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F O R T Y O N E
- Maeve -
“Anyone want the last twice-baked potato?” Brie asked, holding the plate up and glancing at Finn first.
He raised a palm to pass on the offer.
“Counts as helping to clean up?” she said, her eyes bouncing between James and Quinn.
“In that case—” Quinn reached across the table and took the plate. “Don’t mind if I do.”
“That was delicious,” James said, smiling at Brie. “Did I say that already?”
She rolled her eyes. “Once or twice.
“Anyone know any good Groundhog Day jokes?” Maddy asked, her eyes sparkling. “I keep hearing the same ones over and over.”
Everyone groaned in unison, and half the guests reached for their drinks.
I knew there was no time like the present to break my big news, but the mood had been so jovial all night I was nervous everyone would be blindsided. Unfortunately, if I waited any longer, people were going to start clearing the table and slipping into food comas.
Finn must’ve sensed my anxiety because he reached over and took my clammy hand in his before I had a chance to tear the cloth napkin I was wringing.
I looked at him appreciatively, and he squeezed my hand before offering me a subtle nod. Or at least, I thought it was subtle… Until I realized everyone in the room was staring at us. “I have an announcement,” I said, my voice cracking.
Everyone stilled. Except Quinn, who stuffed the last bite of potato in his mouth while I cleared my throat.
Finn let go of my hand, and I straightened up. “I’ve finally chosen a donor,” I blurted, too nervous to focus on anyone’s face. I did see James’s eyes flick towards Finn, though, so I figured I better continue before people jumped to the wrong conclusion. “He’s a blue-eyed web designer from Boston who enjoys nature and athletics.”
“Oh!” Maddy clapped her hands together. “I was hoping you’d pick him!”
“His swimmers are currently en route to the clinic, and assuming everything goes according to plan, I’ll be pregnant by this time next month.”
“Holy shit,” James mumbled.
“Congratulations,” Brie said, jumping up to raise her glass.
Quinn shot James a cheeky look. “May the war of the funcles begin.”
“Congratulations, Maeve.” Maddy’s loving eyes warmed me from across the room. “You’re going to be the best mom ever.”
“I’ll cheers to that,” Finn said, setting a hand across my lower back and grounding me right when I thought I’d burst.
“Thanks, guys,” I said, suddenly a bit choked up. “There’s no way I’d be able to do this without your support.”
“You can do anything,” James said, locking his eyes on mine.
Finn hugged me against his side, and I turned to embrace him fully, burying my watering eyes in the crook of his neck.
“You okay?” he asked, straightening his arms and dipping his head to meet mine.
“Yeah,” I said, swiping a tear from my cheek. “I’m fine. It’s just…delayed stress reaction.”
His eyes smiled before he pulled me back into his strong arms.
It was exactly what I needed him to do, but I hated how vulnerable that made me feel. I wasn’t used to being the emotional one in the room, and I found it embarrassing. God help me when my body invariably started setting off hormones like fireworks.
Not that I felt embarrassed in front of Finn. His arms were like a safety net, an affectionate place I knew I could land without judgment. But I couldn’t keep relying on him this way. It was asking too much. He was a happy bachelor at the end of the day, and I couldn’t expect him to keep me on as his single mom friend. That said, I wasn’t about to pull away from his embrace when I didn’t know how many more of them were in my future.
