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“And it’s only two years until Mariah graduates. At that point, we can look at moving. She’ll maybe even look at college in New Orleans. She loved living there.”
I feel the hope build, pushing out the pain of loss. “You guys would consider moving back?”
“Of course. We’re okay here, but we don’t need to stay here in Emerald. Scarlett loved New Orleans and we’d love to be closer to Autre, my sister and Saoirse, and you guys.”
Now the hope is big and real. “I guess that’s true.”
“You didn’t think we’d never see each other, did you?” Cian laughs. “Brother, you’ve literally traveled the world for me. I think it’s time you determine where we go for a change, don’t you?”
My throat tightens, and I swallow thickly. “Yeah. Okay. I think New Orleans would be great for all of us.”
Cian laughs. “This issogreat! We’re going to be married tosisters, Henry. Twins. You think you and I can’t be apart for long? I give it a week before Scarlett wants to fly down there. And hey,” he says as a thought occurs. “We’ll be even more like brothers! Did you know that our kids will be half-siblings?”
My eyes widen. “What?”
“Seriously. Mariah was telling us about it. If Scarlett and I have a baby and you and Ruby have a baby, those babies will legally be cousins, but genetically, they’ll be half-siblings because of the identical twin thing. Isn’t that wild?”
I let that sink in. Then I start laughing. “So you and I would be dads to half-siblings.” I shake my head. “Why does that seem…”
“Fitting?” Cian asks. “Complicated and kind of hard to explain, but also awesome?”
I nod. “Like so many things about us.”
He’s smiling as he nods, too. “Exactly. We’re family. In all kinds of funny, tangled, perfect ways.”
“Alfred never meant for you to sacrifice your happiness, Henry. He loved you, too.”
Iris’s words from the other day come back to me.
“Alfred wanted everyone to be secure, safe, and fully supported. You’re part of ‘everyone’, Henry. You’re part of the family, too. You matter, too.”
“You really think you can survive without me?” I ask Cian.
“I think that Scarlett is going to have her hands full,” he says with a grin. “But I think she’s up for it.”
I laugh. “I’m sure she?—”
Suddenly, I hear a squeaky grunting noise and look down.
Into the face of a little pig.
An actual, live little pig.
It’s looking up at me expectantly and grunts.
I sigh. “You didn’t.” But I know he did.
I’m not even surprised.
Cian leans over and scoops the animal up. “I told you I was going to. This is Pete.”
“I sent you a whole bunch of reasons not to,” I say, studying Pete. He is pretty cute. And there appears to be only one of him. For now, anyway.
“No, you sent me a whole bunch of reasons to think it through. Which I did.”
Yeah, he’s going to get more pigs.
I look from the pig to Cian and back. “You know what?”