27. Jack

27

JACK

Keiki's bustling. There's a line around the block for our opening day. We're having the Brooklyn coffee shop equivalent of a luau inside. Not to mention, plenty of free coffee.

I can't believe this day has finally come. The shop is exactly as we envisioned it. Warm wood, sleek design, punctuated by native Hawaiian flowers and foliage. The staff is a well-oiled machine, in the bar and in the roastery, despite the fact they've been busy since the second we opened.

I've been working behind the bar for a good portion of it. I just want to make a good first impression and, since these beans are my babies, I'm feeling a bit protective of them.

However, now that some of my guests are here, it's time for me to take a bit of a break.

In the back half of the coffee shop, we have a Hawaiian band playing all the standards from the Big Island, a spread of Polynesian delicacies, and handmade leis onsite. Conversation, laughter, and music tangle together in a beautiful braid that puts me at peace.

It's been a tough road to get here, but we made it happen.

"There's the man of the hour!" Seth announces as I walk over.

I hold up my hands. "Please, no autographs."

Bridget smiles next to him. "This is amazing, Jack."

"Thanks for coming." I hug both of them. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Wouldn't miss it," Seth says, even though he's still wearing clothes from the office. He had a big pitch to investors today. I told him not to bother with the grand opening so he could focus entirely on CipherBit, but this is the new and improved Seth we've had for a year now thanks to Bridget. He's not a workhorse like he used to be.

I get it now. How life slows down and other things become important.

When I conceived of the coffee business, I foresaw myself pouring myself into it for the next several years and one day waking up wondering where life went.

And then Camilla walked into my life. Or I should say Seth put her there.

"Where's your baby mama?" Bridget asks.

Seth snorts. "Seriously, Bridge?"

"What?! I think it's cute!" she says defensively.

The way Seth looks at her is most certainly the way I look at Camilla. Those adoring, dopey eyes. Somewhere along the way, we all went from boys into men. It happened to Mason and Nate too. Love changes everything.

"Let's see…" I trail off, scanning the crowd. Camilla's been playing hostess since we opened, directing guests to enjoy the festivities, answering the questions of our new customers, placating to our investors. Working the room as she always does. "She shouldn't be hard to find, she's in a bright pink – ah!"

I spot her in the crowd, harder than expected thanks to the bounty of flowers and the sea of spring colors. It's not the bright pink dress that catches my eye, but the white plumeria flower tucked into her wild curls, right behind her left ear. According to the florist, there is a language of where the flower is placed. Behind the right ear for single, left ear for taken.

Her fuchsia dress cuts across her chest, exposing her shoulders and collarbone, and drapes over her rounded middle. It would be obvious she's pregnant without her hands pressed to her belly, but she's proud. Wants to show off.

Camilla's over halfway through her pregnancy. Twenty-four weeks. And it shows. Happened seemingly overnight. She was steadily growing and then one morning we woke up and there was absolutely no denying anymore.

She's flanked by our mothers who we flew in for the occasion. Surprisingly, when Camilla brought up the idea, I was not as resistant as I thought to see my mother.

Maybe I've turned a new leaf thanks to my father. Or maybe I'm getting softer thinking about my imminent future.

"There she is." I nod in her direction.

Bridget gasps. "She's stunning."

Her glow is undeniable. Yes, there are all the side effects pregnancy brings. There are tears and there are midnight cravings and things swelling that didn't before.

But the smile hardly ever fades from her face. Including this very moment as I watch her run her hand over her bump and grin down at it as she says something. Both our mothers leap to attention excitedly.

She's probably just felt the baby move. It's been almost a month of me being jealous, waiting for the moment I can feel it too. Should be soon. Still, I'm antsy.

"I'm going to say hi." Bridget says, grabbing Seth's arm.

"Yeah, of course, go ahead."

We watch Bridget wade through the crowd for a few moments. Seth taps me with his elbow. "So, how are you feeling?"

I glance around the coffee shop. "It's going well."

"That's not what I'm asking about," he says, his gaze returning to Camilla.

"Oh…" I look with him. "I mean, it's all moving so fast."

"I can only imagine."

We watch Bridget interrupt the conversation, pulling Camilla into a hug. She gestures back in our direction, pointing Seth out. Seth and Camilla exchange a wave and then…her eyes fall into mine.

I've learned she has a smile for me. I don't know how I've just started noticing the closed lip smile that reaches her eyes, how it's only ever for me .

I smile, my chest puffing with pride.

My baby girl .

In all honesty, when we're working, I try not to look at her because one look turns into staring, turns into salivating, turns into me begging to take her somewhere private so I can have my way with her, which, thankfully, her libido almost always finds amenable.

The sex was great before, but now it's explosive. Every fucking time.

