The sound of cheerful laughter echoed through Alessia’s living room as she unwrapped yet another box filled with baby decorations. Pamela stood nearby, holding a pair of tiny booties in her hands, a teasing smile playing on her lips. Zane sat on the couch, scrolling through his phone, occasionally chiming in with sarcastic remarks that made both women roll their eyes.
“I don’t know why you’re letting me do this,” Pamela said with a grin, setting the booties down. “You’re the one with impeccable taste, Alessia. I’m just here to hold things up and ask, ‘Does this look okay?’”
Alessia smirked, holding up a small stuffed giraffe. “That’s because I don’t trust Zane to have any input unless it involves camouflage or some bizarre ‘cool uncle’ aesthetic.”
“Hey,” Zane protested from the couch, raising his hands in mock defense. “Cool uncle is a legitimate vibe. Your kid’s first word is going to be ‘awesome’ thanks to me.”
Pamela chuckled, throwing a throw pillow at him. “More like, ‘Uncle Zane, stop embarrassing me.’”
“That’s a long first word,” Zane shot back, catching the pillow and tossing it onto the couch beside him. “But I’ll take it.”
Alessia laughed, shaking her head. “See? This is why I need Pamela’s help. Zane’s too busy planning how to spoil my child rotten.”
“Excuse me, it’s called being the favorite uncle,” Zane said with mock seriousness. “It’s a title I intend to win.”
Pamela leaned closer to Alessia, whispering loudly enough for Zane to hear, “We’ll make sure the baby calls Tobias ‘Uncle’ first.”
Zane gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. “Betrayal! After everything I’ve done for this family.”
The playful banter eased the tension that had once existed between Alessia and Pamela. After weeks of rebuilding trust, their relationship had grown stronger. Pamela had worked hard to make amends—not just with Zane, but with the entire Kane family, especially Alessia.
“You know,” Alessia said as she arranged a row of picture frames on the mantle, “I didn’t think we’d ever get to this point. I mean, you faked your death, Pamela.”
Pamela winced, placing a baby blanket neatly over the crib they’d just assembled. “Yeah, that wasn’t my finest moment.”
“That’s an understatement,” Alessia replied, though her tone was light. “But seriously, I’m glad we’re here now. You’ve been… amazing, actually.”
Pamela’s lips curved into a soft smile. “That means a lot, Alessia. I know I have a lot to make up for, but I’m here for you. Whatever you need—especially with this little one on the way.”
“Good,” Alessia said with a playful grin. “Because I’m officially putting you on diaper duty.”
Pamela laughed, tossing a decorative pillow onto the rocking chair. “Deal. Just don’t expect me to handle the really gross ones —those are Zane’s responsibility.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Zane interjected, lowering his phone to glare at them. “How did I suddenly get dragged into this? I’m the fun uncle, remember? Fun uncles don’t do diapers.”
“Fun uncles also don’t sit on their phones while the rest of us are working,” Pamela teased, folding her arms. “So unless you want to lose your title, you might want to step it up.”
Zane groaned dramatically, standing up and stretching. “Fine, but if this baby’s first words are ‘cool uncle Zane,’ you both owe me big time.”
“Deal,” Alessia said with a laugh, handing him a box of wall decals shaped like clouds. “Here, make yourself useful. These go on the wall above the crib.”
Zane examined the decals, tilting his head. “Shouldn’t we add some stars or something? Clouds alone feel… incomplete.”
Pamela snorted. “Look at you, suddenly becoming Mr. Interior Designer.”
“I’m just saying,” Zane replied, smirking. “If I’m going to contribute, it’s going to be legendary.”