Page 79 of About Time

Harlow groans,and starts rubbing her back. She’s about six months pregnant, but Scott is a big guy, and her bump looks like Hattie’s did much later in her pregnancy with our oldest, Morgan. Scott jumps up and hovers over her.

“Do you need to go lie down? Are you cold? What can I get for you,” he asks her frantically.

Griffin snickers.

“Please, like you weren’t a mother hen when Wren was pregnant,” I point out.

“You were worse. You bubble wrapped the edges of your furniture,” he shoots back.

I stare at him while I wait for the realization to sink in. His mouth falls open, and I can practically see a cartoon lightbulb turn on over his head. “But that was probably because?—”

I nod my head. “Because we lost our first baby? Yeah, I drove Hattie crazy for seven months.”

“I dreamed of duct taping you to a chair so I could have a moment of peace,” Hattie tells me.

“If you want to try out more bondage all you need to do is ask. I won’t be the one restrained though,” I tease her.

Just as I expect, Hattie’s face turns bright red. She clears her throat and turns her attention back to Harlow. “You guys don’t need to go back to the apartment. We have a guestroom. This story has waited this long. It won’t hurt to let it wait one more night.”

Scott grabbed one of the pillows off the patio furniture and stuck it behind Harlow’s back. “Are you okay, Low?”

Harlow nods, then turns her attention to me. “I want the rest of the story. Just because we all know the ending doesn’t mean we have a clue how you got here. Don’t leave me on a cliffhanger. I’m pregnant and very hormonal. I need to know how you got from Hattie ignoring you to—” she waves her hand back and forth between Hattie and me— “one of the most stable couples I’ve ever met.”

“Apparently, the secret is he’s kinky as fuck,” Griffin quips.

“Like you have room to talk,Daddy,” I reply.

“I really wish I didn’t understand that reference,” Liam mutters.

“I blame your mother for making you so vanilla. You certainly didn’t get that shit from me,” Griffin tells him.

“As much fun as it is seeing who is the dirtier old man, I’d love to get my wife to bed, but she won’t go until you finish the story,” Scott grumbles.

“Okay baby Dom. Don’t think we don’t know about you. I’ll finish the story. You want to know how we got here? I’ve got twelve steps and the Goo Goo Dolls to thank for where we’re at today.”

Charlie Past- Age 42

Griffin runs around the party he’s hosting for Liam. Liam started renting Griffin’s old house after Griffin and Wren moved to Centralia. Liam wasn’t particularly thrilled with having a party, but Griffin pushed it because he thinks it’s important for Liam to recognize his achievements and not just focus on his mistakes. Six months being sober is a pretty amazing accomplishment after the way he was throwing away his life one drink at a time.

“Do you think there’s enough food?” Griffin asks me.

At first, I think he’s joking because it looks like there’s enough food to feed half the town. It’s odd because he didn’t invitethatmany people. “Yeah, there’s enough food,” I tell him when I realize he’s serious.

“I just want him to know I’m proud of him. Things have been so rocky between us, and I just need him to know that I’m still here for him,” he says.

I gesture around us. “I think a giant tent speaks volumes,” I say about the rental he got to make sure the weather wouldn’t ruin the party.

There are a lot of other things I could say. I’ve already made an ass out of myself trying to talk him out of pursuing Wren, but I can see now how wrong I was. They belong together.

“You have to stop blaming yourself for Liam being an alcoholic. You didn’t make him drink, and you didn’t make him abuse his wife. You could no more have stopped yourself from falling for her than I could?—”

Hattie walks into the tent, and like always, I’m speechless.

Griffin slaps his hand down on my shoulder and squeezes. “What is going on between the two of you?”

“Hopefully, everything,” I admit. “I’m crazy about her.”

He chuckles. “I was wondering when you were going to admit it. Did you think we didn’t notice you’ve been seeing each other for the last six or so months?”

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