She grinned as she reached down to kiss his cheek. “Good thanks. And you?”
“Great. Looking forward to having a man’s day with the boys.”
Megan laughed. “Yeah, with two kids under two, let’s see how much fun you’ll have.”
Aidan shrugged. “It’s good practice for me when the new baby gets here.”
“Baby or babies?” she teased.
With his eyes widening, he quickly replied, “Baby singular. That was confirmed, thank God.”
Cocking her head, she teasingly asked, “And when is the ultrasound to confirm the youngest Fitzgerald granddaughter is on her way?”
Aidan huffed exasperatedly. “Not for a few more months, smart-ass.”
She brought her hand to her chest in mock outrage. “It was just a question.”
“Yeah and considering you’ve had a kid yourself, I’m sure you know all too well at what month the gender ultrasound is.”
Megan grinned. “I just think it’s cool that I’ll be the oldest granddaughter, and she’ll be the youngest.”
With a pained expression, Aidan groaned, “Whatever.”
She ruffled his still unkempt bed hair playfully. “Relax, Ankle. You’re going to be an amazing father to that little girl. She’ll undoubtedly have you wrapped around her finger before she’s even out of the womb.”
“A man like me, or I guess I should say, a man like I used to be, does not want to bring forth daughters into the world.”
“Payback is a bitch,” she mused.
“Don’t I know it,” he grumbled.
Emma came into the living room then. She handed Noah to Aidan along with a bottle. “You sure you’ll be all right today?”
“I’ll be fine—we’ll be fine. Won’t we Mason?”
Mason glanced up from lumbering around the room on Beau’s back. “Yeah!”
“See. Stop worrying.” He gave Emma a very pointed look before adding, “A promise is a promise after all.”
She flushed a little at his words, but then gave him a shy smile. When he winked playfully at her, Megan couldn’t help feeling her chest tighten at the exchange. Seeing her once man-whore uncle now a loving, devoted husband and father was always surprisingly unnerving. But deep down, it was how much she truly wanted what Aidan and Emma had. Love, companionship, and devotion within marriage while having someone else to parent with you.
If you weren’t so stubborn you could probably have something just like Aidan and Emma have with Pesh! But no, you have to keep believing that you’re too young to get married. You’re probably throwing away happiness with both hands just because you’re afraid.
Emma brought her out of her self-deprecating tirade. “So what should we do first?” she asked, as they walked into the garage.
“Nails and toes?” Megan suggested.
“Mmm, that sounds good.”
They both slid into Emma’s SUV. As Megan buckled up, Emma turned to her. “I hope you don’t mind that Casey is meeting us for lunch?”
“Of course not. The more the merrier. Besides, Casey is a hoot.”
Emma smiled and cranked up the car. “That she is.”
Before long, they were pulling into Starbucks to grab some coffee for Megan and tea for Emma. Then they walked around the corner to the nail salon. After relaxing manicures and pedicures, they drove about twenty minutes to meet Casey at their favorite little local restaurant that was housed in an old train depot.
As they walked up, they saw Casey sitting outside in the sunshine texting. “Hey girl!” Emma called.
Casey waved to them before rising off the bench. “Hello, hello.”
A round of hugs was exchanged between the three women. “I thought you two would never get here. I’m starving.”
Emma grinned. “Sorry. They were a little behind at the nail salon.”
They pushed through the front door and were quickly seated by the hostess who knew them well. Once they eased into a familiar, comfortable booth, they took stock of the menus.
“You have to order alcohol on our behalf since we’re both two knocked-up ladies now,” Casey insisted.
Megan’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know you were pregnant.”
Casey grinned. “Yeah, Nate finally wore me down.” She then shook her head. “Sometimes I think he’s the chick in this relationship.”
“He must’ve done some heavy convincing,” Megan said.
With a nod, Casey replied, “He comes from such a large immediate and extended family that he’s been itching to have a child. We’ve been married a year and together eight, so I guess it was just time. And while I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of having a baby when his internship was so crazy, his hours will be better by the time the baby gets here.”
“When are you due?”
“Around the same time as Emma.”
That statement made Emma beam. “Our babies are going to be best friends, too. I just know it.”
Casey grinned at the sentiment. “Or boyfriend and girlfriend…”
“That’s a thought.” Emma jerked her chin up. “I’m not sure I want your son corrupting my little girl.”
With her dark eyes widening, Casey huffed, “And what if it’s my daughter that your son is corrupting?”
Emma giggled. “If my son takes after his father, then that would be the case. But I think we also have to consider that if your daughter is anything like you, she’ll be the one doing the corrupting.”
Casey laughed. “That’s true.”
“Guess I should keep Mason clear of her too, huh?” Megan asked, with a smile.
“Probably,” Emma replied.
After the waitress appeared to take their drink and food orders, Casey pinned Megan with an intense stare. “So,” she began, quirking her brow at Megan. “I hear your doing your clinicals under Dr. McDreamy Bollywood.”
Megan couldn’t help but laugh. “If you mean I’m doing them under Dr. Nadeen, then the answer is yes.”
Emma nibbled on her bottom lip before speaking. “Have things been awkward considering what happened the night of Noah’s baptism?”
Before Megan could reply, Casey’s eyes bulged. “Whoa, whoa. Hold the phone. Something happened between you two?”
Megan felt heat rising in her cheeks. It was almost too mortifying to repeat, but finally, she filled Casey in on each and every embarrassing detail that had happened.