Chapter 01
Just a few days remained before school started, and all our friends who studied here had already arrived. Ever since I brought up our future wedding, back before we were at the gym, Jenny had been pulling away—just a little. I didn’t press her. I waited patiently, hoping she’d open up when she was ready.
Brian, Aaron, and I helped Susy move in—she was living on the floor below us.
“Susy,” Brian asked, “are you sure this will be better for you?”
“Yes,” she smiled. “I asked Dad to rent out Paul’s apartment for the school year. It was too big for me alone, and now that Jane lives above me, Dad was actually happy about the switch.”
“How’s Paul?” Brian asked.
“He’s working a lot, but he really enjoys it,” she smiled again. “It might take more than six months,” she added quietly.
“Well, you’ve got us,” I said with a smile.
Susy’s apartment was a bit bigger than ours. From the entryway, you stepped into a kitchen-living room combo, with two bedrooms branching off in opposite directions and a bathroom in the middle. The kitchen and dining table were between the bathroom and one bedroom, while the living room furniture was next to the other. Mrs. Tashiro’s touch was evident here too—the place was beautifully decorated in warm orange and soft gray tones.
“If you need help unpacking, just say the word,” I told her before Aaron and I left.
“Aaron,” I motioned for him to step into the hallway. “You’re going to take it slow, right?”
“Yeah, Jay,” he smiled. “I’ll wait until she’s settled.”
“Good,” I said. “Just a few more weeks.”
“If things worked out so well for you and your blonde, I’m not rushing either,” he said cautiously.
“Just don’t let your mouth get ahead of you,” I warned before heading back to our place.
“Thanks for helping Susy move in,” Jenny said as she stepped out of the kitchen and kissed me tenderly. It was the first time in days she’d done that, and I happily wrapped my arms around her waist.
“I thought something was wrong,” I said gently. “You’ve barely had time for me lately—it felt like you were pulling away.”
“I-I’m sorry, Messyhair,” she looked at me. “I just don’t know what to do about the whole wedding thing.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, holding her hand as I guided her to the living room. We sat together on the couch.
“Well,” she sighed, “it’s been years since I even thought I might have a wedding of my own.” She looked at me again, and when I didn’t say anything, she continued. “Ever since you proposed, I’ve wanted to marry you more and more—but I’m scared you only asked because you didn’t want anyone else hitting on me. I don’t know what you really want.”
“You,” I said calmly. “If you told me you wanted to marry me in secret tomorrow, I’d be happy. And if it’s years from now, I’ll wait. I just want you to be mine.” In that moment, I finally understood what Daryl had meant last year.
“Oh,” she blinked, surprised. “I-I didn’t think of it like that. I thought you just... put a ‘reserved’ sign on me.” She was flustered, and I laughed.
“No, Babe,” I said, brushing her cheek. “I love you—and I want the whole world to know it.”
“What about school? And money?” she asked. “What do you want to do about those?”
“If it were up to me, I wouldn’t wait years. And I don’t mind if Dad and Dr. Cox cover the wedding costs. I’ll pay them back once I’m working. I’ve always planned to support my parents when they’re older.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” she admitted again. “Let’s talk more about it, okay?” She smiled.
“Well, we’ll have to—at Grandpa and Dad’s birthday party,” I teased, kissing her.
“I love you,” she said, visibly more at ease.
—
Classes had started. Jenny and I parted ways in the morning, and Mayoko took Susy to show her around.
“Hey,” I greeted my old roommates before class. Tom had the same stunning black-haired girl from last year by his side.
“So you did keep that note,” I laughed, nodding toward the girl as she headed to her class upstairs.
“I called her after finals,” Tom said. “We spent the summer apart, but man, you have no idea what you missed.”
“I think I do,” I chuckled.
“Dave,” I turned to our newest friend, “lunch this weekend. Our treat.”
“I remember,” he smiled. “But I’ll be coming alone, if that’s okay.”
“Totally fine—we figured,” I laughed. “There’ve been a few changes on our end too.”
“Hey Dave, you know Jay’s girl?” Phil asked. “I’m curious. No girl could ever talk me into moving in together.”
“I’ve met her,” Dave said calmly. “She’s sweet. Great sense of humor.”
“Right,” Phil said, unconvinced. Dave and I just smiled.
I had class with Uncle Steve that day, just like last year. I took my usual seat near the edge of the row—no one sat on the outer side next to me.