Great, now I'm thinking about it and getting a hard on. I rip my eyes from her and focus on Seth. Yep, that does the trick. Brings me back down to earth.

"In all honesty, I'm more excited about the baby than the café."

Seth smiles. "I think that's how it should be." He looks down at his shoes. "It's strange to feel that pull away from the life you've known for a while for someone else. I feel like I've always been working toward some thing . And then…"

He looks back at Bridget, love glinting in his eyes.

"So, what's coming first? Wedding or baby shower?"

Seth jerks his head back in my direction. "Don't you dare put that into the universe. Or get that in Bridget's head."

I snicker, give him a little kick on the ankle. "You're thinking about it, though."

"Of course, I'm thinking about it. We're all thinking about it thanks to you, Jack."

"Not my fault. Take that up with my dad."

Speaking of my dad, he and Sonia left the twins with their nanny for the first time ever, so they were able to come alone. They're standing, listening to the music, his hand low around her hip.

Seth laughs. "No, man, it's way different. Your dad's always been the dad . Meanwhile, you're the first of us who is going to become a dad. It's crazy. How time moves so fast."

"Tell me about it," I say. I haven't even known Camilla for a year and here we are, preparing to have a child together. Not to mention running a business together too. We're completely enmeshed. "When it's right, it's right. That's all I can say."

"I think Abigail's taking bets on who will be next."

"Of course, she is…" My little sister, the last one of us untethered, the one dedicated to her career, completely uninterested in settling down. Of course, she makes a game out of it. I can't help but smile.

"Anyway, I know you're busy, so I don't want to keep you from, you know…the whole thing, but I did want to ask you something."

"Oh?"

Seth runs a hand through his hair nervously. Seth doesn't run nervous. Not usual. The last time I saw him nervous was when he proposed to Bridget and that was in a public forum for all the world to see. Now, it's just me and him. Surrounded by a bunch of other people, sure, but they're all living their lives, enjoying Keiki. They're not listening and watching.

"So, we've picked a date for the wedding," Seth says.

"That's great," I reply, unsure where he's going with this.

"We're going to do it down in Key West at my family's vacation home. Make a whole destination thing out of it."

"That will be great."

"Do it when the weather's getting cold here, then we can all get away for a bit and your baby will be a few months old so then traveling isn't–"

"Seth, dude, what's your point?"

He sucks in his cheeks, then lets out a sigh. "I just wanted to know if you'd be my best man."

I almost take a step back from the shock. "What?! Me ?"

"Yeah, you. Idiot."

I push him on the shoulder.

"Is that a no, or…?"

"No, of course, I'll do it. But why me?"

"I don't know, I just feel like with the Camilla thing, we've gotten way closer. I mean, we've always been close, but…"

I watch him for a few moments. "I get what you mean." There's a tie between us now. He saw something in her that he thought I needed. And I needed that and more. It's a hinge between us.

"And, besides, picking between Mason and Nate could potentially cause World War three, so–"

My eyebrows jump. "Oh, so I'm third string."

Seth groans. "You're being difficult."

I laugh. "I'm just giving you a hard time. Of course, I'll do it."

"Thank you," he says, clutching his chest. "Damn, I've been freaking out about that all day."

"What about your presentation?"

He waves a hand. "Eh."

"You're ridiculous."

There's a flash of pink in my periphery just a moment before I feel Camilla's arms wrap around me. "Did you ask him?"

"Ask me what?" Seth replies.

I give her a nervous smile. "No, we kind of got sidetracked."

Her eyes widen. "Oh, no. Well–"

Bridget rushes over, slamming into Seth, tears in her eyes. "Can you believe it?"

"You already asked her, huh?" I say with a look at Camilla.

She smiles haplessly. "Sorry, I got too excited."

"What's going on?" Seth asks.

I slide my hand onto Camilla's belly. "Well, we thought maybe you'd be–"

"I already said yes," Bridget says. "I'm sorry, I had to say yes."

"Honey, let me hear what the question is!" Seth laughs.

Camilla and I exchange a glance. There's an apology in her eyes. We were going to do this at a private dinner, but I can't blame her excitement. That's why we decided not to learn the gender and are waiting until the last month to talk about names because we know we won't be able to keep that information to ourselves. We want everyone to revel in our excitement.

"We'd like you and Bridget to be the godparents," I say.

Seth's dark eyebrows fly so far up his face I think they're going to fly away. "But your brother and–"

"They're already godparents to the twins. We wanted to spread the wealth," I explain. "Plus, as you were saying…" I tighten my arm around Camilla. "We're closer now than ever. And as you said, we owe you."

Seth clamps his mouth tight. I've never seen my friend cry; however, this is the closest he's come to it. He looks down at Bridget. "You said yes?"

