Chapter 1
CHAPTER 1
LIAM
“ W ait a minute. Are you telling me you forgot you already had a date for the gala?” Larson’s eyes are wide, reflecting an emotion somewhere between amazement and pity. “Seriously? You double-dipped?”
I nudge Larson’s shoulder. “Don’t tell me you’ve never double-booked yourself.”
Larson arches a brow in challenge. “That’s an amateur move, Liam. Especially for a serial dater like you.”
“Fine. Whatever. But–”
The doorbell rings, and Max and his wife, Maizee, let themselves in.
“Everyone decent?” Max calls to us as they enter. The fact that he doesn’t bother waiting for an answer should tell you something about our friendship.
As recently as two years ago, Max, Alex, Larson, and I all lived in this house together. Originally, Max and Alex were co-owners, but then Alex bought Max’s share when Max and Maizee became engaged and bought a home of their own. Larson moved in a few weeks before Max’s wedding then moved out a few months ago when he married Nell .
Maizee’s belly sticks out so far and her waddle is so pronounced that I swear it looks like she could pop at any moment, and judging by the grimace on her face, she feels almost as uncomfortable as she looks. Usually, I would tease them or poke a little fun at their situation, but one glance at the two of them tells me how over-the-moon happy they are.
Of my three friends, Max was the first to answer the siren’s call. He met Maizee at one of our annual bonfires, and for him, it was love at first sight. They’ve been married for nearly two years, and by the looks of it, any day now they’ll become the proud parents of a baby boy.
Hold up. Rewind.
Technically, Alex was the first to get married, but as is characteristic where Alex is concerned, there was nothing typical about his relationship with Bree. First, they were married. Then they weren’t. But actually, they were. And now they are. Again. Or still. Or whatever.
Then there’s Larson. Of the four of us, he and I were the most likely to remain bachelors. Although, I can’t blame the guy for locking things down with Nell as quickly as he did. Larson and Nell are expecting twins, and if I’m doing the math correctly, Nell returned home from her honeymoon already carrying Larson’s babies.
So where does this leave me?
I am the official seventh wheel of our friend group.
I’m not sure how to feel about that.
Actually, I do.
I feel like a spare tire. Everyone needs one, but they’re of little value unless you have a flat.
Larson grabs a beer from the cooler and tosses it in Max’s direction. Without taking his focus off of Maizee, Max reaches his hand up and catches the beer mid-flight. It’s almost as if the two men have choreographed the move and rehearsed it countless times. Which they likely have.
Larson wraps an arm around Maizee’s shoulders and pulls her in for a side hug. He says something that causes her ears to turn pink and Max’s eyes to roll. He responds by shoving his elbow into Larson’s ribs, causing Larson to exhale with a grunt.
When you look closely between Larson and Maizee, it’s easy to tell they’re related. Both cousins have the same dimple and eye shape, with irises that shimmer with mischief when they laugh.
Max’s eyes scan the living room. “Where’s Nell? In the bathroom?”
“She’s on her way,” Larson answers with a chin nod.
“On her way? Why didn’t she come with you? You don’t think it’s risky for her to drive in her condition?” As Nell’s older brother, Max can’t help but be overprotective.
“I do, but she wanted to run some errands and insisted she do so without me tagging along.” Larson’s hesitant expression tells me he shares Max’s concerns but he’s also trying to support Nell’s wishes.
“Why without you?” Max asks. “You two have a fight or something?”
“Or something,” Larson mutters under his breath.
Maizee snorts into her hand. “It’s because Larson won’t stop fretting over every little thing Nell does. His constant worrying is driving her a little cuckoo.” She twirls her two index fingers around in circles.
“I don’t fret,” Larson argues.
“Yeah, you do,” both Maizee and Max say.
“Dude, you totally fret,” I add, because, hello, nobody has acknowledged my presence yet, even though it was my idea to host this party.
Remember me? The seventh wheel? The spare tire?
“Hey, Liam,” Maizee reaches her arms out and I lean in for a quick hug.
I tap Max’s raised fist with mine. “How’s it going, buddy?”
“I don’t fret,” Larson repeats in the background .
Max, Maizee, and I swing our heads in Larson’s direction. “Yeah, you do,” we say in unison.
