Family is funny like that, I guess. Our pasts are woven together so much that I don’t know that we could ever be torn apart.

“You and Creed good?” I ask her.

“We’re fine, Papa Bear,” she says. “He makes me want to pull my hair out nine days out of ten, but then he always makes up for it on the tenth day.”

“Three guys in the house, though.”

“Right? Karma, I guess.”

“For?”

She shrugs. “Something, I’m sure. How are you and Otter?”

I blink. “Fine. Why? Did he say something? Because if he did, he’s a fucking liar. How was I supposed to know that pole was there in the parking lot? I didn’t mean to back into it.”

“Really, Bear? You didn’t know that stationary pole was there?”

I scowl at her. “There never used to be a pole right in that spot.”

“And no, he hasn’t said anything. Not bad, at least. He’s just as goofy in love with you as always.”

I grin at that. “Pretty awesome, right? No one’s spilled the secret that I got the better end of that deal, and it’s been years. By the time he’s figured it out, the twins will be here, and he won’t ever get to leave me. It’s the perfect plan.”

“Trap him with kids,” Anna says, knocking her mug against mine. “That’s devious. I like it.”

“Eh, I learned from the best.”

Her eyes narrow. “If you’re talking about me—”

“Nope,” I say hastily. “Not at all. Never even crossed my mind. I was talking about these… other people I know with… kids.”

“Mmm,” she says, sipping her tea daintily. “Good. What have you done just for you two, though?”

“Um. What?”

“When was the last time you had sex?”

“Wow. Just going for it, are we?”

“You’re not the beat around the bush type, Bear.”

“Well. Maybe I should be the beat around the bush type. That way, I could avoid moments like this.”

“We left behind personal boundaries years ago when I went from having sex with you to having sex with the brother of the guy you cheated on me with.”

“I’m still not ever going to be used to you saying that. And I didn’t cheat.”

She rolls her eyes. “Physical, emotional. Same thing.”

“You know, one might think that if you keep bringing that up, that you’re still not over me.”

She snorts tea out her nose.

“That’s not very polite,” I mutter, handing her a napkin.

She wipes her face, her eyes a little wet. “Oh, you do always know how to make me laugh.”

“It wasn’t that funny.”

“Agree to disagree. Answer the question.”

“I don’t even remember what we were talking about.”

“You, Otter. Sex.”

“Right. Can we get distracted again?”

She glares at me.