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I made it into Angela’s house without kissing Von, which I feel like there should be some kind of medal for. Angela was... interesting. She seemed hotwired for scoffing, which she did whenever I opened my mouth. I made it a point not to speak after the perfunctory introductions.
Von went to go see Penny’s new goldfish in her room, leaving me to sit in the kitchen at the breakfast nook with Angela. She stirred cream into her coffee, sizing me up like she was a cat ready to pounce. “So you’re the new Omen? I mean, can you even work in your condition?” She tossed her iron-straightened brown hair over her shoulder, her red painted fingernails combing through her locks as she looked down her thin, pointy nose at me.
I nodded, offering nothing more.
Her voice was nasally, and she sneered at me when I refused to be baited. “Kind of selfish, getting pregnant when Terraway needs you. I mean, it all rests on you and Lady Mariang.”
Selfish? Um, okay. “Uh-huh.” I knew better than to argue with someone who obviously loved to fight.
She wore blue eyeshadow and gobs of mascara that framed her smaller eyes. “What’re you having, triplets? You look like you’re carrying a litter.”
“Shut it, Angela,” Von sneered, poking his head around the corner to whisper-shout at the snide woman. “I told you I’d be bringing October by, and you said you’d behave. You’re speaking to an Omen like that, mind you. She’s not some skank you can mouth off to however you wish.”
I waved off his concern. “It’s fine, Von. Go be with Penny. Let Angela get it all out of her system. I mean, clearly I’m a threat, whale that I am.”
Von smirked at my moxie and scowled at Angela. “Behave,” he warned her. “This right here is the love of my life, and she’s carrying my baby. You’ll mind your manners around my future wife.”
I wanted to correct Von, but staying quiet seemed the way to go.
Angela lowered her voice and leaned across the table, her red fingernail jabbing in my face the second Von left to go find Penny. “Listen to me. I know you’re trying to trap Von with this situation you’ve got going on here. We’ve got a good arrangement, he and I, and I won’t let you come in here and wreck it just because he knocked you up and not me.”
“You’re every bit as lovely as he described you,” I simpered, knowing I was being a jerk. “I think I’ll go see what Von’s up to in the other room.” My maternity jeans were cute when I’d put them on that morning, but now I felt like a cow in them. I wished for a hoodie, but none of my favorites zipped up over my enormous belly anymore. Mariang had bought me all form-fitting clothes, which showed off every curve that I really didn’t need a megaphone for. I tugged the hem of my stretchy lavender blouse down over my belly, wishing the small ruffles around the V-neck weren’t so eye-catching.
I rounded the corner and found Von on the floor with Penny in all of her yellow-pigtailed glory, playing with her dolls and using overly girly voices while she poured his dolly fake tea. I took a deep breath and dove in. “Hi, Penny. I’m your dad’s friend, October.” I ignored Von’s disparaging look at my platonic label, but accepted his help in getting myself situated on the beige carpet that was littered with stains. It was harder to get down on the floor, now that I was so very pregnant, but I managed. There’s another YouTube-worthy thing – pregnant women trying to gracefully sit on the floor. You’ll laugh your socks off.
Penny looked over at me, her round face showing off her freckles and the gap between her teeth. “Hi. I lost my tooth!”
I did my best ‘holy crap on a stick’ face and covered my mouth with my hands. “Let me see! Whoa. That’s awesome! What’re you going to do with all that extra space in your mouth? I’m thinking you can probably fit more cookies in there with one less tooth crowding things.”
Penny lit up. “I didn’t even think of that!” She picked up the doll nearest her and handed her to me. “We’re having tea. My daddy knows all about tea. He’s from British.”
Von smiled at her indulgently. “Yes, Daddy’s from British. It’s a land of adventure far, far away.”
I couldn’t help but fall in love with Penny’s cuteness. “Your daddy’s very smart. Did you know that his birthday’s tomorrow?”
“What? It’s your birthday?” She tilted her head at me. “Do daddies get birthday cakes?”
Von sat up and waved off Angela, who was watching us from the doorway. “You can go to work now. We’ll stay until your mum comes to pick up Penny.”
I leaned in with a conspiratorial smile. “I think we should make your daddy a birthday cake. Do you know how to bake?”
“I’m so good at it!” Penny exclaimed, already on her feet.
“I thought you might be. You look smart and capable. Go wash your hands, and we’ll get started.” Penny scampered off to the bathroom.
Angela sneered at me when Von stood and bent to help me up. “Cake? Really? You think more fat is what you need?”
I don’t know why I let that one hit me, but it sizzled where my armor fell slack, piercing my soft parts. The stupid pregnancy hormones made me emotional on a dime. Horrifying tears welled in my eyes, so I ducked my head and made my way to the kitchen while Von tore Angela a new one in a whisper, so Penny didn’t overhear.
Von was in the kitchen in the next heartbeat, his arms around me to stem my tears. Of course, that only made them fall faster. “I’m sorry. It’s fine. It’s just that Bev always made those fat cracks at me, and she’s gone now. I don’t know why I’m upset. I keep thinking that if I’d had more time with her when she wasn’t poisoned by the stone, maybe she wouldn’t have thought I was a cow. Although, I am a cow now, so maybe it wouldn’t have made a difference after all.”
Von used his t-shirt to dry my eyes, keeping his arm around my back to comfort me and give me a mild pull. “It’s got nothing to do with you. Angela and Bev were miserable. You’re wonderful, and that makes miserable people insecure and angry.”
I sucked in a deep breath as I straightened, pulling myself together as best I could. “Sorry. I don’t know why I’m so emotional about such a small thing. I used to have thicker skin about stuff like this. I’m cool now, I promise.”
“You want to lie down and put your feet up? You don’t have to bake me a cake. I’m sure Lynna’s seeing to that.”
“But Penny’s so good at baking.” I tried to shirk out of his embrace, but melted a little when he kissed the back of my hand, holding it between us. “I’m okay, Von. Just hormones.”
“I love you, November,” he whispered.
The pleading for me to believe him covered my sore spots like a warm blanket. His lips were so close to mine, and the look in his captivating eyes was too earnest. I didn’t mean to study his sculpted lips. I didn’t mean to lean in. I didn’t mean to lift myself up on my toes. I didn’t mean to...
“I’m ready!” Penny called, giving us a two-second warning before she skipped into the kitchen. We broke apart, Von’s wild eyes cluing the innocent little girl into none of our almost-kiss.
Von’s voice came out pinched and squeaky. “Hun, can I see you in the other room for a moment? Penny, we’ll be right back.”
I turned away and started fishing through the cupboards at random, my face pink and my palms sweating. “We’re baking a cake, Von. What kind of cake is your favorite?”
He ran his hands through his hair, swallowing thickly a few times before answering. “Any kind of cake my girls make me is the one I adore.”
“Daddy likes pepper!”
I quirked an eyebrow at Penny. “He likes pepper in his cake?”
She shrugged. “He puts pepper on his burgers and fries.”
I nodded, deciding to go with whatever distraction Penny provided. “Pepper in his cake for sure, then. What else does Daddy like?”
“Ketchup. He’s always drinking bags of ketchup.”
Von grimaced, and I knew she’d seen him drinking blood. “That’s right. Daddy loves ketchup.”
“And chocolate. He always has candy in his pocket for me, so I know he likes chocolate.”
“That settles it. We’ll make a chocolate, ketchup and pepper cake. Can you find a big mixing bowl for me?” I shook my head at Von when he gave me a look with too much smoldering love in it, warning him that he’d caught me in a weak moment, and not to make a big deal about it.
But I think we both knew it was too late. I was caving, for better or worse.