Larson shrugs. “Okay, fine. Maybe I fret a little, but have you seen the size of Nell’s belly? I mean, that can’t be natural, can it?”
Max levels his intimidating glare on Larson. “Please tell me you haven’t shared that thought with my sister!”
Larson squeezes his brows together. “What kind of idiot do you take me for?”
Max cocks an eyebrow. “You really want me to answer that?”
Maizee shoves Max’s arm. “Stop being a bully.”
Max responds with a good-natured grin. “It’s my brotherly duty to harass my little sister’s husband.” Max’s gaze sweeps the room. “Wait a minute, where are Alex and Bree? Didn’t they say they’d be here?”
Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes. “Oh, they’re here. They went upstairs a couple of hours ago to take a nap.”
Larson raises his hand to his mouth and attempts to hide a grin. “A nap, huh? Is that what they’re calling it?”
“Hey,” Maizee waggles her eyebrows at Larson. “Don’t tell me you and Nell don’t take naps in the afternoon.”
“Oh, come on!” Max whines, and immediately points a finger at Larson. “If you value your tongue, you will NOT answer that question.”
“What’s the matter, honey?” Maizee gives Max a playful pat on his abs. “I thought you were a big fan of napping in the middle of the afternoon.”
Max scrubs a hand over his reddened face, pulling on the beard he began growing when Maizee found out she was pregnant. He keeps it neatly trimmed for work but refuses to shave it off until after the baby’s arrival.
I listen as Larson and Maizee continue to give Max a hard time about taking “naps,” and it’s just further evidence of how different their lives have become from mine. And why I feel like an “extra” in our friend group.
The spare tire.
I’m happy for all of them. Marriage, honeymoons, mid-day naps, babies.
I’ve never wanted any of those for myself (well, maybe the mid-day naps), but I can’t help being envious at times. Their lives have taken on a deeper meaning and a higher purpose, things that are lacking in my own.
A quick knock sounds at the door, and in shuffles Nell. Smiling. Glowing. Happy. Immediately, Larson’s at her side, holding onto her arm to help her keep her balance.
Yeah, he’s definitely a fretter.
In Larson’s defense, though, Nell’s belly truly is legit! I had no idea a woman’s stomach could stretch so far. I have to side with Larson here, because that can’t be natural. And it sure as heck can’t be comfortable. Maizee is further along than Nell, but hands down, Nell wins the prize for the biggest baby bump. Skip that. Nell’s isn’t a bump. It’s a mountain.
But don’t you dare tell her I said that.
Larson places a protective hand on Nell’s belly and leans in for a kiss. Seeing the two of them together, the evidence of their love for each other showing in Nell’s very pregnant belly, took some time for me to get used to. Here’s a guy not all that different from me, and while Nell had zero interest in dating me, she fell hard and fast for Larson.
Accepting their relationship wasn’t easy at first. Not because I wanted Nell for myself. Any romantic interest I had in Nell was short-lived. But I trusted Larson’s ability to commit himself to only one woman about as much as I trust my own–which is not at all. But It was crazy how fast things happened with the two of them. Larson was one hundred percent all-in from the first day they met.
Come to think of it, all three of my friends experienced some variation of love at first sight. They were goners before they ever knew what hit them. Nothing like that has ever happened to me.
Well, that’s not exactly true. I tend to experience love at first sight quite often. It just never lasts more than a handful of weeks. Hence, my reputation as a serial dater and, according to Jenna’s uncle and Graham Development’s esteemed board member, also a womanizer. For the record, I disagree with that last part. The role of womanizer belongs to my older brother, Layton.
I suppose it doesn’t help my case that all three of my friends are married now and I’m the odd man out–the only one committed to remaining single. I might be proud of this if my self-proclaimed bachelorhood didn’t put a perpetual frown on my mother’s face. Her lecture following the wine fiasco, is on par with a string of lectures I’ve endured during the past year–ever since Larson followed Max and Alex down the road to matrimony.
Despite my reputation as a serial dater and alleged womanizer, I did have one long-term relationship.
Andie.
I saw her for the first time at a co-ed basketball game toward the end of our sophomore year of high school and was instantly drawn to her. She was wearing cut-off shorts displaying a pair of long legs so perfect I was tempted to drop to my knees and worship them, but that would have been weird. She wore a snug tank that hugged her subtle curves, and her hair was pulled back into a braided ponytail. A few strands of dark curls had escaped and framed her face, giving it a softness that had me thinking things I shouldn’t be thinking about someone I didn’t even know–something I vowed to remedy as quickly as possible.
