Chapter Eight

The last few days had been exhausting for the three of them.

Kyle, Max, and Dimitri took turns getting up with Evie in the middle of the night, but it was so frequent they were running on a few hours of sleep.

“When will she sleep?” Max groaned.

“When we’re dead is what it feels like,” Kyle responded.

“It’s my turn to get up. Go back to sleep, little bee.”

Max got up to get Evie, but when he got to the nursery, Dimitri already had her halfway back to sleep.

“It was my turn.”

“I know, but I wanted to hold her.”

Max watched his brother as he rocked Evie to sleep.

“You know, I never thought I wanted to be a father. I always thought it would be a waste of time or that I would never meet someone who I wanted children with until you brought Kyle home.

“I want to marry her, Max. I want it to be me she’s married to, legally.”

“In the beginning, I was okay with that, but now I’m not so sure. I love her just like you do, and I want her to be mine just like you do. We’ve shared women in the past, but she’s different.”

“I have a suggestion.” Dimitri paused to readjust Evie. “Let’s do a DNA test to see who the father of Evie is.

“If I’m the father, you will legally marry Kyle, or if you’re the father, I’ll marry Kyle. This way, we each get something special from her.”

Max thought about that for a second. “I could live with that, but we have to promise nothing is going to change; she’ll be our daughter.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t have it any other way, Max.”

“I’m going back to bed. If you need us, just come and get us.”

***

“Let me take my niece—you guys have her all the time.” Ryan took Evie away from Max and sat on the couch with her.

“If you guys want a night out, Varina and I can watch her.”

“I’m not ready to leave her. She eats frequently, and I don’t have enough breastmilk pumped. Besides, if you want to help, you can get up in the middle of the night with her.”

Before her brother could answer, the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” Max said, getting off the couch.

A few seconds later, Max walked back into the room with an old gentleman. “We’re going to need Evie.” Ryan handed Evie to Max and looked at his sister.

“I’m going to go; I promised Varina that we would have lunch with her parents today.”

“Good luck. I’ll see you later.”

Kyle waited until her brother was gone before she addressed Max.

“What’s going on? Why is there a doctor here?”

“Dimitri and I want to know who the father is.”

“And you didn’t feel the need to talk to me about this? I’m her mother, for fuck’s sake; you can’t keep doing this shit to me.”

“We didn’t think you would mind.”

“That’s not the point, Max. You and Dimitri are making decisions without me.”

Max handed Evie to the doctor before walking over to Kyle, trying to calm her down.

“Don’t touch me.” She jerked away from Max. “Do what you were going to do, then bring me Evie when you’re done.”

“As soon as we get the all-clear to travel with Evie, I want to go home. If all I am is her mother and not your equal, then I’d rather be in a place I can set up on my own.”

“I’m done being treated like I’m stupid or not important enough, and if you can’t fix that, then I’m done.”

Kyle walked off, leaving Max confused and wondering what the hell happened.