“Everyone in the living room,” he announced as he went. “Time for cake.”

“My big brother…domesticated,” Rocky remarked.

I looked to her to see she had a tub of ice cream in her hand and her eyes aimed where Merry was herding people out of the kitchen.

She turned to me and her smile was big.

“Looks good on him,” she declared.

“Your brother always looks good,” I replied.

Her big grin got bigger.

I dipped my head to her middle. “Congrats, by the way. Merry told me.”

She balanced the tub of ice cream in one hand in order to put her other to her belly. “Thanks.”

I turned to the cake and snatched up the candles.

Rocky got close.

“You want some?” she asked.

“Want some what?” I asked back, shoving candles in the cake and feeling weird doing it. R2-D2 was also my favorite Star Wars character and shoving candles in his middle (even if that middle was pure frosting) felt like stabbing my favorite teddy bear.

She put the ice cream on the counter and took some candles from me, starting to help.

“Some kids,” she explained.

Rocky and I weren’t tight like Vi and I, Feb and I, Frankie and I, or even Dusty and I were. We knew each other. We liked each other. But I was closer to Tanner.

But she was my man’s sister.

It was time.

“Yeah,” I said softly.

“Cute baby girls with your brown eyes,” she replied softly.

I looked to her. “Cute baby boys with his blue ones.”

She smiled again.

This one wasn’t huge, but it said a whole lot more than both the others had and all it said was good.

“We need help in here?”

Rocky and I turned to the door to see Dave walking in.

“Yeah, Dad, go in the living room and pull the curtains so we have dark for the candles,” Rocky ordered.

“Gotcha,” Dave said. He gave me a grin and turned right back around.

“And make sure people have their cameras ready!” Rocky bossed right before he disappeared through the doorway.

He lifted a hand to indicate he’d heard and was gone.

“I’ll get a knife,” she muttered. “Ice cream scoop?”

“That drawer there,” I said, jerking my head.

I finished with the candles and grabbed the lighter to start lighting.

“Baby, ready?”

I twisted again and saw Merry had six packages of Star Wars plates held sandwiched in one of his big hands, a package of plastic forks in the other. The living room beyond him was dimmed. All was ready.

“Ethan in place?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Merry answered.

I smiled. “Then yeah, honey. All ready.”

He smiled back, turned, and stopped dead.

I stopped dead too.

This was because there was a loud banging on the door.

Very loud.

And from that loud, you could definitely read angry.

Very angry.

What the fuck?

Merry glanced my way, then tossed the plates and plastic silverware aside and prowled out.