Then Andie’s eyes met mine, and she caught me ogling her. I expected her to look away and pretend she didn’t notice, or maybe say something disparaging about my staring, but she didn’t. Instead, she surprised me by smiling and asking me if I wanted to be on her team–an offer I wasn’t about to refuse.
I learned three things about Andie that afternoon. First, she’s naturally pretty; second, she has a laugh I could get drunk on; and third, she’s absolutely, unequivocally terrible at playing basketball and she knows it.
We didn’t win the game, but Andie won my heart. In truth, she’s the only girl I’ve ever loved, and she has set the bar high as far as relationships go.
Is it my fault the women I’ve dated since then have never measured up to her?
Nell’s gaze circles the room and lands on me. Immediately, her face breaks into that special “friend smile” she reserves for me alone. Unlike most women I meet, Nell was immune to my charm. I don’t mean that to sound arrogant or cocky, and I swear I’m not bragging here, but I have a mirror. I know what I look like.
Nell waddles in my direction and I wrap her in a friendly hug.
“Hello gorgeous,” I mutter low against her ear.
“Stop flirting with my wife, Liam,” Larson says from behind her.
“Hush,” Nell shifts around and rebukes Larson. “Liam has permission to flirt with me whenever he wants.”
Larson barely refrains from rolling his eyes, and instead, places a kiss just below Nell’s ear, whispering something that causes adorable pink apples to appear on her cheeks. She places her palm on Larson’s cheek and presses a kiss to his lips. He flashes her his signature perfect smile, and the moment feels too intimate, so I force myself to look away.
A door opens upstairs and Alex and Bree appear at the top of the stairs looking very rested after their “nap.”
Alex’s eyes light up the minute he spots Nell, and he jogs down the stairs to greet her with a kiss on her cheek. She pulls him into a hug, which he returns, careful not to smash her belly.
“How’re you feeling?” Alex quietly asks.
Nell releases a deep breath. “Truthfully? I’m exhausted!”
“Why didn’t you say so?” Larson tugs on Nell’s arm. “Let’s get you to the sofa and make you comfortable.”
“No need to fret, Larson. I’m just a little more tired than usual today.”
“Why does everyone keep accusing me of fretting?” Larson complains.
Everyone in the room swivels their gaze in Larson’s direction. He throws his hands up, and Nell smiles at him affectionately.
“You’re allowed to fret, honey, but what I could really use right now is a foot rub.”
Larson leads Nell to the sofa, and sits beside her, leaving enough space for her to rest her head on the armrest. He props her feet onto his lap and smiles when she releases a gratified moan as he begins pressing his thumbs to the soles of her feet.
Nell leans back and closes her eyes. Then she asks, “So, Liam. Where’s Andie tonight? Didn’t you tell me she’d be here?”
“That was the plan, but she had to go to Salem to help one of her former roommates move into a different condo.”
“That’s generous of her, but I’m sorry she won’t be here.”
That makes two of us, because, you know, seventh wheel and all.
“What’s the story with you two anyway?” Alex asks. “You’ve been hanging out a lot lately.”
I lift my shoulders in a shrug. “No more than usual, since she ended things with her douche of an ex-boyfriend.”
“I can’t believe she went back to him after she found out he cheated on her,” Maizee says. “He’d be minus a testicle if it were me he cheated on.”
Max grins. “You’re so violent.” He bends down to kiss her cheek. “It’s kind of hot. ”
“Sure it is,” Alex teases, “until you become the target of her anger.”
“That’s why I’ve learned to sleep with one eye open,” Max chuckles.
“A fortuitous skill to possess,” Alex responds, tossing out a big word because he’s smarter than we are. Alex and Max have been best friends since childhood, so the two of them are always busting each other’s chops.
“You think Andie’s finally over Derek for good?” Nell asks.
“She’s been over him for a long time if you ask me. She held onto the relationship because she’d invested so many years in it, but their last two years together were hell for her.”
“I guess I can sort of understand her reasoning,” Nell says with a tilt of her head.
“Well I certainly can’t,” Bree interjects. “There’s no brownie points for sticking it out with a cheater.”
