Dad chuckled lightly, “Wonder how long ‘til she notices I’m here?”

We both glanced over towards the kitchen and they were both still doing their thing in there. Ryder started fussing, “Well, someone noticed you were here, Poppy.” I winked at Dad.

“That’s my boy.” Dad stood up and went over to Ryder who was still in his swing.

Mom came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on the black apron tied around her waist, “Oh, hi honey. When did you get here?”

Mom kissed Dad’s cheek and I groaned. “Please! Don’t do that shit.” I begged.

Dad, laughing at my reaction, picked up Ryder as Hunter came over to help me to the kitchen table. Mom pulled out the chair and Hunter sat me down. Damn, I can’t wait to be able to do shit on my own! I really needed to pee, but I didn’t want to have to ask anyone. Oh well, guess I’m waiting until after dinner.

Mom dished the salad in my bowl. Hunter was getting Ryder’s chair from the living room so he could join us for dinner, and Dad was shoveling food onto his plate. Now if the rest of the crew were here, I’d be a happy girl.

After everyone was situated and eating, Hunter announced, “I’m going to have everyone over Saturday night for dinner, CC. Is that ok with you?”

I glanced over at Mom and gave her an ‘I know you told him’ look and said, “Yeah, sounds good to me, if it’s not too much trouble. The girls can hang out with the babies and you guys can do what you want in the man cave.”

Hunter had converted half of the basement into his man cave; it was all decked out with New York Giants memorabilia. I had to give it to him, the cave was pretty awesome. The bottom half of the walls were painted blue, the top half grey with a red strip in the center. He had a few jerseys that he’d had signed, framed and hung along the back wall. There were also a few helmets, signed as well, that were placed on each side of the two windows. We were able to find a Giants rug that was checkered red and blue with the NY logo on it. Then there was the TV, Hunter had to have the 70-inch. He just couldn’t settle for a normal TV like any other person. Oh, and let’s not forget to mention the surround sound, I swear that the neighbors three houses down could hear when the Giants or even the Yankees were on. We also had a black leather sectional, pool table and a mini bar down there as well.

“Baby girl, why don’t you let me and your mom take Ryder for the night or even just a few hours if you aren’t ready to leave him yet?” Dad said, smiling at Mom. Damn those two and their silent conversations. Yeah, I could read Hunter like a book most of the time, but my parents had it down to a science.

I looked over at Hunter; I’d be ok for a few hours, but overnight? I’m not so sure. “What do you think?” I asked him.

“Let them keep him overnight.” Hunter reached over with his hand under the table and squeezed the inside of my thigh.

With my face starting to flush I answered, “Okay, but if I can’t handle it, I’m coming to get him.”

Mom smiled at Dad, then to me, “You have your key baby girl.”

The rest of the evening I had a smile on my face, finally things were starting to get back to normal, or as normal as it could get with a new baby.

After we finished up dinner, CC and her mom were upstairs bathing Ryder before they put him down for bed. Andrew, it still felt wrong to call him that, was in the kitchen helping me load the dishwasher.

I was placing a cup in the rack when he asked, “How’s she really doing?”

I shrugged, “I thought she was doing ok until Elle told me she fell apart this afternoon.

He nodded, “Yeah, MacKenzie told me she’d asked her mother not to say anything to you, but I know my wife. She’ll do whatever she has to do to make her family happy.”

I put the last plate in the dishwasher, there was so much I wanted to talk about with him but I didn’t want to do it in the house with CC here.

Andrew cleared his throat, “I have to hand it to you Hunter. I admire you; I think if one of my boys were in this situation, they’d have run for the hills. You two are still so young and have your whole lives in front you. Not many can hang in there.”

That meant a lot, coming from the man standing before me. I’d never had a real father figure in my life; the closest I’d had was my grandfather. After the shit that went down with Jason, Mom had moved us in with my grandparents in the Tennessee Valley Mountains. I’d looked up to him and learned a lot from him. He was a great man. He passed away due to lung cancer the year we moved to Jersey and my grandmother joined him within a few days. Mom said she’d died of a broken heart, since she was healthy before she passed. Mom never went back there; I on the other hand, try to get up there whenever the house isn’t being rented out. Mom didn’t have the heart to sell it and it’s not like we needed the money since they’d set Jaylinn and I up with a trust fund, so she hired a realtor and rented it out. When I’d taken CC away with me last year, I knew that was the place I would bring her. Some of my greatest memories took place in that house.

I was a lucky son of a bitch to have had these people in my life. “Thanks Andrew. I told you when I asked for her hand in marriage, that there was nothing I wouldn’t do for her, and I meant it.”

He let out a deep breath, “I know you did son.”

I finished wiping down the counters and sent a group text to Mason, Hailey, Jaylinn, Cooper, Chloe and Jackson.

Group 9:20p.m. : Get together at our house tomorrow at 3. No deep shit, all fun

Mason 9:22 p.m.: K

Jaylinn 9:24 p.m.: sounds good. Coop and I will be there

Jackson 9:28 p.m.: We need to find a sitter

Me 9:29 p.m.: Check with ur mom. Hails ?

Hailey 9:36 p.m.: Yeah yeah I’ll be there

I was really starting to worry about Hailey; I’m going to have to pull Mason aside tomorrow and figure out what the f**k’s going on.

CC, Ryder and I hung out together most of the day. Everyone would be showing up soon and we were just waiting on them. The plan was to meet here, have pizza, and then CC’s parents were going to take Ryder and Alex back to their house for a sleepover.

Everyone had shown up, except for Hailey, so far. I kept looking at Mason when I knew CC was occupied, he just shook his head. I knew things were rough with them but this was for CC, she could put that shit aside for one night. Just as I was about to call her, she showed up with a big ass bottle of vodka.

When CC noticed Hailey, her face lit up. “It’s about damn time.” She said, joking around with her friend.