The Belle and the Beard by Kate Canterbary (good book club books .txt) 📕

As I waited in line at the concession stand, I snagged my phone to check on Jasper again. I didn't need to check on her. I knew she was fine, and seeing as she'd hung up the baking mitts, there was little threat of the house burning down.

I just wanted to talk to her.

Linden: Ash and Magnolia are pretty much obsessed with you.

Jasper: I find that hard to believe.

Linden: They'd rather spend the night with you than me for all the questions they're asking.

Jasper: …what do they want to know?

Linden: How you got to be so awesome.

Jasper: Very funny.

Linden: I'm serious. They're co-presidents of your fan club.

Jasper: Not sure what to say about that.

Linden: Say that for all the shitty things that have happened recently, there are people who think you're amazing.

Linden: Before you ask, yes, I'm one of them.

Jasper: You're just saying that so I'll be naked when you get home.

Linden: I have zero objections to your being naked, preferably in my bed, but you know I don't say anything just for the hell of it.

Jasper: That's true.

Linden: You also know I don't need to compliment you to get your clothes off.

Jasper: Also true. Not sure what that says about me.

Linden: It says you follow directions on selected occasions.

Jasper: Again, I'm wondering what that says about me.

Linden: Only the best things.

Jasper: How long do these baseball games run?

Linden: This one should be over in an hour. Two at the most. Traffic adds another hour. Maybe less.

Jasper: Okay.

Linden: Should I expect to find you in my bed?

Jasper: Expect me on your wifi. Where I'm parked while I use it is a different story.

Linden: Good enough for me.

I returned to our row, drinks and snacks balanced precariously on top of one another, and forced Ash to serve as Magnolia's nacho holder.

"It's good practice for you," I told him.

He snickered. "I have five years in the pocket before Zelda even looks up from her fieldwork and doctoral defense work. You'll be waiting on the pregnant wife before I will."

Reflex told me to disagree but longing told another story, one that blindsided the shit out of me. I could see it. I could see a ring on Jasper's finger as she pressed a hand to her belly, I could see us turning the den into a nursery, I could see us hiking through the woods with a baby strapped to my chest.

I had to thank the Red Sox for hitting one out of the park at that moment because my brother would've seen right through the vision detonating in my head. Not wanting to give him another reason to say "I told you so," I smothered it all with some well-earned celebration.

I'd let him be right about everything another time.

"Since we're not allowed to talk about Jasper, can we talk about this anniversary party?" Magnolia asked when we sat back down. "The one Mom and Dad planned for two weeks before I hit full term for twins?"

"What do you want to talk about?" Ash asked.

"Many things," she replied, "but first off, how about the fact those two hippies are throwing themselves a two-hundred-guest black-tie affair at a country club? Do they even recognize what they've done?"

"Not sure I'd go as far as that," Ash said. "It's a big party. Your wedding was a big party."

"My wedding was a glorious, blessed event," she replied with a sniff. "And, I will note, this is all your fault, Ash."

"That cannot be true," he said. "I did nothing."

She pushed to her feet and screamed at the umpire about his eyesight until the batter on base turned to stare at her, his mouth hanging open and his brows pinched high in shock. My sister always came to these games armed with some colorful commentary.

"Sit down, sit down," Ash said. "I promised your husband I wouldn't let you get too worked up."

"I don't know why Rob thinks you're going to prevent such a thing at a playoff game, especially one with that douche bagel of an ump."

"Me neither," he muttered.

"Anyway, can we just talk about them throwing a black-tie party? When we were kids, Mom wouldn't wear anything aside from hemp dyed with natural colors. Remember that? And she used to make bags from woven grass? Come on, you have to remember that."

"I remember the grass belts," Ash said. "Those were heinous."

"It was impossible to get them unbuckled in time. The number of near-accidents I had in kindergarten was outrageous," I said.

"And now we're having a fancy-pants party at a country club," Magnolia said. "It's almost like they've forgotten they were earthy-crunchy socialists once upon a time."

"Do you think that's just what happens as you grow up?" I asked. "Do you gradually reshape your ideals as time passes?"

Was that even possible? Was it a matter of bartering away your ideals or finding new ones that fit better? I didn't know but I had the sense people weren't supposed to be one stationary, static thing their entire lives. People were supposed to live a lot of lives in their time on this planet. They were supposed to reinvent themselves and reevaluate their beliefs. They were supposed to look back and shake their head at the things they did before they knew better. They were supposed to get all the second chances.

"Or is it more a matter of going into semiretirement and filling your days with golf?" Ash said. "I don't know about Mom but that's what happened to Dad."

"Mom fell down the rabbit hole with the first pair of Tory Burch sandals I bought her. It's a slow-growing addiction but it's a brutal one."

Ash and I glanced at her and then each other.

"I want you two to promise me you'll do the heavy lifting so I can sit in a corner with my feet up. You know, assuming I haven't popped by then."

"What do we need to lift?" I checked my phone one more time but didn't see anything new