A FEW DAYS LATER:

A few more days passed, with chat among myself, Alena and my sister Kate. My sister re-named our group chat "Repro Bros," which I'm glad amuses her with her ridiculous sense of humor. We started trying to figure out a date for the dry run, then realized that the only evening we all had free before Alena's next ovulation was actually... this evening. So we agreed. Tonight was the night.

A few hours before I was due to head over, Kate reached out to me via text one-on-one. I've transcribed this exchange below:

K: Hey bro

Me: yo

K: Maybe I shouldn't be emphasizing the bro...