Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck. Lucky ran his hands through his hair. Spit up, diapers, midnight feedings, tantrums.
Times two.
He rose and paced back and forth through the kitchen and breakfast area. Why couldn’t he fucking breathe?
Oh. Right. Two little people depending on him.
Two tiny bodies, one in Bo’s lap, one in Lucky’s as they watched TV. Or what if the kids nodded off, like Todd and Ty used to, adorable faces slack from sleep? Siblings, born close together, who might grow up to be best friends.
Like Lucky and Charlotte. He returned to his chair, pulled her into a hug, and whispered, “Thank you,” into her hair. If he held her closely enough, she might not notice the happy tears in his eyes.
Charlotte. Pregnant with a little Bo.
“I’ll stay here as long as y’all need me, help with the kids, I’ll…”
He was going to be a father, twice over.
What would Bo think?
Bo. Who’d soon bring home the child he claimed as his son. Time enough to tell him later. Right now, Lucky’s sister needed him. “Shh… It’s okay. In fact, it’s damned good news. I’m so happy. Thank you so, so much. You’ll never know.”
He lifted his sister’s tear-stained face. “This doesn’t mess up anything. You made it more perfect. Besides, it’s not you. We’re all in this. If you tell anybody I said this I’ll deny it with my dying breath, but you’ve made me and Bo happy.”
“He”—sniff— “doesn’t even know.”
“Trust me. He’ll be just as happy as me. Yeah, we’re bringing home a little boy, and in…” He pulled back and pursed his lips. “How long?”
Charlotte dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “Well, I haven’t been to the doctor yet, but I’m guessing about eight months.”
Wow. “In eight-months he’ll have a little brother or sister. We’ll have a full house.”
“You’ll need the spare room. I’ll… I’ll have to move.”
What? “No! Have you seen how much space we have? We haven’t gotten past the planning stages yet, but I fully intend to build you an apartment in the garage.” An idea hit, but he’d have to include Bo in any major decision. “Have you told Ty yet?”
Charlotte blew her nose with her soggy tissue. “No. Not yet. He knows I was trying to get pregnant. I don’t know how he’ll react now that shit just got real.”
“Why don’t you take him out for pizza or something. Have a little talk. In the meantime, I’ll break the news to Bo.”
Only, what was he going to say? He sat in the kitchen for a long time after Charlotte left to pick Ty up from school. Bo would be thrilled, wouldn’t he?
Of course, he would. He was Bo, after all.
Johnson’s wonder brews struck again. He’d never hear the end of her crowing.
Lucky tried to keep his footsteps in check on the way to his and Bo’s room, and straight through to the nursery, now ready and waiting for its new occupant.
Holy fuck, what a room. He’d avoided the place since Victor and Nestor shoved their wealth into Lucky’s life. Crib, changing table, hamper, some kind of thing to put diapers in, sheets, baby towels… He opened the dresser. Clothes. Lots and lots of clothes, all in shades of blue, green, and yellow.
A tiny wooden rocking horse with a fluffy golden mane smiled up at him from a spot by the window, next to a rocking chair in the same rich mahogany as the rest of the furniture. He did a three-sixty in the middle of the room. If they moved the dresser over, they’d have room for another crib, right… there.
Not one child, but two. Instant family. He grinned so hard his face hurt.
But he was getting ahead of himself.
First to break the news to Bo.
***