“Welcome, everyone,” Uncle Steve said as he set down his bag.
“Did you see the photo of his granddaughter in the shop window?” Tom asked—still clearly interested in my girlfriend.
“Dude, you’ve got Liz,” Phil pointed out. “What more do you want?”
“I just looked, that’s all,” Tom replied. We all laughed.”She’s got a hot tattoo,” Tom added. Phil sighed.
“She still doesn’t like duck,” Dave teased.
We got our test papers, and I got to work.
“I still think I’ve got a shot with Mandy,” Tom said confidently. Dave burst out laughing, and so did I—and then Phil joined in.
The basic test sheet was straightforward. However, the bonus questions had nothing to do with the textbook. They focused on our summer practicum—things like mandatory inspections on animal farms, spaying and neutering, and even a few obscure details buried in the fine print.
After the test, we headed to lunch. Uncle Steve was eating with Jenny today, so I ate in the cafeteria.
I sat with the guys—and the stunning black-haired girl joined us.
“Was the Wenword test hard for you too?” she asked.
“Yeah, Liz,” Dave said.
“Especially the bonus questions,” I added.
“Word is the old man’s granddaughter’s a model,” said Liz.
“She’s not a model,” I said. “She just works for my sister.” Everyone at the table already knew.
“That shop’s your sister’s?” she asked, surprised.
“Yeah,” I nodded.
“So I guess you know the girl,” she said.
“I do,” I replied curtly. I’d picked that up from my girlfriend—and I was starting to see the point.
“She’s not very likable,” Liz said. “Stuck-up.”
“You’re right,” Tom chimed in too eagerly. “She even sent back my duck.” He realized what he’d said—but too late.
I leaned back, grinning. Showtime.
“You had dinner with her?” Liz asked, a little too loudly.
“Uh, years ago. Just a friendly dinner, not a date,” Tom tried to recover. “Didn’t even touch her.”
“Lovely,” Liz said, standing. “Just so you know—tonight’s off.” She stormed off. A few people turned to watch.
“I’d buy flowers and go over there,” I said with a shrug. “That’ll work.”
“You’d know,” Tom sighed. “Your girl’s a sweetheart,” he added sarcastically.
“Just saying,” I smiled. “I’m the one who gave you Liz’s number.”
“I’d listen to him,” Dave said.
For the weekend, I messaged everyone to meet at Susy’s before dinner—and to be ready to party afterward.
We headed down to Susy’s. Aaron was already there. They congratulated Jenny on her ring, and she told the story of how it happened. Dave arrived a little later, alone.
“Not much has changed for us,” I told Dave as Aaron gave Susy a light kiss. “Paul and Jessica won’t be around this year, and Aaron’s dating Susy now.” Dave nodded—no questions.
Everyone showed up. Diane and her husband congratulated Jenny too, and she told them the proposal story.
We went to the restaurant we’d reserved. It was a casual place by the park—Dave and Brian said the portions were big and the menu was broad. White tablecloths, wood-style tables everywhere. The kitchen entrance was near the center, with the restrooms beside it. We had a reservation and it wasn’t crowded yet, so we got a table by the window. Couples sat across from each other, and Dave sat alone at the end, next to me.
“Dave,” Jenny said with a laugh, “you’re the luckiest one here.”
“How so?” my former roommate asked cautiously.
“Because you get to choose who orders for you,” she said, gesturing at the girls.
“Let’s say... Diane,” he smiled. Diane nodded cheerfully.
The waiter brought the menus. My girlfriend flipped straight to the salads.
“Babe,” I said, “come on. I’m starving.”
“Sorry, pretty boy, I’m not that easy to bribe,” she said, blowing me a kiss.
“For the handsome young man across from me, a vegetarian salad and sparkling water. For myself, the soup of the day and grilled salmon with potatoes and orange juice.”
“I’ll have the same,” said Mayoko, “but swap the salmon for turkey.”
All the girls ordered salads for us—except Diane, who picked some roasted veggie dish for Dave and Daryl.
“If I’d won, you’d be eating duck right now,” I said.
“Good thing you didn’t,” she smiled. “Next time, let me sleep on the mattress.” Everyone laughed.
The food arrived and we started eating—though I’d call mine grazing. Jenny snapped a photo of me. Diane and Daryl told us about their honeymoon—a two-week cruise on a massive luxury ship that stopped in different cities along the way.
