Tonight, we were switching things up a bit for Zoe’s last night in town. She’d found a restaurant she’d been dying to go to, so I’d made us a reservation for dinner. As nice as it had been eating at home and not sitting alone at the giant table made for twelve, I wanted to take Zoe out for a nice meal. It was the least I could do for her. She’d been so wonderful to me.
The minute the clock hit six thirty, I rushed out of the office back to the house. With an eight o’clock reservation, I had just enough time to shower and change into fresh clothes. I found myself wanting to impress Zoe, wanting to make our last night together perfect.
“The car’s here!” I called up the stairs at quarter to eight.
“Be right down!”
This was one thing I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to—waiting for a woman to get ready. I needed to start adding an extra buffer of time when I was with Zoe.
She strutted down the staircase in a sleek blue dress that perfectly hugged her every curve, baby bump included. I had to keep my jaw from dropping, though I wasn’t sure she’d have minded. I was half-convinced she was all dolled up in an effort to get me to beg her to stay—and I thought about it. It was the hardest thing in the world to think about letting her go and sending her to Chicago to finish off her pregnancy alone.
“You look breathtaking,” I said.
Zoe’s cheeks turned red. “Thanks. You look pretty snazzy yourself.”
I led her to the car, realizing that this was the last time for a while I’d be doing that. With an important meeting scheduled for tomorrow, I wouldn’t be able to accompany her to the airport.
This felt like being a child all over again, experiencing the last week of school. Back when I was a kid, we’d spent the whole last week lamenting over all of our lasts. This is our last bus ride. This is our last time changing for gym class. This is our last time eating lunch in the cafeteria. It was the same thing with Zoe. I wanted to savor every moment, but I was so caught up in worrying about missing our last something together.
I wanted Zoe to know how troubled I was that she was leaving, but I didn’t want to put a damper on the evening or make her feel guilty. I understood why she had to go. Her entire life was in Chicago. I couldn’t change that. It was just a hard pill to swallow. I couldn’t imagine my days without her in them.
“I’ve heard this place is amazing,” Zoe said in the car.
There was something off about her voice, something I couldn’t quite place. She almost seemed nervous, though I couldn’t imagine why. Maybe she wasn’t feeling well. I offered to adjust the thermostat, but she insisted she was fine.
Maybe she was equally unenthusiastic about her departure. Sure, it had been her decision, but it had also been her decision to extend her trip for an extra week. Her devotion to her work didn’t mean she wanted to stay here with me any less. It was a no-win situation.
I wondered where Zoe had heard of this restaurant. Had she really gotten that well-acquainted with people in town over the past week? Or maybe she’d just done a quick internet search. I’d only been here once, for a business lunch, at the suggestion of a colleague. That had been a daytime meal two years ago, though, so I wasn’t sure it was an accurate indication of what the restaurant would be like.
Nonetheless, I’d been happy to agree to come here, because Zoe had been so excited about it. She’d done that adorable thing where she’d jumped up and down and gotten all giddy, the same way she had after she found out her friend Ellie had had her baby.
It was little things like that I was going to miss the most. I’d grown to know every part of Zoe, and I felt like she knew everything there was to know about me. I’d told her about Benoit, a name I hadn’t said aloud in years, and I’d confessed my struggle to find a work-life balance. I hadn’t been able to talk to someone like I could talk to Zoe, and I hoped that could continue despite the distance.
“Ooh! We’re here!” she announced.
As Zoe stepped out of the car, it was all I could do not to stare. Her hair was twisted in some sort of braid-updo hybrid, swept out of her face so you could see her beautiful eyes. I didn’t know the first thing about makeup, but it was clear that she’d done a damn good job with hers. She looked like a supermodel, and her most attractive features were that dazzling smile and her ever-growing baby bump.
