She sprinted away, grabbing the other triplets and pulling them into the house. I pursed my lips. Odds were good every person here would know about Madison’s potential pregnancy within the next twenty minutes. Good news never stayed quiet long in my family. I thought about going after them to see what they were up to, but then Madison hooked her arm through mine.
“Sneak anything onto my plate if you’re worried about running out before you get to it.”
I gave her a double helping of Mama’s mac & cheese and some extra barbecue brisket. Both of those always went fast. I led my pack to the raised garden bed, where we perched on the stone wall lining it.
“Oh my god, this is so good.” Madison shoveled a bite of each savory thing into her mouth.
“I’m going to get in line for mine.” No special line privileges for me, but that was okay.
By the time I returned, Madison was gone. Nathan pulled me in for a quick cherry pie-flavored kiss. “Your whole sister squad took her a few minutes ago. They went into the house with your mom. Is there some sort of initiation ritual?”
“I have no idea. I’ve never brought anyone I was serious about to a family event before. They won’t do anything bad, but I’m still torn on whether I should check on them or if I should wait and eat.”
“If you’re going to worry, then go check. I’ll guard your plate.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back.” I found all of them, minus Madison, clustered outside of the upstairs bathroom the triplets had shared growing up. “What on earth is going on?”
Serenity hugged me until my breath wheezed out. “We’re finding out if we’re going to be aunties.”
My heart rate kicked into high gear, pounding against my ribs. I waded through the crowd of family and knocked on the door. “Maddie, can I come in?”
The door cracked open and I slid inside, closing it behind me. She was staring at a pregnancy test on the counter like it was going to come to life and bite her.
“What’s the result?”
“I don’t know yet. There’s thirty seconds left on the timer.”
I pulled her into my arms, each one of those thirty seconds feeling like a lifetime.
“I’m too anxious to look.” She pressed her face to my chest.
“I’ll look!” Jazz said through the door.
Madison gave a nervous laugh and opened it, letting Jazz inside.
My youngest sister picked up the test, her smile the widest I’d ever seen it. “It’s positive!”
Holy shit.
A chorus of delighted screams sounded from the hall, my sisters flowing into the bathroom and centering us in a group hug until Mama shooshed them away to hug us herself.
Madison looked shell-shocked for a moment before bursting into giggles, twisting in my arms and leaping up. “It’s positive!”
My tongue tangled the words. “We’re having a baby?”
“We’re having a baby! Oh my god.Oh my god!”
There wasn’t an ounce of space to move in the bathroom with nine of us crammed in there, but the outpouring of love steadiedme. The bonds had made things real, but a baby made thingsreal.
“What are we all screaming about?” Jax asked, finding all of us tucked together.
Madison held the test aloft.
Jax’s jaw dropped. “Whoa. I’m gonna be an uncle?” He threw himself at the group hug, though he was far from actually making contact with us. “Dibs being the favorite uncle.”
“I think you’re theonlyuncle,” Madison pointed out.
“Fuck, yeah! The favorite by default.” Jax grinned. “I’ll go get your pack.”
