explained. “It’s not done as often nowadays, but back then, everyone had godparents.”
Drannon cleared his throat. “Speaking of that, Vin, I’d like to ask you and Lauren to be our baby’s godparents.”
“Vin?” Romeo interjected, just as Lauren and Vin responded with a simultaneous, “Yes!”
Franki rose and went to Romeo’s side, putting her hand on his shoulder as if to quiet him, but he was clearly put out. “Why would you ask Vin and not me?”
“Uh,” Drannon’s eyes darted to Lacy in search of help, but Lacy looked just as stunned by his request.
“Drannon, can I talk to you in the other room for a moment?” she hissed.
“I’ve known Vin the longest. It just makes more sense,” Drannon said with a shrug ignoring his wife’s tug on his arm as he addressed his angry brother.
“Vin’s older than me, he’ll die first. That means I’m the better choice,” Romeo protested.
“Hey! I’m not dying, damn it!” Vin shouted, startling Michael from his playful grins. The baby began to cry, and Lacy gave an exasperated huff.
“Drannon Russo, kitchen, now.” She spun away and stomped into the kitchen leaving Drannon to follow. Once they’d left the room, Franki took Michael from Vin and shushed him while everyone else went back to decorating. The feeling of fun was gone, and Jeanette felt like and intruder in the personal family matter.
By the time Drannon and Lacy came back, the tension had eased a bit, but Romeo was still shooting dirty glances at Vin when he thought no one was looking.
“Vin, I’m sorry. I didn’t talk to Lacy about the whole godparent thing before I opened my mouth.” Drannon said, “She asked me to take more time to think about my decision because the pregnancy is so new.”
Romeo looked triumphant, but Vin and Lauren both looked devastated. Lauren’s eyes filled with tears, and she turned to Lacy, “You don’t want me to be the godmother?”
“I didn’t say that—”
“No, you just told D to rethink because you completely agree with his choice.” Lauren asserted, hurt rolling off her in waves.
“Lauren, please, that’s not what I said, or even what I meant. I just don’t want Roman and Franki hurt either,” Lacy tried to explain.
“So you’re going to give it to them and hurt us?” The tears were sliding down Lauren’s cheeks now, and Lacy looked absolutely sick. She lifted her hands as if to reach for her sister-in-law, but Lauren spun away and walked from the room. Vin was quick to follow, and everyone turned to Drannon and Lacy to see what they would do.
“I didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” Lacy said, choking on her own emotions.
“We’ll figure it out baby,” Drannon said, kissing her forehead. Michael began fussing again, and it seemed to draw Lacy out of her sorrow for a moment.
“I need to get him something to eat.” She took him from Franki and headed for the kitchen in search of a bottle. Drannon stared after her for a long moment as if unsure what to do next.
“If it means that much to Vin…” Franki started to say, but she stopped when Romeo turned a hard look her way.
The silence was thick, and after another moment, Drannon left the room without a word. Jeanette felt terrible watching the whole thing unfurl in front of her. This group had such a tight emotional bond, anything like this was unsettling.
It wasn’t long before Romeo and Franki also disappeared, and Jeanette, Hawke, and Marilyn were left alone to decorate the massive tree. Hawke finished stringing the lights and plopped down on the sofa, staring at the ornaments that were spread out on the coffee table.
“I guess there’s not much point in hanging all of those now, huh?” he murmured.
“Why’s that?” Marilyn asked, frowning in his direction. “Christmas is still coming. No matter how angry you guys get with each other, you always find a way to work it out. Everyone’s just emotional lately because so much has happened. We’ll finish
Drannon cleared his throat. “Speaking of that, Vin, I’d like to ask you and Lauren to be our baby’s godparents.”
“Vin?” Romeo interjected, just as Lauren and Vin responded with a simultaneous, “Yes!”
Franki rose and went to Romeo’s side, putting her hand on his shoulder as if to quiet him, but he was clearly put out. “Why would you ask Vin and not me?”
“Uh,” Drannon’s eyes darted to Lacy in search of help, but Lacy looked just as stunned by his request.
“Drannon, can I talk to you in the other room for a moment?” she hissed.
“I’ve known Vin the longest. It just makes more sense,” Drannon said with a shrug ignoring his wife’s tug on his arm as he addressed his angry brother.
“Vin’s older than me, he’ll die first. That means I’m the better choice,” Romeo protested.
“Hey! I’m not dying, damn it!” Vin shouted, startling Michael from his playful grins. The baby began to cry, and Lacy gave an exasperated huff.
“Drannon Russo, kitchen, now.” She spun away and stomped into the kitchen leaving Drannon to follow. Once they’d left the room, Franki took Michael from Vin and shushed him while everyone else went back to decorating. The feeling of fun was gone, and Jeanette felt like and intruder in the personal family matter.
By the time Drannon and Lacy came back, the tension had eased a bit, but Romeo was still shooting dirty glances at Vin when he thought no one was looking.
“Vin, I’m sorry. I didn’t talk to Lacy about the whole godparent thing before I opened my mouth.” Drannon said, “She asked me to take more time to think about my decision because the pregnancy is so new.”
Romeo looked triumphant, but Vin and Lauren both looked devastated. Lauren’s eyes filled with tears, and she turned to Lacy, “You don’t want me to be the godmother?”
“I didn’t say that—”
“No, you just told D to rethink because you completely agree with his choice.” Lauren asserted, hurt rolling off her in waves.
“Lauren, please, that’s not what I said, or even what I meant. I just don’t want Roman and Franki hurt either,” Lacy tried to explain.
“So you’re going to give it to them and hurt us?” The tears were sliding down Lauren’s cheeks now, and Lacy looked absolutely sick. She lifted her hands as if to reach for her sister-in-law, but Lauren spun away and walked from the room. Vin was quick to follow, and everyone turned to Drannon and Lacy to see what they would do.
“I didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” Lacy said, choking on her own emotions.
“We’ll figure it out baby,” Drannon said, kissing her forehead. Michael began fussing again, and it seemed to draw Lacy out of her sorrow for a moment.
“I need to get him something to eat.” She took him from Franki and headed for the kitchen in search of a bottle. Drannon stared after her for a long moment as if unsure what to do next.
“If it means that much to Vin…” Franki started to say, but she stopped when Romeo turned a hard look her way.
The silence was thick, and after another moment, Drannon left the room without a word. Jeanette felt terrible watching the whole thing unfurl in front of her. This group had such a tight emotional bond, anything like this was unsettling.
It wasn’t long before Romeo and Franki also disappeared, and Jeanette, Hawke, and Marilyn were left alone to decorate the massive tree. Hawke finished stringing the lights and plopped down on the sofa, staring at the ornaments that were spread out on the coffee table.
“I guess there’s not much point in hanging all of those now, huh?” he murmured.
“Why’s that?” Marilyn asked, frowning in his direction. “Christmas is still coming. No matter how angry you guys get with each other, you always find a way to work it out. Everyone’s just emotional lately because so much has happened. We’ll finish
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