Bree’s words stun us into silence–not because of what she said, but because she actually spoke up in front of the group. She’s been decidedly quiet since Alex brought her back with him. I don’t know everything that went down while they were in Boston, but I know it involved Alex and Bree working undercover to help the FBI take down a sex trafficking ring. The two of them are bound by some sort of FBI top-secret NDA mumbo jumbo, so I guess we’ll never know the whole story.
After pausing for a moment, Bree continues, “If Derek’s heart were true, he never would have cheated on her. Didn’t you tell us that he had several flings while he and Andie were together?”
I nod. “It’s true.”
“And let’s face it, those are just the ones you know about,” Bree adds.
“Also true,” I agree. “He was never good enough for her.”
“Have you ever thought about dating her again?” Maizee asks. “Maybe you should test the waters. You know, see if there’s still a spark there. ”
The spark never left.
I shake my head. “It’s not like that between us; it hasn’t been since we graduated from high school, and that was fifteen years ago. I think we can safely say that ship has sailed.”
“And yet you’ve somehow managed to remain close all this time,” Maizee surmises.
“Your point being?”
“I’m just saying it’s not unheard of, you know? The whole friends becoming lovers thing.”
“Andie and I have been safely tucked in each other’s friend zones for well over a decade. She and I are so deep in the friend zone we’ve renamed it the comfort zone.” I can’t help but chuckle to myself. “Besides,” I continue, “Andie wants what all ya’ll have. Marriage. Babies. White picket fences. The whole package.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Maizee presses her hand to her belly and blows out her breath. “You could do worse, you know.”
“If I were the marrying kind, Andie would be exactly the type of woman I’d want a relationship with, but we all know I’m not that guy. I don’t fit the mold.” I tug at the neck of my t-shirt. This conversation is too serious for my comfort.
“Don’t sell yourself short, Liam,” Nell offers me a sweet smile. “When the right woman comes along, you’ll be a great husband and father.”
I shake my head and puff out a short laugh. “Nah. I’m very content to be Uncle Liam. Everyone’s favorite uncle. The one who feeds his nieces and nephews too much ice cream and teaches them how to play video games. Face it, I’m way too cool to be a dad.”
Larson and Max fold their arms across their chests and spear me with matching menacing looks that might incinerate a lesser man .
“Present company, excluded of course,” I quickly add to stave off any censor. Better to keep the peace than risk the wrath of Max and Larson. The three of us would end up on the floor in a twisted wrestling match. Then Alex would be duty-bound to jump in and even out the odds. Ahhh, just like old times.
But things are different now because there are wives and babies to consider.
“What’s the latest with your escrow?” Nell asks, and I could almost kiss her for changing the subject. “Is everything still on track to close next month?”
“About that,” I shake my head. “I’m not sure the deal’s going to go through.” All six sets of eyes snap to mine.
“Why not?” Alex asks. “I thought it was a slam dunk deal. What changed?”
I lift my shoulders in a shrug. “There are new strings attached to the money my parents are giving me.”
“What kind of strings?” Max asks. “And why when you’re this close to closing the deal?”
I scoff. “My mom and dad aren’t happy with me right now.”
Larson leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “Why? Because of the whole double-dipping date fiasco?”
Nell nudges him with her toe, signaling she’s not ready for her foot massage to end. “Sorry, Babe.” Larson leans back and continues to rub Nell’s feet.
I press my thumb and forefinger against my eyelids. “It’s not just that. It’s a combination of things. Their chief concern, it seems, is my relationship status, or rather the lack thereof.”
“Your what?” Max asks as if he didn’t hear me clearly the first time.
“You heard me. My parents believe it’s time for me to settle down and show them I’m serious about my future . Apparently, in their minds, settling down means finding a wife and producing offspring. ”
“Wow,” Maizee says. “And they expect you to find a wife in less than thirty days? How do they propose that you do that?”
“There’s always Andie,” Nell winks at me and I roll my eyes and rest my chin in my hands.
“Can we not dive down that rabbit hole again, please?”
“Teasing,” Nell says in a sing-song voice. “But Maizee’s right. Do your parents expect you to get married before they’ll give you the money?”
I shake my head. “No, but they’ve added some stipulations to our agreement, and if I don’t comply, they might rescind their gift.”
