Surprise Me Maybe

03. The Seed of Love

The new star at our dining table is Charlotte.

Since she got home, Chloe hasn't stopped gushing over the brown pony she rode today. Charlotte did this, Charlotte did that, Charlotte made this sound, Charlotte's tail swayed funnily, and the list goes on. She also doesn't leave the part of Ashton being jerked away and falling flat on his butt when he tried to pull the pony to walk ahead while the lady demanded to eat some grass instead. Chloe officially met her favorite Charlotte number two.

"Mr. Bonerz said Charlotte is going to have a sister," Chloe says enthusiastically.

I nearly choke when I hear the name that just escaped my daughter's lips. "Mister what?"

"Mr. Bonerz," Chloe repeats herself slowly to make sure I get the name correctly. "He's the farm owner."

Ashton clears his throat. "You can always call him by his first name, Chloe. Hugh is our old family friend. It means he's your friend, too."

"His name is Hugh Bonerz?" I can't help asking it. Who is crazy enough to name their son Hugh while they have that family name?

"Yes!" Chloe replies before her dad does. "He really is a cool man, Mama! Come with us when we visit him again next time!"

"Sounds like a good idea," I answer, glancing at Ashton. I haven't discussed the subject with him, about me coming along with them every first Saturday of the month, but judging from his expression right now, he doesn't seem to mind it.

"If we're lucky, we can see the baby pony sometime in early October," Ashton adds, earning a happy squeal from our daughter.

Noticing that Chloe takes her time mixing her pasta while she hasn't eaten much, I narrow my eyes at her. "Do not play with your food."

She stops immediately, mumbling, "Sorry."

"Are you not hungry?"

Chloe lifts her gaze to meet mine before shaking her head.

"How come?"

Chloe bites her lower lip. "I had a bit too much of" —the girl winces— "choco-chip cookies. Mrs. Bonerz...I mean Martha baked it for tea time and it was delicious."

I sigh with a frown on my face. It explains why she's been a bit hyperactive today. The sugar rush.

"It's my fault. I was in the garage with Hugh when she was attacking the cookies. I should've paid more attention to what she ate," Ashton confesses. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Alright," I say before turning my gaze back to my kid. "Try to have a few more bites, but if you can't, you may stop."

"Okay," she murmurs before jabbing her fork into the ravioli.

The atmosphere at the dining table is a bit awkward for the next few minutes. Ashton and I may have talked about the common ground in raising Chloe together, but he's still pretty clueless about the daily basic rules. Ruining her eating rhythm will affect her dinner. The insufficient dinner might interrupt her good night's sleep because she gets hungry in the middle of the night. And we know what's going to happen the next day when kids have broken sleep.

"Charlotte doesn't have a father, but she is still getting a sister," Chloe continues with her new favorite topic.

"Well, Charlotte definitely has a father, and so does the unborn baby, they just don't live in the same barn," I reply.

"Like Ashton and us." Chloe beams. "But I'm not getting a little sister, right?"

"Well, no."

"Why?"