“We’ve decided to wait on the baby,” Daryl said at the end.
“How come?” Mayoko asked. “You two were really planning for it—you were thinking at least three kids.”
“We were,” Diane smiled. “But we talked it over and decided we don’t want to miss out on everything just because we have a kid and no one else does. By the time anyone else here has one, ours would already be starting school. So we’ll wait—until everyone’s planning kid-friendly stuff.”
“Sounds good,” Susy said.
“Our wedding’s coming along,” said Mayoko, “though it’s becoming less and less like what we originally wanted.”
I finished grazing in a few minutes. I still don’t get how my exes could nibble at this stuff for hours—I was still hungry.
“Dessert?” the waiter asked, appearing beside us.
“I’ll have pie,” Jenny said. “And the young man will have this.” She lifted the menu and pointed. I had no idea what I was getting.
“Please bring the guys’ desserts first,” she added. The waiter nodded and walked off.
All the girls followed Jenny’s lead—Diane and Mayoko ordered coffee, Susy went for fruit tea.
The waiter placed my plate in front of me: perfectly seared beef with a generous side. The other guys got similar dishes, just with different meats and sides.
“Babe,” I grinned, “I love you.” I dug in, and the others thanked the girls and started eating too.
“I know,” she smiled, tapping her nose.
“So, are we going dancing tonight?” Diane asked excitedly.
“You can come back to my place to change,” Susy offered.
We paid and headed out. Mayoko and Jenny went home, Diane tagged along with Jenny, and the guys and I went up to Susy’s and played darts on Paul’s old board while we waited. Dave said goodbye and left—he wasn’t into dancing.
When the girls returned, my girlfriend had outdone herself again. She wore a skirt that hugged her hips, with ribbons dangling just below, and a shimmering, form-fitting top that left her shoulders and part of her back bare.
“Nice outfit,” I said, brushing my hand along her bare back.
“Amber’s,” she smiled.
We went to the same club as last year—the DJ was the same guy. According to Jenny, he studied and worked in this city, but we’d met him during our summer trip to her hometown.
“Messyhair,” she whispered, glancing at Dave, “did we come here on purpose?”
“Trying to bury your past, are you?” I teased with a grin.
“I just know how jealous you can get,” she murmured.
“You know I’m getting better,” I said. “It’ll be fine.”
We grabbed a booth and ordered drinks.
“Jay, Brian, I hope you’re dancing with everyone again tonight,” Diane laughed.
“As always,” I grinned. “Milady,” I said, offering Diane my hand. Brian asked Susy to dance.
I danced with all the girls, just like Brian did, but I spent the most time with Jenny. I loved holding her close during the slow songs.
We danced late into the night. Aaron and Daryl got up with their girlfriends and did something vaguely resembling dancing. Brian gleefully documented it all.
“You’re evil,” Mayoko said with a smile. “Jane doesn’t record Jay’s scrambled eggs, and I don’t record yours.”
“Because the visuals don’t do the taste justice,” Jenny laughed, and the others joined in.
It was past midnight when we said our goodbyes. We told Daryl they could crash at someone’s place, but he said they’d get home quickly and rest tomorrow.
We dropped Susy off and locked ourselves in for the night.
—
The following week started quietly.
“I see he managed to fix things,” I said to Dave at school, spotting Tom spending his break with Liz in the hallway.
“Yeah,” Dave grinned. “He bought flowers and went over.”
Nothing had changed in Uncle Steve’s class, though the questions he directed at me were getting more complex.
“Why’s the old man grilling you so much?” Phil asked.
“I think my placement test wasn’t what he expected,” I replied quickly.
“Could be.”
At lunch, I sat with the guys. Liz was there too, along with another girl who was with Phil—a slim, stylish blonde with bouncy curls.
“John,” the new girl said, “Phil told me you live with your girlfriend.”
“That’s right,” I said.
“When do we get to meet her?” Phil asked. “Dave already has.”
“Eventually,” I said shortly.
“I think he’s embarrassed,” Liz muttered. “If she were that great, he’d be showing her off.”
“If that’s what you think,” I shrugged. Dave stayed quiet, just observing.
The rest of lunch was filled with the girls’ whining—I’d grown unaccustomed to it.
We were expecting Jenny’s family that weekend to see our apartment, so Friday afternoon she invited Susy and Mayoko over to help her cook and bake. I went swimming with Aaron and Brian.
