Page 152 of All The Things: The Last Thing He Needs Omnibus

Gavin started to shrug in response. He really hadn’t wanted to talk about it. In the end, he said, “Just trying to figure out how my parents became such shitbags.”

Nora winced. His parents were a hard topic for her. Harder for Ben, but Nora had always found it difficult to discuss them without judgement or irritation. Plainly put, they pissed her off. “You may never figure that one out, kiddo.”

“Yeah.” Gavin let out a sigh. He knew she was right.

After a moment of quiet, nothing but the muffled sounds of traffic filtering into the car, Nora said, “The only thing you really need figure out at this point is how to let it go. You can’t change them, can’t rewrite history, so letting go of all that is your only chance for real peace.”

He knew that too, even if he’d never thought of it that way. “Too bad there isn’t a pill I can take for that.”

“There probably is, but you wouldn’t like the side effects.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Ben

Up until that afternoon, the most awkward thing Ben had ever participated in was a fisting competition. He was only a spectator for that event, but watching six guys try to get their hands all the way up their partners’ asses while a room full of drunk, high, horny guys cheered them on had felt painfully weird to Ben. Maybe because he was the designated driver that night. Maybe a few shots and a hit off whatever they were passing around would’ve helped.

Either way, nothing would ever compare—he hoped—to sitting on the floor with Tina draped between his legs while he rubbed her shoulders and panted through pretend contractions with her. Jesus. And being asked very loudly if he was the grandfather-to-be? Yeah, that was fantastic. Not to mention the horrific video the instructor made them watch. Gavin did this every week with his sister? Ben had a new respect for both of them. Hell, he had a new respect for every woman who ever bothered to bring more than one kid into the world. The first one, hey, she might not know what she’s in for. But the second? How did the human race survive? How was it that all babies weren’t grown in glass jars in a lab somewhere by now?

When the class ended, Ben unfolded himself from the floor and helped Tina up. She went to talk to the instructor, and Ben found Gavin in the doorway, beaming at him. He turned his phone around so Ben could see the screen. “This is probably my most favorite picture ever.”

Ben leaned in for a closer look. Yup. Ben and Tina together, working through her practice delivery. In truth, it was a pretty cute snapshot, but still. “If I find that online, I’m going to have to choke you.”

“Too late.” Gavin laughed and danced away when Ben tried to get his phone from him. “I even hashtagged it with ‘world’s best uncle’ and ‘world’s best boyfriend.’”

“You know that just makes it sound like I’m her boyfriend and her uncle, right?”

Gavin crinkled his nose. “Ew.” He tapped on his phone for a few seconds, but Ben knew better than to hope he was taking the picture down. No, he was probably just editing the tags. Oh well.

“Hey, where’s Mom?”

“I dropped her off at the house. She said she wanted to wash the travel flop sweat off.”

Ben nodded in understanding, but he didn’t comment. Knowing his mother, she’d probably showered, unpacked, and started making dinner.

When Tina came back from chatting, she put her arm around Ben’s waist and hugged him tight. “Thanks for coming with me today.”

Gavin smirked at him but didn’t say anything as Ben kissed the top of her head and said, “Just as long as I don’t have to be in the room for the real deal.”

Tina laughed and pulled back. “You didn’t have fun?” Ben could tell she was teasing.

“No, it was great. Especially that part where they talked about massaging your bits to help the baby come out,” Ben said flatly, trying not to cringe. “I’m sure that wouldn’t be creepy or weird at all.” He didn’t even want to be in the same city if that was happening.

“Yeah, no.” Tina laughed again, but she blushed furiously as if she’d managed to block that part out until Ben reminded her.

Gavin simply shook his head and said, “Let’s get home before Nora starts redecorating.”

Yeah, Gavin knew his mom pretty well.

The ride home was short and relatively quiet. Tina had pulled up some Mozart—because she read somewhere it was good for the baby—on the phone they’d gotten her for her birthday. She’d turned eighteen a few weeks earlier. It didn’t matter that she was technically an adult, or that she was the same age Gavin was when they’d gotten together. Ben still looked at her as kid. He wagered Gavin did too.

Ben had wanted to pull Gavin aside as soon as he saw him, ask about his errands earlier, but there didn’t seem to be a good time for it. He still had an uneasy feeling about whatever was going on with Gavin that morning, but he seemed fine now, so maybe it was nothing, right?

When they got back to the house, they found Nora in the kitchen. Ben watched her pull a lasagna out of the oven. Her dark hair, streaked with gray, fell into her face in soft ringlets when she stood up and set the pan on the counter. “Hey, Mom.” He went to her and wrapped his arms around her plump waist. Nora stood a good eight inches shorter than him, so it was easy to wrap himself around her and lift her up in a tight hug. “I’ve missed ya.”

“Then you should come see me more often.” He could hear the tease under the reprimand, but he made a mental note anyway. Twice a year wasn’t often enough. She was getting older. Stuff happens. Time is short. He could hear it all in her one little sentence, whether she’d intended it or not.

Ben shoved the thought to the side, thinking he’d never let her go if he went down that road. “Yeah I should. We will. Promise.” He kissed the side of her face and loosened his grip, pulling back to see her better. “You look good. Happy.”

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