Sepulveda is probably not aware of how irrevocably he just associated himself with maternal family gatherings in Nick's mind. He can almost hear Anna hiss "Incoming!" in his ear the moment Sepulveda grabs him by the elbows, and his return of the greeting, his hands clapping on the back of the other man's arms, is purely reflexive. When Andres pulls away and asks how he is, Nick says, "I'm good," and his expression is for an instant the one of a mildly shellshocked teenager at Christmas. If he knew how rare it was to unbalance Nick, Sepulveda might even treasure the moment.
He recovers quickly. "We've just met Margot," he says, and "Hello, Ned." There is a smile for Ned, some rueful and apologetic acknowledgement perhaps of his discomfort, before he begins to move after Andres into the kitchen.
He smiles at the Etherite's next question, regarding their marriage. "For a little while now," he says. "Pen tells me you knew each other from a while back." A glance back to Pen, inviting her to elaborate. Nick, it should be noted, also slows his pace if necessary to keep Margot and Ned either beside or slightly in front of him - not excluding them from the conversation, even if they aren't its direct subjects.
He recovers quickly. "We've just met Margot," he says, and "Hello, Ned." There is a smile for Ned, some rueful and apologetic acknowledgement perhaps of his discomfort, before he begins to move after Andres into the kitchen.
He smiles at the Etherite's next question, regarding their marriage. "For a little while now," he says. "Pen tells me you knew each other from a while back." A glance back to Pen, inviting her to elaborate. Nick, it should be noted, also slows his pace if necessary to keep Margot and Ned either beside or slightly in front of him - not excluding them from the conversation, even if they aren't its direct subjects.