“I’m staying at Susy’s this weekend,” Aaron said in the locker room. Brian didn’t seem to be paying attention.
“Alright,” I nodded.
We played video games at Brian’s until evening. Aaron was a little on edge, but none of us tried to calm him down—it would’ve only made things worse.
When we got back to our place, the girls were already done and had nearly cleaned up after themselves. Six kinds of desserts and two main dishes lined the counters. My mouth watered, but I knew Jenny wouldn’t let me have any tonight.
“Glad you guys came,” Susy said when we arrived. “I’m starting to feel unnecessary here.”
The girls exchanged a few quiet words in Japanese. Brian slipped off to the bathroom—though I suspected he just didn’t want to hear the conversation.
Aaron and Susy said their goodbyes and left. Brian and his girlfriend stayed for dinner.
“Paul definitely wouldn’t be sleeping tonight,” Brian muttered, earning a smack from his girlfriend.
“So, how’s the wedding planning?” Jenny asked, steering the conversation elsewhere—though I doubted she really cared.
“Jay’s mom is amazing,” Mayoko smiled. “It’s going to be great.”
“Jay,” Brian said, “you know Frankie’s still my witness—but would you be the one to give the wedding speech?”
“Sure, no problem,” I nodded. “I won’t have much else to do anyway.”
“Except dance with me,” Jenny blew me a kiss. “Have you started practicing yet?”
“No,” Mayoko said. “Since Brian already knows how to dance, we figured we’d start later this year.”
After our friends left, Jenny quickly tidied up. I helped her. She put everything away, wiped the counters, straightened the rug in front of the couch—then straightened it again.
“Babe, why are you so nervous about tomorrow?” I asked with a smile as she adjusted the chairs around the table.
“Well, you know... Mom and Dany are coming. I don’t want to disappoint them.”
“You won’t,” I said, hugging her. “Anyone who isn’t proud of you has serious issues.”
“I love you, Messyhair,” she said, ruffling my hair.
In the evening, we sat down on the couch to watch TV, but instead of focusing on the movie, I decided to help my girlfriend relax—and she welcomed it with passion.
—
The next morning, before breakfast, she rushed to erase every trace of last night from the living room.
“Babe,” I teased, “you do know they’re aware our relationship isn’t exactly platonic, right?”
“I know,” she blushed a little. “But still—it’s Mom and Dany.”
I could tell I wasn’t getting a hot breakfast today, so I made us sandwiches while she sliced the cakes and arranged them on plates.
After breakfast, everyone arrived. Mickey and Uncle Steve made a beeline for the desserts. Daniel looked around the apartment comfortably. He hadn’t worn glasses before, but now he had a thin metal-framed pair.
“Nice place,” he said. “You’ve made it feel like home, Blondie.”
“I tried,” my girlfriend smiled.
“I booked a table for lunch,” Dr. Cox said. “Mickey, don’t fill up on cake.”
“Okay, Dadam,” the little boy said, putting down his treat.
Jenny and her brother smiled. Dr. Cox had clearly claimed the role of family patriarch.
“There’s lunch—I cooked,” Jenny said.
“Alright, sweetheart,” her mom replied. “But we’d like to celebrate the engagement with a proper lunch.”
“Well... okay,” Jenny said, clearly flustered. Everyone noticed.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” her mom asked gently.
“I just don’t want you to think I can’t run a household—or that I’m not grown-up enough,” she blurted out, but she didn’t stammer with them.
“My girl,” her mom said, hugging her. “I know you almost cook better than I do.” She smiled. “And I don’t need six kinds of cake to be proud of you.”
“Everyone here is proud of you—and adores you,” the lawyer added with a smile.
“And fears you,” Daniel teased before hugging her.
“Let’s go,” Jenny said. “I’m starving.”
We followed Dr. Cox’s car to an elegant restaurant with a garden. He must’ve booked early—there were barely any free tables. I spotted Dad’s car in the lot but didn’t say anything to Jenny. She’d find out soon enough.
Dr. Cox checked in with the hostess and led us through the orange-and-white interior and out to the garden, where a large table waited under an orange parasol. It was covered in a white cloth with orange decorations. My parents were already there, sipping drinks. Amber and Brad were there too, though my sister looked a bit under the weather.
I was right—my parents were already seated. Jenny was surprised but happy as she greeted everyone.
“As my wife already said,” the lawyer began, “we organized this lunch to celebrate your engagement.”
