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I’m still a little hesitant as I take her. Ireallydon’t like vomit. But she smells clean, and I don’t notice anything lingering, so I grab her from her dad.
“Hey, sweetie.” I smile down at my niece. It took me a while to get comfortable holding Miri. I was terrified I’d hurt her somehow, but now we have an understanding. I grab a stuffed lion that’s lying on the counter and go sit on one of the bar stools with Miri in my lap. I hand her the lion stuffie, which she promptly shoves in her mouth.
Once he has both his hands free, Cooper moves efficiently through the kitchen, getting the meal done. I don’t bother to ask him if he needs help. I know I’ll only hinder him, and holding the baby is probably the best thing I can do.
With River upstairs, and Avery and Zoe not due for another half an hour, it’s the perfect opportunity to speak to Cooper about his thoughts on this situation. I know he’s comfortable with it, but I’m curious how he thinks the couple will react.
Before I can ask, though, River comes huffing down the stairs. “Babe, have you seen my black jeans?” he calls from the other room.
“Which ones?” Cooper asks.
“The ones with the holes in them.”
River peeks his head into the kitchen. He’s only wearing boxer briefs. I’ve seen my brother in less before, so I don’t bother looking away.
“Hey, Lake,” River says absentmindedly as he smiles at his daughter before returning his attention to Cooper.
“They should be in the closet. I haven’t seen you wear them in a while.”
“Ugh,” River groans dramatically, sounding more like a teenage girl than a grown man. “I didn’t see them in there. I guess I’ll wear something else.” River stomps away, but Cooper is clearly distracted by trying to finish everything up, and Miri is getting fussy, so I don’t have a chance to ask him about Zoe and Avery.
“The rest of her bottle is over by the fridge.” Cooper jerks his head in the direction as he stirs something in the pot. “Do you mind feeding it to her?”
“Sure.” I grab the bottle and settle Miri into the crook of my elbow so I can feed her her formula. She drinks hungrily as her eyes slowly start to close.
Eventually, River comes back downstairs. He must have found his jeans, or ones very similar, because he’s wearing tight black ones with some strategically-placed holes on his thighs and knees. I’ll never understand pants like that. Why does it cost more to have holes in your pants? I could do that myself for free. I’ll stick to my khakis and button-up shirts, thank you.
I dress Miri in the little romper that River thrusts at me so that he can help Cooper finish up cooking and bring everything to the table. They’re just finishing up, and I’m placing Miri in her Pack n’ Play they have set up in the dining room, when the doorbell rings.
Suddenly, I’m extremely anxious, which is another feeling I’m not used to having. All these new feelings and emotions are unsettling, but I have no idea what to do with them. Even as I tell my brother I’ll get the door, I’m still thinking about it. I wonder if it has to do with the Omega gene. I’m not sure how, though. I must have always had it, so why would I start changing now? Sure, River, and even Cooper, noticed some changes, but that makes sense. They created life, and they are mates, if that theory is to be believed. It’s understandable that some dormant biological quirks would begin to show. But I’m not pregnant or mated. Nothing should have changed. Still, I can’t deny that I havefeltdifferences since being informed of the Omega gene. I just need to learn if there’s a correlation.
Zoe and Avery are standing at the door as I open it. Zoe is wearing one of her colorful sundresses that she’s famous for. This one is like a pink and blue tie-dye and comes to mid-thigh. She’s wearing a blue cardigan over it that matches the blue in the dress. Her usually wild hair is pulled back in multiple braids today. She smiles wildly at me and looks much more relaxed than last time I saw her. Maybe I shouldn’t bring up the surrogacy. I don’t want to upset her again.
“Hey, guys, come on in.”
“Hi, Lake,” Zoe says as she leans in and kisses me on the cheek. I fight the urge to back away. Zoe is always affectionate, and typically, I don’t mind when it comes to her. Actually, it feels nice. I just wasn’t expecting it, and my mind is still on the conversation to come.
I shake Avery’s hand. He’s holding a covered tray of . . . something. “Zo made fresh beer bread and spinach dip.”
I take it from him with a smile, trying to hide my awkwardness. Like my brother, he’s wearing black jeans, but his don’t have holes in them. He’s wearing a dark-blue Henley that matches the color of his eyes.
“Hi, guys!” Cooper calls with a smile from the hallway. “Perfect timing, dinner’s ready.”
Zoe bounds into the room, more energetic than I have seen her in a while. She wraps her arms around Cooper and kisses his cheek as well. Cooper laughs, and even I understand why River was so attracted to him, even before he knew they were destined for each other. He’s so comfortable in his skin, and his deep voice definitely isn’t hurting anything.
“Hey, Zo. You seem to be in a good mood today.”
“I am! I just got a part in the new revival ofA Chorus Line!”
River bounds into the room so fast my head spins and wraps Zoe in a hug, spinning her in a circle. “Oh my gods, Zo! That’s fantastic!”
“I know! I go in next week to start learning the choreography, and we’re supposed to open up early in the new year. I’m just a part of the chorus, but I’m the understudy for the character of Sheila Bryant!”
There’s a lot of cheering and celebrating for a while, and I carefully stay out of it. I know River notices, but he also knows I’m uncomfortable with too much touch and social interaction, so thankfully he doesn’t say a word. Finally, everyone settles down and starts to head into the dining room. Before I enter, though, Cooper grabs my shoulder to hold me back. He leans in and speaks quietly so we’re not overheard. “Go ahead and still talk to them. She may tell you she needs to hold off, or no altogether, but I think they’d appreciate having the option.”
I nod at my sort of brother-in-law, grateful he took the time to tell me this. I hadn’t been sure, again, if I should just leave it alone, but I trust his opinion on the subject.
It takes a while, but finally we all settle into our seats and begin eating. The food is delicious. I’m not sure how much of it River cooked, but I’m surprised at both of them. River’s always been a better cook than me, but I’ve never seen him make homemade raviolis and meatballs, along with an assortment of appetizers. The meal is paired with red wine, but I refrain. I barely drink, and I certainly wouldn’t when I have to be up so early the next morning to take an international flight. I need my head clear. I won’t even have time to stop for the latte I always get on the days I go into the office since I have to be at the airport at five am. I definitely don’t want to be groggy.
