After Donny and Chase managed to pick their mouths up off of the floor, and I quelled my need to scream at the top of my lungs, we all ordered another round of drinks and went to sit at one of the outside tables. They needed a breath of fresh air and I desperately needed a nicotine stick.

Max was filling us in on how the two of them had met. Apparently at the last Michigan Comic Con, which by the way had only been six months ago, and it was love and not lust at first sight. She had gone as Starfire and he had shown up as Nightwing. “I was walking around checking out which of the room parties were worth my time going to, and she was doing the same thing when we literally bumped into each other in the hallway, and our eyes just sort of locked on to each other’s.”

“It was like, just surreal, you know?” Chelsea picked up where Max left off, “It’s hard to put into words. But, you guys know how cons go. What happens there stays there? But after we went to a couple of the parties and had like a drink or two, we decided to just go outside and talk, which we did for more than five hours.”

Yeah, I did know. Usually you went there with every intention of getting laid that night. Not everybody, there was tons of fun to be had during the day. But the after parties were more like a meet and greet. I mean, you even had labels at the bottom of your nametag for goodness’ sake; m for monogamy, p for poly, s for single, so on and so forth. Max and I used to go to them together, during the day we’d attend the events and such, then at night we’d break off and do our own thing.

Lately, I hadn’t really had the time to, but I did plan on going with him to the Steam Con this year. Looks like that was more than likely off of the table now.

“We’ve been pretty much inseparable ever since then.” Max continued, “She’s even been going with me to Board Game nights since you punks haven’t been wanting to go lately anyway.”

“I was off on book tours, punk.” I threw some popcorn at him as I said it. “I am glad the two of you found each other, but marriage so soon?”

“Why not?”

“I could think of more than a couple reasons. No offense, Chelsea.”

“None taken; my friends reacted even worse since I was alone when I told them.” She responded on a laugh.

She began to blush and laugh even louder at Max’s, “They did?”

“Much worse.” At his defeated look she laughed that much more. Maybe she wasn’t so bad after all. At least that’s what I thought until she tacked on, “Especially when I told them we were doing it in a couple weeks.”

“Weeks?” For the first time ever Donny, Chase, and I were in complete agreement as we blurted that out.

“What the fuck, dude, you knock her ass up or some shit?” This of course came from Donny.

“Donny, that was just plain rude.” Even though we were all probably thinking it, he could have asked way better than that. When Max just sat there in silence with that look on his face, the one he always wore when he got caught doing something bad when we were younger, I couldn’t help but to add my two cents. “Wait, did you?” The two of them blushed and slightly nodded their heads; it was my turn to blurt something out before letting it go through any type of filter first. “So what’s the plan? Have the wedding, then have the baby shower at the reception?”

“Justine!”

“What?” I fired back, then slumped down in my seat hoping the waitress would hurry her ass up with those drinks.

Before Donny or I could put a foot back into either of our mouths again, it was Chase that asked the question that we all should have been asking in the first place—the only question that truly mattered, or that really deserved an answer. “Are you happy, bro?”

Max’s response was, without any hesitation, an emphatic, “Yes.”

“Then I’m happy for you,” Chase said as he stood to give him a half hug from across the table. Adding, “We all are,” as he sat back down.

“I blame my initial response on the alcohol.” That was the best answer I could come up with. I couldn’t help the smirk that came with it. “For real though, if you’re happy, then I’m happy. Plus, I can’t wait to hear how Mom and Pops reacted to the news, so spill it.”

“About that…”

“You haven’t told them yet?” I couldn’t help but laugh at that, “Oh wow, you chicken shit, what are you waiting for, the birth announcements to be printed up?”

“No, smart ass, I was waiting for you to be there with me when I did.”

That wiped any smirk that remained from my mouth. Fuck my life.