“Julian!” Kevin gasped, his face instantly draining of color as the heavy oak door clicked shut behind me. He tried to adjust his posture, quickly handing the baby to my mother. “Hey, man… you missed the morning visit. We were just, uh, celebrating the birth.”
“I know exactly what you were celebrating, Kevin,” I said, stepping to the foot of the bed and looking down at the three of them with absolute, surgical detachment.
My mother let out a forced, theatrical laugh, adjusting her pearls. “Julian, don’t start with your distant corporate attitude today of all days. Your sister just had a beautiful boy. You should be happy for the family.”
“This isn’t my family, Mother,” I replied smoothly, pulling a sleek leather portfolio from my briefcase and dropping it carelessly onto Sierra’s bedside tray, right over her gourmet chocolate box. “And the celebration is officially over.”
