“Are you smilin’ at me, little man?” I wiggle the finger he’s holding, getting a little burn behind the eyes as I stare down at his perfect little face. “Your momma says it’s gas.” I scoff. “But I think she’s just jealous that you smiled at me first.”
He squirms in my arms and lets out a little grunt.
“Nope…no fussin’.” I pop his binky into his mouth, shushing him. “She’s gonna come snatch you up if she hears you.”
The past twenty-four hours have been some of the hardest of my life.
Trent trying to stake a claim to Judd came so far out of left field. After seeing his reaction at the church to Sammi’s pregnancy, and never saying a word during it, him popping up out of the woodwork is just something we never considered.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care one way or another how the test turns out. The truth is I care so fucking deeply it’s making me crazy.
It’s all I’ve been able to think about. Not because it’ll change the way I feel for my son, but because the thought of sharing him with that man makes my skin crawl.
“Hey,” Sammi says, plopping down beside me on the couch that’s damn near molded to my ass with how much time I’ve spent sitting in this spot since this baby’s arrival. “It’s time for me to feed him.”
“Nuh-uhn,” I tease, twisting my body so he’s just out of reach to mess with her.
“I’ll give him right back.” The sound of her laughter feels like music in this house that’s been mostly silent since yesterday. We’re both doing our best to pretend there isn’t this huge cloud looming over us. “Look at how hard he’s sucking on that thing.”
“Ah…” I cut a hand through the air. “He just likes it.”
Her brow quirks. “I heard him start to fuss from the kitchen.” I swear she has super-sonic hearing now. I’m beginning to understand how my mom knew we were up to stuff when we were little. It always seemed like witchcraft.
“Fine.” I hand my little best bud over and watch as he immediately latches onto my wife’s breast. “Such a little piggie.”
“He sure likes to eat.” Sammi smiles down at him, sinking into the couch to get more comfortable.
I prop a pillow under her arm and lean in to kiss her salty lips, a tell that despite her mostly dry eyes since the initial shock, she’s still crying in private.
“Hey, little man,” I say, tapping him lightly on the shoulder. “You better enjoy it now, cuz those titties are just on loan.”
Li’l Bit’s hand flies out and smacks me in the chest. “Lyle,” she shrieks, shaking her head and laughing a true belly laugh. One that lets me know that no matter what, we’ll eventually get back to some kind of normal around here.
I’m getting up to head to the kitchen for a snack when the intercom at our gate buzzes. Sammi and I lock eyes and my pulse starts racing as I answer with the app on my phone.
“It’s a certified delivery,” I tell my wife, a lump forming in my throat as I buzz the mail carrier in.
She gives me a half smile. “This is it.”
“Yep.” I stare at her and the baby for a beat before rushing out in my socks and meeting the delivery guy in the driveway to sign for my package.
It feels like I’m carrying a bomb in my hands as I make my way back inside and sit across from my wife on the coffee table.
“Open it,” she says, her face as white as a sheet.
My hands are shaking so hard. I’ve literally done nothing but anticipate the arrival of these results, and now that they’re here I’m afraid to open them.
“It’s okay,” Sammi says. “Whatever the results…it’s you and me who will be raising our son.”
“This changes nothing,” I agree, looking her in the eye as I rip the envelope open and withdraw the neatly folded paperwork.
“What’s it say?”
I unfold it in her direction then hold it out with a shaking hand so she can do the honors.
Tears well in her eyes, and she cracks the most radiant of smiles, and I know before the words even leave her mouth. “Congratulations, Daddy…that son of a bitch is not the father.”
Relief pours over me; it leaks from my eyes and fills up my chest. “He’s mine,” I say, scanning over the results to see for myself. “He’s really…truly…mine.” Throwing my head back, I beat a hand to my chest. “Thank you, God.”
I move to the couch and pull my wife and son into my arms, holding them close. I pepper kisses all over her tear-soaked face while gently stroking the fluff on my little man’s head.
Judd continues sucking away, blissfully unaware of the hell his mother and I have just endured.
“Check your phone,” Li’l Bit says, smiling down at hers that’s just gone nuts with notifications.
I retrieve it from the coffee table and open to multiple new messages in our group chat with the band members and their wives. And Anika, of course…who’s the one responsible for all the alerts.
Anika: Well?
Anika: Hellooo. We’re dying over here.
Anika: WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?!
“What the hell?” I bust out laughing. “Was she stalking our freaking gate?”
“It’s Anika,” Sammi says. “Of course she was.”
“Should we put them outta their misery?”
She nods, cupping a hand to my face. “They’re family.”
I snap a photo of the results and send it over.
“Think it went through?” she asks when a full minute passes and no one responds.
I shrug. “You can see it on yours, right?”
She nods. “Maybe it got to me faster because we’re in the same house?”
“Here,” I say, taking the baby, who’s finally finished eating. “I’ll go change him. You call Anika and let her know.”
“Come on, son.” I carry his stinky butt over to the changing table. “Let’s get that mushy mustard off your tush.”
“She’s not answering.” Sammi frowns. “And neither are Raven or Korie.”
“Hmm…that’s weird.”
Just then, our front door swings wide open and everyone piles in…Anika, the guys, the girls, their kids.
“Congratulations!” they all shout in unison.
“I’ll take him,” Korie says, scooping my son out of my arms. “The guys need you in the yard.”
I look around to realize only the women and children remain inside. Well, minus Anika. She’s unsurprisingly out back with the guys.
“Wait,” Raven says, following right behind me. “Let me put my camera on so I can video for social media.”
“Hurry,” Korie hisses.
“God, I hope Trent Thomas sees this shit,” Ray snickers. “Okay…go!”
As soon as my wife and I step outside, five champagne corks fire into the air, followed by a shower of bubbles all aimed right at my head.
Sammi’s screaming and trying to duck behind me to get out of the line of fire.
Once the bottles have run dry, the twins come outside with baskets of confetti and start throwing it at us, which pairs great with us being soaking wet.
Hadley toddles next to them, screaming her excitement as she stomps her feet, splashing in the bubbly.
“Thanks, guys.” My cup is overflowing. “Seriously, you’re the best fucking friends a guy could ever hope for.”
“Nope,” Aiden says, holding a hand up in protest. “We’re not doing this.”
“Not doing what?” Sammi asks.
“Goddamn it, yes, we are!” he says, dabbing at the tears forming in the corners of his eyes. “You guys are turning me into a fucking pussy.”
Anika looks at Aiden with her nose scrunched. “I can’t believe you’re fucking crying.”
“What?” he sniffs, rubbing his nose on his sleeve. “You’re fucking crying too!”
“I’m a girl!”
His answering snort gets him punched in the stomach.
“I can’t believe you guys did all of this.” I shake my head. “What was the plan if the results had gone the other way?”
“Ah, ah.” Aiden shakes his head, holding out a chastising finger. “We don’t talk about Bruno.”
“Whyyyyy?” Raven whines when the twins start singing their favorite song from Encanto. “Why would you say the B-word?”
“Don’t worry about the alternative.” Rhett throws a hand over my shoulders. “There’s no need to waste any more energy on that.”
“That’s right,” my wife says, throwing her arms around my neck. “Love wins.”
I grip her face in both hands, running my thumbs over her cheekbones and echo her words from the day before. “It has to.”
“Today, tomorrow, and for always.”
