Grant bit down on his lip, already anticipating the next news.
“And we’re having a baby,” she said, just as Grant was processing that thought himself.
This time, Grant couldn’t stop himself bursting into tears. He let go of Julia’s hand to stand, rushing around the table to hug her tight.
She’d always wanted another baby. She’d never pushed, never asked Grant for it, but she’d wanted it. Grant had thought that maybe it was too late by now, but apparently not.
“I’m so happy for you,” he murmured, holding her close and rocking her back and forth. “When?”
“We’re expecting a summer baby,” she said. When Grant backed off, there were tears in her eyes, too.
Grant couldn’t stop staring at her. His chest was tight with emotion, every possible feeling swirling inside him. Joy, pride, excitement.
Not just for Julia, but for himself, as well.
Firstly, he’d get to have another baby in his life. It’d been so long since he held one that he’d almost forgotten what it was like. He could hardly wait.
Secondly, if Julia was going to have her hands full with a new kid--and she was, Grant still remembered what having a baby around was like--then he could step in to take care of Hope, and spend more time with her.
Especially if they were moving closer.
This was every wish he could possibly have had coming true at once.
“Well, I’m excited to be…” he paused, not sure what his relationship to the new baby would be. “A… step… dad?” he tried, not sure that was entirely right.
“I don’t think that’s how that works,” Joon said.
“Cool uncle?”
Julia snorted, but it wasn’t cruel. Not really.
She looked so happy. She was still his best friend, and Grant’s heart wasn’t going to stop soaring for her anytime soon.
“We were thinking godfather, actually,” Joon said. “None of us are overly religious, but it seems like a good title. You can definitely call yourself Uncle Grant, though.”
That worked for Grant. He understood the gesture for what it was--assurance that he’d be part of this baby’s life--and he couldn’t have been more honored.
He turned, making sure Joon had put the knife down, and pulled him into a hug, too. “You don’t get to escape this,” Grant said. “I’m happy for you, too.”
“Thanks, man,” Joon responded softly, hugging back.
He gave great hugs. He’d be an amazing father.
He alreadywasan amazing father. He was just in for a shock over how much more work babies were in the beginning. He’d survived Hope’s pre-teen years, though, so he’d be okay.
This was the luckiest baby on Earth, as far as Grant was concerned. It couldn’t have asked for better parents, or a better big sister.
And its godfather-slash-uncle Grant would love it and do his best for it, too. As families went, that seemed like a good one to be born into.
He let go of Joon and headed back around the table, ruffling Hope’s hair as he went past. “How about you? What do you think?”
Hope was a good kid, but kids got stressed about new babies. Grant knew that.
“Did you know babies can breathe underwater?” Hope asked immediately. It was obviously a fact she’d been saving for this occasion. She probably had a ton more.
That seemed like Hope. She’d always been a curious kid, the kind who investigated everything that happened. She’d been able to tell Grant more about New York before he moved than any guide book or single website could have. She’d even made him a fact sheet, which he still had stuck to the fridge.
Aside from being his kid’s work, which he was proud of, it had actually come in handy.
