Page 27 of Together

“Then tell her. If she’s anything like you, she’ll throw you down and give you a wet willy or something until you tell her, anyway, so might as well just get it over with.”

Wet willy. What the fuck? I can’t help laughing because that’s like grade school shit. “It sounds like you have a traumatic wet willy experience.”

“So bad. My middle sister wasn’t as terrible, but my big sister was the worst. Like the literal worst. She was always such a shit.”

“Most sisters are the worst,” I say loudly, hoping Josie hears.

“Hey!” Josie says not quietly on the other side of the door.

“Shh. Babe.”

“My sister’s waiting at the door. If you’re sure, I’ll let her know, only so she doesn’t go into early labor trying to get it out of me. If there are people in your world who need to know, tell them. But after that, I vote for keeping it quiet until we’re past the first trimester. My sister had a couple miscarriages and it was hard enough to go through when no one else but her husband and myself knew.”

“First trimester, huh? You know stuff about pregnancy.”

“A little. My sister, Josie, she never shuts up.”

“Well, that’s good. I know nothing.”

“We’ll get there together.”

“Thank you, Nik, for being so good about this.”

I know what she means without having to say it. She’s glad that I’m accepting this and not being a dick about it. But I’m thirty-five, not seventeen, and I’m mature enough to handle what life throws at me. I’m definitely mature enough to take care of my responsibilities without flaking or pretending they don’t exist. “You’re welcome.”

“Guess we’ll be talking before that three months is up, huh?”

“Want to know a secret?”

“What?” she whispers.

“There was no fucking way I was waiting three months. I’ll talk to you soon, Sally.”

“Bye, Harry.”

I grin to myself then holler, “You can come in now!”

My sister practically falls through the door. “Well?”

“You’re going to be an auntie.”

“Holy shit. Are you for real?”

“Apparently.”

“Whoa,” Dean says, his eyes wide. “You got a woman pregnant?”

“That’s the rumor. I have no idea what I’m doing. I feel like an asshole.”

“Not to sound like an asshole myself, but uh, why didn’t you wrap it up?”

“Apparently we were in a hurry? Or just too drunk? Or maybe we’re just dumb?”

Josie takes a seat on the bed and grabs my hand in hers. “We’re here for you, you know? It will be great.”

“Great?”

“It’s a baby. That’s a blessing, right? Is it weird that I’m excited?”

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