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It wasn’t Menace’s house unless you were being rained on by a sanitizing mist before fully stepping inside. Soon as I turned the corner into the living room, Lupita was putting the finishing touches on brunch.

“Don, how are you doing?”

“I’m straight… you?”

She smiled. “New life in the Caselli home is always a good thing. We’re all anxious waiting for baby Caselli to come. Are you excited to be an uncle?”

It was a loaded question because as much as I was excited to be an uncle, who knew how close me and the baby would be?

It wasn’t like me, and my siblings were all that close to each other.

Since Stevie had married into the family, we gathered more frequently at their house these days.

I wanted to be the uncle that my niece or nephew called for everything.

When their parents didn’t give them their way, I wanted to be the person they called because they knew there was never any rules at Uncle Don’s house. I was excited, and then nervous for my brother. This was a different role that he was stepping into, and I remembered how we were raised.

He didn’t sit me down and kiss my wounds when life kicked me down. His response was to get the fuck up and show them what we were about. Then again, he was different with his wife and hopefully would be with his child.

“More nervous than excited.”

She smiled. “Babies make everyone like that. I know this is a new thing for you Caselli’s, but love doesn’t have any instructions… you just feel it.”

“Thanks, Lupita.”

“No worries. Everyone is outside… give me a few more minutes and then the food will be ready.”

As I walked through the house to get to the back, it always felt like I was in a museum.

Menace’s house had never looked lived in.

He kept the same theme even after being married, which shocked me.

Aside from a few more art pieces that I knew Stevie had a hand in, the house remained the same.

Despite it not changing as much, it had a new warmness that it never had before.

The sound of laughter and conversation greeted me when I slipped out the back door. I headed down the path toward the pool where everyone was sitting at the Italian concrete table that cost too fucking much and weighed just as much. Stevie looked up mid-laugh and got excited.

She jumped up so fast that Kora nearly spilled her wine, trying to make sure she wouldn’t fall. “Landon, you came!” I met her halfway instead of making her waddle over toward me.

Stevie gave the best fucking hugs and sometimes you needed that shit after not having one for a while.

With the shit I heard earlier, her hug was much needed.

Everything on her was completely swollen, and it was amazing to witness the changes a woman’s body made while carrying life.

Her face was so swollen that when she smiled, her eyes appeared closed.

“What up, Stevie? I told you that I would stop by for a little while.”

“You all say that and then it comes time to come over, and I hear crickets.”

I chuckled because we did ignore her overly positive ass in the family group chat. Her man was the one who started it, and he never spoke in there. It was her making all these plans for our family. “How much more can you grow?” I touched her stomach.

“Doctor says any day now. Greene has everything packed for us to head to the hospital when the time comes.” She snapped her finger like she remembered something. “Oh, you have to meet Greene’s cousin… she’s a celebrity.”

Before we could fully turn around, I already knew she was referring to Navy. I smirked when our eyes finally met, and she blushed while trying to look away from me. “I’m not a celebrity, Stevie.”

She held a drink in one hand while balancing a small plate filled with finger foods on it with the other. “You’re my celebrity,” Stevie insisted.

“With the way she waits for your videos… you really are,” Greene laughed, and poured more wine into Kora’s glass.

Kora looked over the couch that was situated around the table. “Hey Landon, you gonna stand there or greet your big sister? I emailed you, by the way, and you never replied.” I leaned down to kiss her on the cheek.

My reason was valid on why I hardly responded to my sister-in-law. It was never one question with Stevie. She always sent a bunch of text messages that she fired off at random and piecing them together to see what the fuck she was talking about was a damn chore.

“What up, Greene?”

“Hey, Don,” Greene looked down at her phone, and then over at her cousin, who was focused on her drink and not looking over at me. “We literally had hookah, and I drove home,” she copped a plea, as if I was going to press her about what she and Beans got into after we left Tiny’s.

Navy snorted. “Sound plenty guilty to me.”

“If you would have answered my call on my drive home, you would have proof,” she shoved her cousin, who pinched her.

“So, basically fuck me, my wife, and our baby?” I heard my brother’s voice behind me and saw him walking down toward us.