The restaurant was dimly lit, the interior vestibule being no lighter than the nighttime sky outside. I went ahead of Zoe—she was walking slowly, something I chalked up to the high heels she was wearing—and held the door open for her, captivated by her beauty once again. We headed for the hostess stand, my hand on the small of her back.
To the left of the hostess, Benoit stood with his eyes fixated on me.
Beside him was his wife Fleur, who I recognized from their social media posts, her baby bump showing.
There was no way this was a coincidence. I turned to Zoe for confirmation, for some sort of explanation as to what was going on.
I’d never seen her look so anxious before. This was definitely all her doing, and it was clear that she wanted this to go well. I wasn’t sure whether or not Benoit knew that I hadn’t had anything to do with this, but, regardless, I knew I had to make the first move.
Not daring to let myself second-guess things, I walked right up to my brother and wrapped him in a hug. And, to my surprise, he hugged me right back. It had been years since I’d felt the comfort of a family member, and I’d missed it more than I’d known.
“Thank you for coming,” I said. “I’m so sorry about everything. I know you’ve been angry, but maybe this is a chance for a fresh start.”
Benoit laughed, and I couldn’t figure out what on earth might’ve been funny about what I’d just said.
“Lucas, I’m not angry,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to reach out to you for years, but I didn’t know how. I had no clue you felt the same way until Zoe got in touch with me a few days ago.”
As awkward as the timing was, I felt introductions were necessary. I introduced Zoe to Benoit and Fleur, while I introduced myself to Fleur for the first time. It was definitely odd introducing myself to my own sister-in-law, but there was no changing that now.
“You haven’t been mad?”
He shook his head. “We were young, we were dumb, and we said things we didn’t mean. I couldn’t even tell you why we fought in the first place, if I’m being honest.”
I looked over at Zoe, who was standing beside Fleur, watching this conversation unfold. I couldn’t believe she’d found Benoit and convinced him to come.
“I treated you horribly,” I said to my brother. “I’m sorry. Family comes first, and I should’ve realized that.”
“I had no business being at that company. I wasn’t a good fit for it, and we both knew that. It just took me a bit longer to figure it out.”
Fleur stepped over to us. “Why don’t we continue this conversation over dinner?” she said.
I suddenly became aware of the crowd of other diners around us waiting in the small vestibule for a table, and then I absorbed the words that Fleur had said. Not only had they agreed to meet up with me, but they were staying for dinner? I couldn’t believe this.
It occurred to me that I’d only made the reservation for two people. Zoe must have read the panic on my face, because she explained to me that she’d called and changed the reservation to be for four people.
“I can’t believe you’re really here,” I said once we were seated. It probably sounded lame, but I didn’t care. I had my brother back.
Benoit smiled. “Back at you, little brother.”
“Little brother?” Zoe asked with a laugh.
“Oh, yeah,” Benoit said. “I’m two minutes older.”
“And he’ll never let me forget it,” I chimed in.
Within a matter of minutes, we were chatting away as if no time had passed and the four of us had known each other all along. I couldn’t believe how well Zoe and Fleur hit it off. Apparently, Fleur managed a fitness s
tudio, so they bonded over fitness classes and stuff I couldn’t quite understand.
Though it had been over half a decade since I’d seen my brother, not much had changed. He had the same food preferences he’d always had, he still ordered unsweetened iced tea with his meal, and he was still one of the funniest people I’d ever met.
As we enjoyed the tapas-style food, we caught up on everything we’d missed out on. I was glad to finally learn about Benoit’s career, having admitted to Zoe that I wasn’t exactly sure what he did for a living, and to get to know more about Fleur.
She and Benoit seemed like the perfect match. They were the ideal blend of similar and different, balancing one another.
I wondered how Zoe and I appeared to them. I hadn’t given them a particular label for Zoe, so I was curious to know how they perceived us. Did we come across as a couple? Was it clear there was some sort of business arrangement involved? This was my first time seeing my brother in five years. I didn’t want to first start telling him about my and Zoe’s unusual situation now. That was material for another time.
