Page 24 of Finding Forever

C’mon guys. We haven’t spoken in a while. And I know you’ve missed each other, right?

Cade, his stomach roiling with tension—he’d always hated it when his siblings fought—lifted his phone and, as usual, typed the first dumb thing that came to mind.

Fern’s cooking breakfast.

Wow. That was ridiculous even for him. But he’d just wanted the fucking bickering to stop.

Nox

She can cook? What a catch

Kenny

Shut up, Nox. And congratulations on the nuptials, big brother.

Gideon

What’s for breakfast, bro?

Cade’s lips lifted. Well, at least when they were mocking him, they weren’t fighting each other. He could deal with that.

She said something about French toast? Possibly flapjacks? I’m not sure.

Nox

Sounds like wedded bliss

Cade smiled at the screen.

I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Nox. It all happened really quickly.

Gideon

And we didn’t think you’d care.

Kenny

Gideon, come on, man

Gideon

I don’t mean that maliciously. I’m just being honest. You’ve been so completely gone, man. You didn’t even come to my wedding. Beth and I are thinking of starting a family. You could be an uncle soon.

An uncletwiceover.

Cade’s heart stuttered as that reality abruptlyhit him.God. Suddenly he wanted to tell his siblings about Fern’s pregnancy. They’d each come running to him so many times over the years to tell him their secret hopes and fears. But he’d never been one to confide in them. And now he felt himself desperately needing to speak to them about Fern and the baby.

Fern had made Cade feel like the pregnancy was something that was happening toherand that he was just incidental to the entire event. As a result, he wasn’t even sure if he wasentitledto have feelings about it. Conflicted and ambivalent though those feelings may be.

He still had Fern’s ultrasound picture. He’d smoothed out the creases as best he could, before neatly folding it and slotting it into his credit card holder. She hadn’t asked for it back and he assumed she probably had a copy somewhere. An older cousin to Gideon and Beth’s future child. If things were normal, they’d grow up together, play together, probably be as close as siblings. But he wasn’t certain if they would ever have that opportunity.

He realized that the sibling chat had moved on without him and he felt like he’d missed his opportunity to bring up Fern’s pregnancy.

Gideon and Nox, after their prickly start, were having the semblance of a real conversation. Kenny was teasing them, happy to have her big brothers all talking again—for however long it lasted. Cade, even though his marriage had been the catalyst to Nox finally reaching out again, was once more relegated to the sidelines. But he was happy to merely watch them chat.

Gideon

@Niall and @Kenny my very, very bossy wife insists we cook lunch for you sods and your spouses tomorrow A welcome to the family to Fern. Do NOT disappoint her by flaking

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