Accidental Surrogate

The trip improves by leaps and bounds the moment we stop at the campground for the night.

“Finally,” I sigh, taking a deep breath of the fresh air as I climb down the steps of the RV, my baby curled in my arm and looking around him with bright and interested eyes. “It’s good to be on steady ground again.”

“Remind me never to take you on a boat,” Sinclair murmurs, coming down the stairs behind me. “If you didn’t like this…you won’t respond well to that.”

“Yes sir,” I say passively, smiling down at the baby, who frees one of his arms and reaches out into the cool evening air, clasping his fingers at a firefly who passes close by. I don’t mention that I liked the sea voyage to the desert much more than I liked this, even though the accommodations weren’t as nice.

“What about this?” Sinclair murmurs as he steps down the final step and comes to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I smile as I lean

back against his chest. “Is the forest an improvement?”

I look around our isolated campsite, lit with grey and blue tones in the dying light

of the day. I smile at what I see, appreciating the cool air and the blinking light of

the fireflies that float lazily through the space.

“Yes,” I say with a decisive nod. “This will do quite well.”

“Good,” Sinclair replies, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek before releasing

me and moving to a luggage compartment low on the RV, I watch as he opens it

and begins pulling out camping gear chairs, a cooler, some bags with extra

snacks and bug spray.

“Oh!” I say, surprised by it all as my mate begins to set it all up around a burnedout ring where a fire goes. “Oh, we’re very prepared.”

“Of course we are,” Roger says, climbing out of the RV with Cora behind him.

When he reaches the ground, Roger flicks the switch that prepares Henry’s little

elevator. “We’re always ready to go glamping in this family.”

I laugh at the term, settling into a chair that Sinclair waves me towards, smiling

down at the baby. “What do you think, Rafe?” I whisper to him. “Do you like

glamping?” He gives a happy little coo in response and I laugh, grinning up at

his father. “I think that’s a yes.”

“Kid has taste,” Sinclair says, winking at me as he continues his work. We’re all

settled around a fire much faster than I thought was possible and I smile as I

watch Sinclair and Roger set a little grill across it, apparently preparing to make

us our dinner as well.

“They only cook,” Henry whispers, leaning over to Cora and I and giving us a

smile, “when it’s outdoors. Otherwise, they’re not interested.”

“Not true!” Sinclair protests, his eyes still on the fire.

“Absolutely true!” Roger chimes in, making us laugh. “If I’m making food, it’s

grilled. Otherwise I’m getting takeout.”

“Guess your baby is gonna eat a lot of hotdogs,” I murmur to Cora.

adds, sighing. Then she looks over at

“You know I

them hire

at the idea, and

the night the family gathered happily

everything, chatting lightly about what

future but not touching on any of the big,

behind the conversation. We all know that they’re there, after all –

to leave them

is just about laughter, and fun, and spending time

I bite into a smore that Sinclair hands me, the

the way I like it. “Oh my god,” I murmur, closing my

I chew. “This is so good, I

going to get marshmallow all over

baby – ”

don’t care,” I murmur, shaking my head and refusing to open my eyes as

“He won’t

and lifts Rafe from my

to be alone with my s’more anyway. Cora,

Sinclair walks Rafe away from me, apologizing in

is. I

words, knowing that he’s

I finish my s’more and look around at my family, watching

watches Sinclair and his grandchild while

other, not talking but clearly connected in this

says, wrapping her arms around herself and

at our dark camp. “I didn’t think I’d like sitting outside in the dark by

as much as this.”

about it, isn’t there?” Roger murmurs, raising a hand to

as he

stars and then turning her head

Roger, beaming at him.

my own smile from crossing my face as I watch them.

other, I

from my little camping chair

looks up at me, curious and I

and then towards Roger and Cora, who begin talking

follows my gaze and then nods his understanding. He walks to

hand on his back, leaning down to speak a

by one, as stealthily as we can – which is

has to be lifted into the RV with a noisy platform –

our way back into the little

fire to have

about,” I say to Sinclair as he climbs

behind him, the baby still curled in

the little kitchen nook, peering out the window at Roger and

through the tinted window.

business, little spy?” he says, coming to sit with me

wanting to give us our own moment, rolls

bedroom, making some excuse about wanting

know

looking up at my mate and reaching for my baby, who

arms. “But you know I always want to

he murmurs, slipping his arms low

the baby and I warmly against

that he too can look out at Cora

brother’s love life