“So, Fleur, how far along are you?” Zoe asked.
“Just about six and a half months,” she said. “I know I look like I’m about to burst, but that’s thanks to having two babies inside me.”
“Oh my— You guys are having twins?” I exclaimed.
Benoit’s face lit up. “You could’ve guessed that,” he said. “We have enough twins in this family to start our own club.”
“Well, the fates must have decided that there are enough twins in our family,” I said, “because Zoe and I are expecting triplets.”
“You’re joking!” Fleur squealed.
If I hadn’t known the situation, based on her enthusiasm, I would have guessed that she and Zoe were best friends. We all had a good laugh about how Zoe and Fleur were pregnant at the same time, and the two women found it to be the ultimate bonding factor.
As I caught Benoit up on the latest at Cadieux, Fleur filled Zoe in on what she had to look forward to throughout the next few months of pregnancy. The two of them got along like they’d been destined to be friends. They had the same sense of humor, both loved museums and fitness, and had both fallen in some way for a Cadieux brother.
Each time Benoit spoke, I had to remind myself that this was real. I’d gone five years without him after having him in my life almost every day since birth, so it was a much-welcomed reunion. He seemed to have meant when he said that he wasn’t angry at me. When he spoke, there wasn’t even the slightest semblance of annoyance or resentment. He seemed as thrilled as I was to be together again.
And then there was Zoe. I had known that her last night in town would be special for us, but I couldn’t have even begun to imagine just how special it would be.
Chapter 20
Lucas
“See, I would rank them beef, then quail, then chicken, then risotto,” Fleur said. We’d been debating the power rankings of our shared entrees for a good eight minutes, trying to come to an agreement over whether beef or quail was the best of the night.
It was a silly thing to be doing, but it didn’t matter. We’d become comfortable enough with one another over the past few hours that we were fine poking fun at one another while we awarded prizes to our food. I’d always been able to joke around with Benoit, but it was nice that we were back to that spot, and with Zoe and Fleur jumping in without missing a beat.
“Zoe, I can’t thank you enough for arranging this,” Benoit said, smiling across the table.
Fleur nodded, dipping her spoon in her gelato. “Truly, we’ve had the most wonderful time,” she agreed. “I’m thrilled I finally got to meet the famous Lucas.”
“I’m not sure I want to hear the stories Benoit has told you that make me ‘famous,’” I said with a chuckle.
“Nonsense! Only a few of them are too embarrassing to repeat in front of Zoe.”
“Now those I want to hear,” Zoe said. She looked over at me with a sly grin.
Benoit looked down at his watch. “Unfortunately, I have an early start tomorrow, so we should really get going,” he said. “But I promise I’ll share all those stories with you soon. We’ll make plans to get together again.”
His words were bittersweet. I was thrilled that I’d get the chance to see him and Fleur again, that this wasn’t a one-time fluke, but his suggestion made it all too real that Zoe wouldn’t be there for that. I didn’t want to burst the bubble of a perfect night by mentioning that.
Outside the restaurant, we bid Benoit and Fleur a good night with a promise to get together again soon. A small part of me had worried at the start of the evening that this had been a one-time thing, that they had just come to appease Zoe, but they’d both made it obvious throughout the night that they were just as glad to be reunited. We’d all exchanged phone numbers, and Benoit has gone so far as to mention attending a soccer match together.
It was good to have my brother back. I had a feeling that, soon enough, things would be back to how they were before the falling out. We’d already taken a step in that direction. Throughout our estranged years, I’d often thought about our father and how disappointed he would be if he knew we were fighting over the company. I knew that, if he were here right now, he’d be thrilled to see his boys back together again.
I still simply could not get over how well this reunion had gone, and I knew that, no matter what the future brought for Zoe and me, I would be eternally grateful to her for bringing my brother back into my life. I wasn’t sure I’d fully realized how much my life had lacked without Benoit until I’d seen him again after all these years.
