AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Aurora walks in, Lucy on her hip.
“Look how big you are!” I coo at her. I place all the presents on the kitchen island and walk over to her. She reaches out for me, and I eagerly take her from Aurora.
Babiesloveme.
She mumbles and grabs onto my shirt as I dance around the room with her. Ivy watches me from the seat she’s taken up next to Owen. We’ve talked about kids. I know she really wants them, and I’m not opposed to it. But it’s only been a year, and I don’t want to make this decision too quickly.
I still have to travel a lot for work, and even though she says she wouldn’t mind staying home with our kid while I’m gone, I hate the thought of leaving all of that on her. If we’re going to do this, I want to do it right. I want to find a job that lets me be home more—lets me help more.
“Okay, my turn!” Quinlan says, wiping her hands on her jeans and smiling as she walks over to take Lucy. This kid loves us all and happily transfers people. I don’t think she has been put down a moment in her life. Spoiled little thing.
Grabbing a beer from the fridge, I go stand next to Jack, who is watching Quin with sad eyes. I can’t even imagine the shit they’re going through right now if they’re still trying. Especially when they’re always around Lucy.
“How’s things going on your end?” I ask him, pulling his attention from Quin.
He sighs. “It’s alright, man.”
“Still trying?” I ask, nodding toward where Quinlan now dances in circles while Lucy giggles.
“Yeah.” He laughs humorlessly. “Fruitlessly, clearly. We’ve talked about IVF all year, but I don’t want to put her body through that, and I don’t think she wants to either. We’ve been to doctors, gotten our counts tested, and no one can really tell us why it isn’t happening. It just…isn’t.”
I put my hand on his shoulder and give it a squeeze.
“I’m so sorry, Jack. I can’t imagine.”
I take a drink of my beer, and he just nods, his stare going back to Quin.
“Can I ask? Have y’all thought about adopting?”
He glances over at me, his eyes a bit happier.
“We have, actually.” He sits his drink down and turns to face me. “Don’t tell anyone. We aren’t ready yet. But we’ve started the paperwork.”
“Holy shit, dude. That’s amazing!” I try to keep my voice down, but damn, I’m so happy for them. They’ve been trying for almost two years now. “You’ll make the best parents. Any kid would be lucky to have you guys.”
“Thanks, man. We’re hopeful but trying not to get our hopes too high in the sky, ya know? This shit is tough. Lots of hoops to jump through.”
“The party has arrived!” I hear Wes scream from the entryway.
“Wesley!” Zoë chides. “What if Lucy is sleeping!”
I meet Ivy’s eyes, and she gives me a look that says,I told you so.
“She’s not! You’re fine!” Owen calls out to them as they follow our voices to the kitchen.
“Still,” Zoë says when she walks in. “He could try to have some sense about him.”
She walks around to the girls, saying hello and giving them hugs. They all walk outside together because Aurora wants to show them the garden they had someone come to put in a couple of weeks ago.
“So,” Wes says, clapping his hands together. “Who wants the news?”
“Oh, Christ. Did you knock that poor girl up?” Hudson groans.
“Pyro, not everyone in this friend group is trying to have babies.” Wes rolls his eyes. “No. We are not pregnant.”
He looks around and then holds his left hand up in the air. It takes a second, but then I see it. The thick black band around his ring finger.
“You’re married?” I shout, my excitement not letting me use my inside voice.
