me - though it’s not the tight black turtleneck straining against bulging muscles that catches my attention, nor is it the two gigantic men flanking his sides.

It’s the gun that catches my attention, black metal glinting dangerously in the breezy afternoon sunlight.

He lifts the gun at his side, pointing the barrel directly in my face. My eyes glide past the gun to the face of the stranger, studying the cold hardness of his vaguely familiar face.

I don’t know him, but I can’t help but feel as though I’ve seen him around somewhere.

“Miki!” Poppy abruptly screams from the kitchen, rushing forward as one of the other men bounds forward, grabbing my sister roughly in his arms.

She screams again in shock and fear, clawing at the man as he restrains her.

“Don’t lay a fucking finger on my sister!” I shriek, forgetting the gun and whirling around. Before I can run towards her, the tall man behind me grabs my arm, wrenching me harshly back against him. I stumble over the tile, almost busting my face on the floor.

“Take both.” He says simply as I jerk my chin up towards him.

That raspy voice. Dominic. Aidan’s father.

 “You…” I breathe in shock as Poppy screams one more time.

My chest feels heavy, like I’m trying to breathe underwater. I turn dazedly back towards my sister, watching as the man restraining her leaps slightly to the side.

 “Sir… Sir I think her water just broke.”

“She’s pregnant, she’s only seven months along, you have to let her go!” I yell, struggling as hard as I can against Dominic’s grasp though it is unrelenting and strong as metal shackles.

“I said take both.” Dominic replies coldly, dragging me from the house while Poppy screams in pain