24. Jack

24

JACK

I hold Camilla's hand as the elevator hefts upward. She taps her foot on the ground.

"Don't be nervous."

"That's like telling the sky not to be blue."

I chuckle and squeeze her hand. "They're going to love you."

"I don't know how many dads like meeting a new girlfriend when she's already three months pregnant," Camilla grumbles.

The timing wasn't great with all of this, that much is true.

If I hadn't been so prideful, Camilla would have met Dad and Sonia and the twins before we knew she was pregnant. But this is our reality.

"Listen, my family is weird. Everyone has their own weirdness . There's no room to judge."

"Yeah…"

"Plus, it's not like I've met your parents yet. By the time I meet them, you're going to be a flight risk."

She ducks her head. "Don't remind me."

I'm trying not to let my uneasiness come through, but it's difficult. I haven't been to a family dinner in months thanks to my argument with Dad. I know I'm welcome. He'd never revoke my access. In fact, Abigail has told me that he's disappointed I haven't been by.

Part of my avoidance is not wanting to be cajoled into a private conversation. But the other part is that my mind is elsewhere. I don't mean the business. I mean my own family. Camilla and our baby. A burgeoning family that needs attention and sanctuary.

But time is ticking. Camilla has just tipped into the second trimester and is so close to popping it's going to be impossible to keep the secret.

Plus, our family won't be in a vacuum forever. Soon, people will be hurt by our secrecy.

The elevator doors open.

Camilla and I exchange a final look.

"It's going to be great" I'm saying that for both of us. "Trust me?"

Camilla pulls our locked hands into her side. I can feel the subtle swell of her stomach. It's obvious now, to both of us at least. "Always, Daddy."

Abigail greets us at the door. She hugs Camilla first, then me. "If you chicken out tonight, I'm going to tell everyone, I can't hold the secret anymore."

"Is that a threat?" I ask my baby sister.

"Always," she says, then cries out, "Camilla is here!"

I shove the bag of bottles of champagne we brought into Abigail's hand. "In the fridge. Don't be obvious."

Her eyes sparkle as she scurries off.

Before I can get my bearings, Sonia appears from the hallway, this time not swollen or pregnant, but instead carrying one of the twins. Liam, if the blue is any indication. Still glowing, though, even if her eyebags aren't well hidden by her makeup.

Her smile is welcoming and bold.

I'm glad she's greeting us before Dad.

"Camilla, it's so nice to meet you," she says as she approaches us. "I'd shake your hand but I kind of have my hands full."

"That's all right," Camilla says.

Liam, much bigger than the peanut he was at the hospital, now bears markings of my father and Sonia. Dark eyes, beginnings of dark hair.

"This is Liam," Sonia says.

Camilla leans her face down, smiling. "Hello, Liam. Aren't you a little heart breaker."

My heart threatens to explode.

Liam reaches out a hand, the beginnings of a toothless smile on his face.

"He is trying to grab your hair, but trust me, that can turn painful fast. He'll be just as happy with your finger," Sonia says. "But just a friendly reminder, if you give it to him, he won't let go."

"That's okay with me." Camilla holds up her finger to Liam. "Here you go, little guy."

His eyes go big. He reaches out and grabs her finger, letting out a joyful gurgle.

"Aren't you the sweetest?" She smiles. "This is an amazing greeting. I can already tell you and I are going to be good friends."

Sonia holds Liam to Camilla. "Here, mind holding him for a second, please?"

Camilla's eyes widen as her smile almost tears her face in half. "Really? I'd love to. Come here little one."

She picks him up very carefully and lays him on her free arm, letting him still hold her finger, both looking in each other's eyes as if lost to the world in their own little bubble.

If Camilla wasn't already pregnant, I would absolutely make it so tonight. Seeing her with a baby is setting off all my primal instincts.

Sonia finally pays me mind with a bright smile. "Long time no see, Jack."

"Yeah, sorry, been busy."

She opens her arms for me, doesn't press or give me shit like my siblings would. We hug. Her embrace is tighter than usual. "Well, we've missed you."

That's code for, "Your dad misses you." I just know it.

"Me too. Hopefully, Camilla can make up for time lost."

Sonia smiles. There's a tinge of sadness in it which I don't love. "Your dad's in the kitchen."

"Still cooking and doing the nesting thing, huh?"

Sonia laughs. "Doesn't stop just because the buns are out of the oven."

"Welp, now's as good a time as any," I say with a heavy sigh. "Cami, you want to…"

She's swinging Liam around in her arms, face pressed to the top of his head. "Do I have to? He smells so good."

