Liam's POV
Ethan showed up twenty minutes late, phone in hand, that particular half-smile on his face that meant he'd been texting someone the whole walk over.
"Let me guess," I said as he sat down. "The strategist."
"Amara. Yes." He set the phone face-down, which used to mean something, back before it started happening every single time we met up. "Fabian lost a tooth today, apparently it's a whole event."
"Fascinating." I waved the bartender over. "Do you still remember when we used to talk about things that weren't about your surrogate family?"
"They're not surrogate anything, Liam. He's my son."
"Right, of course." I took a slow sip, watching him over the rim of the glass. "It's just funny, is all."
"What's funny?"
"How fast it all came together. Kid, custody, cozy little famil
