I pull her closer and we sit there as the light fades. Tank comes out and tosses me a beer, sits on the steps below us.
"You two staying for dinner?" he asks.
"Yeah," I say.
"Good, because Gráinne's making enough to feed the whole fucking chapter."
Bozo appears with his own beer. "She always does."
We sit there in comfortable silence, and I realize this is what family looks like.
Pyro comes out and leans against the doorframe.
"We're doing church tomorrow night," he says. "You good to be there?"
"Yeah, I'm good."
"Bring Everly. She can be with the old ladies while we have church, then we’ll have dinner after."
The invitation is casual but it means something. They're not separating her from my life here. They're making space for her in all of it.
After everyone drifts back inside, Everly and I stay on the steps a while longer.
"You happy?" she asks.
"Yeah, I think I am."
"You think?"
"I'm not used to being happy, so I don't know what it's supposed to feel like. But this? This feels good."
"Then hold on to it."
"I'm trying."
She touches my face. "You're doing more than trying. You're building it."
"We're building it."
"Yeah, we are."
We go inside eventually and join everyone for dinner. The table is crowded, plates being passed, conversations overlapping. Gráinne tells Everly about her own pregnancy years ago, offers advice that's probably outdated but comes from a good place.
Chloe talks about childproofing and sleep schedules. I half-listen, more focused on the way Everly's engaged with all of it. She’s not humoring them. She’s actually interested.
Tank elbows me. "You good?"
"Yeah, why?"
"You've got that look on your face."
"What look?"
"Like you're about to say something sappy."
"Fuck off."
He grins. "There's the Rush we know."