Page 42 of Holiday Hoax

Nico and Stella invite Ian and I over to their place for drinks after volunteering and before Ash and Clara are ready for us at their apartment for dinner. Ian drove himself, so he gives us all a ride. I notice Stella looks a bit pale as we get in the backseat together.

“Are you feeling okay?” I ask quietly. If either Ian or Nico heard me ask that, they’d likely freak out. I don’t want to cause any undue concern, but I also want to make sure she’s alright.

“Yeah. I’ve just been really tired lately, more so than usual.” She leans her head back against the seat and closes her eyes.

Ian and Nico are talking about football, so I probe a little further. “Is it the lupus or the medication?”

“It’s hard to tell, it could be either. I could also be coming down with a cold or stomach bug. I’m glad Clara didn’t have me doing food service today.”

“If you need me to do anything, let me know.”

She covers my hand with hers and squeezes. “Thank you. Let’s just keep my fatigue between us for now. I don’t want anyone to worry.”

“Of course.”

Part of me wants to insist that she promise to go to the doctor soon, but I know she’s an intelligent woman. She’s not goingto risk her health by powering through something she shouldn’t without medical advice. As usual, I’m in complete awe of her ability to keep control in such a mindful way.

The guys immediately head into the home theater to catch the second half of the Bears game when we get to the apartment. The sound of beers being opened and yelling soon filters out into the living room. Stella appears a few minutes later with a glass of white wine and sets it down in front of me.

“I’m going to go lie down for a bit before we leave for dinner. Help yourself to anything you want.”

“Thank you.”

I curl up on their plush, oversized couch and cover my lap with a soft blanket to watch the snow fall down over the city. It’s so peaceful, minus the sound of my brother yelling about penalty flags. I’ve never had an interest in sports and do my best to avoid them, but I’m almost bored enough to go join them. I could turn Nico’s outbursts into a drinking game.

That’s a bad idea. I’d get drunk way too quickly and then kiss Ian or something equally bad. It’s not that I want to keep us a secret forever, but it’s still so new. The relationship needs time to blossom before we let any outside influences in.

We’re all sitting around the table with a gorgeous view overlooking the lake chatting about life and catching up when Ash clears his throat. He looks over at Clara with so much love it’s almost palpable in the air. The room is silent as we wait for him to speak.

“Clara and I want you to be the first to know that she’s pregnant. The baby is due in June.”

Nico is the first to react with a loud whoop as he jumps from his chair and tackle hugs Asher.

Stella stands and walks over to hug a teary-eyed Clara. I can’t make out what she whispers in her ear, but I can tell Clara is nervous. When they let go of each other, Clara gives Stella a watery smile.

Ian and I offer our congratulations before standing to clear our dishes from the table. His arm brushes mine as we stand side by side at the sink.

“Come home with me,” he whispers as he reaches around me to set his plate in the dishwasher.

“Now?”

“Yeah, I think the four of them probably want time together.”

“Okay.” I don’t disagree, I know from things I’ve picked up in casual conversation that Clara has a lot of concerns around becoming a parent. She probably needs her friends right now.

I walk back into the dining room and walk over to Nico. “I’m going to head out, I’m opening at the gallery tomorrow.”

“I think we’re going to hang out here for a bit, let me order a car for you.” Nico starts to pull out his phone.

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll drive her home,” Ian says from behind me.

“Are you sure? It’s out of your way.” Nico looks over my shoulder to Ian.

“Yeah, it’s not a problem.”

I give Nico, Stella, and Clara a hug and say goodbye. Clara gets an extra tight squeeze and another few hushed well wishes. Asher walks me to the elevator while Ian says his goodbyes.

“I’m so happy for you, Ash,” I tell him as I wrap my arms around his shoulders and let him sweep me into a big, brotherly hug. “You’re going to be the most amazing father.”

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