“We figured you wouldn’t want a big fuss,” my dad added.
We sat down—everyone scattered randomly—but Jenny sat beside me, and Mom was on my other side.
It was a classic restaurant—meats, fish, the usual. Jenny had some kind of layered meat dish; I stuck with beef.
“Well, son,” Uncle Steve said, “when I met your dad a few autumns ago, we suspected my granddaughter would be your match—but not to this extent.” He laughed.
“Grandpa,” Jenny asked, “what do you mean?”
“I don’t think we’ve ever told them,” said Mrs. Julie.
“A few days after school started, when I found out who her arrogant, annoying classmate was, I knew you were making a move,” the old man said to me. “But I’d already gotten to know my granddaughter, and I knew she’d do everything she could to shut you down.”
“And you’re known for never giving up,” Dad laughed.
“So we were curious to see how it would play out,” the old man chuckled. “We knew she’d be a challenge—but you’d never back down. Which meant an endless loop.”
“Still going strong,” Amber teased. “If Jane won’t surrender, you’ll just marry her.”
The whole family laughed. I wasn’t thrilled to be the punchline again.
“Speaking of which,” the lawyer said more seriously, “the transfers have arrived.”
“How much did it come to?” I asked as the waiter brought the next course.
“Enough to cover plane tickets and part of the accommodations for a decent honeymoon,” said Mrs. Julie. I didn’t love that answer—according to Brian’s theory, that wasn’t much.
“Not bad,” my girlfriend smiled. “Jay will plan the trip—he’s great at logistics.” She looked at me with love, and I got lost in her eyes for a moment.
“Looks like the conquest went pretty well,” Daniel teased, snapping us both back.
“Sweetheart,” Dr. Cox said after a pause, turning to Jenny, “I know we haven’t talked about the wedding yet, but it would mean a lot to me if you’d let me help with the expenses—in your father’s place.”
The lawyer must’ve seen Jenny searching for words, because he continued almost immediately.
“You don’t have to answer now—just promise you’ll think about it,” he said with a smile. Mrs. Julie looked at her husband with affection.
“I promise. I’ll think about it,” my girlfriend managed to say.
“Last week, she even got me to eat salad,” I said, breaking the silence, and told them the story of that dinner.
“Well done, Jane,” Amber grinned. “He could use a long-term diet—he’s getting pudgy next to you.”
“Excuse me?” I asked. “I am not getting pudgy.”
“Messyhair,” Jenny replied, “you’re still so naïve.” The group laughed, and she tapped her nose.
After lunch, we all took a walk downtown. We passed my sister’s shop, which was already closed for the afternoon, but I finally saw the window display. Several same-sized photos were arranged in a row.
“Amber,” I said reproachfully, “you can’t be serious.”
In the camo bikini photo, Jenny’s vine tattoo was clearly visible. The other pictures were autumn-themed and partially covered the tattoo, but my brain filled in the rest—just like any guy’s would. I immediately wanted to jump her. No wonder Tom couldn’t forget it. That image burned itself into memory.
Amber stopped in front of the window and tilted her head dramatically, pretending to study the photos.
“Alberto said it turned out great,” she said calmly. “I don’t see anything wrong with it either.”
“Babe,” I said to my girlfriend, who was standing beside Amber, “maybe you could take that one out of the window? Summer’s over. The coat photo is enough.”
“Sorry, but no,” Jenny said evenly. “No one’s complained, and some people still shop for swimsuits this time of year. I arranged the photos that way on purpose.”
“Dad,” I turned to him, “you think it’s too much too, right?”
“Jane looks undeniably charming in the photo,” Dad said with a smile.
“Charming?” I muttered. “That’s the last word that came to mind.” Still grumbling, I followed the rest of the family as they walked on.
“Another loop begins,” Uncle Steve chuckled under his breath.
I maneuvered to walk beside the lawyer. He noticed and slowed down with me.
“Dr. Cox,” I said cautiously, “are you sure that’s the full amount?”
“Were you expecting more?” he asked calmly. Dad had also fallen back to join us.
“Well, according to Brian, maybe a bit more,” I admitted.
“You were right, son,” Dad said quietly. “You have two accounts.”
“But if Jenny found out the full amount, she’d never accept help for the wedding—she’d just use the money from the account,” I said after a moment, once the pieces clicked into place.
“You’re catching on,” the lawyer grinned.
“You’ll get the rest as a wedding gift—along with the reception proceeds,” Dad added.