“Aren’t they under contract?” Max drains the remainder of his beer and squeezes his can in half. He tosses it across the living room, and it lands in our recycle bin.
I shrug my shoulders. “There was no need to include them on the contract since the funds are intended to be a gift. The lender was satisfied with a letter from my parents stating they would be giving me a portion of my down payment. Initially, my mom and dad didn’t have a problem writing the letter, but then–” My voice trails off.
“Then?” Max raises an eyebrow and gestures for me to continue.
I reach up to rub the bridge of my nose. “Then I made a public spectacle of myself that caused them a lot of embarrassment.”
“What was it this time?” Max huffs.
I lower my gaze to my hands and shrug. “I invited two women to be my date for the gala.”
“Oof. Ouch,” Alex grimaces.
“Yeah,” I glance over to where Alex and Bree have made themselves comfortable on the loveseat. Alex has one arm resting along the back of the cushion. Bree rests her hand on Alex’s thigh and draws circles with her fingers. He must be ticklish because he covers her hand with his and tries to make her stop. And he’s smiling. Alex smiling is not something you see every day. Must be those afternoon naps.
I look away, but no matter which couple my gaze lingers on, I’m faced with tender touches, whispered words, and secret smiles.
I reach up and rub at the dull ache in my chest.
Why am I suddenly so observant of every interaction between my friends and their wives? And why does it make my chest feel so tight?
Eyes still closed, Nell speaks from her spot on the sofa. “So what happened with your two dates?”
I give my head a subtle shake and relate the events from the night of the gala. I tell them about nuzzling Sandra’s neck and then Jenna walking up and introducing herself as my date for the evening.
“Dude, you literally just described every man’s nightmare,” Max says, eliciting a nod from Larson. Alex, on the other hand, probably thinks I’m as dumb as a screen door on a submarine, because Alex, well, Alex simply doesn’t make mistakes.
I suck in a deep breath and continue telling the story, careful to note the differences in my friends’ reactions.
Bree and Maizee giggle. Nell groans. Larson and Max both drag a hand over their face, and Max pulls on his beard. Alex furrows his brows and shakes his head slowly back and forth as if I’m a moron.
“And then what happened?” Maizee asks through her poorly veiled snickers.
“Nothing. The two women had a great laugh and became fast friends.”
Nell guffaws. She’s trying to sit up, but she can’t. She looks like a turtle on its back. When she reaches her hand out to Larson, who tries to help, her stomach is too big for her to sit up. This makes her laugh harder. “I might’ve just peed my pants,” she says as she manages to roll onto her side and face me. “There’s no way you escaped this faux pas unscathed, Liam. Tell us the truth.”
She’s so freaking adorable I can’t help but grin.
“I never said I walked away unscathed.” I then proceed to tell them about my very public double wine shower.
“Stop! Please! I can’t take any more!” Nell is holding her ginormous belly and kicking her feet against Larson’s stomach. Larson tries in vain to block Nell’s feet from connecting with anything important in his lap zone.
Maizee lets out a low whistle.
“Okay,” Bree finally chimes in, shaking her head. “I get that you messed up–”
“Thanks for that,” I interrupt.
“Hey, it is what it is, Liam.” Bree gives me a pointed look. “It’s not like you intentionally double-booked yourself.”
“True, but the board of directors placed my stipend on a temporary hold, and I was counting on those funds to go towards the down payment on my house.”
Because trust me, I need to move out of this house as soon as possible. Do you know what it’s like living under the same roof as two newlyweds? It doesn’t matter how thick the walls are or that my bedroom is located on a separate floor. I’m sure Alex and Bree are as eager for my escrow to close as I am.
Larson, who had resumed rubbing Nell’s feet, stops for a moment. “Don’t your parents hold the controlling share of the company?” I nod. “Then how can the board block your stipend?”
“Jenna’s uncle is our company’s largest investor, and as such, he has a lot of influence on the rest of the board members.”
“Wow, that’s harsh, man.” Max shakes his head. “The whole ordeal had to suck.”
I answer with a slow nod. “Yeah, definitely not one of my finer moments. ”
Maizee claps her hands together. “I move we take this party outside. I for one, could use a little sunshine.”
Grateful to shift the attention away from me, I slip into the kitchen, grab the tray of hamburger patties, a spatula, and some sliced cheese, and head out the back door to start the grill.
