Chapter 17 #2
I didn’t need to think about it. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Well that’s good. I don’t think Uncle Emery wants kids either. But because Auntie Demi is gonna have all of them, it’s okay. She can just loan you guys some.”
I coughed, then cleared my throat. “How do you figure Uncle Emery doesn’t want kids?”
Payton traced the surface of the stone he was sitting on and shrugged. “He loves all of us, but he also likes to give us back, you know.”
I supposed it wasn’t a bad way to put it. I also didn’t want to touch the idea of Emery plus me plus kids with a long stick, so I asked Payton about the corvids to change the subject.
The dinner was great. Everyone had a great time.
Tonight, like Saturday, there’d been a different menu for the kids and the adults, and I had to say that while I enjoyed the brisket I’d had, the kids’ bespoke pizzas sounded marvelous, too.
“You’ll get pizza soon,” Emery murmured as he leaned close enough for our shoulders to connect.
I chuckled. “That obvious?”
Flashing me a grin, he shook his head. “Nah. But I know you.”
We sat close to Demi and Luke, because of course Emery would be near his twin and because I was considered his, there was no question where I'd sit.
Bodhi and Wren had their birthdays next week and there’d be another kind of party for them. Likely a bonfire or a fire pit with more barbeque and Wren sitting down with his guitar, because that was how it always seemed to go during downtime.
Right now, I glanced over to where he was sitting next to Bodhi—because they, too, belonged to each other in the eyes of the family and they’d been shuffled together—and I could tell he was holding himself together tightly enough that Bodhi noticed, too.
“What is it?” Emery whispered.
I shook my head minutely, then changed my mind and leaned closer to him. “Wren and Bodhi.”
He made a sound of agreement. Then Demi asked him something and he turned toward her.
Luke’s best friend Rory happened to be sitting across from us, and I felt his attention shift to me.
“So, Ville, you’re Finnish, right?” he asked, pronouncing my name correctly, which was surprising.
I took a sip of my wine and nodded. “I was born here, but my parents were both born in Finland.”
“We’ve been there a couple of times and plan on going back as soon as we’re able to.” He smiled in a way that told me he was being genuine instead of just making small talk. “The nature is just perfect, and it’s very quiet over there.”
His wife chuckled next to him. “Rory likes peace and quiet. But I agree, it’s gorgeous over there.”
I smiled. “It is. My grandpa had a little homestead in the countryside, and it was glorious. We visited a lot when I was a kid.”
“We’ve been to the bigger cities in the south and to Lapland in the north, but I feel like there’s so much more to the country,” Rory mused.
“Absolutely. My mom’s family is from the eastern part, and that’s where I spent most of my time.”
We continued to chat and eat, and eventually Fern stood on a bench and announced that the dessert table was open for business.
By then, many of us were starting to droop.
Demi looked exhausted, and I couldn’t blame her.
She was growing three whole babies inside her. She needed rest for Saturday, too.
Before I had time to say anything to Emery, he cleared his throat. “Demi? I think once you’re done with that mousse, we’re grabbing the kids and getting you out of here.”
She was staying at the house tomorrow night anyway, while Luke was going to their house in town.
There was no reason she couldn’t crash here tonight as well.
She complained about “stupid tradition” but it was mostly for show.
I was pretty sure Jenn also wanted her there.
She was the first of her brood to get married, after all.
“We’ll take Aria,” Luke’s mom said.
Emery smiled. “Then we’ll take the boys.”
It was early still, but the kids needed to go to bed and so did Demi. Within half an hour, we were saying goodbyes to everyone and herding them into the house.
“Is it weird that I’m nervous?” Demi asked as Emery and I carried the twins inside.
To my surprise, she was looking at me instead of Emery. “Oh, huh. I don’t know.”
“We’ve been together for seven years. Why does this still feel significant? I’ve already entwined my life completely with his. I’m knocked up with his babies. Again. Three of them. As many as I’ve had so far.”
Ah. I caught Emery’s eye as we let her go up the stairs ahead of us and he nodded at me.
She was having pre-wedding jitters.
“I think the important thing here is that you’re in love with that man. He’s the father of your babies and adores you. This will mostly be a big party to celebrate all that,” Emery said firmly.
“What he said,” I added, and they snorted in unison.
I handed Phinneas to his mother and gave them a sideways hug. “I’m going to go shower. Holler if you need me.”
“Thank you, Ville,” she said, kissing my cheek. “I appreciate you.”
Oddly moved, I nodded and left the room.
As I showered and got ready for bed, I wondered about marriage. I got where Demi was coming from with her little freak out and I also understood Emery’s point of view.
I couldn’t see a situation where I was standing at the altar, waiting for him—waiting for anyone—and not feel a bit insecure about whether they’d show up or not. Maybe it was some sort of a self esteem thing or whatever, but to me, getting married seemed like a big deal.
To me, marrying someone meant forever. The vows weren’t just words for me.
With my lifestyle though, I couldn’t see a point in the future where I would be able to make such a commitment to a person.
And the Harringtons, they loved hard and took relationships seriously. I wasn’t sure what that meant for Emery and me, and for the first time, because we only had a week and a couple of days left here, I was a little scared to find out.