about my brothers of the heart, the ones who lived beside me my entire life, sharing the same miserable existence while we plotted ways to escape."
Eli gave me a no-nonsense glance. "For the brother thing, the word is siblings. Learn it and embrace it. If you refer to Ford and Colt as your siblings, and the other guys as your brothers, it'll solve any confusion. Okay, now it's time for real talk. Here's the thing, Charlie. Your parents know nothing was your fault. Press your hands to your baby bump. How many times a day do you feel Gidget kick? How often do you imagine what her face is going to look like, or, as we witnessed earlier, how worried are you about whether you'll do things right with her? Now imagine getting to the end of your pregnancy, only to have the doctor tell you she died. You never got a chance to hold her, to see her face and imprint it on your heart, nothing. After carrying her under your heart for four months, she's gone. You find a way to move on, even going so far to risk another loss by getting pregnant again."
He had to stop for a second to grab a napkin, even passing one to me since we were both crying. Eli blew his nose like a foghorn before continuing. "Twenty years goes by. Then somehow, out of the blue, a grown-ass adult shows up and turns out to be your long-lost baby. Instead of being dead, you have a chance to hug Gidget and show her every drop of the love you've been holding in your heart for her. Now tell me, do you think Tina and Dave are worried about what you call them? Or whether you get their inside jokes? Sweetie, believe me when I say they don't give a darn about anything other than having a chance to love you. And now, you're even giving them a grandchild."
Wiping my eyes, I took a steadying breath before I attempted speech. "When you put it that way, I feel like an immature jerk. Now I want to run over to their house and smother them with hugs. By the goddess, I never considered it from their point of view. I was so busy feeling pressured by their immediate love and acceptance, when what I wanted at the time was to obsess over Lucian and enjoy being newly mated. It never occurred to me the amount of grief they must have felt or what a complete shock it was to find me alive and well."
"Don't get cocky. The jury is still out on how well you are. I mean, we still need to discuss the whole Gidget of it all. Are you seriously naming your child after an old Sandra Dee movie? What, are you picturing her growing up and hanging out at the beach with Moondoggie and The Big Kahuna?"
After I got done laughing, I wagged a finger in his general direction. "First, I'm absolutely naming her after the Sandra Dee movie because Gidget is not merely adorable but a good girl. Her actual name will be Francie, just like the character in the movie, but Gidget will be her nickname. Lucian approves, even after I made him watch the movies. And yes, I made him sit through every one of them."
Eli snorted so hard I'd swear I felt the blast of air. "No, honey. His behavior proves nothing except Lucian adores you, rightly so, and will do anything you ask. However, I forgot Gidget's actual name was Francie, which is cute, so I'll allow it. Even if I'm the only one who will probably ever use her full name."
"I hate you." I stuck my tongue out like a mature adult.
Naturally, Eli stuck his out in return. "No, you don't. I’m your bestie. So tell me, you feel better after getting your angst off your chest? You can always talk to me about anything, even if it feels silly at the time. And more importantly, you should be sharing these feelings with Lucian. Don't worry about weighing him down when he has a responsibility to the pack. We come first to our alphas, don't ever forget."
Shrugging, I started to lift my hands, then dropped them into my lap instead. "That's the thing, Eli. I didn't even realize this was festering inside. I've been so busy preparing for Gidget, and getting to know my family, and learning how to live with my other