“Then what are they, asshat?” Jase asked.
“Sperm?” Mom replied. “Please don’t talk about your special swimmers at dinner.”
“If they’re not fish, then what are they?” Jase asked like this was a real question, but his eyes danced. He clearly enjoyed driving their mother nuts.
“Mammals? The beginning of a mammal.” Sadie sipped at her champagne. “They didn’t have to teach me that in law school, I already knew it.”
“What judge in the state of Colorado would not grant custody of the fish to me?” Jase wrapped his arm around Heather’s shoulder.
Roman settled in to see where they were going to go with this.
“Any judge in the state when I represent Heather,” Sadie replied, deadpan. “With these questions, I’m certain I could get full fish custody granted to her. Not of the sperm, of course, they’re yours to keep. I’m referring to any aquatic acquisitions that take place during the marriage.”
“However short-lived it may be,” Zach added.
“You cannot get divorce until you have babies,” Babushka declared. “I forbid it.”
“She’s got a point,” Jase said. “We should have the kid first and then get divorced.”
“So shall we say about nine months from now?” Heather’s own eyes danced.
Did they just—
Was Roman going to be an uncle?
Was this a…?
His chest went heavy. He wanted a niece or a nephew. He wanted Jase to have everything he’d ever wanted. There was only a small amount of green jealousy settling against Roman’s ribs because Jase had absolutely everything he’d ever wanted.
Yeah, he was thrilled for his brother. And stoked he was going to be an uncle.
The room went quiet, all eyes on Heather.
Roman took in the bottle of seltzer in Heather’s hand. She was usually one of the first to hit the vodka at these events.
“I call dibs on the favorite uncle title,” he said before anyone else in the room had regained their bearings.
Sadie’s lips tucked up at the edges, and he might have imagined it, but he was pretty sure her own eyes had misted. Was she feeling the same green-eyed monster he was?
He’d seen the way she took to Luke and Luke took to her. She’d make a great mother if that’s what she wanted.
“He always gets the good titles,” Zach said with a huff.
“Heather?” Mom asked with tears in her eyes. “Really?”
Heather nodded as Mom wrapped her in a hug.
Suddenly, Roman felt all alone in the midst of a sea of family. Funny thing, Sadie seemed to have the same thought.
They gravitated toward each other while Babushka gushed about the brains her great-grandchild would have, his mother insisted Heather sit down, and Zach and Anna bickered about potential names.
“Your family’s great.” Sadie sipped at the champagne.
“They are,” Roman replied.
“Here I was thinking I’d have to find a closet to hide in.”
Ah, the closet. “Nah, you’ve got a shirt on, so I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”
