She pulls the chips back to her lap and eats one, studying me all the while.

“What about you?” I ask her.

“Someday. One or two. I’m in no hurry.”

“Well, if I’m going to, I need to get on it,” I say. “I don’t want to be too old, and I’d rather not have twenty years between Ethan and his sibling.”

“I get that. Totally.”

I pop the lever on the side of the recliner. My legs rise and my back reclines just enough to feel moderately relaxed. I settle back and feel myself melt into the chair.

“You know,” I say, rolling my head to the side so I can see Val. “If Kirk wasn’t sixty-five and married to the best woman ever, I might just marry him.”

Val coughs, choking on a chip. She pulls a water bottle from between the couch cushions and takes a long drink.

“Sometimes I think you’re basically my child,” I say, laughing. “Did you really have that drink wedged in my sofa?”

“Don’t mom me. I was trying to keep it upright so it didn’t leak out everywhere.”

“You do realize that you’re almost thirty.”

“Rude.” She makes a face and eats another chip. “Kirk is pretty handsome, though. The salt-and-pepper hair really does it for me.”

I chuckle.

Val picks up her phone again. Immediately, she’s engrossed. She licks the salt from the chips off her bottom lip slowly as she brings the screen closer to her eyes.

“What are you looking at over there?” I ask, curiosity piqued.

“Cole’s feed. It was still pulled up.”

I groan.

Val lays her phone in her lap and cocks her head to the side. “Okay, real talk.”

“What?”

“I’ve been approaching this Cole thing with you as if you’re just embarrassed by the attention or having a hard time believing that it’s real. Or you’re just flustered because he is a flustery kind of guy.”

I laugh. He is a flustery kind of guy. I wish it were only that. “I saw him today when I picked up Ethan.”

“Really? You’ve been holding on to that little nugget for hours. Totally unfair.”

“Very funny.”

“And?” She motions in front of her, prompting me to divulge whatever secret she thinks that I’m withholding. “What happened? Did sparks fly? Did you realize that you need to take a swing with his big, hard bat?”

“Will you stop it?” I giggle. “You’re . . .”

“Right on the money?”

I roll my eyes. Kind of. “Hardly.”

“You’re the worst best friend in all the lands.”

I snort. “Fine. He asked me out again, and I turned him down again.”

“What?”

“I know. He even said Ethan could come.”

She moves around on the couch until her legs are tucked up beneath her. “No. Not that. I was what-ing the part where you said that you told him no.”

Val is never going to understand my perspective.

“Okay. I’m starting to think that you’re serious. And if you are and you’re not into him for whatever reason—maybe you’re just not into blue eyes the color of gemstones, and that’s okay—then I want to respect that.” She lifts her chin. “See? I’m capable of empathy.”