Bonus Chapter
Cody
The big house smells like meat—a roast, most likely—along with gravy, onions, and cornbread.
We’ve been sitting on this news long enough. We’ve known that we’re pregnant for two weeks now and it’s eating me up not being able to tell our family yet.
I didn’t force my happiness on her. I didn’t want to make her feel guilty for not being excited right away. But when we had her first appointment a few days ago, everything changed. Hearing that tiny heartbeat, seeing it was real, it did something to her. Did something to me too.
This time, I was the one sitting beside her. Not some deadbeat who couldn’t even bother to show up for her just once. And so, I think she’s starting to see what I’ve been saying all along, how different this is going to be with me. With us. Just like I promised her.
Jesse’s got Hallie, their newest addition, who’s three months old now, tucked in his arm like a football, while Ella’s cutting up food on Cora’s plate.
Mom is just getting settled, and Dad is already getting his place setting ready to house food. Karissa’s beside me. My hand’s draped over her thigh; she’s jittery. Emma’s just beside us in another high chair, drinking from her purple sippy cup like it’s the best thing she’s tasted all day.
“They said five,” Addison murmurs, checking the time again. “It’s five-oh-eight.”
Wesley reaches for her, his hand wrapping around her neck in a quiet, grounding gesture. The glint of his wedding ring catches my eye.
“Relax,” he tells her.
Everyone’s here except Mason and Megan. He’s been working different hours lately, so they run on their own clock.
“Listen to your husband,” Mom teases Addie with a wink. Addison tries not to smirk at the title, but Wesley’s already grinning.
They’ve been married for four months now, and it still doesn’t feel real. I don’t think it ever will.
I’ll never forget her wedding reception, watching her and Dad dance. I was fighting back tears like it was life or death. Then I glanced down at Jesse and Mason beside me…and they were already crying. That’s when I lost it.
The photographer caught it—three grown-ass men crying like babies. We looked ridiculous. Addison framed the picture and gave each of us a copy.
“I’m just saying, I’m hungry and it’s rude to be late,” she adds, sitting back in her chair.
“You got somewhere to be?” Jesse asks her, adjusting Hallie in his arms.
I chuckle. “They’re probably just sneaking in a make-out session before the drive up.”
Everyone cracks up, Karissa giving me her eye roll, and Emma pipes up too, giggling from her high chair like she knows exactly what’s funny. Pretty impressive for a kid who’s only about a year and a half.
“Hey, I like Megan, so I’m all for it,” Ella adds, shifting in her seat.
It’s been almost a year since they started dating, I think. They’re good for each other, for sure. Give it another year, at least, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they got married.
Just as Addison starts to complain again, Mason’s truck rumbles up outside. I catch the sound of the engine cutting off and doors shutting just barely over Mom’s voice as she talks to Hallie, who’s now draped over Jesse’s shoulder beside her.
The front door opens, then shuts, and footsteps come through the house, her heels and his boots on the old wooden floor. When they turn the corner, both of them are red in the face and smiling like idiots.
“You guys look like middle schoolers who just discovered kissing is fun,” I joke, and everyone laughs.
Mason looks to Megan and says, “Show ’em”
With that, she raises her left hand, nails painted a dark blue, but the big rock on her ring finger catches the light.
“We’re engaged!” she beams.
“I beg your finest pardon?” I utter, filling the brief pause of silence.
Addison follows it up with, “Wait, what?!”
Ella’s eyes are bugged out and she looks to Jesse. “Oh wow!”
Mom stands slowly. “Well, isn’t that exciting news!”
Jesse raises his brows and eyes me as if to say Did you know about this? I shake my head quickly; I’m just as blindsided as he is.
There’s hugging, congratulations tossed around. No one says anything rude, but it’s definitely stiff. Hesitant.
“We’re getting married in July,” Megan says proudly after she sits in her seat. She bats her eyes at Mason and he looks back at her like she hung the damn moon.
The table goes quiet again, just long enough for all of us to exchange quick looks. Like, are we all hearing this correctly? This is crazy, right?
“Wait, this July?” Wesley asks, and both of them nod.
“That’s…soon,” I say, trying to sound neutral.
Mason shrugs. “No reason to wait.”
I scoff. “No reason? You—”
“Cody.” Karissa digs her fingers into my leg under the table, forcing me to stop, and the look in her eyes is scary enough to obey.
Mom and Dad are saying something else now, but I’m not even listening.
I’m hit with déjà vu. Christmas Day, when we planned to announce our engagement…
right before Mason introduced us to Megan for the first time.
Then we thought we’d do it after brunch, during gifts, but Jesse and Ella beat us to the punch with being pregnant.
Beside me, Karissa rests a hand over her belly. Her eyes find mine, steady but soft, and with the faintest shake of her head she tells me everything: Not today.
I huff out a quiet laugh, so no one else hears. At this rate, we might as well show up to dinner in a few months with a baby in tow. That’d beat everyone’s surprises. Honestly, with our track record, I wouldn’t put it past us.
I lean into Karissa’s ear while the table chatters on, my voice low. “I’m sorry.”
She just smiles, like she’s trying not to laugh at the irony of it all, our luck. With a flick of her hand she gestures, It’s fine.
“You sure?” I mouth.
She leans in close enough that only I can hear. “Trust me.”
And just like that, I do.