The Party (The Proposition 0.5)(4)

“I was just asking. Why are you being so testy? Not enough sleep last night?”

Aidan tore his gaze off the road to stare at his father. “I plead the fifth on that one, thank you.”

“That sounds pretty guilty to me. You should have brought your lady friend to the Baptism.”

With a snort, Aidan replied, “No, I don’t think so.”

“Ashamed of your family?”

“Of course not. Besides, she’s not much of a lady, least of all a friend. We’re not anything anymore.” Under his breath, he muttered, “Not that we were much to start with.”

Patrick sighed. “I still hope that one day before I die, I get to attend your son or daughter’s baptism.”

Aidan couldn’t help jerking his hands on the wheel, which caused the car to swerve on the road. “Pop, please. I’d like to make it through today without a guilt trip, okay?”

“So it’s wrong for me to wish you were married and had children?”

With a grunt, Aidan whipped the car into the parking lot behind the church. “I’m going to say this, and then I’m done with conversation, okay? The closest thing I’m ever going to be to a parent is standing up as Mason’s godparent. Got it?”

Patrick nodded sadly. “Fine son. Whatever you say.”

“Good. Now come on. It isn’t every day your first great-grandchild is baptized, right?”

“That’s true,” Patrick said, with a smile.

After getting out of the car, Aidan popped the trunk. He took out the bag from the jewelry store that held the finely wrapped package with Mason’s cross in it. Even though he had gotten a small one, Aidan imagined it would dwarf Mason’s small form for quite a while. The kid was barely six weeks old—a little young for a usual baptism, but since it was close to Christmas, it was the best time to get all the family together, including his sister, Julia, who lived out of state.

As they stepped into the church, Patrick motioned Aidan to one of the side rooms. When he opened the door, he was bombarded by his sisters and their families. All his nieces and nephews wanted hugs and to tell him about what had been going on at school or dance classes or soccer practice. He gave each of them his undivided attention. Finally, they abandoned him for Patrick, and he could take a relaxing breath.

After handing over Mason’s gift to his brother-in-law, Tim, he turned to his sister Angie.

“Well, if it isn’t The Godfather,” she mused.

He grinned. “The one and the only.”

She hugged him tight. “We’re so honored that you agreed to do this for Mason. He’s a lucky little man.”

Aidan pulled away to stare skeptically at his sister. “Frankly, I’m still surprised I even made the list of perspective candidates period. Surely there were more…how should I say this? Suitable choices?”

Angie shook her head. “You were the only one in the world Megan wanted.”

A gentle tug pulled at Aidan’s heart at the mention of Megan. He had always tried hard not playing favorites with his nine nieces and nephews, but he had always had a strong bond with her.

Pulling off his coat, he glanced around the room. “Speaking of, where are Megan and the Little Man of the hour?”

She laughed. “Oh, she’s inside with Mason. She said she wanted to get in a few rosaries before the Christening.”

Aidan nodded as the volume in the room seemed to magnify with all his younger nieces and nephews. Needing an out to the chaos, he said, “I’ll go sit with her awhile.”

The corners of Angie’s lips quirked up. “Maybe you should stop off in the confessional first?”

“Ha, ha,” he muttered before slipping out of the room.

Standing at the doors leading into the church, he peered at the altar. He spotted Megan on one of the front benches, kneeling down on one of the risers. He strode up the aisle. When he saw that she was finished praying and merely gazing up at the giant crucifix, he knelt and crossed himself before sliding onto the bench beside her.

“Hey Hot Mama,” he said in a low voice.

She grinned at him as she slipped her rosary into her coat pocket. “Hey Ankle. Glad you could make it.”

Aidan shook his head at her old nickname for him. As the first grandchild, Megan spent a lot of time with Aidan’s parents. When she first started talking, she couldn’t say ‘Uncle Aidan’. Somehow his name got meshed into ‘Ankle’. None of his other nieces and nephews called him that—it was just one aspect of their special bond.

Aidan craned his neck to eye Mason’s sleeping form in the carrier beside Megan. “You know I wouldn’t miss this for anything in the world. I mean, it’s not every day a man as young as myself gets made his great nephew’s godfather.”

“Trust me, I’m very honored to be in your presence.” Megan eyed him up and down before shaking her head. “I’m assuming you had a wild night last night.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Hmm, from the bags under your eyes and the fact Papa called me twice this morning to see if I had heard from you.”

Aidan swept his hands to his cheeks. “Seriously? I thought I looked pretty fabulous.”

“Always so cocky.” Megan nudged his shoulder playfully. “Sure we don’t need to douse you with a little holy water?”