He follows me in, and when it’s time for me to get on the table, Dr. Louis pulls out a tissue exam sheet. “How’s everyone doing?”
“Fine,” I start to say when Theo interrupts me.
“She’s getting heartburn a lot.”
Dr. Louis has come to enjoy our visits, since I’m always the one who tells her I’m fine, and then Theo tells her everything else. It’s a running joke at the nurses’ station when we see each other at the hospital.
“That can happen. As the baby grows, the uterus expands.” I lay down while she tells him that it’s nothing to worry about. “Can you get the lights?”
“It’s my favorite part,” he says, like a kid in a candy store.
She tucks the tissue into my panties and then squeezes the gel on my stomach. Theo comes to stand next to me, holding my hand and placing the other one over my head. The swooshing sounds start right away. I watch him, the way his whole face lights up with a look like, Do you hear that?
He lifts my hand to his lips. “So strong.” His chest puffs up, and then she moves the transducer around, and we see the baby’s face. “I think our baby is the most beautiful baby ever made.” Dr. Louis laughs at him. “Is everything okay with her?”
“Or him,” I add in. “Is everything okay?”
She clicks a couple of buttons. “Baby is measuring a bit big. But things are following the curve of the last exam.” The machine spits out more pictures, and when she wipes me down, she hands them to me.
“I got another frame,” Theo tells me. “For this one.” He has our ultrasound pictures right on display in the living room. He takes the photos from me as I sit up. “I’ll hold these.”
“I’ll see you guys next month,” Dr. Louis says while we walk out.
“Look at how big she got.” He is still looking at the pictures.
“I know, I feel it every single time I sit down.” I rub my belly. “I’m hungry.”
“Perfect, let’s go for lunch.” He opens the truck door for me, giving me a kiss before helping me in.
He parks in front of Thatcher’s, and when I meet him on the sidewalk, he slides his hand in mine and brings it up to his lips to kiss my fingers. “Love you,” he says, and I just smile as we walk. A sign in the front of the bakery says: Closed for a Private Event.
“Oh no!” I exclaim in dismay. But he just tugs the door open and pulls me inside.
“Surprise!” A crowd of people yell in unison. I’m so fucking confused. Samantha is coming toward me.
“What is going on?” I ask. She has tears running down her face as she takes me in her arms.
“It’s your baby shower,” Samantha whispers into my ear. “Surprise.”
I realize half of the town is here, crammed into the bakery. Roman high-fives Scooter, who just smiles at me. Balloons float at the back, and Ms. Maddie hugs Mrs. Lambert as they celebrate and smile at me.
I look over at Theo, who is beaming, and I mean fucking beaming with his bright smile. “I promised my mother I wouldn’t tell you.” He holds up his hands in defense.
I’m greeted with a hug from Sierra. “I’m so happy you’re surprised,” she tells me.
Finley is standing beside her with a huge smile on her face and her hands up together in front of her mouth. “Surprise.” She looks worried. “On a scale of one to ten, how pissed are you that I didn’t tell you?”
I shake my head. “I’m too shocked to count.” I give her a hug, squeezing her extra tight. “Thank you for being here,” I say softly in her ear. “It makes it extra special having my one friend here.”
“There is no place else I would rather be.” I hear her voice quiver. “I owe you more than you know.” She lets me go. “Go and be the belle of the ball.” She holds her hand out to everyone waiting for their turn. “You look fabulous, by the way. Love the dress.” She winks at me and slips away, disappearing in the crowd.
Brock catches my eye and grins. The whole place is packed with all of the people who I’ve thought hated me for years. And it’s then that I burst out into tears.
Theo’s arms are immediately around me. “It’s okay, baby,” he whispers. “Do you want to leave? We can leave. I’ll take you away from here.”
I close my eyes, smelling his musky scent while embraced in his strong hug, and shake my head. “Can I get a hug?” Scooter asks, coming over to us.
Theo reluctantly releases me. “You did good,” Scooter says, patting my back. Theo has his hands on his hips. Then Roman comes with a hug before joining Scooter to the side.
