“Hi,” I said. “I’m your uncle. I have no idea how to be one of those, but we’ll figure it out, okay? I’ve got your back, buddy. That’s all you need to know right now.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll fit right in,” Nate said from the armchair in the corner. “None of us have any clue what we’re doing, even though we are, apparently, the grownups in the room.”
I glanced over, honestly not even having noticed him before for how focused I’d been on the incredibly small human in my other brother’s arms. “Hey, man. You were my next stop.”
He smirked. “Glad to save you the trouble.”
I straightened back up, shoving my hands into my pockets so I didn’t accidentally knock the child out of his father’s arms somehow. I couldn’t stop staring at him, though. “He seems real calm. That’s cool, right? He didn’t take after you or Jane after all.”
Alex chuckled but rolled his eyes. “Thanks, but I wouldn’t be so sure of that. We’re in the honeymoon phase.”
I snorted. “There’s a honeymoon phase for babies?”
He shrugged. “That’s what they tell me.”
Nate leaned forward. “How’s married life treating you?”
“Good,” I said honestly, taking a quick look around to make sure I hadn’t missed anyone else sitting in a corner. “Speaking of which, where are your wives?”
“Jane is upstairs having a nap,” Nate volunteered. “Kate is…”
“Heavily pregnant,” Alex finished for him. “Nathaniel here is hiding out until she stops being mad at him for looking at another woman in the dream she had last night.”
I winced. “Wow, so that’s what I have to look forward to. Good to know.”
Alex’s eyes widened. “What did you just say?”
My stomach dropped. “Fuck. I wasn’t thinking.”
Nate blinked hard. “Already?”
I sighed, but the cat was out of the bag now. There was no putting it back in. “For the record, I was going to find a more eloquent way to tell you, but yes. Already.”
Nate laughed. “Wow. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
“That’s amazing news, man,” Alex said happily. “When is she due?”
“Next summer,” I said. “We don’t know if it’s a boy yet, so James wanted us to keep it under wraps for now, but I do have Eliza’s permission to tell the family.”
Nate leaned back, his head shaking like he couldn’t quite believe this was happening. “That’s big news, bro.”
“You’re one to talk,” I pointed out. “You’ve got a daughter on the way.”
“She’ll be here before I know it,” he said proudly, though slight terror flickered across his face when he glanced at Cameron again.
I chuckled under my breath. “Yeah, good luck with that.”
He grinned at me. “Same to you.”
We shared a look that was equal parts understanding, joy, and impending doom. Meanwhile, as we fell silent, all just absorbing that our family was growing so damn fast, the TV murmured in the background. I’d tuned it out until I caught a familiar landscape on the screen in my periphery.
“Hey,” I said. “Check it out. It’s a commercial for a show they’ve been filming at the estate.”
Sweeping shots followed of the grounds, the gardens, and the lake. Alex followed my gaze. “That must be weird.”
“Very,” I agreed. “It’s already started feeling like home to me, but then, to see it like that…”
