Page 84 of My Kind of Trouble
Alex saw movement in his periphery and then Ryan was next to them, poking at his mum.
‘Speak for yourself,’ he said. ‘Some of us were very much in the dark.’
He didn’t sound angry when he said it, but Alex felt guilty all the same.
‘Oh, hush you. It’s not our fault you chose not to open your eyes, either. You’re as bad as they are. God, you young ones, it’s a wonder your generation gets anything done.’
This kind of easy conversation felt natural, like they had stepped back in time. Like, despite it all, their dynamics didn’t have to change all that much.
‘I guess we know where you get your dramatics from,’ Alex joked, speaking to Noa, who sniggered.
‘No second helping for you tonight,’ Bethan said, wagging her finger at Alex as she walked back to continue chopping.
Because, to her, that was it. There was no anger, no disappointment, no scolding words or warnings to stay away from her daughter. No. She just carried on like she wasn’t fazed in the slightest, like this was small news. How could he have expected any different?
Maybe shehadknown this was inevitable all along.
As Bethan once again busied herself, Isaac just slapped Alex on the back before his deep, raspy voice travelled through the room like it always did, ‘Looks like you really are stuck with this family now, kid. If only you’d thought that one through.’
He winked and walked back to where he’d been reading the newspaper at the dining room table.
Alex turned to Ryan then.
‘Hey man…’
‘Look, I’m a dick…’ they both blurted out at the same time and then stared at each other for a minute before Ryan broke the silence.
‘I owe you an apology. I’m not going to pretend that you lying and sneaking around didn’t hurt me. But, after speaking to Noa, I will say that I understand.’
Alex’s throat felt heavy as he tried to get the next words out.
‘I wish I could apologise. But doing that would mean I was sorry that this happened and, for that, I never will be. Butwhat I will say is, I have loved your sister in secret for the best part of fifteen years, and the second she showed any reciprocation of those feelings, I was done for. I would tell every lie, keep every secret over and over if it meant I’d have her at my side. But I didn’t mean to betray or hurt you in the process.’
‘I know. It just took me a minute to get there. But that is all I needed to hear. She deserves commitment. You put her above all else, including me, and that means something. Actually, it means everything,’ Ryan’s voice broke for a second before he cleared it and continued. ‘I love you both and have always wanted nothing but happiness for you both. If you find that together, then I’m not going to stand in your way, and I will be okay with it.’
‘Thanks, man,’ Alex managed to choke out.
Ryan held out his hand to shake his, and they both pulled each other into a bear hug, pausing briefly for Ryan to drag in his sister to join.
‘Wait, don’t squash the baby,’ Alex shouted, looking panicked. Both Noa and Bethan burst out in hysterical laughter.
‘What?’ Alex asked, confused.
Stepping toward him and resting her hand on his chest, Noa said, ‘Oh, my love, if you think I need to be wrapped up in cotton wool this entire pregnancy, we have a long nine months ahead of us.’
‘And I, for one, cannot wait to see this,’ Ryan said, sporting a shit-eating grin.
Alex felt all the weight he’d been carrying fall away. He had all the people that mattered to him, and he was adding one more to the mix. Life had never been better.
The rest of the night went by without a hitch. It was a typical Drake family dinner like Alex had been to many times before. Bethan made a delicious home-cooked meal of roast beef stew, and they all sat around and talked about everything and nothing until it was time for the board games to come out.
Noa was competitive as usual, and she and Ryan went at it the whole game of Ludo. Typically, because the rest of the family found it easier to let it happen, one of the two of them won. This time it was Ryan, and Noa took on the role of the sore loser, demanding he cheated. The whole scene felt so familiar, despite all that had changed, and Alex knew in that moment that these were his role models. They always had been. Not his deadbeat dad. And if he could be half the parent his mum and the Drakes had been to him, then he might just do all right.
Chapter 51
Alex
As the sonographer shook the bottle of jelly and dolloped some on Noa’s belly, Alex watched her flinch from the cold before letting out a shy giggle.
