“All right.”
“You don’t have to,” Farzan said. “I don’t like it myself.”
“Nah, I’m curious.”
Firouz poured a small glass of the sparkling yogurt drink and passed it over. David studied it like it was a fine wine—the fizz rising to thesurface, the larger bubbles clinging to the sides of the glass, the viscosity as he swirled it. He took a small sip, blinked fast.
“Interesting,” he said. “It’s a little salty.”
“That’s what he said,” Farzan murmured before he could stop himself. David snorted and shot him a look, but Farzan feigned innocence.
“You’re a menace,” David whispered, but he rested his hand on Farzan’s knee, rubbing little circles with his thumb.
“You like that about me.”
“I really do.”
Farzan bit his lip. He wanted to kiss David so bad, but his family didn’t go for PDA. He could probably count on one hand the number of times he’d seen his parents kiss on the mouth. And certainly never around a dinner table.
“What?” David asked. He licked the side of his mouth where a bit of juice from the lemon torshi had leaked.
“Nothing,” Farzan said. “You need some wine to get the taste of doogh out of your mouth?”
“Nah, I’m good.”
“Okay. Anyone else need wine?” Farzan asked the table. Firouz held out his glass, and Gina pushed hers closer. “Maheen? You sure you don’t want any?”
Maheen shook her head, and her hand went to her belly again, and fuck. She saw Farzan clocking the motion, met his eyes, and gave the softest of smiles. It was something shy and proud and awestruck. No wonder people said you glowed when you were pregnant.
Farzan smiled back. Holy shit. He was going to be a guncle!
Maheen nodded at him, eyes full of intention, and reached for Tomás’s hand. This was it then.
Farzan inspected everyone’s glasses to make sure they had a little bit of wine to toast. He poured a small splash in David’s.
“But—” David said, but Farzan quieted him with a look, then winked at Maheen.
“Actually.” Maheen cleared her throat. “There’s something Tomás and I wanted to tell you all.”
“Oh my god!” Persis shouted, nearly knocking over her wineglass. Only Navid’s quick reflexes saved it. “Are you having a baby?”
Farzan held his breath until his sister finally nodded.
“Eyyy!” Firouz shouted.
And then everyone was talking all at once: asking when they knew, and how far along Maheen was, and had they thought about names, and did they hope for any particular gender.
Farzan cleared his throat. “Hey. To the new parents.”
“Beh salamati!” his family cried, and they went around clinking glasses. Farzan saved David for last, holding his eyes the longest before sipping, staring at David’s pink lips.
It felt so right, his shoulders pressed against David’s, surrounded by his loud, complicated, argumentative family. David had folded right in, like he’d always been there.
“We’re just grateful the baby is going to have such a great family,” Tomás said, resting his hand on top of Maheen’s. “The best uncles a kid could have. And a soon-to-be aunt, too.”
Across the table, Gina ducked her head and smiled into her wineglass, while Navid rested a hand on her back.
“Okay, but Farzan’s going to do the heavy lifting,” he said. “He’s the one that’s good with kids.”
