Chapter Text
Three Years Later
Genny: The kids came over two hours ago, where the hell are you two?
“The horndogs aren’t here yet?” Angela asks.
Genny sighs and shows Angela the response that just chimed.
Tim: Stuck in traffic.
Both women crane their necks to glance next door, confirming both her brother’s truck and sister-in-law’s car are parked in the driveway.
Genny: Must be a hell of a traffic jam, walking the thirty feet from your backyard to mine.
“Mama, what’s a horndog?” Delilah asks. “Can I have one?” Angela cackles and walks away.
~~~~~~
When the couple finally walk through the gate twenty minutes later, hair wet, clothes disheveled, and matching, poorly concealed hickeys, they are met with whoops and hollers.
Tim smirks and wraps his arms around his wife, who buries her face in his shoulder, obviously embarrassed.
“Must be a shitty party if everyone was waiting on us to get here,” Tim says to Genny as he takes both beers John offers the couple. He shakes his head, muttering, “a man can’t even get a private moment with his wife.”
“If memory serves, you wouldn’t have a wife to grope if it weren’t for Genny’s parties,” Nyla supplies.
Tim and Lucy stare at each other with their trademark dopey smiles. It was four years ago today that they met, albeit not technically at the party, but if not for Genny it would’ve just been a routine traffic stop.
“Okay, enough of this. I do not want to hear about my brother’s raging hormones,” Genny throws her hands up and starts to walk away from the group.
“It’s not my hormones that are raging,” Tim says. Genny turns back, noting Tim still holding both beers, husband and wife sporting matching cheeky grins.
“Are you serious?” she squeals. After they had baby Katherine nine months ago, Lucy swore off fertility treatments. Though their family wasn’t yet complete, she couldn’t go through that a third time.
Lucy nods, then is almost knocked over by Genny, Angela, and Nyla, all going in for a hug simultaneously. The men all fist bump and high five Tim. “I’m twelve weeks today, it was a complete surprise,” she says after her friends let her go.
“It was Tim’s super sperm,” Jackson quips, prompting Genny to gag and the group to laugh.
They chat for a while, answering all the usual questions. “Do you know what you’re having?” Sterling asks.
“No, and we’re not finding out this time,” Lucy pouts at her husband.
Tim shrugs, “I like surprises.”
“But babe, at your age surprises are dangerous,” she smirks, and Tim punches her side.
He leans in close to her ear, “I wasn’t too old to do that thing you like in the shower just now.”
“For fuck’s sake, get a room,” Genny exclaims.
“We had a room. You harassed us until we left it.” Genny punches her brother’s arm, and it’s not gentle.
“So, Luce,” Jackson thankfully changes the subject. “Are you gonna name this one after Smitty?” he teases his friend.
Tim chuckles. “Quigley Bradford has a nice ring to it,” he grins at Lucy.
Lucy rolls her eyes. “I think even Smitty would agree that’s child abuse.
Angela pipes up, “you gotta honor the guy somehow. After all, he’s the reason you two got drunk and finally banged.”
Tim shoots her a glare, Lucy blushes and hides her face again, and everyone else laughs.
“Dad,” Max approaches, carrying his little sister. “She’s getting cranky, I think she wants you.”
Tim reaches for the baby, “come here, Katie Bug.” She is a total daddy’s girl and has Tim completely wrapped around her finger (both of his children do, honestly). “I’ll go lay her down,” he says to Lucy, kissing her cheek before heading in the house.
Genny rolls her eyes at her sister, who watches Tim carrying the baby, biting her lip and staring at him like he’s a most delicious meal.
Really though, it’s sweet. There was a time Genny thought her best friend would never get out of her own way and let herself be happy. From the day she met Lucy she knew she’d be a good match for her brother, he’d always been drawn to strong women, and she knew Lucy would challenge him in all the best ways.
She and Tim hadn’t spoken for years because of some awful things she said about Isabel, but she thought about him every day and wanted only happiness for him. So, when he called her out of the blue and said he needed a change, she knew it was fate and had John finish the studio over the garage.
Their connection was obvious from the first meeting. Genny could see that Tim challenged Lucy as well, calling her on her shit and getting her to let him in. He was steady and patient and seemed to know exactly what she needed, so Genny sat back and watched it unfold, only stepping in when it was clear Lucy was about to lose him forever.
As soon as Lucy decided to take the leap, though, she was all in. They were married less than six months later, a small celebration in their backyard; Max gave her away and then served as Tim’s best man. They started the adoption process right away; Caleb was more than happy to sign his rights away and Max was ecstatic to officially be a Bradford.
The process of getting pregnant proved just as difficult for Lucy as the first time, but Tim was a steady, patient presence, letting her lead the charge and assuring her that no matter what, he is content with her and Max.
Genny moves into the kitchen to set up another vegetable tray, and she hears Tim softly singing in the living room.
“Sweet dreams ’til sunbeams find you, sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you.”
She moves so she can peek at father and daughter but still be out of sight. He’s pacing slowly, rubbing circles on Katie’s back as she lays against his chest. Her eyes are open but drooping, and she’s lazily playing with the pendant around Tim’s neck, the one that once belonged to her namesake. Lucy comes through with a plate of food, not even noticing Genny, singularly focused on her husband. She sets the plate on an end table then walks into Tim’s one-armed embrace. She kisses their daughter’s head, then pushes up on her toes to whisper something in Tim’s ear. His eyes widen and his cheeks tinge pink and he slaps her ass as she walks away, her joyous laughter echoing throughout the house.
Tim resumes his lullaby and Genny smiles. After a lifetime of pain, both physical and emotional, her brother – her fierce protector – has finally found the happiness he deserves.