Have Another (Flash Fiction)

(For Brice)

Bob looked at Brian. “Another one?”

“Yeah,” Brian said. “You knew that already.”

“Well yeah, I knew that,” said Bob. “I knew y’all were having another kid. I didn’t know it was gonna be another girl.”

Brian poked his tongs at the ribs resting on the grill. The meat was coming along quite nicely. “Well we didn’t know either,” said Brian.

“Huh,” said Bob.

“What?”

Bob shrugged. “Another girl? Two girls? Don’tcha want a son?”

“Well sure I want a son,” said Brian. “It’s not like I got a say in these things.”

Bob raised an eyebrow and drank from his beer. Brian flipped a few patties and shook his head. “Oh, come on. Yeah, yeah, it’s up to me. It’s not like I decide right when it’s happening.”

“Ya wear boxers of briefs?” Bob asked.

“I wear boxers, man! You know that.” Brian titled his beer can to the sky and drained the liquid down his throat. In the distance, his wife was approaching the grill and calling his name.

“Well, that’s good I guess,” said Bob. “It’s a start. Although—” Bob trailed off.

“What?” Brian said, ignoring his wife. In her arm was their first daughter. She wore a pink dress with matching pink shoes. A red bow was nestled into her fiery red hair.

“Sometimes you wear your trousers a little tight,” said Bob.

Brian gave him a dull glare. “Catherine kinda likes it when I wear tight trousers,” Brian said. “It gets me a bit of action.”

“Mmmhm. And why do you think that is?” said Bob.

“Brian!” said Catherine. “Could you please take little Susanne? She’s just been inside begging to be outside where her Daddy and Uncle.” Brian happily took his daughter on board and continued jabbing at the meats. Bob drank the rest of his beer. Catherine looked the two of them over. Just as she began to ask a question, a call came from the kitchen and she was silenced. She walked off with a look of reservation.

Bob gave Susanne a quick scratch at the chin. “You’re gonna have two daughters.”

“Yup,” said Brian.

“You’re gonna have two daughters that are in high school together. At the same time. Together.”

Brian paused. His eyes were fixed on the cooking meat but his sight was in the distant future. “Yup,” he said.

“You still want that shotgun for your birthday?” asked Bob.

Brian pulled Susanne close and kissed her on the forehead. “Yup,” he said.

“Alright then,” Bob said. He reached into the cooler and pulled out two more beers. He opened them both and handed one to Brian, who drank greedily.