“Hi, sweetie,” he returned.
After placing her back on her feet, he turned to Aaron and gave him a milder version of the hug he did with his daughter. “Aaron, it's good to see you both. What’s it been five years since we had a get-together like this?”
“Ha ha. Very funny, Dad. I know we’re long overdue a visit, but you don’t have to be so dramatic,” Sarah chimed in, walking through the door with Aaron following her closely. “By the way, it smells like heaven in here,” she said, releasing a satisfied groan.
“I can’t wait to taste everything,” she threw over her shoulder.
“Just like old times,” Paul said jokingly, closing the front door and following them into the dining room.
“Wow, Dad, you really outdid yourself. Everything looks absolutely scrumptious,” Sarah complimented, staring down at the spread on the table.
“It really does,” Aaron agreed.
Paul smiled, full of pride. “Wait until you taste it,” he said promisingly.
After they all sat around the table and Aaron said grace, they eagerly dug into the food, making sounds of approval.
“Wine?” he offered. Aaron held out his glass, allowing Paul to pour the rich red liquid into it.
“Not for me,” Sarah declined. “I’ll just have some water.”
“How is work?” he asked.
“Busy,” Sarah and Aaron both said at the same time. They looked over at each other and smiled.
“It’s been a hectic couple of months, and with us being nurses and our schedules, we sometimes find it difficult to be in the same place for more than just a few minutes, but we’re trying to make it work so that we’ll have more time together,” Aaron explained.
“That’s the best place to start when trying to make your relationship work. You have to find time to spend with each other, and by that, I mean quality time; find a middle ground,” Paul advised, taking a sip of his wine.
Aaron and Sarah exchanged a look he couldn’t quite decipher. He wondered what it was about.
“You’re about to get married, and that changes everything. Compromises have to be made. You have to be prepared for anything and realize that marriage, like every other relationship, takes work. It takes you two choosing to be in it for the long haul and doing everything it takes to hold the framework together. When you start having children, you’ll understand it even more.”
“Well…it’s a little too late for that now,” Sarah responded.
Paul looked over at his daughter quizzically before turning questioning eyes to his son-in-law.
“We were going to wait until after the meal to tell you, but…”
Paul’s brows scrunched together in confusion as he watched his daughter reach down into her bag before coming up with a few items that she proceeded to lay out on the table before him. His eyes widened in realization.
“Congratulations, Grandpa.”
Paul looked from the onesie and baby socks to his daughter’s smiling face.
“You’re pregnant?” he asked softly.
Sarah nodded her head in confirmation.
The chair tipped back, almost falling with how quickly Paul got out of it and went to his daughter, pulling her from her own chair and wrapping her up in his arms.
“I’m going to be a grandpa,” he said with emotion.He turned to Aaron, pulling him up for a hug.
“My baby is going to have a baby, and I’m about to be a grandfather,” he repeated in awe. Sarah laughed at how stunned he was.
“I can’t wait to tell Nikki that I’m about to be a grandad.” His eyes widened in realization. “I mean—”
“Relax, Dad. I know what you mean.” Sarah smirked.
