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.

she looks over at

mine. “You know

shrug. “Maybe we can make them hire us chefs,” I consider.

the idea, and we both

this long into the night the family gathered

about nothing and everything, chatting

our mutual future but not touching on any of the

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

to leave them untouched

laughter, and fun, and spending

bite into a smore that Sinclair hands me,

to a crisp just the way I like it.

is so good, I can barely

dripping,” Sinclair laughs, you’re going to get marshmallow all

baby – ”

don’t care,” I murmur, shaking my head and

bite. “He won’t mind

and lifts Rafe from

with my s’more anyway.

Sinclair walks Rafe away from me, apologizing in

inconsiderate his mother is. I

his words, knowing

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

Henry watches Sinclair and his grandchild while Cora

but clearly connected in this peaceful

out here,” Cora says, wrapping

“I didn’t think I’d like

as much as this.”

primal about it, isn’t there?” Roger murmurs, raising

hair as he

looking up at the stars and then turning

Roger, beaming at him.

crossing my face

I decide that

up from my little camping chair and

Sinclair. He looks up at me, curious and I nod my

Roger

gaze and then nods his understanding. He walks to

his back,

as we can – which is not very

into the RV with a noisy platform

us and the baby make our way back into the little mobile house, leaving

Roger alone by the fire

think they’re talking about,” I say to Sinclair as

RV, pulling the door shut behind him, the baby still curled in his arms.

in the little kitchen nook, peering out the

through the tinted window.

little spy?” he says,

perhaps wanting to give us our own moment, rolls his

excuse about

we both know

sigh, looking up at my mate and reaching for

you know I always

“Do you know,” he murmurs, slipping

I warmly against him, resting his chin on

that he too can look out at Cora and Roger, “I never

my brother’s love life