Everyone visibly relaxed, and Mara’s tension oozed away. She sensed the tightness in Seth’s body dissipate as well.
Amber smiled softly at Gray and then set her phone up on the table in front of her. “Hi, Burke.”
“Hey, sis. What’s up?”
Lawson let out a grunt, frowned, and leaned in. “Claus, did you knock up our sister?”
Gray and Amber gaped for a moment and then turned to each other with a soft smile. Gray kissed her and slung his arm over her shoulder. “Way to steal Amber’s thunder, Bobby. Yes, we’re going to have a baby.”
The Malssums all whooped and shoved their chairs back. Knox reached Amber first. He lifted her from the chair and spun her in a circle. Lawson repeated the move as everyone else rose to hug and congratulate the happy couple.
The joy in the room had tears misting in Mara’s eyes. From the screen, Burke whistled loudly. Mara moved back to her spot so the man could see his family. Seth followed and held her chair out.
“Congratulations, Amber. You’re going to be the best mom in the universe. Don’t mess it up, Claus.”
Gray laughed while Amber rolled her eyes. Everyone chatted happily for several minutes before they drifted back to their seats. Knox grabbed Amber’s phone and turned it so Burke could see the room. “See what you’re missing, Burke. There’s nothing in Boston that can compare to having family around, eating a meal Babs cooked.”
Burke laughed. “Hey Babs, do you send takeout to Boston yet?”
Seth laughed. “It’s best experienced in person, Boss Man. Time to get your ass to Vermont.”
Burke sighed heavily, but Mara could see humor dancing in his eyes. “Some of us have real jobs, Babs. Enjoy your meal, everyone, I’ve got a call coming in. Congrats again, Amber. Love you.”
Mara watched the Malssums share a wistful glance. Unlike her own huge family, the Malssums were close in age and a tight group.
Mara loved her brothers and knew they loved her right back, but their dynamic was different. Probably because half of them had moved out of the house by the time she was old enough to notice. They’d all spent time with her from the beginning, teaching her the things they loved, from using power tools to fishing to cooking to riding a bike, and then driving a motorcycle.
They had a family chat where they all talked daily, and she had individual chats with each of them. She video-chatted with her dad several times a week. Her family was wonderful.
So, why did she feel this sense of yearning? The need to truly belong to the group around her.
Seth reached beneath the table and squeezed her hand. “You okay?”
His eyes showed concern, but he’d kept his voice pitched low enough that no one else would hear.
She nodded, touched that he would even notice her mood, surprised he would reach out. “I am. Just thinking what an amazing group this is.”
He squeezed her hand. “They are. And now we’re part of it.”
She glanced around the table, where people were filling their plates and passing dishes. The mood remained celebratory, and she didn’t feel excluded at all.
She turned her hand to squeeze Seth’s. “You’re right. We are. Thanks.”
He nodded and squeezed her hand once more before reaching to pass her one of the turnip dishes.
Mara forced herself to release his hand, but the ghost of his touch continued to warm her.
An image of her and Seth making an announcement of their own to the group raced through her head. Silly, but she couldn’t stop her imagination. As Eliza Doolittle sang in My Fair Lady, “Wouldn’t it be loverly?”
A girl could dream.
Seth wondered what had made Mara melancholy. And when was the last time he’d even thought about that word? That had been her mood ever since Claus and Amber had announced they were having a baby.
Did Mara want one of her own?
Seth could picture it. She’d glow while she grew a kid. The woman glowed most of the time as it was. Making a human would have her singing from the rooftops. He couldn’t name any kids’ songs off the top of his head, but he’d bet she could come up with a dozen with no effort at all.
Chaos Machine would be a great mom, too. The baby might pop out singing a Broadway song, but it would be a happy kid.
