Back The Long and Winding Road
Chapters (31)
  1. The Long and Winding Road
  2. Table of Contents
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Prologue: Or, Where Bear Answers the Door
  6. PAST
  7. 1. Where Bear Makes the Wrong Assumption
  8. 2. Where Bear Finds Out
  9. 3. Where Bear Makes a Decision
  10. 4. Where Bear Learns the Art of Breathing
  11. 5. Where Bear Has Bro-Time with Creed
  12. PRESENT
  13. 6. Where Bear Attends the Most Awkward Homecoming Ever
  14. 7. Where Bear Tells Tyson Everything
  15. 8. Where Bear Makes a Promise
  16. 9. Where Bear Goes to Lamaze Class
  17. 10. Where Bear Gets Advice About His Sex Life
  18. 11. Where Bear and Otter Role-Play at a Hotel Bar
  19. 12. Where Bear Faces the Reality of Married Life
  20. 13. Where Bear Sees Everything Change
  21. FUTURE
  22. 14. The Long and Winding Road
  23. Epilogue: Or, Otter’s Perspective, As It Were
  24. Coda
  25. No. Absolutely not. No way.
  26. More from TJ Klune
  27. Readers love the Bear, Otter, and the Kid Chronicles by TJ Klune
  28. About the Author
  29. By TJ Klune
  30. Visit Dreamspinner Press
  31. Copyright

Creed jabbed his phone, then jabbed me.

Got it. I pulled out my phone, and he typed furiously.

ACT NORMAL SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING came through.

I squinted at him as I showed the message to Otter.

“Yeah,” Creed said loudly as he typed on his phone again. “We just wanted a different look for the kitchen, you know? Something that wasn’t granite. We thought—”

Anna coughed.

“Anna thought granite was a fad that’d go out of style soon, so we went with quartz.”

A new message: SHE’S LIKE SPIDERMAN. ALL HER SENSES ARE TINGLING. PREGNANCY MAKES YOU A SUPERHERO. OR A VILLAIN.

“Who are you texting?” Anna asked without turning around.

Creed started sweating. “No one, my queen. Light of my life.”

“Well, it must be someone. You are typing on your phone.”

Otter and I stared wide-eyed. Creed was right. She had superpowers.

“Just my parents, my flower. Wanting to make sure JJ was okay.”

“And is he?”

“Y-yes.”

“You don’t sound sure.”

“Yes. I’m so sure. He’s doing wonderful. They’re eating mashed potatoes right this second, and he’s not even trying to put it up his nose.”

“Interesting. Because I could have sworn Alice said they were going to order pizza. I wonder why they would be having mashed potatoes.”

“Did I say mashed potatoes? I meant pepperoni.”

“Hmm,” she said.

SEE? SHE KNOWS ALL. SHE HEARS ALL. I THINK THE BABY IS EVIL. OR AWESOME. I DON’T KNOW WHICH.

“Bear and I were thinking of redoing the kitchen at some point,” Otter said, staring at the curve of Anna’s stomach.

“Make sure you don’t ask Creed for advice,” Anna said. “Unless you want your house to look like crap.”

“I’m terrible at home décor,” Creed said. “That much is evident. Color swatches? I don’t even know what those are. I shouldn’t be allowed to have opinions about redecorating. Or anything really.”

“I could come over and—”

“No,” Otter and I both blurted at the same time.

She looked at us over her shoulder.

“Um,” I said. “We couldn’t ask that of you.”

“Not in your delicate position,” Otter said.

“Delicate?” she asked evenly. “Huh. Delicate.”

“Why did you say that?” I hissed at Otter.

“Oh no,” Creed groaned. “We’re all going to die.”

“Bear doesn’t know how to use the internet!” Otter said.

“Traitor,” I breathed.

“What, really?” Anna asked with a frown. “Jesus, Bear. Are you sure you’re in the right profession? JJ might be in your class one day, and I vouched for you to get that job. I don’t know how I feel about that. Also, Creed. Come here.”

“Save yourselves,” Creed muttered under his breath. “There’s no hope for me. While she’s feasting on my flesh, run.” He walked as if a man toward death.

Otter and I stared mournfully after him.