: Chapter 27

TEN YEARS AGO

“Who the hell are all these women?” Andrew sat with me on the back deck of the new house I’d rented.

I shrugged. “I don’t have a clue. Whitney and I have been together for more than seven months, and I’ve never seen ninety percent of them. Yet she introduced them all as her bestie.”

“No offense, but there’s a lot of tits and ass spilling out in there. It looks more like the pregame for a night out clubbing in Miami than a baby shower. I don’t know where the hell to look when I’m inside without getting myself into trouble.”

I chuckled. “I know. Why do you think I’m out here with your ugly ass?”

My buddy held up a bottle of beer. “Made a batch of cosmos and poured it in here for old times’ sake. Got two shot glasses in my pocket, too. You in?”

“Definitely.”

He poured two overflowing shots and passed me one. “To tits and ass.”

I chuckled. “To having a healthy baby might be more appropriate. But yeah, let’s go with that.”

We sucked back the sweet shots, and Andrew gestured toward the house. “When my sister had her baby shower, the place was filled with aunts, moms, and grandmas. Half the guests were over fifty.”

I nodded. “My mom was going to come with my aunt Lena, but she wasn’t feeling up to traveling at the last minute.”

“How’s Charlotte doing?”

“She just started a second round of chemo, so not great. I’m going to visit next week before school starts back up and the baby comes.”

“I’m sorry, man. She’s too damn young to be sick. You got a lot on your plate right now.” He looked around the yard. “This place is nice. Big. Must be costing you a fortune to rent.”

I shrugged. “Whitney picked it out. I don’t know why we need four bedrooms when it’s just the two of us and a baby, but it made her happy.”

“Any of her family here?”

I shook my head. “Her parents are divorced. Her dad’s sick, and her mom lives in New Jersey. She said it was too far of a drive for a baby shower.”

“Yet Charlotte was going to fly from England with cancer, and my sister drove in from Philly.”

I frowned. “Yeah, I know.”

“What’s the deal with—”

The sliding door behind us glided open, stopping Andrew midsentence. His sister, Ella, stepped out onto the back deck. I hadn’t seen her in a year, not since her graduation party. She’d just finished her first year of law school at UPenn.

“There you are,” she said. “What are you two huddled up talking about?”

“Not much.”

She sat on the arm of Andrew’s chair. “Did you eat? The food is really good.”

My buddy patted his belly, which was new. He’d put on a few pounds. The guy had always been able to eat whatever the hell he wanted and stay stick thin. “Two plates full.”

“Did someone make all that food?” Ella asked.

“Nah. Whitney ordered it from a restaurant in Boston.”

“She ordered it? Not whoever threw the party?”

“Her friends are all broke students, so I picked up the bill for the party.”

“What about her family? Are they here?”

I side-eyed Andrew. “No, they couldn’t make it.”

“How do they feel about her being pregnant?”

I shrugged. “Okay, I guess.”

“Do you like them?”

“I haven’t met them yet.”

“You haven’t met them? Why not?”

I shook my head. “You’re going to make a great lawyer. I feel like I’m being interrogated.”

Ella leaned forward. “You mean we’re going to make great lawyers.”

My eyes shifted to Andrew. “You heard back from Yale?”

He smiled. “Yeah. I got in. Found out yesterday.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. We started talking about Charlotte’s health and Whitney’s dad being sick. It didn’t feel like the right time to celebrate.”

“That’s crazy. It should’ve been the first thing you said when you walked in. Congratulations, man. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks.”

Ella stood. “I’m going to get some wine. You guys want anything?”

I lifted my beer, which had been sitting on the ground, and swirled it. It was almost empty. “I’ll take another. Thanks.”

Andrew nodded. “Me, too. Thanks, Ella.”

I leaned back in my deck chair with a sigh. “Who would’ve thought our lives would turn out like this? I’m old and practically married, and you’re single these days.”

Andrew smirked. “That I am.”

I laughed. “Good for you. I’m happy for you. On all fronts.”

“What about you?” He pointed with his beer toward the house. “Are you happy?”

“I’ll be happier when I hear my name called in the draft in a few months.”

He nodded. “It’ll happen. But what about with the situation you got going on here? Are you happy with Whitney?”

I thought about it. “I’ll be honest. I wasn’t exactly thrilled when I found out she was pregnant. That wasn’t part of my five-year plan. Hell, I’m not sure it was part of my ten-year plan. I had to make some hard decisions. But you know what?”

“What?”

I smiled. “I’m happy now. I talk to my kid every night. Sometimes I even sing to him.”

“I’ve heard you sing. That’s cruel.”

“Shut up, knucklehead.” I laughed. “But yeah, I’m excited to meet my kid soon.”

“That’s great. But you didn’t answer my question.”

“What was your question?”

“I asked if you were happy with Whitney?”

“I’m learning to be. We had some growing pains moving in together. Like, she’s a slob and I like shit neat. But I’m happy she’s having my baby.” I paused. “I’m thinking about proposing.”

“Really?”

“Why do you sound surprised? We’re having a kid, for Christ’s sake.”

“I guess. But do me a favor and make sure you have a good prenup.”

My skin prickled. “Seriously? I tell you I’m thinking about proposing and that’s your reaction?”

“I’m just looking out for you. You guys come from two different worlds, man.”

“So do we.”

“Yeah. But I’m not entitled to half your assets if our friendship ends.”