Had this really happened? Over the course of one night, I’d been able to repair things with my brother, meet his wife, introduce him to Zoe, and bond over our soon-to-be children.
Still standing on the sidewalk, I turned to Zoe with tears in my eyes.
“I still can’t believe you did this,” I said. “It’s the most incredible thing anyone has ever done for me, and I’ll be eternally grateful that you’ve brought my family back together. Thank you, Zoe.”
“I’m just glad it worked,” she said. “I could have never forgiven myself if it had backfired.”
She tried to muster up a laugh, but I could tell she was serious. She cared so deeply about me that she wanted what was best for me. She’d had the strength to do something I hadn’t even considered doing.
On the car ride back to my house, all I could do was stare at Zoe. She was absolutely breathtaking, both inside and out. Not only was she the most beautiful woman I’d ever known, but she had the kindest heart and the brightest spirit. I took the lull in conversation as an opportunity to tell her what I was thinking at that exact moment.
“I know I said it already, but I simply can’t thank you enough for reaching out to Benoit and arranging this.” I hesitated. “I don’t know what I did to deserve someone so wonderful coming into my life, but I thank my lucky stars every day. That was the best surprise I could have imagined.”
“You deserve it,” she replied. “You deserve to be happy.”
Her words sounded less than happy. Maybe it was finally sinking in that she was leaving tomorrow. It still hadn’t quite hit me yet. I’d been so excited about seeing Benoit again that I’d forgotten for a few minutes that Zoe and I were slated to say goodbye in the morning.
“I just can’t imagine how much more time I would have wasted not talking to him just because we were both too stubborn or nervous to call,” I started. “I mean, it’s already been five years. Would it have taken another five? Ten? Fifteen?”
“Hey, I just thought of something!”
“What’s that?”
“Now our kids will have an uncle in Illinois and an uncle in Brussels,” she chirped. “Everyone needs a fun uncle!”
That was it for me. I couldn’t do this anymore. The more we spoke about the babies’ lives in two separate places, the more certain I became that wasn’t what I wanted. When I pictured raising the
triplets, I pictured doing so with Zoe. I pictured waking up next to her and switching off diaper changes in the middle of the night. I knew that I was the one who’d proposed this whole arrangement, but that was before I’d really gotten to know Zoe.
Now that I knew her, I wanted nothing more than to be near her. I wanted her here with me. This was the day we’d both simultaneously been waiting for and avoiding. I could feel it in my bones.
I needed to tell her how I felt. I knew what I had to do. I knew what I wanted. Zoe had brought my family back together before we were to start a family of our own, and all the missing pieces were finally making sense. I wanted a family. A whole family. My children, my brother, his family, and the woman I loved. Zoe. She was my family now. It had started off unconventionally, sure, but I’d grown to care about her more than I’d ever be able to express.
We pulled up to the front of my house, and I racked my brain for the best way to start the conversation. I knew there was no easy way to make such a grand declaration, but maybe I could ease my way into it. I opened my mouth to speak, but Zoe beat me to it.
“Your brother was really great,” she said as we walked up the pathway to the front door. “Fleur, too.”
“He’s always been a great guy,” I said. “That’s why it stung so badly when we stopped speaking to one another. I’d never met Fleur until tonight, but I think she’s lovely, as well. You two seemed to really hit it off.”
“We did. I’m really going to miss it here. Brussels, this house, all of it.”
I followed Zoe into the kitchen.
She continued, “I’m going to miss all of the amazing dinners we’ve had in this kitchen.”
I chuckled. “I can try to get you some recipes, but I make no promises.”
I could see in Zoe’s eyes that she was as tired of dancing around this as I was. She was tired of spending her waking hours pretending that there was nothing between us. She was tired of having to sneak a look at me when she thought I wasn’t looking for fear of seeming too interested. She was tired of worrying about rocking the boat. I knew because I felt all of those same things.
The Deal With Triplets Page 15
