My gaze shot to Roxie who was giving me a wide-eyed look, then we both looked to Indy.
Lee was holding her closer, now with both arms, tucking her front to his side, and Indy had wound both arms around my brother.
“We have something to tell everybody,” Lee took over.
Oh my God.
Oh my God!
Oh my God, God, GOD!
“We already told Tom,” Lee went on, and I felt my eyes get hot as I glued them to Indy.
She looked happy. Not her usual run-of-the-mill, I-married-the-man-of-my-dreams-who-I-loved-since-I-was-five happy (which was pretty freaking happy).
But happy.
Oh.
My.
GOD!
“We’re having a baby,” Lee finished.
At his words, I hurdled from the chair, clapping and shouting, “Oh my God! Oh my God, God, God!”
I made it to Indy just as she pulled away from Lee. We collided and wrapped our arms around each other. I bounced her up and down with me as I kept shouting, “Oh my God, God, God!”
“I know!” Indy shouted back.
I stopped bouncing and pulled away an inch, declaring, “You know it’s a girl—”
Indy interrupted me. “She’s named Allyson.”
I smiled.
Indy smiled back.
My eyes got hot.
Her eyes got wet.
“Oh my God, God, God,” I whispered.
“I know,” she whispered back.
We stared at each other for a long time before Mom asked from our side, “Can I hug my daughter-in-law?”
I didn’t want to let her go.
Then again, I never wanted to let Indy go. My BFF. My partner in crime. My sister of the heart and sister by the law. The soon-to-be mother of my brother’s baby.
No, I never wanted to let her go.
Not ever.
“Sure,” I said, my voice husky, and it took some effort to tear my eyes from Indy’s as I let her go and let Mom move in.
Dad called out, “Champagne.”
“I think we have some in the fridge in the garage, Mal,” Mom told him, hugging Indy.
I moved in after Roxie moved out and hugged Lee.
“Pleased for you, bro,” I said in his ear.
“Not as pleased as me,” he said in mine, his arms going tight.
That was not in doubt.
I pulled back and grinned at him.
He let me go with one arm so he could lift a hand and touch my cheek.
Then he said, “When he or she gets here, do me a favor. Don’t try to convert them to Scientology.”
I burst out laughing, and when I was done, my brother was still holding me close and smiling down at me.
