Standing beside my shiny truck in a long line of exhausted but happy parents, I felt out of place. Like I didn’t belong, but as I looked around for Max and Norah, I realized it didn’t matter. The other dads looked as uncomfortable as I felt, which reminded me of my friends’ parents growing up, the fathers were always uncomfortable when the mothers weren’t around. Even now, the mothers pulled snacks from oversized purses, greeted their kids with hugs and kisses whether they wanted them or not, and asked all about the day’s activities.

Max spotted me first, and his legs pumped hard as he crashed into me. “Zeke, you’re here!” His smile was contagious, and so big it took up his entire face, but it quickly dropped. “Why are you here? Where’s Mama? Is something wrong?”

I picked him up without even thinking he might be too old for it and held him close. “She’s fine. Vivi’s baby decided to come today, and she’s getting some stuff together for her.”

“The baby’s coming? The baby’s coming!” His body near vibrated with so much energy he slid right out of my arms and turned, nearly running right into Norah. “Norah, the baby’s coming!” Max wrapped his arms around her, who smiled and hugged him back.

“I’m gonna be a big sister. Yes!” She pumped long, lean arms in a sort of victory dance, smile as wide as Max’s.

“Yep. Now let’s get in and buckle up and I might take you to meet the little tyke, whenever he gets here.”

“He? It’s a boy,” she asked excitedly.

“Actually, I don’t know, Norah. Your folks have kept it top secret.” Nash and I had painted the nursery green and yellow because Vivi didn’t want their kid to grow up with unrealistic gender role expectations, whatever the hell that meant. She was always going on about stuff like that, and I just smiled and nodded, pretending like I got everything she said.

Both kids fell quiet for awhile, but as we drew closer to town, they were restless and full of energy. “Can we stop for burgers?”

I looked over at Norah in the passenger seat, a confused look on my face. “You don’t want to meet your kid brother or sister?”

She nodded, but showered me with her prettiest little smile, the one that she used to get me to buy her things she knew she shouldn’t have. “I am, but I’m hungry too.”

Somehow I doubted that, but I never said no to a burger. Especially a cheeseburger with extra ketchup. “Fine, but burgers only. No fries and no soda.”

“How about a milkshake?” Max, that little devil, was a man after my own heart.

“If we get a milkshake now, your mama might not let you have celebratory cake for the baby.” I cast a quick glance at Max’s pouting face in the mirror and chuckled.

“What kind of cake?”

“Don’t know, kid. We haven’t gotten there yet.” Instead of stopping at one of the fast food joints, I stopped at the food stand a few miles from the hospital because they knew how to dress a burger. After placing the order, we sat at one of the little tables while we waited.

“Max said you and Aunt Maddie are married now.” Norah’s tone held an accusation I didn’t understand.

“Yep. You have a problem with that?”

Norah shocked the hell out of me when she nodded. “I wanted to be a flower girl, maybe even a bridesmaid.”

“And I wanted to hold the rings. Uncle Nash says that’s a very important wedding job.”

“I’m sorry guys, I didn’t even think of that. I’ll find a way to make it up to you, how about that?” I held my breath, waiting for a tantrum or something, but they both nodded and began having a quiet conversation between themselves.

Maybe this kid thing wasn’t as hard as I thought. Well, other than being manipulated into letting them ruin their dinner, which I justified by telling myself that the chaos of today would make a normal meal time difficult.

My phone rang and Maddie’s smiling face appeared on my screen. “Hey, everything good?”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “Where are you?”

“We stopped for a burger,” I said simply, but mentally braced myself for the bad kind of tongue lashing. Mothers were always coming into my bar complaining about weekend fathers stuffing the kids full of junk and sugar before sending the kids home high and impossible to contain.

“Oh good. Vivi isn’t dilated enough so it’ll be awhile. Take your time, unless they’re driving you mad already?” There was a smile in her voice, a hint of amusement that said exactly what she thought might be going on.

I smiled at her concern, always worrying about everyone else. “I’m good. They talk a lot, but right now I suspect they’re plotting.”

Her sweet laugh sent a shiver of awareness through me. “Plotting? World domination?”

“Nah, how to best boss around the newest kid in their little family.” She laughed again and I smiled. “Or maybe how to best con me into letting them bungee jump, or eat their weight in sugar.” She laughed again and in that moment I understood how a man could make a fool of himself just to see a sexy smile or hear that husky laugh.

“Sounds about right. See you soon.”

“Not soon enough. Wife.” There was a little hitch in her breath before the call ended, and I knew I’d gotten to her.

Soon, she would be mine.