“Good morning, everyone!” I said in an almost singsong voice.
“Ugh. Do you have to act so happy?” Lacy grumbled.
After I got Ben all secure in his high chair and Lilly was talking to him, I faced everyone. “It’s Christmas morning! It’s a beautiful day! How can you not be happy?”
“Someone had hot sex last night,” Lacy said, not even trying to say it under her breath.
“Oh dear, maybe not on Christmas and with Lilly right here,” my mother said as my father groaned and poured himself a cup of coffee.
“As a matter of fact—” I started before Hunter raised his hand to stop me.
“Please, for all that is holy, do not tell us about your sex life. Aiden is still one of my best friends, and you’ll always be my baby sister, so if we could just skip that part about why you’re so happy today…”
I placed my hands on my hips and stared at my family. “Okay, first of all, it’s Christmas. We should all be happy.”
My mother pursed her lips and raised her brows slightly. “Lacy’s been having contractions this morning and has been in a bear of a mood.”
“That’s being polite,” my father mumbled.
I spun to face my sister. “Oh my gosh, are you in labor?”
She rolled her eyes. “I wish. I’ve been trying to talk Connor into having sex, but he’s afraid he’s going to hurt the baby.”
“Seriously? Why must my sisters openly talk about their sex lives? Our father beat cancer to have to listen to this?” Hunter groaned.
My father shrugged. “It’s not like I don’t know this is happening, Hunter. Look at Lacy.”
Lacy half-smiled, half-smirked at my father.
Hunter shook his head. “I want to punch Connor and Aiden every time I see them.”
“Me?” Connor asked with a slightly disbelieving laugh. “Why me?”
Hunter shot him a murderous look, and Connor quickly looked away.
“You know why,” Hunter growled as Lacy and I exchanged a knowing glance. I almost started to laugh as I thought about the time Hunter walked in on Connor and Lacy deep in the throes of sex on our parents’ kitchen island. The very one where we all currently sat.
“I thought so,” Hunter stated, looking back at me. “Yes, it’s Christmas. Mom’s already got stuff cooking, and the blueberry muffins are waiting to be dug into.”
I nodded. “Yes. And Ben said Mama last night, as well as took off walking completely on his own this morning. I’m talking more than ten steps without falling. He’s walking!”
My mother clapped as my father’s face broke out into a huge smile. Lacy, Connor, and Hunter smiled as well.
“He’s going to be all over the place before you know it, Willa!” Lacy warned.
“Also…I have some news! Exciting news!” I was about ready to burst.
My mother took a step closer to me, a hopeful look on her face. Hunter was busying eyeing the blueberry muffins cooling in the pan on the stove, and my father was making funny faces at the kids. Lacy looked to be taking a few deep breaths as she motioned for me to go on, while Connor stared at my sister, at the ready in case she showed any signs of more contractions or her water breaking.
“Well, are you going to tell us or make us wait?!” my sister demanded as she rubbed her swollen belly as the new cat my mother had adopted rubbed at her legs for attention. She glanced down at the cat. “And why won’t this cat leave me alone?”
“He loves you!” my mother gushed.
Lacy focused back on me. “So, are you going to spill it or what?”
I tried to speak calmly and slowly, but it came out rushed and full of glee. “Aiden and I are getting married on New Year’s Eve!”
I said it so fast that I wasn’t even sure if my words were clear. Everyone stared at me for the longest moment before it finally sank in.
Lacy’s eyes went wide with shock, my mother clutched at her heart, my father choked on his coffee, and my brother…he looked at my mother and frowned. Connor simply smiled at me.
“How long is it going to take for the muffins to cool down?” Hunter asked, breaking the weird silence.
“Did you not hear our sister, Hunter? She’s getting married. On New Year’s Eve. That’s six days away,” Lacy said, hitting Hunter on the arm.
He turned to look at me. “Wait, this New Year’s Eve? As in next week?”
I nodded and laughed. “Yes, as in six days.”
Ben let out a squeal, and I turned to look down at him.
“Ben’s happy,” Lilly declared.
“You just got divorced,” my father announced, setting his coffee down with a loud clank.
With a frown, I crossed my arms over my chest. “Don’t make it sound like I’m doing something illegal, Dad. I was separated from Brian for a year before we got divorced, and it was official back in September.”