He was dressed in a suit with his CH pin clipped to him, which meant he was handling some business. As much as I was involved in Case House business, I wasn’t, really. Certain shit was reserved for Menace to handle.

Stevie remained standing, and he walked over toward her, kissing her on the lips a few times before his hand went to her stomach. His hand roamed her stomach as he closed his eyes, and she smiled up at him.

She was his comfort.

Since they had gotten married, he never liked to be away from her for long. If he had to handle business, he usually took her with him. With her due any day now, she couldn’t travel. His trips were closer, so he was only gone for a couple hours.

Menace didn’t rub his hands nearly as much whenever Stevie was around. In a room filled with people, he would always find her. Watching her like a hawk, because she was his everything. My brother didn’t give a fuck about much, and I had witnessed that my entire life, but with her.

It was different.

He showed her that he cared, which made us all feel weird because that wasn’t him. She went to tell him something, and he directed her ass back over toward the seat to sit down. “Navy, I ain’t seen you in a minute.”

Navy’s head shot up confused. “I’ve never been here.”

Menace looked at her. “She said she gonna rob this fucking house, Wonder? We just letting anybody up in this bitch now, huh? Fuck security clearance and safety now, right?”

“What?” Navy blurted, nearly hysterical.

Me and Kora both started laughing as we watched Greene explain how her boss was a fucking nut that heard questions no one else heard.

“Mavie, this is the content creator I love… remember the videos I showed you about Amalfi coast? I was crying the other night because she went a week without posting videos and I couldn’t sleep. ”

Menace snapped his fingers. “Yeah, I remember. How much for you to batch a bunch of content for my wife… you can stay in the guest suite and leave when you’re done.”

Navy was ready to go, and I could tell from the way she was gripping her bag, and ready to put her plate down.

Kora looked at our brother. “Maverick, I am pretty sure there are laws against that. You cannot hold this woman hostage because your wife needs to touch some grass every once in a while.”

“Can’t smoke weed, Kora… I am pregnant,” Stevie shot back, and I walked away because I couldn’t stop laughing.

Greene had tears in her eyes as she laughed, while Navy was still on edge because it sounded like Menace wanted to kidnap her ass and force her to make content for Stevie.

He looked at Navy once more before he turned his focus toward his wife. “You need to soak your feet.”

I walked back over, and he looked at me and nodded. “I meant to tell you we got the invitation to the wedding last week.”

“I got one, too,” Kora replied.

Looking at both of them, they wanted me to show that I cared more than I should have. “Why the fuck are you both telling me what Kennedy is doing?”

“The food should be done. Let’s walk up to the house and ea?—”

“Your feet making me nervous, boo,” Menace cut her off, as he looked at her with concern. I’ve never seen this nigga look so nervous in my life. Meanwhile, Stevie was just floating around like she couldn’t drop this baby at any moment.

She sulked as she looked up at her husband. “Fine.”

He helped her up, kissing her hand, as he loosened his tie, and they slowly made their way back up to the house. “Call the doctor to make sure, too!” Kora hollered behind them.

I sat in the seat that Stevie had given up and looked at Navy. “Trying to rob my brother?” We all busted out laughing because her face looked like she had seen a ghost.

In reality, she had seen a ghost and didn’t realize the honor she had been granted. Not too many people could ever say they met Menace the right way and were welcomed into his home.

She snorted. “Listen, I don’t want any problems. Greene dragged me here because Stevie loves my videos.”

“ Loves is an understatement. I know you hate whenever the family tells people about you. I couldn’t hold it in any longer and told her.”

“Either way, I needed a drink and some nice weather.”

Kora remained seated, her leg crossed as she enjoyed the weather and view in front of us. “How have you been, Don?”

“Busy.”

“ Doing ?”

“Working.”

She took a sip of her wine. “Are the short answers because we were invited to the wedding?”

“Nah.”

Kora sighed. “I haven’t RSVP’d, and I don’t know if I will even go.

This is better off this way. I know you have this crush on her but look who she’s marrying.

You don’t need to involve yourself with making a mess with Kennedy.

Maverick has already told you about his stance on this.

Get you a sweet girl like Navy.” She winked at Navy, who smiled.