Joe waited until everyone had eaten before he stood and let out a sharp whistle to get their attention. His mother and Seamus sat to his right. Janey, holding their son, was to his left. Sharing the day with them were all the other people they loved.

“I was asked to be Seamus’s best man about five minutes before the wedding, so I didn’t have much time to prepare anything eloquent.”

“Time wouldn’t have helped,” Mac said, which made Joe laugh.

“True. I just wanted to say to my mom and Seamus that this was a really great surprise. And… Well, if I’m being honest, at first I didn’t know what to make of you guys together, but over time, I’ve come to see that the two of you make perfect sense. My mom and I were by ourselves for a long time. Now we’re part of a family of five, and it’s a pleasure to welcome Seamus today. You’ve been a great friend and colleague since I had the good sense to hire you to run our business. Of course I never pictured you married to my mother, but I’m glad it all worked out the way it did.” He raised his beer bottle in tribute to his mother and her new husband. “To Seamus and Carolina. May you have many, many happy years together, and if he does drive you to commit murder, Mom, I’ve got you covered with bail money and a shovel.”

Everyone laughed and clapped as Carolina wiped away tears and kissed her husband.

Janey reached out to him, and Joe took her hand as he sat back down.

“I’m proud of you,” she whispered so only he would hear her.

“Is that right?”

“Uh-huh. This wasn’t easy for you at first, but you’ve put your mom’s happiness first, and that makes me proud.”

“If you’d asked me growing up or even a couple of years ago if she was happy, I would’ve said definitely. But I realize now, after seeing her with Seamus, that she was content, which is an entirely different thing.”

“Yes, it is, as we both know all too well.”

Joe put his arm around his lovely wife and nuzzled her soft blonde hair. He gazed down at the baby asleep in her arms and knew a moment of pure happiness—and contentment. Bringing their son into the world had been a traumatic ordeal for both of them, one they were still recovering from in many ways. But the only thing that mattered to Joe was that they were both healthy and safe.

“Joe?”

“Yeah?”

“I think I might be ready to, you know, get back to normal.”

For a second, Joe’s brain totally froze. “By normal, do you mean…”

She nodded.