"Of course, I did, but if you don't–"

"No, no. I mean, yes." Seth looks me in the eye and nods firmly. "Yes, we'd be honored. Now my question feels a lot less important."

Camilla frowns. "What did he ask you?"

I laugh. "I'll tell you later. You guys go enjoy. We'll be around."

We part ways after loving hugs from Seth and Bridget. In all honesty, I need a moment alone with Camilla. I've become used to having her at my side all the time. And given the pregnancy, it comforts me to know how she's feeling. "Everything going okay back here?"

"Jack, I'm fine," she says with a knowing look.

"Ah. Well, good."

Camilla's eyes bug out. "Oh!" She grabs my hand and places it against her belly. "You feel that?"

All I feel is the soft fabric of her dress and the warmth underneath. I sigh, trying not to let my disappointment show. "Not yet."

She keeps my hand there. "Soon."

"Soon," I say with a nod although there's a small, perhaps irrational part of me that's scared I never will. "But seriously, how are things holding up back here?"

Camilla beams, looking through the crowd. "I think good. No fights are breaking out, people are telling me they're excited to come in on a normal day. Mugs are gone, T-shirts are running low. We're doing fine. Great, even."

"Good. If you get tired–"

" Jack… "

I tip her chin up. " Baby girl… it's my job to take care of you, even on the clock, all right. Let me worry about you."

"As long as it's not distracting you too much." She leans closer, enough for me to smell the perfume of the flower in her hair.

"I promise you, worrying about you isn't the thing distracting me," I reply in a low voice, glancing around to make sure no one is trying to get involved in our conversation.

Her cheeks turn a deep red. She huffs. "You can't imply things like that right now, you're going to get me all..."

Laughing, I pull her into my arms and drop a kiss to the top of her head. Love the feeling of her bump pressing up against me although it's getting more cumbersome. "Something to look forward to tonight."

"You better let me go unless you are ready to be pulled into the broom closet and–"

I release her, though I would not mind being grabbed by the front of my shirt and dragged into a private corner for her to have her way with me. "You're right, you're right. Not today."

With a safe distance between us, we recalibrate.

"Things are going okay behind the bar?"

I nod. "All good. Though we're going to have to make more hibiscus syrup before the day is up."

"Not a bad problem."

"No, not at all." I observe the café for a moment. Every face has a smile. "We did good, I think."

Camilla and I lock eyes. Hard to believe how far we've come when the first time we met I could barely crack a smile.

A voice cuts through our conversation. "Jack?"

I glance over at the manager, Effy, a tall black woman with multicolored braids adorned with beads. "Everything okay?"

"Could use your help up front? I'm getting all these questions about the roasts and most of our staff is still studying the handbook, so–"

"I'm on it," I say with a smile.

She sighs. "Thank you."

Before I step away, I reach out toward Camilla. "You're good back here?"

"I'll be fine. You go ahead."

I snag a quick kiss before heading back behind the bar. Time moves fast back here. We're drawing in the neighborhood crowd, but also the coffee connoisseurs, just as I had hoped. I'm answering questions, filling cups, and making lattes. It all blurs together until late afternoon. The crowd is finally starting to thin out because who needs coffee after three, other than me of course.

"Hibiscus latte for Sam!" I call out at the bar and hurry back to the register where a woman waits for me. "How can I help you?" I ask with a labored smile.

"Um, what do you recommend?" she asks, her voice tinged with a slight accent. From her coloring and features, I'd guess she's Hispanic.

"Well, that depends, how do you drink your coffee?" I ask for maybe the five hundredth time today.

The woman presses her lips together and moves a curl out of her eyes. "I usually take it black. Not too bitter, though." Her voice almost trembles.

"Well, the Keiki house roast is medium roast that I think you'd like if you're…" I trail off as I take the woman in fully. She looks so familiar. Dark curls, warm-toned skin, full lips.

"Um…"

"Sorry!" I try to laugh it off. "You just looked familiar. A house blend? Tell you what, I'll make you a flight and you can taste test, see what you–"

"I'm sorry," the woman interjects, her eyes low. "You are one of the owners, right?"

I stop. "Yes, I am."

"And you know…Camilla, right?"

My heart stops when her eyes lift and lock with mine. I know those eyes like the back of my hand. They are the eyes of the woman that I've given my life too. This is not a coincidence.

We don't say anything. We don't need to. Something about this moment is just telepathy. I don't know how I know, but I do.

This is Camilla's birth mother.

And I'm not sure how she realizes either that I'm somehow in the know, but her face softens, lips tipping down, eyes widening.

It's a split-second decision.

But it's the only one I can make.

"Come with me."