Page 27 of A Very Grumpy Chef

“We’ll have to come up with a good name,” Coco says as I take her hand and lead her out of the kitchen.

“Oh, I’ve already got that covered.”

“Really? Do I get to know what it is?”

I smile down at her and say, “Coco’s.”

11

Coco

Five Years Later…

“Where are you headed after this?” Pearl asks as we wrap up lunch.

“I’m going to meet Alec over at the restaurant.”

She grins. “Palmer’s or Coco’s?”

I laugh. “Coco’s. We’re spending the day shopping up there.”

“Baby shopping?” she asks excitedly.

I nod. “Yeah, we finally picked a paint color for their room, and Alec is going to do that on his next day off.”

“Want me to come over and help?” Pearl offers.

“I wish. He’s insisting I leave the house that day. Something about the fumes being dangerous.”

Pearl snorts, but she can’t tease me. Wells was just as over-the-top protective with her when she was pregnant.

“Well, we can hang out that day then,” she says.

“How’s the baby?” I ask, changing the subject.

Pearl’s whole face lights up at the mention of her baby. I threw the baby shower, and I don’t think Pearl has stopped mentioning me having a baby next since. It was the first thing she said to me when I went to the hospital to see her and meet the baby. That was when I told her the news.

I was actually pregnant for the last part of her pregnancy. I almost told her at her baby shower and a million times after, but I didn’t want to take away her spotlight. I knew she was nervous and needed the focus to be on her until the baby was delivered.

Pearl screamed so loudly that she scared the nurses and woke up half the babies in the hospital when I told her my news. Wells hugged me and Alec, congratulating us. It was a great day.

Now, I’m almost due. Well, nine more weeks, but with the way I’ve popped in the last few months, it feels like it could be any day now.

“She’s great,” Pearl gushes. “She’s sleeping for five hours now, so that’s been heaven for Wells and me. We’re talking about introducing solids in a few months. I mentioned wanting to try to make it for her, but Wells has already ordered a machine and all of the gadgets that go along with it.”

“Fun.” I laugh.

“You can come over and help. You might want to make some for when you’ll need it in a few months.”

“True. Okay, yeah, maybe we can do it when Alec is painting the nursery.”

“Sounds good. Wells can help Alec that day.”

I love that Alec and Wells have become so close. Alec makes it a point to be on good terms with everyone who’s important to me, but since Pearl is my best friend, he’s grown extra close to her husband.

They hang out when Pearl and I want a girls’ day, and we’ve started doing double dates once a month, though that stopped for a few months as they adjusted to being new parents.

“I’ll text you and see what day works,” Pearl says.