I have to admit, I like it. The kids have even named some of the chickens. For instance, the one over the oven is called Sir Clucks-a-lot.
“Auntie Gemma,” Sasha calls from the living room. “Josh is here.”
I quickly look up from the stove, like I can see the front door, which I can’t.
I hear a bunch of shrieking and tumbling and I shout, “Let him in.”
I’m currently stuck at the burner shaking a steaming pot of melting sugar and popcorn kernels, so I can’t get the door.
“Josh, yay,” the twins, Mary and Maemie yell. “Come play Go Fish with us.”
“No, play Chinese checkers with me.” That’s Sasha, she’s in a Chinese checkers phase.
“But I want to play chess. No one ever wants to play chess.” Poor Colin. He’s right.
“Hey guys, where’s Gemma?” I hear Josh ask, and then I hear the closing of the front door behind him.
I smile and picture the mass of kids surrounding Josh demanding that he play with them. They can be pretty overwhelming if you’re not used to them.
“Hey. I’m in the kitchen,” I call.
The kettle corn has started to pop in earnest, the kernels are jumping up against the lid, bright white and covered in glossy caramelized sugar. The scent of warm, browned sugar rises to me.
Josh steps into the kitchen and gives me an amused smile.
All day at work I kept having thoughts of Josh having a “fertility fetish” or some weird motive for agreeing to be my donor. I search his expression, but there’s nothing different in the way he’s looking at me. It’s the same look he’s been giving me for years. It’s the same Josh. The same nonchalance and irreverence.
“Question,” I say.
“What’s up?” He leans against the entry and puts his hands in his pockets.
“Err. Well. Have you ever donated sperm before, do you have any children, and/or do you have a fetishized fantasy of producing hundreds of children with your sperm?”
For a second, he just looks at me, then he lets out a sharp, choking sound and I realize it’s a horrified laugh.
Alright, so there’s my answer. I knew Brook and Carly were full of it.
Josh finally gets himself under control. “Gemma, what the heck? What the heck?”
I shrug. Then, I think, oh well, may as well get it all out of the way. “Okay fine. One more question. Were you planning on blackmailing me anytime in the future?”
His chin tilts down and he gives me a look. Then he says in a low voice, “And what would I blackmail you about?”
My heart skips a beat and I give the popcorn pot a hard shake. “Well, hmm. Never mind.”
I squirm under his direct stare and say, “So, hey. Nice to see you. Feel free to forget everything I just said.” I keep shaking the pot full of corn. Then, to break the tension I say, “Thanks for not freaking out. Like they say, life is full of surprises, accept them for the gift they are. And hey, at least I didn’t ask you if you burned ants with a magnifying glass as a kid.”
He looks at me for a moment and then shakes his head. “So random, Gemma. So weird.” He peers over the counter at the popping corn.
“Do I get some of that?” He nods at the pot. It’s full now, the lid is starting to come off from the excess amount.
I sigh in relief. He’s changing the topic. That’s another point to add in his favor—he doesn’t judge and he lets things go.
I give him a bright smile.
“Well, it depends.”
I flip off the burner, open the lid and dump the corn into a big bowl. Little strings of sugar swing through the air and the smell of kettle corn fills the kitchen.
“On what?” he asks.
“On whether you’re willing to watch ninety minutes of a talking dog movie with me and the kiddos.”
He looks at the ceiling like he’s seriously contemplating the question. “Talking dogs, kettle corn, talking dogs, kettle corn, huh.” Then he looks back at me and says, straight-faced, “Deal.”
At that, the twins rush into the kitchen and grab Josh’s hands.
“Come on, we have to play Go Fish before the movie starts,” Maemie says. She and Mary tug Josh back down the hall. He looks over his shoulder at me with a self-deprecating, laughing expression in his eyes. Then he shakes his head at me and chuckles and I know he’s thinking of my questions.
I wave him off. Then I give a small smile and grab a large serving tray from the cupboard. I lay out the bowl of popcorn, napkins, juice boxes for the kids, and sparkling water for Josh and me. From the living room, I can hear the girls giggling and Colin explaining to Josh why his Go Fish strategy is bound to fail.