“What?” he says.
I wince. “Still sleeping?”
He groans. “Not anymore. Your wife is here. Talking very loudly with my wife.”
“Oh,” I say. That tracks. Simone’s basically a sister to Jess. I hesitate before asking, “What’s she saying?”
“I don’t know,” he admits. “I’m too scared to go out there.”
I laugh.
He groans again. “No one told me another symptom of pregnancy is hating your spouse.”
I chuckle. “You don’t remember the juice box story?”
He snorts. “I was really hoping that was more of a you thing and not the norm.”
“It’s not technically the norm,” I admit. “It’s more like a West thing.”
He hums thoughtfully. “Ma does hate Dad.”
I hum back. “Yeah.”
He lets out a breath. “You’re not calling to chat.”
“What,” I reply, “I can’t call my brother?”
Darren sighs. “The last time you called me, I was in the hospital and you wanted to borrow my controller.”
I make a face. He makes me sound like an ass.
“Well,” I say, “I’ll hang up then.”
“Wait,” Darren says quickly. “I’m sorry. I’m just worried.”
There’s a pause. Then he asks, more seriously, “Did you feel your stomach sink every time you thought about being a dad?”
It’s against my nature to admit I’m scared. But this is Darren.
“Yeah,” I say quietly. “I was terrified.” I give a short laugh. “Afghanistan was nothing compared to becoming a dad.”
“Does it get easier?” he asks.
“No,” I answer honestly. “But the benefits outweigh the fear.” I hesitate. “Unless you’re an idiot like me and mess it up.”
Darren goes quiet.
This is the first time I’ve ever brought it up willingly with him.
“I thought you guys were good,” he says carefully.
“We are,” I say too fast. “It’s just… stuff.”
“Right,” my brother says. “That stuff.”
I groan. “Do you ever miss the days when the biggest thing we had to worry about was what to eat?”
“No,” he says immediately. “And neither do you. Stop being a pussy and talk to your wife.”
