Sonia tensed and Kerry’s head swung toward Sonia again. Kerry excused herself and headed their way but Mabel had grasped hold of Sonia’s hand and she yanked it to within an inch of her eyes.
“Look at that rock!” she shrieked. “It’s huge!”
“Ohmigod!” Kerry cried, getting close. “This is insane! I can’t believe this! Did you really get married?”
There it was, as Sonia had noted, her girls were exuberant.
Before Sonia could utter a word, Regan, on Sonia’s right side, announced in a proud voice, “Sonia and my son eloped over a long weekend.”
“Ohmigod!” Mabel and Kerry screamed in unison. They turned to face each other and then started jumping up and down, taking Sonia’s hand with them as they did so, jerking Sonia’s body repeatedly through her arm.
“Girls, my hand,” Sonia said quietly, thinking, sadly (and trying to hide it) for all other humans, this news was reason to shriek and jump up and down.
For Sonia, it was not.
She pinned a bright smile on her face when the girls let go of her hand and looked at Sonia with their faces wreathed with glee.
“You sly fox!” Kerry exclaimed. “I didn’t even know you were dating anyone.”
Good goodness.
How was she going to explain this?
“Well –” Sonia began.
Mabel’s ebullient curiosity saved the day as she interrupted Sonia’s frantic thoughts to find a cover story with, “Is he hot?”
Was Callum hot?
Only one answer to that and as hateful as that answer was, it was a big, fat yes.
“Well –” Sonia started again but Kerry cut her off this time.
“Of course he’s hot. Sonia’s hot. Hot likes hot.”
“Yeah,” Mabel grinned at Sonia. “Stupid question.”
“Apparently he’s loaded too.” Kerry grinned as well. “Heck, you sell that ring, you could feed an entire, starving African nation.”
This, Sonia thought with uncharacteristic bitterness, was food for thought.
“When are we going to meet him?” Mabel asked and Sonia stilled.
She could barely come to terms with fitting into Callum’s life. She’d never considered that he’d have a place in hers.
And she wasn’t certain she liked that idea.
“He’s very busy,” she demurred but Kerry talked over her.
Shoving Mabel playfully on the shoulder she declared, “Of course we’ll meet him, crazy. He’ll be at her Christmas party.”
Oh heck.
Sonia hadn’t thought of that.
“Brilliant!” Mabel shrieked.
Sonia fought the urge to close her eyes in despair and instead attempted to beam at her girls. This fortunately worked as they beamed back.