Page 75 of Christmas with Brother's Best Friends

Emma sniffles and nods, her hand moving to rest on her stomach. Something about that motion makes my heart forget how to beat for a moment. It’s so simple, but it means so damn much.

“I haven’t known for long,” Emma tells us. “I was too scared to say anything sooner. I was just so… overwhelmed and surprised. I didn’t expect this to happen!”

“If you haven’t known for long, then the father…” Max trails off as his brow furrows, his mind working out the math that I’ve already guessed.

Judging by Ryan’s pale, shocked face, he’s done the math as well.

“One of you is the dad,” Emma confirms as her eyes glisten. She swallows hard and presses the back of her hand against one of her flushed cheeks. “I don’t know who.”

“But you were protected, right?” Max asks, focusing on the logistics while my mind trails off into fantasy land.

The baby could be mine. One out of three isn’t bad odds, but even if the baby is Max’s or Ryan’s, there’s a part of me that still feels connected to it. Like it’s still mine in a way.

There weren’t just two of us that night. There were four. We all shared her. Worshipped her. Made her ours.

And now she’s pregnant with our kid.

Holy shit.

“My birth control must’ve failed,” Emma sighs as she lowers her eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t plan for this to happen.”

“I need some air,” Ryan finally speaks, his eyes looking distant. He pushes past me and Max and heads out of the apartment, silence lingering in the hallway.

Emma’s bottom lip trembles before she covers her mouth with her hand, stifling a sob. More tears fall, and I finally snap out of my own thoughts so that I can step over to her and pull her into my arms. She immediately buries her face in my chest, not pulling away anymore.

Finally.

“It’s okay,” I tell her as I rub her back, holding her firmly with my other hand. “You don’t have to cry, Em.”

Emma shakes her head. “We shouldn’t even be around each other. How are we supposed to hide a baby?”

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Max murmurs as his wide-eyed stare settles on the floor, his mind working to process everything. “Unless you say the baby is someone else’s.”

“Which I don’t want,” I say as I flash Max a pointed look. “It’s one of ours. We’ll be involved, so they’ll find out anyway. There’s no hiding the truth now.”

Emma digs her nails into my back, holding onto me like I’m the only thing keeping her grounded. “I don’t want to force any of you to do anything. I’ll raise the baby on my own if I have to.”

“No, you won’t,” I tell her as I gently cup her face and direct her eyes to mine. “This entire time, you’ve tried to carry this on your own shoulders. You don’t have to do that anymore. We’re here.”

“Ryan isn’t,” Emma whispers, her voice trembling.

“He’ll come back,” Max says. “Sometimes he just needs a minute to wrap his head around things.”

I nod before smiling down at Emma. “We’re here.”

Emma breathes in deeply through her nose, her chest pressing against mine. “I can’t believe this happened. I’ve always wanted to be a mom, but I didn’t expect it to happen like this.”

“We can’t predict how our lives are going to go,” I tell her as I brush her hair behind her ears. “All we can do is make the most of them. This is a good thing, Emma.”

Emma’s expression softens, hope breaking through the concern in her eyes. “You really think that? You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”

I let out a light chuckle as a glowing ball of warmth forms in my chest. There is a sliver of me that’s a little wary about telling everyone and dealing with their reactions, but the rest of me is over the moon.

“I know we don’t know who the dad is, but it doesn’t really matter to me,” I tell her. “I’ve always wanted to be a dad, andthere isn’t anyone else on the planet that I would want to have a child with more than you.”

Emma’s eyes start watering all over again, a little sniffle sounding from her. “I was worried that I would end up alone. That I would be the only one excited. I mean, I’m terrified too but also really happy.”

“You’ll be a great mom,” Max says as he steps closer to her, his hand grazing her back. “You’re kind and patient and caring. You’ll be perfect.”