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“You two should be finding out what you’re having soon, right?” Ellie asks, moving over to the seat beside Hallie.
“Actually, we want to be surprised.”
Ellie’s eyes go wide. “Really? I’d have to know.” She looks at me. “The fact you wanted to be surprised surprises me a little. You’re always so organized.”
“I was bullied into it,” I quip, flashing a smile.
“Shut up,” Hallie retorts, elbowing me in the side, causing us both to laugh.
Ellie just stares at us, a knowing grin on her face. “Interesting.”
Before either of us can ask more about her statement, Blair’s stepmom, Patience, steps into the middle of the room. “May I have your attention, please? Frank and I wanted to welcome you all to our home this afternoon as we celebrate Blair and Gabe. I see no one honored the bride and groom’s wishes for no gifts,” she says, referring to the pile of gift bags and wrapped boxes over by the windows.
“And I know everyone is anxious to have them open their gifts, but there’s a looming question out there I think everyone is even more curious about. Boy or girl?” she asks, practically bouncing up and down with excitement.
Blair’s mom walks into the room carrying a large black balloon. On it are the words “Boy or Girl?” It’s great to see both of Blair’s parents in the same room again. For so many years, there was no communication between them, the anger from a nasty divorce spilling over into the relationship of father and daughter. But over the last year or so, Donna has put aside her anger over her ex-husband’s affair with his young nurse nearly twenty years ago and has been able to forge a civil relationship with both Frank and Patience.
Of course, having reconnected with a man she dated years ago might have helped too. This isn’t the first time John has come with Donna to Pine Village, and despite the way Donna and Frank’s marriage ended all those years ago, everyone seems to have finally found peace and is moving forward.
“When Blair had her ultrasound a few weeks ago, the results were sent to Donna in Merrillville, who cooked up the big reveal for today. Blair, Gabe, will you both come up to the front, please?” Patience states.
When the happy couple moves to the front and center of the room, they’re both wearing matching smiles. Gabe has Blair’s hand tucked tightly in his and doesn’t pass up the opportunity to place his other hand securely on her stomach. Blair’s a few weeks farther along than Hallie, so her belly is rounder already. I can also tell she’s carrying a bit differently, and according to the internet, that could mean they’re having different sexes.
“Take this, Blair.” Patience hands over a large safety pin. “On the count of three, pop the balloon.”
Aggie starts jumping up and down, the excitement felt through the entire room. “Please be a girl, please be a girl.”
Everyone chuckles as Blair glances up at Gabe. When he nods, after a brief silence communication, Blair says, “Come on up here, Aggie. We need your help popping this balloon.”
Her little sister moves so quickly she almost stumbles. I find myself moving to the edge of my seat as we wait to find out if they’re having a boy or a girl. Aggie takes her position right between Gabe and Blair, and together, the three of them hold the pin.
“Three…Two…One…”
They thrust the pin up into the black balloon and watch as pink confetti rains down on them. “Yay!” Aggie hollers, bouncing up and down and twirling in the confetti. “I knew it!”
Gabe takes the pin in one hand and his fiancée in the other and draws her into his arms. He kisses her with a passion that has me turning my head to avert my eyes. When I do, they land on Hallie, who seems incredibly happy for her best friend and brother. There are tears in her eyes as she looks on.
I want to take her in my arms. I want to kiss her the way Gabe kisses Blair. But I don’t know what this is. We’re getting along so well, and ever since last Sunday when she made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, the sex has been out of this world. We’ve shared a bed every night since, some nights content to just falling asleep in each other’s arms and others spent ravishing our naked bodies. Either way, I’ve enjoyed the hell out of them, wishing there were an unlimited amount of them on the horizon. But the truth is, I have no idea what our future has in store, so I’ll just continue to take it day by day and see how this plays out.
She must feel my eyes on her and turns. The smile on her lips remains as she stares back at me. I reach for her hand, entwining our fingers, and give hers a gentle squeeze in silent support. We sit here, watching the group as all the grandparents celebrate the news of welcoming their first grandchild—a granddaughter—on both sides.
“No one seems to care there’s a million pink confetti particles spread all over the floor,” Hallie mutters softly.
I shrug, watching as Aggie continues to play with the pink mess. “It’s fun.”
“Fun until you have to clean it,” she mumbles. “But I do see the appeal. If we did that, we’d just do it outside.”
“There’s still time,” I inform her, bumping her shoulder with mine.
“Nope. I’ve dug my toes in now. No reveal. We will be surprised.”
I nod. “I can’t wait for the moment we look down and see our son or daughter for the first time. To watch you fight like the warrior you are to bring him or her into the world. That’s when we’ll find out. The ultimate surprise.”
Her ocean blue eyes turn misty. “See? I was right.”
I scoff and blow out a breath. “I don’t know about that. I think waiting to find out what we’re having was my idea.”
As expected, her eyes narrow as a look of pure annoyance takes over her face. “What? It was my idea.”
