The Difference Between Getting and Needing

f i f t y

Sutton nodded, a bashful smile coming to her face. "I'm just a couple of weeks along. I wanted to be totally sure of it before I told you guys because you know how hard this last year has been for us," she said, a slight raspy edge to her voice. At the sound of it, Koa's hand squeezed her shoulder while the other reached for her fidgeting fingers. "We had to look at a ton of different options and I know I've kept a lot of it a secret, but with the help of an egg donor and my angel of a doctor, we're really gonna have a baby."

The glimmer in her eyes was always there, naturally dazzling from the day she was born, but right now it was like nothing I'd ever witnessed. It came close to how she looked on her wedding day. A euphoric glow so contagious, even a brick wall like me could feel the effects of it.

A lump of emotion wedged itself in my throat. On the verge of tears, a weepy noise crept its way out of me when I croaked, "Sutton."

We may have been two completely different breeds. She may have made me consider checking myself into a psych ward just to get away from her sometimes. I may have wanted to strangle her more than I wanted to hug her. Despite it all, I loved my one and only sister from the bottom of my heart, and I couldn't have been more proud of the woman she had become. No one deserved this more than her.

I got out of my seat and came around the table to join my mom in wrapping our arms around Sutton. An embrace we hadn't had between the three of us in far too long. We were mumbling congrats between our sniffles, making sure not to crush my fragile pregnant sister as Koa joined in on our lovefest.

"I'm gonna have another niece," I gushed over the mere thought of being an aunt again. When I realized a different option, I snapped my head up from our hug and gasped, "Or a nephew. What if it's a boy? I'll shit!"

My mom scoffed. "Could you be more vulgar at a time like this?"

"Just be glad I didn't throw a fuck in there." I gave her a cheeky grin, to which she rolled her eyes before pulling herself away from us.

"Okay, okay," Sutton cut us off with a watery giggle, dabbing at her eyes. "I think there's another elephant in the room we need to talk about."

Our heads swiveled around to Duncan on cue. He gave us a tiny, crooked smile in return.

"Please elaborate," I urged. I leaned a hand on the back of Sutton's chair because I knew I'd need something supporting me when he clarified his announcement.

"I'm proposing to Valerie," he said it like it was common knowledge. "Madelyn and I had a long talk about it and she's okay with it, which is the most important thing to me in making this decision. I know it hasn't been that long and it still might be a little weird for you guys, but I'm finally at a place in my life where I know what I want. And what I want is to marry her – to make a real family for my daughter."

"Aw, Duncan," Sutton whined his name. "That's the sweetest thing you've ever said. Even if it is about my best friend."

That was her backhanded way of saying I'm happy for you. We didn't need much more than that from her.

"Congrats, brah," Koa said with his signature sunny smile, leaning over to shake hands with Duncan.  "And if you need an ordained minister, I might know one." He shot me a teasing wink over his shoulder, and I nudged his arm in return.

"This is wild. I never pictured you getting married," Asher chipped in. "Glad you are though, don't get me wrong. It's awesome."

There was an air of indifference to our eldest brother as he shrugged. "I've said it before, I'm tired of fucking around. I've done enough of that my whole life and I just want something solid. Val and I have that, and I don't ever want to lose it."