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“But while we’re getting everything out in the open…” I pulled at the back of my neck and winced, “I did drop out of high school as well.”
“Fuck.” He dropped his head back. “Was I really that clueless?”
“No, I was just really that sneaky,” I chuckled. “Sorry.”
He shook his head. “Well, now you get a hand at the whole parenting shit. It’s not easy,” he warned.
I put my hands in my pockets and rocked back on my heels. “That’s actually what I came here to talk to you about. I need help, man. I don’t know the first clue about all this.”
“I don’t think anyone knows. You just have to know your own kid. In my case, it was you, and I thought I knew you well, but damn.” His face scrunched up. “When did that happen? You were having sex in high school?”
I smirked. “Don’t ask questions you already know the answer to.” He said that to me all the time when we were young.
He snorted. “True. The answer was just standing right in front of me.” He made a move to leave the kitchen, but I blocked him.
“What’s going on with Adds?”
He rubbed a hand over his forehead. His face was etched with anxiety. “We canceled dinner on you last week because we had a scare. She’s on bedrest for a couple weeks here, but I’m thinking it’s going to be the rest of pregnancy.”
“Everything okay?”
His eyes squinted. “Yeah, it’s been really rough on her lately. I’m banned from asking her how she’s doing because she’s sick of me asking every two seconds. I’m just fucking worried.” He ran a hand through his messy hair. “I’ll be back in a second. Addie’s gonna love your news,” he added, finally cracking a small grin.
A couple minutes later, Casey was holding Addie’s hand as they gingerly walked toward the kitchen table where I was sitting. My poor brother was looking at his wife like she was made of porcelain and was scared she’d break at any second.
I stood to give her a hug. “How ya feeling, Adds?” I asked, specifically because I knew Casey would want to know as well.
“Eh,” she sighed. “Just sick of being off my feet for so long, but I think the bedrest is working. I’ve been able to keep things down now. I think we’re out of the woods. I have another appointment next week.”
“It’s not all bad though. It’s giving her some solid time to work on her writing,” Casey said encouragingly. Addie worked as a sports journalist before the twins were born.
“Yeah.” She rubbed her wrists and his eyes immediately zeroed in on them. “I keep getting excited and typing too fast,” she said with a light laugh.
“What are ya working on?” I asked.
“It’s top secret apparently,” Casey said, lifting his eyebrows. “I’m not even allowed to know.”
Her laughter twinkled through the air as she rolled her eyes. “I’ll tell you eventually, okay? Right now I need uninfluenced mind space for the project.”
Casey leaned down and kissed the top of her head. It was the same way I kissed Josie, and I immediately missed her.
I was so fucking confused lately, feeling like I needed to expel thoughts of Josie from my brain until I focused on Stevie first… but I knew that wasn’t fair to her.
“I guess congratulations are in order,” Addie said, changing the topic with a bright smile.
My eyebrows raised. “Guess so.”
“I’m just excited to have another girl around here,” she said. “But what’s the story? You didn’t know? Please tell me you didn’t know and you weren’t just avoiding this or not telling us for the last eight years.”
“C’mon Adds, give me more credit than that,” I scoffed. “I had no idea.”
Her eyes filled with understanding, and she squeezed my arm. “How are you doing with this?”
I’d been in survival mode, so I hadn’t really paused to reflect. I knew I should’ve been feeling intense resentment toward Fiona for not telling me, but at the same time, I was kind of at ease with it now. The way things worked out– I had a cool as shit daughter and I had the means to take care of her because of hockey. I missed a lot of the hard work because Fiona shouldered all of it– her birth, late nights trying to sleep train her, teaching her to walk and talk… I was sad I missed it, but at the same time, I couldn’t dwell on past circumstances that I had no control over.
“Okay, I guess,” I said with a shrug.
Adds rolled her eyes. “Jettersen boys, men of few words at its finest.”
