She hums happily along to the song playing in her earphones. The blindfold I’d asked her to put on is firmly in place. Am I going overboard? Yes. But do I want the surprise to be ruined? No.
After driving around for a little bit longer than I usually would, we arrive at our destination, my parents' home. Outside, a trail of pink and yellow balloons follows the path to the front door. I get out and round the car before helping Lacey out.
“I hope you like this…” My voice cracks slightly, and I feel butterflies gather in my stomach.
She smiles softly as I remove the blindfold and the earphones. Her eyes blink slightly to adjust to the light.
“Oh, those balloons are beautiful, Cole. What is it for?”
“You…well, both of you. I-it’s a surprise baby shower.”
She opens her mouth to speak, but she’s cut off by, “There she is! Lacey, put him down. You can jump his bones later!”
“Hayleigh, Jesus! Take your time, guys…but not too long! Come on, before you cause too much trouble.” Emmy pulls a cackling Hayleigh inside, and I nod towards the door.
“Ready?”
She takes my hand, smiling.
As we walk through the door, I notice two things: first, our entire family stands in the living room, and second, everyone, and I meaneveryone, is wearing nappies over their clothes.
“Happy baby shower day! Cole put this on.” Emmy throws a nappy at me, and I catch it before glaring at her.
“I’m not wearing this.”
Lacey, ever the traitor, turns her gaze on me and clasps her hands in front of her, “Please? For me?” She bats those beautiful eyes of hers, and I feel myself crumbling.
“Cole, put the fucking nappy on…If I have to look like a tit, then so do you. You’re the dad!” Ethan’s voice rumbles around the room.
“Ethan! Language!” Mum clips him around the back of his head, and I look to the ceiling. Fuck it, they’ve already caught me mooing, might as well go whole hog and wear a nappy.
“Okay! Everyone, out to the garden! It’s forecast to be dry but a bit chilly today, so you might want to bring your coats. Lacey, if you would like to follow me, our beautiful mama-to-be…Ha, that rhymed!” Emmy links arms with Lacey and takes her through to the back garden.
The rest of us file outside to a huge white tent that fills the top left side of the garden. The trees behind it are a deep orange, red, and brown. Balloons fill the garden, along with banners featuring baby bottles and pink hearts. I look around at everyone milling about, laughing and joking, and then Lacey, in the middle of it all, glowing. She catches me staring from where she stands underneath the tent and rolls her eyes playfully.
Emmy claps her hands. “Okay! Everyone, round up!” Her no-nonsense tone makes everyone hurry to where she stands. “We’re going to play our first game of the shower!” She looks at Ethan and raises her brow. He unfolds his arms from his chest and pastes a smile on his face. “So, the game is called ‘stuff the nappy’. Lacey is going to referee here to make sure none of you boys cheat. Do not look at me like that, Casper Peterson, there are no freebies in this game!”
Cas grumbles something about ‘husband' rights’, but she shakes her head and carries on, “Around the garden I have hidden rattles and dummies. The aim of the game is to find them and stuff as many as you can into your nappies…WITHOUT ripping them!” She looks at Lacey, who sits on a makeshift throne, “Are you ready, everyone?”
“Oh, Nate, you're going down.” Hayleigh waggles her nappy backside at him, and he winks back.
“Bet you’d love that, shortcake.”
Her cheeks blaze a bright red, and then Emmy shouts 'Go,' and pandemonium ensues.
Archie, ever the overachiever, sprints past me to the bottom of the garden while the rest of our brothers search the top part of the garden. I look back towards Lacey, and she shoos me away, so I decide to join Archie and hobble down to the bottom of the garden.
“Hey! This is my spot!” He looks at me indignantly, but I move past him and pluck the rattle that’s balancing on one of thebranches in the tree. “Aww, Cole, come on! I wasjustabout to get that!”
“You snooze, you lose, Archie boy!” I leave him digging around in Mum's begonias for more baby items and round the greenhouse to find a nappy-filled backside staring up at me.
“Cas?” I kneel to see what he’s looking at, but there’s only the dark space underneath the trees behind the greenhouse.
“Do you see it?” he whispers out the side of his mouth, and I strain my eyes in the dark undergrowth, but I see nothing.
“Cas, I don’t know what to tell you but…”
“Wait! There! Did you see…” We both see it at the same time; two eyes peek out at us, surrounded by a white and brown ringed furry face. Cas jumps up. “Argh! It’s a rat!” He’s hopping from one foot to another, pointing at the space where the supposed ‘rat’ lies in wait.
