Ready for Anything?

Chapter 57

Evie's POV

We finally got off the plane after the long flight, and I'd never been so happy in my life to be back on solid ground. You might think it would be my children that were difficult to manage on the plane, but it was my brother. It was so adorably cute, but also heartbreaking. I'd never known him to be like this before.

The moment we disembarked the plane, he was on the phone calling to check on Rory while we all loaded up in the waiting limo that would take us to the house.

"He's not settling down any. In fact, I think he may be even worse than before we left" Mum said, watching him pace outside the car while he was on the phone.

"All these years I spent warning him not to get someone pregnant - who would have thought that would be what got him to grow up finally?!" Nick chuckled.

"I don't think it would be this way with anyone else. In fact, I'm certain of it. If it was any other women he'd be running scared, but with Rory he's picking out names and looking up ideas for a gender reveal party. She's turned him into a family man" I said, laughing at the irony of it all.

"Did he mention what they're having? I know they found out" Dad asked.

"Nope, he said that no one finds out until the celebration after we get back from Australia. Believe me, I tried to get him to tell me" I replied.

"Can someone please get him in the car? I don't want to sit here all day" Dad said impatiently.

"I'll go" I sighed. I got out of the car and walked over to Finn. I couldn't help but smile as I heard his conversation. He hadn't heard me walk up behind him.

"I just...I need to know that you guys are okay. I can't explain it, Ror, but I have a bad feeling. I love you guys so much, and I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you" he said through the phone.

I felt like I was intruding on a private moment, so I tapped him on the shoulder and motioned toward the car. He nodded to me and then turned away and finished his conversation quickly before rejoining me to walk toward the car.

"You doing okay there?" I asked. Honestly, while I thought everything was going to be fine, I was worried about him.

"I don't know, Evie. Hearing her voice helped a little, but I can't help this feeling of dread. I feel like I should have stayed with her" he replied. I could hear the panic in his voice.

"Come on, let's get you in the car and get you something to drink to help take the edge off" I said as I ushered him into the car. I poured him a scotch and handed it to him. "Here, drink it."

He looked at it wearily and finally took it and took a drink. "Just one won't hurt, I guess" he relented.

"What's wrong with Uncle Finn?" Nicky, my oldest asked.

"Uncle Finn is just missing someone that he loves a lot. You know how sometimes you have a nightmare and you're afraid that something's going to happen to Mommy and Daddy? That's kind of what's going on with Uncle Finn" I answered, trying to be vague. I didn't need the boys encouraging Finn's panicked state of mind.

"It will all be okay, Uncle Finn" Nicky said sweetly, reaching over to take Finn's hand.

"Thanks, buddy. You're the best help I could ask for" Finn said, finally snapping out of it, but it only lasted for a moment. Soon, he was back to running his hand through his hair and tapping his foot nervously.

We arrived at our grandparents' home where the entire family spends Christmas week together in one place. We walk in to say hello as the driver brings in our luggage.

"I need to call her" Finn says as we walk in, but I take his hand and look at him sternly.

"Finn, you just called her twenty minutes ago. Nothing has changed, other than seeing the family none of us has seen in a year. First things first, we go say hello, we go to our rooms to unpack and we come back down and socialize. Besides she's probably already asleep, Finn - or at least she should be! It's midnight!" I said.

"She didn't want to go to sleep until she knew I made it here to the house in one piece. I'll just call her when I go up and unpack. I hope they don't take too long to say hello..." he said.

"You will not cut them short. Don't ruin the week for everyone, Finn. I know you're freaking out, but the rest of us want to have a nice, relaxing week in paradise" I told him.

He nodded, but I have no idea if he would actually listen to me or not.

We greeted our grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who we haven't seen since last Christmastime. I couldn't help but notice Finn still anxiously, impatiently waiting to go upstairs, and our grandpa seemed to notice it, too.

"You okay there, Finn?" He asked him, eyeing him carefully.

"I'll be okay, I just need to make a phone call" he admitted.

"A phone call? You just got here! Can't you spend some time with your family for longer than a hug hello?" Our Uncle Steve asked.

"It's - it's a very important phone call, but as soon as I make it, I'll feel a bit better" Finn said.

Steve looked perplexed. I laughed slightly because I knew exactly where their minds all went. My brother, ladies and gentleman, as far as the rest of the family knew, he was still a playboy, and a partier, and guaranteed they think he's trying to contact a dealer of some sort.

"Here? Now!? You're going to ruin Christmas over this - addiction!?" Steve asked him, pulling him out of earshot of our grandparents, but I heard him.

"Addiction!?" Finn asked in confusion.

"Look, your parents may not realize what's going on, but I do, and you need rehab, son" Steve continued.

"Rehab?" Finn asked, still absolutely lost.

I walked over and laughed some more. "He's not strung out on drugs, Uncle Steve, he's strung out on a girl back home" I defended.

"A girl!? Finn?" Steve asked in utter shock.

I nodded. "Yeah, we all had about the same reaction. But he's in love with her, and he's afraid to be twenty-four hours away from her right now, he's terrified something bad is going to happen while he's gone, so he's been nuttier than a dang fruit bat since before we left Boston" I explained.

"Over a girl...? Finn...?" Steve asked.

I laughed again and Finn nodded. "She's pregnant. I guess Mum and Dad didn't announce that before we got here... I'm going to be a father, I'm having twins" Finn told him, and suddenly you could hear a pin drop. The entire room heard his announcement and were shocked and silent. Turns out it was more believable that he was on some sort of a drug binge.

"You're having babies!? You're going to be a daddy!?" Our grandma exclaimed.

"Yeah, and she's back home, she wasn't able to come with me, so that's why I need to call her - let her know I made it here safely, and make sure she's okay" he said.

"Well by all means, honey! Go! Call!" Grandma said.

"Thank you, Grandma!" He said, running up the stairs to his room.