"Nothing wrong with enjoying to read."
Betsy tossed her keys into a dish on the counter and headed to the refrigerator.
"Please don't treat me like I'm Mom and Dad. He has books. Joe and I read to him and I love the crap out of his advanced brain, got it?"
"Glad to hear it."
Betsy immediately shifted gears. "Do you feel like grilled cheese? Joe won't be back for a few hours yet."
"Sure. I can make it."
"No, I'm happy to do it. It relaxes me."
"I like to cook, but I prefer baking. It's more precise."
Betsy proceeded to gather the bread, butter and cheese while Alexis sat on a stool at the counter.
"You should see some of my baking experiments," Betsy said. "Good thing I have men in this house who eat anything."
"Not all successes, huh?"
She shook her head. "Not even close, but it's fun to try. Speaking of fun, what's the latest with Tyler? Have you boned him yet?"
"Betsy!" Alexis shrieked with horror.
"Oh, sorry. You don't bone. You probably fillet or something. Much fancier."
Alexis covered her face with her hands. "I am not discussing this with you."
"At least tell me if he looks as good naked as I think he does." Betsy begged her sister with her big, brown puppy eyes. "Please."
"I have not had sex with him."
"What?" Betsy spun around, still clutching the pan. "Sister, you need to sharpen that pencil."
Alexis couldn't believe her sister was encouraging her. "First of all, it's much bigger than a pencil."
Betsy smacked her thigh. "I knew it!"
"But I haven't felt ready for…you know." Alexis bit her lip.
Color rose to Betsy's cheeks and she realized that maybe she should've held her tongue. "Listen, I'm sorry about my judgy comments from before."
"Which ones?" asked Alexis with a wry smile.
"All of them, but especially the ones about you not being married or mother material."
Alexis wasn't surprised that her mother had shared her story about Mark and her miscarriages. She knew the women had no secrets between them.
"That's okay. You didn't know."
"It's not your fault," Betsy told her. "You know that, right? Christ, who am I asking? I'm sure you read a zillion articles on the subject."
Alexis shook her head softly, struggling for the right words. "It's hard not to feel responsible, but I'm working on it."
Betsy wanted to ease her sister's pain somehow, so she offered the only thing she had, a little understanding. "I had a miscarriage between Brian and Owen. Believe me, my life can be stressful between Joe and the kids and the salon, but I sure as hell didn't blame myself. I wanted that baby."