Page 77 of A Very No Strings Halloween

I scan the guys. They look just as shocked as me.

Donna throws her head back and cackle-laughs. “Trick!” she says gleefully. “Since you didn’t give me a treat.”

I squint my eyes, confused. “Wait, so you’re not…?”

She shakes her head. “Not yet. You should have seen the look on your face.” She grabs mycigar and takes a big puff.

Nolan, Delcan, and Eddie burst out laughing. Oh boy, do they think that was funny. Me, far less so.

“Well played, lass!” Nolan says.

“Welcome to the family,” Eddie says, holding his arms out wide and giving her a big hug. A little too big, but I’ll allow it, this once.

Declan is slow-clapping. “Perfectly executed, Mrs. O’Sullivan.”

“We’ll give you two lovebirds a moment. See ya back at the party,” Nolan says, still shaking his head and laughing. They pat me on the back, go down the front steps, and around to the backyard.

Donna squints one eye dramatically. “Billy Boston-Middleborough, do you not want kids with me?”

We do still have my apartment in Jamaica Plain, so we are technically Mr. and Mrs. Billy Boston-hyphen-Middleborough.

I shake my head. “No, Mrs. Boston-Middleborough. I want to fill you full of babies more than anything. But I’m not used to wanting things this badly.” I look around and lower my voice a little, not wanting the boys to hear about my actual doubts. “I wanted you so badly I nearly screwed it up.”

Donna puts the cigar back into my mouth and snakes her arms around my neck. “Well, you did get me, Billy. And I’m nervous about kids too. But there’s no adventure we can’t handle together.”

“You’re damn right about that, Red.”

“Come on, Mouth. We need to get back to the reception. You got your trick, now you need a treat.”

“What is it?”

“Well, even if Iwerepreggers, I’d still want to dance with my husband.” She grins. “Because I will get knocked up, but we’ll get down again. You’re forever going to keep me now…”

On cue, the first bars of the greatest song ever, Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping,” floats through the crisp autumn air from the speakers behind the house. My smirk is back in full force, and I grab my surprising, gorgeous wife’s hand, ready for whatever adventure comes next. Our party’s just getting started.