“So we’ll officially cash in at the reception, but by then she’ll have already accepted the help,” I summarized.
“You’re right, Adam,” Dad smiled. “He’s got it.”
Back at the apartment, the place felt small with so many people, but the desserts and drinks spread across different corners helped divide the crowd.
The moms sat on the couch chatting about home renovations. Daniel and Mickey munched on sweets at the table. Jenny was in the kitchen talking with Amber, and I stood near the couch with the dads.
“Once Brad finishes the renovations,” Mom said cheerfully, “we’ll have plenty of space for a little one to stay with us.”
“We’re dedicating the whole upper floor for that,” said Mrs. Julie.
Daniel glanced at his sister and gave her a subtle nod to talk. Jenny’s face became unreadable, the cheer from earlier vanishing in seconds. They met in the corner of the kitchen and began speaking in hushed tones—so quietly that even Mickey couldn’t understand.
I tried to catch what they were saying, but they spoke too fast for me. I only caught a few scattered words, but I couldn’t piece it together. I looked around and saw Mrs. Julie watching her children, while Dr. Cox and Dad were watching me.
“Son,” Dad said, stepping over while keeping one eye on Jenny, “you should tell her. If she figures it out on her own, she’ll be angry.”
“I will,” I said shortly.
By the time they finished talking, the rest of the family had already moved on to discussing Christmas.
When it was time to leave, we walked the family out. Jenny handed over the boxed-up desserts, said her goodbyes, and we returned to the apartment.
She started cleaning up the aftermath, but her mind was clearly elsewhere.
“Babe,” I said gently from the couch, “is something wrong?”
Without a word, she sat beside me in the living room, pulling her legs up onto the couch.
“What makes you think that?” she asked, though she already knew.
“Just a feeling,” I teased. She was barely showing it, but I could tell she was nervous.
“There’s something I should tell you before we start planning the wedding,” she sighed. “Dany’s right—you have a right to know.”
“You can tell me now,” I said, reaching for her hand, though I had no idea what was coming.
“Messyhair,” she sighed again, pausing to take a breath. “I don’t want children.” She said it all in one breath.
“Oh,” was all I could manage. “Can you tell me why?” She nodded and began.
“You know both my parents are only children, and none of our grandparents ever met Mickey. Only my mom’s mother knew me.”
“I know,” I nodded.
“Well, that’s only partly true,” she said. “My mom wasn’t an only child.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“She had a twin sister,” she said.
“Okay… but that’s not why you don’t want kids, right?”
“When they were little, her sister died. She was sick.”
“How sick?” I asked.
“I don’t know exactly, but it was some inherited condition. Something I might carry too,” she sighed. “And I could pass it on to our children. I don’t want to take that risk—neither does Daniel.”
“I understand,” I said calmly.
“Please think about whether you still want to be with me,” she said quietly.
“Babe,” I said, pulling her into a hug, “I love you. No matter what, I want you in my life. If that means no kids, then so be it.”
“Still, think it over,” she said softly.
“Do you know anything more about the condition?” I asked as she leaned into me.
“Nothing,” she whispered. “Dany asked Dadam for help—we looked into it, but we found almost nothing.”
“How come?”
“Dadam arranged for the remains to be examined, but they couldn’t determine the baby’s illness.”
“That’s not much to go on,” I said. She shook her head.
“After that, we hoped Grandma’s ex-husband might know something, so we tracked him down. Daniel even visited him.”
“You know where he lives?” I asked, surprised. She nodded.
“He’s in a retirement home, a few hours’ drive from home. He has no one. The nurses said no one ever visits. Daniel went, introduced himself, but the man claimed he had no grandchildren. So my brother left quickly. He didn’t want to, but he gave the nurses his number. He won’t let me go, and I’m listening to him.” She looked me in the eyes. “Messyhair, please think about whether this is really what you want—and whether being an uncle will be enough.” She smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
“What?” I asked, surprised.
“Amber’s pregnant. She hasn’t told anyone yet.”
“How do you know?” I asked, smiling. I was genuinely happy.
“At lunch, I noticed she wasn’t eating properly, and the smell of your dad’s coffee bothered her. So I asked her privately.” She grinned. “She asked me not to tell anyone.”
“I won’t,” I said seriously.
“Please don’t share my stuff either,” she added quietly. “I’m going to work out.” And with that, she left me alone.
