Give me a minute. There are so many good ones to choose from.
Hallie
No need to brag
Emma
Give me a break, Hal. Like your sex life isn’t bragworthy. I’ve heard enough stories about Ben’s dirty mouth to last me a lifetime.
Hallie
Still gets me every damn time.
Me
At one point I had a safe word, and my head was hanging off the bed.
Molly
LEGEND.
The first thing I notice when Asher and I get off the elevator on the maternity floor is the noise. So. Much. Noise. Following the signs to the waiting room, we turn a corner and find its source. The waiting room is packed with people, and we’re barely through the entrance when a blur of golden-brown hair throws herself at Asher.
“Asher!” She bounces on her toes as she hugs him. “You made it! Kyla is going to be so happy. We missed you, big brother.” Asher wraps her right up and she holds on for a minute and then lets go, turning to me. “And you must be Julie.”
Every head in the room turns to me. Usually, this kind of attention would spike my anxiety and have me deploying Lawyer Mode, but the woman, who I assume is Lucy, radiates a warm sort of energy that puts me immediately at ease.
Asher slides his arm around my waist, tugging me into his side in a gesture of possession that has my heart pounding.
“That’s me. It’s really nice to meet you.”
“No, girl, it’s nice to meetyou. I’ve been dying to meet the girl who has Asher even happier than normal.”
I slide Asher a grin. “He does have a pretty happy baseline.”
He winks back at me. “Look around. What’s not to be happy about, Juliette?”
“Oh my god, he calls her Juliette. I absolutely die.” Another woman throws her arms around me. “I’m Charlie, and I never knew my brother could be swoony. Like, seriously swoony.”
“Hey, what about me?” Asher asks from behind me. “And where are the kids?”
Charlie just waves him away. “I’ll get to you later. Jeff and Zach are on kid duty at mom and dad’s house. They drew the short straws because, new babies.” An evil grin spreads on Charlie’s face, I assume at the thought of the two men riding herd on five kids and two newborns.
“Move over Charlie, it’s my turn.” The third woman shoves Charlie right out of the way to hug me. “Sorry, we’re all huggers. You’ll get used to it. Or you won’t, but we are who we are. I’m Annie, and Asher has told us all about you. You are such a badass and I love you already.”
Asher tugs me even closer to him. “Jesus women, give her some space. Sorry for my insane sisters. They don’t get out much.”
I lean into him. This is all easier than I thought it would be. Asher’s sisters remind me so much of my friends, and I love them instantly. “No need to apologize for them, Hot Shot. They’re great, and I am a badass.”
Charlie grins at me. “Bet your ass. Come sit with us. We have a lot of catching up to do.”
Before we can take a seat, a couple walks into the waiting room with cups of coffee in hand. I immediately know who they are. Asher makes a beeline for his parents, hugging them both at once. With his arms around them, he closes his eyes and breathes deeply, and I can actually see his entire body relax. No one has uttered a word, and I know immediately that these people all speak the same language. This is a happy family.
Letting his parents go, he leads them over to me, and I feel a quick frisson of nerves.
“Mom, Dad, this is Julie.”
Asher’s mom wraps me in a tight hug that screamsmom. “It’s so nice to meet you, Julie. Thank you for making our boy so happy.”
