Don't Need A Man

in which the conversation starts

"Happy birthday, happy birthday Basil, happy birthday to you!" Our off key, cracky singing brings a smile to the five year old's face.

Tomorrow is his first day of kindergarten. People are right when they say kids grow up too fast. It was like yesterday that I brought him home from the hospital. Now he's five years old and starting schooling.

"Cake!" Baze cheers. "Finally, cake!"

I cut him a slice with the 'B' from his name on it. He happily digs in and once he's finished he grabs a handful of Oreos. James and Frederick follow after the birthday boy, also with handfuls of cookies.

The adults linger around, chatting and drinking. London and her fiancé, Sidney Grey, sit beside me. Sidney, whom we refer to as Sid, manages the local CVS. London was looking for specific pads and he helped her. Ever since then they've been inseparable. He's a gentleman who squints slightly when he's really trying to make a point and sometimes his glasses fall to the tip of his nose but he makes London happy so I don't complain. He's just a big nerdy man who would give up his life for my sexy, bombshell of a best friend.

"Wow, I feel like just yesterday you had called me crying not knowing which brand of diapers to buy Basil." The first thing London has to say to me is about diapers?  Great.

I chuckle and lean against the couch. "Ye--."

"Mommy!"

Primrose Beckett wobbles over to me, her brown hair in two ponytails swaying because of her movements.

"Yes, Primrose?"

"Bwored." She juts her bottom lip out and widens her pretty blue eyes. "Pway wit me?"

I tell her the first lie I can think of. "I'm tired, baby. Why don't you play with the other kids?"

"No-won gone pway wit da dolls!" Then don't play dolls, child.

"I'll play with you, Primmy." Primrose pulls Sid to her bedroom upstairs to play with dolls. London and I exchange an amused smirk.

London raises her hands in surrender. "In his defense, he adores children. He wants to try for one as soon as we get married."

"We're twenty eight years old, I think now is the perfect time to have kids." Hint hint. Catch my hint. "We're grown but still young enough to have fun with them." Catch my motherfucking hint.

London, of course, doesn't catch my hint. She's a little dense sometimes. She runs a hand through her straight blonde hair. "Do you think I could be a good mom? Sid will be a great dad, but I'm. . . well, me."

I assure her she'll be a great mom. She's a great godmother to my children, there's no doubt that she'll be a great mother.

As people start to trickle away Baze becomes less and less energized. His excitement wears away and he ends up nearly passed out on the couch. Prim skips to her big brother and insists the two play kitchen with the big kitchen set I've recently purchased her. The two year old girl doesn't know when to stop.

"Basil, Primrose," I call to the actual kitchen, "I have to talk to you." They come running in and plop themselves onto their usual seats at the kitchen table. I speak to them while tossing the salad I've prepared for dinner. "Mommy wants to talk to you about something very serious. I want a completely honest answer."

"No lies!" Primmy shouts, pointing at her brother. Basil just laughs and agrees with his sister. I smile at the scene. I love my kids, maybe adding another wouldn't be so bad.

"Yes, baby girl, no lies." I press a kiss to her forehead, earning a smile from her. "I love you guys very much--."

"I wuv you t-woo!" This girl loves to interrupt.

I smile at the both of them. "As I was saying, I love you and I'm going to ask you what you think about me having another baby."

Neither speak. Basil looks conflicted, but Primrose is staring at the chicken salad. I watch Baze as he crosses his legs and slumps down. Oh no.

"Do we need another baby?" He asks. "Aren't we good enough?"

I coo and pull him into a hug. "You're more than enough, baby. But I really think we'd be a complete family if we had another baby. But if you don't--."

"Make sure it's a girl," Basil interrupts, "and give her a cute name, but not too cute."

Primrose asks if we can eat.