Zechariah crinkled his nose with a smile that might as well have been a cringe.

“Marital bliss is a myth,” he said, fingers settling on the base of the not-yet-refilled glass, “but I am looking forward to being a father.”

‘More than a husband,’ he refrained from clarifying.

Zechariah blushed. Was Elijah flirting with him? He could not possibly be flirting with him. Zechariah had sprayed him in vomit! If that was not the most straightforward path to extinguishing an untested … relation? Then by God, he did not know what was. Divine intervention for Elijah’s sake, he was certain.

His face fell at Elijah’s plight. It was a relatable one, even with the time to brood his own decisions over. If anything, that merely gave him more time to fret.

He met Elijah’s glass with his own, studying him as he chose his own words.

“All the time in the world does not spare me regrets. What I primarily have to go on is my client’s word, and one side of the story can only go so far. I have heard of cases where the facts come out post-trial, much to a friend’s chagrin – and they were not as expected. All we can do is the best with what we have.”

Sonia said he could have lovers. Would it be too presumptuous to have a frock made?

A waiter swept by with their risottos. It was a bit flavorless, but they were mostly paying for the view anyway.