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I can feelFinch’s eyes drilling into my skin. I am sure they are probably leaving a mark. I look to him, and it’s the first time I’ve seen his intense blue eyes look at me properly for a long time.
“Kyle,” Cassy nudges him from her seat next to him at the table. “Ky, isn’t that lovely news?” She encourages him.
“Yeah, great, Al. Sounds brilliant. Lovely,” he says shortly but his eyes don’t move from me.
Cassy looks at him. And then back to me. Then back to him and then finally they fall on Ali. Her eyes are searching for something.
Finch has clearly worked it out already but it’s taking a minute for the penny to drop for her.
“Max?” she whispers.
“Yes,” I answer, trying to match her tone, because this is the time. My sister is going to hear how I got my ex-manager pregnant.
“Max,” she says my name again and it’s like a ringing in my ear.
“Maxxie, what is that to do with you? Why are you here coming to tell me Alison is expecting… is this some strange coincidence because you’re friends again? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never been happier to hear that but-” she pauses. “Maxxie?”
I look at her. And she looks at me, our eyes so similar yet so different.
“Are you?”
She points at me and then Ali. I hesitate but Ali answers for me.
“No, Cassy. We’re not,” she says, shattering a few of my illusions but I won’t be deterred.
“But…” she pauses looking puzzled before she asks the question she really wants to.
“Is it? Is the baby yours, Maxxie?”
I look at my little sister and nod. Her big brown eyes sparkle. They actually sparkle and I’m not sure if she voluntarily made the noise that came out of her throat. My eyes flit to Finch, his blue beams still fixed on me. He wants to pry. He’s my best friend and he knew nothing about this.But then I knew nothing about him being with my sister so maybe we all keep secrets?
Cassy turns her excited attention back to Ali, her voice higher than it was a few minutes ago.
“Oh my god!” she announces with a massive smile. “I knew it. Knew you’d finally realise you need each other. I’ve seen you caring for each other from afar for a long time. This makes me so happy, and all the puzzle pieces just fell into place of why you’re here. Why you’re not drinking. Why my brother is so smitten and so happy, you can hear it in his voice.” Ali’s wide smile matches my sister’s, even though I can tell she wants to finalise a couple of the more romantic points my sister just made.
“So how far gone are you?” Cassy asks.
“We went for our twelve-week scan today,” Ali tells her.
“You did?”
She nods eagerly and then grabs her bag from the back of her chair pulling out that perfect little scan picture that neither of us can stop looking at. Of the perfectly shaped plum sized baby growing inside of her. The one that’s half her and half of me.
Cassy lets out a squeal as Ali passes it to her and Finch to look at.
“And is everything okay?” she asks quietly.
“Yep,” I tell her quickly and proudly. “A very healthy twelve-week-old baby Baines.” I smile at my sister and as she pushes a tear from her eye, I squeeze Ali’s hand in mine under the table. Finch puts his arm over my sister’s shoulders, instantaneously as he sees her tears and I feel myself both pleased and proud that he loves her with so much pure abandon.
“I’m so happy for you guys. This is amazing,” she says as she ignores the lone tear and I ignore the hot tears building in my own eyes.
“But you’re not together?” she pries.
“No,” Ali answers again. Probably because she knows I’ll skirt around the answer and tell her something like we might be, or we will be, or it’s not from my lack of trying.
“But you obviously were together,” Cassy remarks, “at some point.”
Finch lets out a snort of laughter, it’s the first time he’s actually spoken for a while. “That’s kind of how making a baby works, Princess.” He laughs as my sister slaps him lightly on the arm. He repays her by grabbing her hand and pulling it to his mouth and proceeds to cover it in tiny kisses. She squeals in delight and Ali sighs. This would probably be quite sweet if it wasn’t my best friend and my baby sister doing it.
