Page 204 of Sexting My Best Friend's Brothers
“My feet are swollen,” she admits, smiling. “But my heart is full.”
“Ethan!” Harper calls out from the DJ booth. “Get over here! First dance!”
I stand up and offer my hand to Tessa. “May I?”
“Which one of you?” she asks, looking at Owen and Asher walking over.
“All of us,” Owen says.
We move to the dance floor. The song is slow, something acoustic and sweet. I take Tessa in my arms first. We sway to the music.
“Mrs. Branson,” I whisper against her ear.
“Mr. Branson,” she replies. “And Mr. Branson. And Mr. Branson.”
We rotate. Owen cuts in, spinning her, making her giggle. Asher takes her next, moving stiffly but perfectly on the beat.
Then, we just huddle.
We stop dancing traditionally. We form a circle. Arms around each other. Tessa in the middle, safe, surrounded.
I look at my brothers. Owen winks at me. Asher nods. I look at my wife. She rests her head on Asher’s chest, holding Owen’s hand, with my arm wrapped tight around her waist.
She looks up at me.
“We fit,” she whispers.
“Yeah,” I say, my voice rough. “We fit.”
I pull her closer, letting the music wash over us as Owen and Asher close the circle.
[SYSTEM OVERRIDE]
Ethan: Status report?
Asher: Guests departed. Security active. Babies sleeping (in utero).
Owen: Wife exhausted but happy. Feet rubbed.
Ethan: Good.
Tessa: Shut up and come to bed. All of you.
Ethan: Copy that.
37
OWEN
I’ve always thought the loudest sound in the world was a server farm overheating. Or maybe Ethan yelling at a lawyer. Or Asher explaining quantum mechanics after three espressos.
Turns out I was wrong.
The loudest sound in the world is the silence between contractions.
“Breathe,” Ethan commands, his voice tight. He’s gripping Tessa’s left hand like a vice. He looks like he’s piloting a fighter jet through a hurricane. “In through the nose. Out through the mouth. Just like we practiced.”
“If you tell me to breathe one more time, Ethan,” Tessa gasps, her face flushed and sweaty against the hospital pillow, “I’m going to divorce you. And then I’m going to remarry you just so I can divorce you again.”
