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"Where did Sofie and Eric go?" Bell asked, looking around "I saw her earlier, didn’t I?"

With the exception of Roh the photos on Max’s phone, there was an obvious shift in the htened as he, too, looked around

Sarah cleared her throat "Last night she told me the baby had been real colicky this whole week She and Eric ed, and then Bell announced the food was ready Time seemed to move in slow motion as they all served themselves and sat down to eat Fortunately, they all had their hands full, trying to serve and feed restless kids and dealing with babies The novelty of Brandon, their old neighborhood acquaintance, being Regina’s boyfriend wore off for the ina and Brandon sat with her mom and a couple of aunts instead of at the table with the Moreno clan

"Why didn’t daddy coina asked her mom

"He’s been real tired this week," her mother explained "The doctor switched his ot up early and attended the Mass, but e got back ho I told Bell I’d stay and eat, but then Pat’s takinga bit worried

"Yeah, yeah" Her onna take some ti ill or anything, honey" She smiled "He was tired and not in theTV He even reina s a bit relieved, but she didn’t like to hear that her once-active dad didn’t even have the energy to attend a family function It wasn’t like him

Trying not to over think things, Regina ignored the fact that when Sofia and Eric had finally ain they sat at the furthest table froht feel a little uncoht her and Sofia’s eyes hadher After finishing up eating, Regina excused herself to use the bathroom inside Once out of the bathroom, she made an unexpected detour towards the baby’s roo

"Oh, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?" she whispered as she turned the corner into his roo the rail, and his little whihtened the moment he saw her Like she’d seen hi up and down He stood there with the biggest but near toothless smile as he held out his little ar hi his bald head "Always s Roina walked over to the changing table and laid hian undoing the onesie he wore

"Shhh!" She giggled "Seriously, , she leaned in and kissed hiain on the forehead She loved that she’d been able to convince her sister to go with her first choice and name him Romeo Bell had been worried he’d be teased hed and had re like his dad," Pat had sneered, "no one is gonna be teasing this boy"

She turned when she heard someone at the door "Hey" Sofia sht ina’s sudden cheery ht of her Sofia looked as perfect as ever It was disgusting

Stop it

"No," she said, trying to sound as noruy is ready to go join the party I’ hi to stand next to her by the changing table

"Good, good" Regina nodded as she finished wiping Romeo clean "I moved back to California, so I’ the bottoet to be near your fa so far away from mine" She cleared her throat and went on "And you’re with Brandon now" It was a stateina by surprise She froze for a moment then turned to face her Sofia senuinely "He’s a good guy"

"I know he is" Regina turned back to finish changing Romeo and did her best not to sound bitchy, but her response was already too quick

If Sofia even tried to bring up her past with hiina did not need to hear about how Sofia rejected the man she was now in love with, especially now that she knew Sofia’s presence alone still had such an effect on hi ina had finished changing "Can I hold the little chunkers?" she asked with a big sina let her pick him up, and to her relief, they moved on to small talk about Romeo, Sofia’s baby, and his colic as they ed in a conversation with another Moreno, Sofia’s younger cousin Vince, the one who’d been watching Sal’s kids today Frouy too This was probably why Brandon see to hi about Brandon’s past with Sofia, since she also knew he hadn’t grown up in the sa about their lives in thestories like the ones she’d often heard her own father exchange growing up