Naturally, we all knew exactly what conversation was about to happen. Theo wasn’t wrong about what was coming for him, but the rest of us also knew there was no outrunning it. Even so, I knew he was going to try even before he took off, practically sprinting out of the room.
Nate watched Theo retreat toward the hallway before glancing at Alex. “Hey, what happens once you run out of brothers to marry off? What are you going to do with all your free time once it’s over?”
Jesse immediately turned toward Colin Thayer, who’d been peacefully eating leftover wedding cake in the corner, but froze when he realized Jesse was staring at him. He snorted and started shaking his head before anybody had even said anything.
“Nope. That’s not happening.”
Jesse arched an eyebrow. “Why not?”
Alex looked thoughtful now, but he still hadn’t said anything when Colin scoffed. “Everybody can stop looking at me. I’m not doing it.”
“That’s usually how these things start,” Trent said. “I vaguely remember saying those exact words myself once upon a time, and look at me now.”
Jesse nodded enthusiastically. “You see? Resistance is futile, and besides, you’d look good vulnerable and devastated. It does amazing things for self-reflection, bro.”
Colin squinted at him. “Why are you like this?”
“Genetics,” Jesse replied. “It’s not my fault.”
The guys exploded into laughter and Tyler stirred against my chest, but he was fast asleep. I adjusted my grip on him, carefully not to jostle his tiny, warm body.
“The Thayer family has plenty of bachelors,” Jesse said, obviously not giving up. “Alex will have too much time on his hands. Honestly, you all know it’s only a matter of time before he sinks his claws into Colin and his brothers.”
Colin looked back at Jesse, his eyes wide and horrified. “Why are you acting like any of us have signed up for this?”
“Because you will,” Alex said, sounding almost gleeful, but at least he sat down again and settled back against the couch, still thoughtful but allowing Nate to steer the conversation to safer territory after a few more minutes.
The guys joked and reminisced over everything that had happened over the last couple years, most of them now blissfully married despite all the drama. It still felt surreal to me sometimes, the fact that I’d now joined their ranks still short-circuiting my brain a little whenever I really sat with it for a minute.
I eventually returned Tyler to Trent’s arms before I accidentally bonded too hard and refused to give him back. He’dbeen asleep against my chest for almost twenty minutes and a love for sleeping babies was already close to taking over my entire personality.
Bear suddenly came barreling through the house, Cameron and Emma sprinting after him at full speed. Nate tensed before realizing the dog was the thing being chased and not Emma, the relief on his face visible.
Parenthood had fundamentally altered him, which was also true for the rest of us, I supposed. Just three short years ago, Nate would’ve watched children launch themselves through a window and stoically continued eating dinner.
Definitely not true anymore.
Adeline caught my eye from across the room and smiled again, crossing toward me. Eliza distracted Jennifer with dessert and Lu attempted to convince Theo, who’d evidently escaped Alex by going to join the girls, to let her help himfixhis motorcycle.
When Adeline reached me, she slipped her fingers gently around my wrist. “Can we talk?”
I nodded, joking as we walked away together. “It’s too late. We’re already married.”
Surprised when the joke didn’t get a laugh out of her, I frowned, my footsteps actually faltering when I realized her smile was nervous and her eyes too wide. I tightened my grip on her hand and pulled her into the nearest room.
“Hey, what’s wrong? Did someone say something to upset you?”
“No,” she said quickly. “Nothing is wrong and everyone has been amazing.”
“You know, historically, that’s what people say right before they drop a bomb that makes an entire family implode.”
Her mouth twitched, but she curled her fingers into my shirt and tugged me closer. “Come here.”
I stepped closer to her willingly, but my heart was suddenly racing, my palms even growing clammy when I realized she was looking at me like she was trying to gather courage. Before I could start hyperventilating over the possibility that she’d changed her mind, she rose onto her toes and whispered against my ear.
As soon as I realized what this was about, I had to grab the edge of the table beside me to stay upright, my knees going weak so fast, it was embarrassing. I genuinely didn’t know what else to do with the sheer amount of emotion trying to rip through my chest, so I folded her into me and just held her, my eyes sliding shut against the tears threatening to fall.
Five minutes ago, I’d thought I was happy. Fulfilled. But now, I knew that no matter how good things were, it was always possible for them to get even better.
