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Gerard entered the room then. “Dinner is ready.”
“Thank you, Gerard,” Harriet replied.
Sebastian suddenly stood and held his hands out to stop everyone from getting up. “Before we go to dinner, there’s something I’d like to say.” He took Genevieve’s hand, and they went to stand beside the fireplace together. “We have some news.”
“Are you moving back?” Gus immediately asked. “Because I’m not giving the president job back to you.”
“Co-president,” Skylar corrected him.
“That’s what I meant.”
The two of them gave each other dirty looks like typical siblings.
“This isn’t about the company, you loons.” Sebastian shook his head. “You’re about to get new titles altogether.”
“Uncle Gus and Aunt Skylar,” Genevieve said with a smile.
“What?” Gus’s eyes widened.
“Are you serious?” Skylar cried.
“We’re having a baby,” Sebastian announced.
Everyone jumped up with elated cries and hugs all around.
Harriet embraced her son. “My sweet baby boy is having a baby.”
Ephraim patted him on the back and hugged him tightly.
There was so much love in the room, Oliver felt a little choked up. Not only because of the excitement over the addition of a new member to their family, but because he knew he would never have such a moment. Seeing their joy didn’t change his mind about having children, though. He’d seen too much. He’d experienced a terrible loss. He never wanted to go through that again.
Oliver shook Sebastian’s hand and hugged Genevieve. He wished he could be as happy and carefree as they were about bringing a child into this world.
As they ate dinner and he listened to the ladies chatting happily about the due date and baby nursery and cute baby clothes, Adelia’s comment on Halloween drifted from deep in his memory and stuck there in the forefront of his mind.
I can’t wait to have kids of my own someday.
He thought about all the fights he and Val had about having children. It was the thing that tore them apart. And he could suddenly understand what might’ve happened between Adelia’s parents. Having the same fights over and over, going round and round, never solving anything. Once that wedge is driven in so far, there are only so many choices. Pull it out and do everything you can to fix things so the wound can heal, leave it where it is and simply survive—unhappy and miserable—with a chasm between you, or drive the wedge all the way through, like Val had done in their marriage, severing any chance of healing. She had turned away when he wouldn’t give her what she wanted and found what she needed from another man. Maybe Adelia’s mom had done the same.
He never wanted that to happen with him and Adelia. There were already so many differences between them, and he knew this was the one that stood to ruin them before they even started.
When the evening came to a close, Oliver thanked Ephraim and Harriet for inviting him and headed for the door where Gerard was waiting with his coat.
“Not going to say good night?” Adelia joined him in the foyer.
“Aren’t you coming back to my place?” he asked.
Adelia stepped closer and grabbed hold of his coat collar. “As much as I would love to, I’m staying here for a girls’ night.”
Oliver felt a wave of disappointment, but he was glad she’d be with people who loved her and would keep her safe. “That sounds fun.” He nodded toward the door. “Will you walk me out?”
A little smile crossed her face. “Okay. Or maybe we could go for a drive and catch up.”
“A drive sounds good,” he replied.
Her face lit up. “I’ll be right back.” She raced off and returned in her coat. “Ready.”
They walked out together, and Adelia slid her arm through the crook of his. He walked her to the passenger side and opened the door for her, which earned him another smile. He’d never felt more accomplished than when he put a smile on her face.