“That’s him,” Sam says with a nod. “And he is married to Will’s sister’s best friend, Natalie.”
“But like Leo and Meg,” Will continues, “Nat and Jules are more like sisters. I sure see her as a sister.”
“I also have another brother, Mark,” Sam says, “and he’s married to his high school sweetheart, Meredith.”
“Where does Nic fit in?” I ask, already confused, my head swimming.
“Nic is married to my brother, Matt,” Will says with a smile.
“Do you have other siblings?” I ask.
“Luke and Mark are it for me,” Sam replies and sits back into the deep couch, grinning at Will.
“Jules is the baby of the family, and she’s married to Nate,” Will says. “My oldest brother, Isaac, is married to Stacy. My brother, Caleb, is married to Stacy’s cousin, Brynna.”
“I’m so confused,” I cry out, but Sam laughs and shakes her head.
“He’s not done yet.”
“I also have a half-brother, Dominic, who is married to our event planner, Alecia.”
“This is a huge family.” I sit back and stare at them both, glassy eyed. “I thought Declan’s family was big, but that’s nothing compared to yours.”
“We are big,” Will agrees with a nod, then smiles and stands. “Follow me.”
Sam and I look at each other, shrug, and follow Will into the music room where Leo is playing guitar, Declan piano, and Meg is singing a sweet song that I recognize. I sit next to Dec on the piano bench, leaning on his shoulder as he plays. Sam sits next to Leo, and Will simply lifts Meg, sits in her seat, and settles her in his lap. We listen until the song is finished, and erupt into applause.
“That’s a great song,” I murmur, only loud enough for Declan to hear.
“So, I have to tell you something,” Meg says and suddenly looks nervous. Will wraps his arms around her and kisses her forehead.
“What’s wrong?” Leo asks immediately as tears gather in Meg’s eyes.
But she shakes her head, swallows, and with a watery smile, says, “I’m going to have a baby.”
Will smiles proudly and lets go of Meg as she’s pulled out of his lap by Leo, who wraps her in a gentle hug, rocking her back and forth, his own eyes wet.
“That’s so great,” Sam says sincerely. “Congratulations.”
“It’s gonna be a boy,” Will announces.
“You know the sex already?” I ask with a frown. “She isn’t even showing yet.”
“It’s too early,” Meg says with a sniff. “He’s hoping.”
Declan laughs and begins to play Braham’s Lullaby on the piano.
“So happy for you, Meg-pie,” Leo says to her.
“I’m celebrating with more cupcakes,” Will says, already on his way back to the kitchen.
“Bring the whole box,” Meg calls out to him. “He’ll eat the whole thing.”
“I bought two dozen and hid the other one,” Leo assures her, which makes us all smile.
This is… nice. Watching their connections with each other, their genuine love for each other, reminds me of my relationship with Adam.
It reminds me of Declan’s family too, with all the siblings, and the laughter and the chaos.
I watch as Will and Declan fight over the last lemon cupcake, and Leo and Sam bicker about the landscaping she wants to be done in the spring. Meg is happy to nibble on her cake and snuggle up to her man, glowing with a life growing inside her.
It makes me yearn, in ways I never have before. But I know one thing: I’m so happy to be a part of it, no matter how small.
I grip Declan’s hand in mine, and he squeezes it, three times, and smiles down at me, his eyes happy, and it makes me happy that I’m the reason for that smile.
Life sure doesn’t suck right now.
***
“I can’t believe I had dinner with Leo Nash and Will Montgomery tonight,” I say with a gusty sigh as I walk into our hotel room.
“Umm, who am I?” Declan asks with a laugh and pulls me against him for a long, deep kiss. “I’ve been waiting to do that for—”