She's killing me. I can only picture her in a few months with our baby in her arms, being as tender and caring as she is now. Loving our baby unconditionally.

Sonia goes to her and touches Liam's nose. "The smell will be there when you're done. Not to mention, we have double the babies, double the smells."

"That doesn't sound like a good thing," I say.

Sonia guffaws. "Good point. Regardless, it is the truth. Here, let me have him back. It is time to reunite him with his sister anyway. These two can never be apart for too long."

Camilla passes Liam to Sonia, but I notice her eyes linger on him for a second before she turns to me and smiles, her eyes shimmering.

I take Camilla by the hand and lead her into the kitchen.

This is it. The moment I have been dreading for the past couple of months.

This could go any number of ways, but I'm hoping having Camilla here will help tame us both down.

I take a deep breath before entering the kitchen.

Inside, Dad's biting his thumbnail, staring into one of the ovens, so absorbed he doesn't even realize we're in the doorway.

We can still turn back, we can still change our minds. It's not too late.

But this is my dad. And I don't care what is happening between us, I love him, and he should get to know the woman I love. He should know he has a grandkid on the way. Firsthand. From me.

This is the right thing to do.

I clear my throat. "Dad."

Dad turns to look at me and the worried expression fades to give way to a smile. Something like revelation. "Hey."

It's awkward. No denying that. Last time I saw him was late night at the hospital, my head spinning with a multitude of thoughts and feelings pulling me in various directions.

All the drama with my mother, the birth of the twins, my own feelings of not being enough, not being wanted, it all boiled down to an explosive cocktail of emotions that I was only able to tame due to the woman I love. The woman I'm bringing home to meet my dad. The woman who is carrying my baby.

Camilla takes the lead, putting on her best business tone. "Mr. Lyons, I'm so happy to meet you."

Yes. That's good. This is business. The business of introducing her to my dad. If I can think of it like that, I can make it through tonight.

"None of the mister stuff, that's not…" Dad waves his hand and crosses to Camilla. Wraps her in a hug.

A hug .

So much for the business.

"I've heard so much about you," Dad says.

There's that tinge of sadness again, except this time in his voice.

And that is my fault. Because he's heard so much about her from everyone but me. From Abigail and Nate and Seth and even my fucking mom. When he should have been hearing about the woman I love from me .

Dad releases her and follows up quickly. "Great things, of course. Only great things. Everyone thinks you're a good fit. Which you know, as Jack's father, that takes a load off."

Since when has Dad played the concerned father to me? These babies have really done a number on him.

"Well, I'm happy to hear I have a preliminary seal of approval." Camilla smiles wider.

Dad reaches out and grabs my bicep. Squeezes. Doesn't pull me into a hug and doesn't look away from Camilla. "I mean, I have to tell you, I'm surprised Jack would be one to mix business with pleasure–"

Dammit. " Dad ."

"But that runs in the family, I'm sure he's given you the lowdown."

Camilla remains polite. "Bits and pieces, yes. But life just happens, doesn't it?"

Setting groundwork for our announcement. Good girl.

Dad lets out a loud laugh. "Trust me. It does."

Silence settles over us.

With a jerk of his thumb over his shoulder, Dad steps back. "Welp, I need to check on the food–"

Camilla nods. "Yes, don't let us interrupt."

"We'll have more time, I'm sure." Dad's eyes flick to me. That surety looks more like hope. "Everyone's in the dining room, dinner will be in ten."

I usher Camilla out of the room and before I can follow her, Dad calls out, "Jack."

It's stern but not in the way it would have been when I was sixteen and stirring up trouble. It's almost needy.

"Yeah, Dad?"

Dad runs his hand down the lower part of his face, scruffier than usual. "I hope you and I can get a moment alone later. To talk."

I don't say anything. It's not a demand, but it's also not a request.

"We haven't talked in so long," he says with a lopsided smile. "And you know, we used to talk all the time."

Dad knows how to use those knives and throw them right at the heart.

My chest tightens because he is right. We did use to talk all the time. Though he was busy when I lived with him, we talked a lot. He didn't mind me staying up late on a school night so we could shoot the shit and watch a game on TV. Would always ask me about school and my life even if he didn't always have the most constructive advice.

We used to know each other.

When did that change?

I remember why I came here tonight. For Camilla and me. For our child.

But yes. For Dad too.

"Yeah, we'll talk."

He beams, then seems to remember whatever is baking in the oven, ducking away with a curse under his breath.