“Do you want kids?” he asked suddenly.
I didn’t need to think about it. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Well that’s good. I don’t think Uncle Emery wants kids either. But because Auntie Demi is gonna have all of them, it’s okay. She can just loan you guys some.”
I coughed, then cleared my throat. “How do you figure Uncle Emery doesn’t want kids?”
Payton traced the surface of the stone he was sitting on and shrugged. “He loves all of us, but he also likes to give us back, you know.”
I supposed it wasn’t a bad way to put it. I also didn’t want to touch the idea of Emery plus me plus kids with a long stick, so I asked Payton about the corvids to change the subject.
The dinner was great. Everyone had a great time.
Tonight, like Saturday, there’d been a different menu for the kids and the adults, and I had to say that while I enjoyed the brisket I’d had, the kids’ bespoke pizzas sounded marvelous, too.
“You’ll get pizza soon,” Emery murmured as he leaned close enough for our shoulders to connect.
I chuckled. “That obvious?”
Flashing me a grin, he shook his head. “Nah. But I know you.”
We sat close to Demi and Luke, because of course Emery would be near his twin and because I was considered his, there was no question where I'd sit.
Bodhi and Wren had their birthdays next week and there’d be another kind of party for them. Likely a bonfire or a fire pit with more barbeque and Wren sitting down with his guitar, because that was how it always seemed to go during downtime.
Right now, I glanced over to where he was sitting next to Bodhi—because they, too, belonged to each other in the eyes of the family and they’d been shuffled together—and I could tell he was holding himself together tightly enough that Bodhi noticed, too.
“What is it?” Emery whispered.
I shook my head minutely, then changed my mind and leaned closer to him. “Wren and Bodhi.”
He made a sound of agreement. Then Demi asked him something and he turned toward her.
Luke’s best friend Rory happened to be sitting across from us, and I felt his attention shift to me.
“So, Ville, you’re Finnish, right?” he asked, pronouncing my name correctly, which was surprising.
I took a sip of my wine and nodded. “I was born here, but my parents were both born in Finland.”
“We’ve been there a couple of times and plan on going back as soon as we’re able to.” He smiled in a way that told me he was being genuine instead of just making small talk. “The nature is just perfect, and it’s very quiet over there.”
His wife chuckled next to him. “Rory likes peace and quiet. But I agree, it’s gorgeous over there.”
I smiled. “It is. My grandpa had a little homestead in the countryside, and it was glorious. We visited a lot when I was a kid.”
“We’ve been to the bigger cities in the south and to Lapland in the north, but I feel like there’s so much more to the country,” Rory mused.
“Absolutely. My mom’s family is from the eastern part, and that’s where I spent most of my time.”
We continued to chat and eat, and eventually Fern stood on a bench and announced that the dessert table was open for business. By then, many of us were starting to droop. Demi looked exhausted, and I couldn’t blame her. She was growing three whole babies inside her. She needed rest for Saturday, too.
Before I had time to say anything to Emery, he cleared his throat. “Demi? I think once you’re done with that mousse, we’re grabbing the kids and getting you out of here.”
She was staying at the house tomorrow night anyway, while Luke was going to their house in town. There was no reason she couldn’t crash here tonight as well. She complained about “stupid tradition” but it was mostly for show. I was pretty sureJenn also wanted her there. She was the first of her brood to get married, after all.
“We’ll take Aria,” Luke’s mom said.
Emery smiled. “Then we’ll take the boys.”