Spring in Eugene is often a selective season, ranging anywhere from a freak blizzard to balmy temperatures in the mid-seventies. Today is one of those glorious, sunny afternoons that fool you into believing summer might arrive early, which is why my friends and I decided it would be a great day for a barbecue. Our first of the season.
Alex’s house was officially dubbed the Maxi-Pad by Nell when Max was part owner. The house is located on a small lot, with a brick patio running the entire width of the back of the house. Beyond the patio, there’s a grass area shaded by a mature silver-leaf maple tree. Situated beneath the covered portion of the patio, there’s a table with room to seat eight people comfortably. In its present condition, the yard isn’t set up for playing yard games or other types of recreation, but with some work, it has a lot of potential.
Once the barbecue temperature is hot enough, I set the hamburger patties on the grill and enjoy the satisfying sound of the meat sizzling. My stomach begins making low rumbling noises, and it suddenly occurs to me that I haven’t eaten anything today. That isn’t like me at all.
A ping notifies me that I have an incoming text message.
Andie: How’s it going?
Me: Just put the meat on the grill.
Andie: I can smell it all the way up here in Salem.
Me: How’s the move?
Andie: Slow. Lacey didn’t have anything packed in boxes yet, so I’m going to be here longer than I thought. I probably won’t get home until sometime tomorrow night.
Me: Do you need help? I’m sure I could get Alex to drive up with me.
Andie: Thanks for the offer, but Lacey bribed a couple of her guy friends to help move the heavier items.
Me: Bribed them…how?
Andie: Pull your mind out of the gutter, Graham.
Me: I’m just curious. I mean, I just offered to help and you didn’t even have to bribe me.
Transferring my phone to my left hand, I pick up the spatula and slide it under a few of the burgers to check how evenly they’re cooking. By the way, I should mention here that while I’m a disaster in the kitchen, I’m an exceptional griller.
My eyes drift to my phone to read Andie’s reply.
Andie: That’s because you love me. And because I love you back, I don’t want you to miss hanging out with all your friends. I know you’ve been looking forward to it.
Me: Everyone wishes you were here.
A ndie: You feeling like a spare tire again?
I chuckle to myself and shake my head.
Me: Something like that.
I begin rotating the hamburger patties around the grill, and switch the ones on the perimeter to the center.
Andie: Still no word from your parents? Or Grams?
Me: Nope.
Andie: Maybe they’ve had time to cool off and will let the matter drop?
Me: You must be thinking of the alternate universe version of my parents.
Andie: They might surprise you.
Me: Unlikely.
Andie: Hey, I’m trying to think positive over here.
I flip the burgers, and then setting the spatula aside, I adjust the heat on the barbecue and close the cover.
Me: So who are these guys coming to do the heavy lifting?
Andie: Lacey’s new neighbors
Me: How long has she known them?
Andie: I think she said she met them a couple of weeks ago.
Me: So, basically strangers?
Andie: I guess.
Me: That’s comforting not at all
Andie: Oh, they’re here, gotta run.
She ends our thread with a kissing emoji. It might have made me smile if my chest didn’t feel so tight.
A few minutes later, I add a slice of cheese to the patties and close the cover again so the cheese can melt evenly.
When my phone pings again, I assume it’s another text from Andie. Instead, I’m surprised to see it’s from my brother, Layton.
Layton: Had lunch with Mom and Dad today.
Me: Good for you.
Layton: How many women do you plan to invite to the benefit next weekend?
Me: Ha. ha. You’re hilarious.
Layton: Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. I’m just giving you a heads-up. Mom has someone she wants you to take to the benefit.
I’m not in the habit of lying to my family, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
Me: Tell Mom I already have a date.
Layton: Tell her yourself.
Me: Whatever.
Layton: You owe me one, little brother.
Layton: And you’re welcome.
Me: Yeah, yeah .
Layton’s warning hits its mark. I need a plan, and I need it fast because the last thing I want is for my mom to start (continue) playing matchmaker for me. The very thought makes me want to crawl out of my skin and torch the remains.
All I have to do is find a nice respectable woman with a stellar reputation and a head for business, and convince her to be my date for the upcoming benefit. It’ll be fine. Totally fine. No problem.
Everything will be just fine.