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Mom sits down at the table, makeup blotchy around her eyes Samantha wishes she could wear makeup, but Mom won't let her until she's sixteen "Why sixteen?" Saave her any specific reason, just the old stand-by, "Because I said so"

"What are you two going to order?" Mo now to sound cheerful "I think I'll just have a salad"

"This jalapeno cheeseburger sounds good," Dad says "What about you, kiddo? A porterhouse steak, right?"

She puts her hand to her sto "I'll have a salad too," she says

They give their order to the waitress and then Dad reaches over to take Mo important to tell you," Dad says "We kneforward to this vacation so we didn't want to distract you and eren't entirely sure until this et your hopes up-"

"What your father is trying to say is that we called Dr Vargas thisfor some test results and-" Mom stops to take a deep breath and to squeeze Dad's hand "And it turns out I' to have a baby sister or brother"

"Oh , really? I don't believe it!" She lunges across the table to hug Mo what anyone else in the restaurant thinks After all these years, she is finally going to have a little sister or brother

"Thank you, honey We were a little worried you ," Mom says

"Of course I want a sister Or a brother Hopefully a sister Do you think she'll look like Mom and I or more like Dad? Can I help you take care of her? I know you think I''s kids all the time They're not et ho to put her in the guest bedrooross broallpaper in there Can we paint the baby's room pink? It would look so cute And if there's any paint left can we paint my room too? That balloon wallpaper is for babies I should really have sorown-up now" Samantha chatters on like this for the rest of dinner, not touching her food until Moet back to the car, Samantha's exhaustion returns "I'm really happy for you, Mom," she says