“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Mal asked and I whooped with laughter.

“Are you kidding?” I replied, looking into the backseat where Jake was fast asleep. “I’d rather dissect my own spleen today.”

“You’ll do great,” he lied. “Just follow my lead.”

“Or you can follow mine.”

I wiped my palms nervously over my skirt and flipped down the visor to look at myself. My makeup had held somehow and I took that as a good sign even though it really wasn’t. I was just seeking out omens where I could.

We were heading back to Sterling, together, as a family.

No one had told either of our families anything and we had decided, Mal and I, that we were going to spring the news on them in person.

It was Thanksgiving and for some reason, Mal seemed to think that was a good a time as any to do this so I had just agreed.

“What do you want to bet my mom insists on a DNA test?” Mal joked and I balked at the idea.

“Please tell me you’re kidding.”

“Of course,” he replied quickly but I wasn’t sure he was. I knew I had to be prepared for anything the Lauriers threw at me, no matter how unpleasant but I had also made it abundantly clear to Mal that I would not stand for Jake being abused in any way whatsoever.

“Neither will I,” he replied firmly. “Trust me, if anything inappropriate is said to him, we’re out of there. That’s why we’re driving.”

“Oh. And I thought we were driving to settle my already raw nerves.”

Mal cast me a sidelong look and grinned.

“You’re doing fine,” he insisted. “We both are.”

He pulled the car in front of his house and stopped, looking at me wryly.

“You want to start at your place or mine?” he asked and I shrugged.

“Let’s do yours first. My mom’s shrieking is not something I’m ready to hear right now. Let’s break Jake in kindly.”

“I like your scientific approach.”

We moved from the car and I reached in the back to collect Jake in my arms as Mal strode up the front walk, presumably to forewarn his parents. He rang the bell and turned back to me as I made my way up with Jake still sleeping in my arms.

Ella answered the door, her face streaked with tears. She gaped at us in surprise.

“M-Mal, what are you doing here?”

Mal looked at me and I gritted my teeth. Tears could only mean more drama and I wondered what we’d walked into.

“It’s Thanksgiving, Ella,” he reminded her, pushing his way into the foyer. “Where are Mom and Dad?”

“In the living room with Grayson and her parents.”

She paused and stared at Jake, a strange expression crossing over her face. I almost felt the need to hide him from her but I didn’t.

“Hi Ella,” I said when she didn’t acknowledge me at all and then I realized what she’d said. “Wait—Grayson and my parents are here?”

She nodded.

“We have an announcement.”

“Of course you do,” Mal and I chorused. Ella scowled and turned to move back toward the back room.

“Not to be outdone by Ella and Grayson,” Mal muttered and I snickered but my pulse was racing. Whatever they were doing there could only mean trouble for Mal and I but I wasn’t going anywhere. We’d made a pact to see this through and if they wanted to fight with us about our choices, well, what did we care? We were in California. We could ignore Skype calls and emails until we were drunk enough to deal with them.

Or so we told ourselves.

“Malcolm! Blake!”

All of the parents cried out to us in surprise. My mom rushed to kiss Jake on the forehead and he stirred but he didn’t wake.

“What are you doing here?”

I caught Grayson’s eye but to my surprise, he looked away almost guiltily.

“We came to talk to you guys,” I replied, gently laying my son on the sofa next to my dad. Instantly, my father, embraced the boy and smiled warmly at me.

“No! We need to talk to you first!” Ella insisted. “We called ahead!”

“Go ahead,” Mal sighed. “God forbid we steal your thunder.”

“Gray and I have an announcement to make,” Ella declared, rising from her spot.

“Let us guess—you two are back together!” Mal chortled and Ella glared at him.

“Well yes…but we’re also having a baby.”

The uproar did cause Jake to wake and I groaned to myself. I hadn’t wanted him to be awake for the drama to unfold but I really should have thought it through better. Of course there was always going to be drama where these people were involved.

“A baby! In your relationship? Are you flipping crazy?” My mom howled. There it was, that shrill tone I loathed with every fiber of my being.

“You guys fight constantly! Do you know what that will do to a child’s development?” Victor howled and Carmen nodded in agreement.

“Really?” Ella whined. “You can’t be happy for us? I thought you always wanted a grandchild!”

“They have a grandchild,” Mal interjected and I paled. I had almost been enjoying the show, forgetting why we came.

All eyes were on him now.

“What?”

“Jake is my son. They have a grandchild.”

“What?”

I had no idea who kept asking but Jake stretched and yawned, looking around sleepily.

“Mom? Dad? Where are we?”

His timing couldn’t have been better.

“You just came here to steal our thunder!” Ella moaned. “You told them we were pregnant, didn’t you?”

Grayson shook his head and stared at me in shock.

“You know what, Ella?” Mal hissed. “It’s not always about you and Grayson even though our entire lives you’ve made it about you. But because we want to give you a present on this joyous occasion, we’re giving it to you while our family, our real, drama-free family, goes out for Chinese food on this Thanksgiving because we have so much to be thankful for.”

He reached for my hand and Jake slipped off the couch and looked at Mal with wide eyes.

“Really?” Jake asked. “Are we going for Chinese food?”

“NO!” All four parents yelled but Malcolm was already grabbing Jake by the hand and leading him out of the house.

“Yes,” he replied, glancing over his shoulder at me. “Because from now on, we don’t adhere to traditions, we don’t let people tell us how to live and we don’t deal with theatrics. And if that means going out for Chinese food on Thanksgiving, so be it.”

They disappeared out the front door and I looked at the stunned family with some embarrassment.

“Sorry. Gotta go. Oh, one more thing,” I said before I turned to follow Mal and my son. “Mal and I eloped and we’re expecting another baby.”

I scurried from the room as pandemonium broke out and managed to get into the passenger side.

“Drive! Drive!” I urged him as half a dozen faces appeared in the doorway.

“What did you say to them?!” Mal demanded, appreciation in his voice. “They are furious.”

I snorted with laughter.

“I told them we’re pregnant and that we eloped.”

Mal hooted alongside me and soon Jake joined in.

“You are evil!” he gasped. “I wish I’d thought of that.”

“You would have if you’d stayed longer,” I replied magnanimously but Mal shook his head.

“No,” he replied, reclaiming himself as he drove. “I wish I’d thought to elope already.”

I chuckled but my heart was racing.

“Well you know, there’s time.”

“No, you don’t understand.”

He pointed to the glove box and nodded for me to open it. When I did, I saw the velvet box inside and I exhaled.

“Oh, Mal…”

“I was seeing this massive big wedding with all the frills but we can just elope. Today.”

I stared at him and then looked back at Jake.

“What does elope mean?” he asked innocently.

“Your dad wants to marry me.”

“Good. It’s about time,” Jake replied and I laughed.

“I guess I have my answer,” I told Mal, reaching out to squeeze his hand. “I’ll marry you today, anywhere you want.”

“Yeah?”

I nodded, swallowing the lump of emotion in my throat.

“Yeah.”

Our fingers entwined and he nodded slowly.

“All right. Let’s make it happen.”

“Wait! We’re still getting Chinese food, right?” Jake demanded and we laughed.

“Yes, of course.”

“And I still get to keep that ring, right?” I teased.

“Good God, what am I marrying into?” Mal protested.

“Only the best family ever,” I promised. “The one we made ourselves.”