The Proposal

Aidan grunted. “Yeah, I’m serious. Call it payback for mooching off my pool all summer.”

“I thought you let us use your pool because we’re your favorite nephews?” Percy questioned, rising obediently off the couch.

Aidan chuckled and ruffled his hair. “I guess that’s true.” When John still hadn’t budged, Aidan reached over and took his game away.

“Hey!” John started to protest.

“Move your ass and you might live to play it again.”

Huffing, John got off the couch and stalked through the kitchen. Aidan and Percy followed behind him. Aidan popped the trunk and leaned in to start handing some of the bags to the boys.

“Uncle Aidan?” Percy began.

“Yeah?”

“Don’t you think you ought to marry Emma?”

Aidan jerked his head up, slamming it against the trunk lid. “FUCK!” he shouted as he saw stars before his eyes. A few more expletives escaped his lips as pain raged through his skull.

“Nice mouth you got there,” John chided.

Gritting his teeth, Aidan rubbed his aching head. “You mention that one to your mom, and I’ll tell her about your ball-sack comment.”

John’s eyes widened. “Dude, that is so not cool!”

“Yeah, well, deal with it.” Aidan started to resume gathering up the bags when he noticed Percy staring expectantly at him for an answer. Aidan sighed. “Perce—”

His blonde brows knitted together. “Don’t you love her?”

“Oh Christ,” Aidan muttered, raking his hand through his hair. He winced as pain once again shot through his head. “Did your mom put you up to this or something?”

“No. When I asked her the same question, she just said that you were a cad.” Percy shrugged. “I don’t even know what that means.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s a dude who acts like a douchebag to women,” John said.

Aidan glared over at John. “I am not a cad!”

John held his hands up. “I didn’t say it. Mom did.”

Leave it to his sister the English professor to resort to name calling him something from the nineteenth century. He handed Percy one of the box’s from Earl and Virginia’s. “Perce, it’s complicated because—“”

“You’re a cad?” John asked.

Ignoring him, Aidan said, “I was stupid and did something that hurt Emma’s feelings pretty bad. It’s going to take her some time to forgive me and let me back into her heart.”

Percy shifted the box he was carrying to one hip. “You’re having a baby with Emma, so the responsible thing to do would be to marry her,” he said sensibly.

Aidan blinked a few times at Percy. “Did I hit my head harder than I thought, or did you actually just sound like a mature adult, rather than a kid?”

Percy shrugged. “Maybe. Dad always says I’m an old soul.”

Aidan laughed. “I think he called that one right.” He glanced over to John who wore an amused smirk. “Of course, anything you say has to sound light years above this one,” he said, jerking his thumb at John.

“Whatever,” he grumbled.

Aidan picked up a light bag and handed it to John. “What’s this?” he asked, peering inside.

Aidan quickly snatched it back. “Erm, that’s for Emma.”

“Doesn’t quite look like her size,” he mused with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

“That’s because it’s for Noah, smart ass.” He motioned to the trunk. “Go on and bring those in. I’m going to go check on Emma.”

John grabbed a few more bags while Aidan and Percy started in the house. He left the boys in the kitchen and started down the hallway. The sound of Emma’s laugher warmed his heart. Then in a sing-song voice, he heard Georgie call, “Noah…Noah! Kick for me Noah!”

Standing in the bedroom doorway, Aidan surveyed the scene with a smile. Emma held a flashlight to her baby bump. Hovering close to her, Georgie stared expectantly at Emma’s stomach as if waiting for something earth shattering to happen.

Emma glanced up to see him and smiled. “Hey. You’re back.”

“Grammy sends her love and the promise she’ll be down within the week.”

Emma huffed out a frustrated breath. “And Granddaddy?” she asked tentatively.

“Is still in a lot of pain, but he’s doing pretty well. And he managed not to verbally or physically assault me.”

Emma’s brows raised in surprised. “That’s good news.”

He motioned at her and Georgie. “What are you guys doing?”

“Trying the flashlight trick,” Georgie replied, not taking his eyes off Emma’s belly.

“Flashlight trick?” he repeated, as he walked over to them.

Emma nodded. “Since a baby’s eyes start to open in the sixth month, supposedly pressing a flashlight to your belly will make him move.” She smiled down at Georgie. “He’s never felt a baby kick, so he wanted to feel Noah.”

Aidan chuckled. “Any luck?”

Georgie’s lips turned down. “Nope.”

“He’s showing his true Fitzgerald stubbornness by not cooperating,” Emma said.

“Hey now, I think he’s equally inherited some of that from you too,” Aidan argued.

“Kick Noah!” Georgie ordered.

Aidan laughed at his determination. “Did you ever think that maybe you’re making him mad or something? How would you like someone sticking a flashlight on you and shining it in your eyes?” Grabbing Georgie by the ankles, he slid him down the bed. “Let’s see how you like it, huh?”

Georgie giggled when Aidan snatched his shirt up and pressed the flashlight to his stomach. “Stop it, Uncle Aidan!” he said, when he could catch his breath.

“Did your baby start kicking?” Aidan asked.

Georgie pushed his shirt down. “I don’t have a baby in my belly, silly!”

“You don’t?”

“No, only mommie’s have babies in their bellies.”

“Oh, I see.” He tickled his fingers up Georgie’s sides, causing him to laugh and squirm again.

“Quick Georgie!” Emma cried.

Aidan grabbed Georgie’s waist and hoisted him back up to Emma. She took his hand and brought it to her belly. His eyes widened. “Uncle Aidan, Noah’s kicking me!”

Emma grinned. “He must like the sound of your laugh because that’s what got him going, not the flashlight.”