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“Yes, Mr. Weston. The results were conclusive with a ninety nine point nine percentile match. Congratulations.” Dr. Staton says happily. He lifts me up from the table in a bear hug, swinging me around, shouting “we’re havin’ a baby!” Dr. Staton and Kaylee give us a moment to bask in our happiness before big mouth Kaylee gets impatient and interrupts us.
“Okay that’s enough. Now everyone in Williamstown knows the two of you are having a baby since you shouted it from the rooftops. You can celebrate later.” She wiggles her eyebrows with a wicked grin. “Can I introduce you to the little monkey now, please?!” Kaylee begs and Colton and I both laugh at her.
“Yes ma’am. Please, introduce me to our monkey.” Colton says.
I hop back up on the exam table, raising my shirt up to the hem of my bra. Colton links our fingers together and kisses my knuckles mouthing, “I love you.” Kaylee dollops blue belly jelly over my abdomen and I wince at the cold chill of the gel, gooseflesh blanketing my skin. Dr. Staton swirls the wand in the gel, then goes in search of our little monkey. A loud staticky noise fills the room, followed by a swooshing lup-dup lup-dup.
“Daddy, meet your little monkey. He or she is measuring to be sixteen weeks and four days, and is about the size of an avocado. Little monkey is growing nicely as the legs are beginning to develop more and the eyes are centering more in the face at this point. Here is the heart and little monkey has an amazingly strong heartbeat which is a wonderful sign.” She says, pointing everything out to Colton. He gazes at the screen in astonishment and a wild tear trails down his face. “I’ll print some pictures off for you as a keepsake. I can see this is a very momentous occasion, so if you don’t have any questions for me today, I’ll see you back in one month.” She says, wiping the goo from my belly. “And dad, please try to make it to the next appointment because by then little monkey will have grown so much we will be able to determine the gender.” Colton’s mouth drops open wide and he just stares at her. “If you’d like to know, that is.” She giggles, turning to throw the paper towel in the trash. I pull my shirt down, and Colton takes my hand to help me down from the exam table.
“I’ll be here, Doc; with bells on.”
“You two enjoy your day. I’m so very happy for you both.” Dr. Staton says as we walk out of the exam room. She is an amazing doctor who has went the extra step by being more than just a doctor, caring for a pregnant patient. She sensed the urgency of my situation and held my hand as I dealt with it. I could see the happiness in her face when she announced that Colton is the daddy because she knows that is what I want.
When we step outside in the cool spring air, Colton begins shouting “I’m gonna be a Daddy!” to everyone he passes by. I can’t help but to smile with him because this is the happiest I’ve felt in a very long time. Like a gentlemen, he opens the passenger side door to the Tahoe and helps me in before climbing inside. He laces our fingers together as he drives, and the most handsome smile I’ve ever seen is etched on his face. Pure happiness seeps from his pores, and it’s a happiness that I hope to see on his face for many years to come. I am so in love with this man that my heart skips a beat and a thousand butterflies take flight in my stomach each time he looks at me.
“We’re goin’ out to lunch, then we’re goin’ home to tell everyone that my darlin’ is havin’ my baby! Hell yeah!” He fist pumps into the air. His excitement truly is adorable.
?
??Let’s just invite everyone over and we can make the announcement then. Is that okay?”
“Whatever you want, baby.” I pull my phone out of my purse, and begin texting everyone. Savannah, Emma, Bill and Luke. Luke. Oh shit, I pause before pressing send.
“Ah, Colton. I think we need to make a stop first.”
“Where to darlin’?”
I bite down hard on my lip, as I pinch my eyes closed. I know he says that he’s changed and that Luke helped him overcome his insecurities; whatever that means. But I don’t want to hurt him by needing to tell Luke. I think it’s the honorable thing to do, since there was that slim chance that he may have been the daddy, too. “I-I n-need to talk to Luke.” I say casting my eyes down with a slight sense of shame picking at my heart.
“No. We need to go talk to Luke.” He says, tipping my chin up to look at him.
Fifteen minutes later we cross the tracks to Miller’s Branch and my scattered nerves begin to dance. I know that Luke deserves a relationship where he is loved and cherished for the incredible man that he is. But I can’t offer him any of what he deserves. After the tragedy that stripped Luke of his own family, he surely isn’t ready to start another. It still crushes my heart knowing that in five short minutes I’ll give him news that’s gonna cut him a little deeper.
Before I realize where we are, Colton opens the truck door startling me from my daze. “We’re here, darlin’.” He says taking my hand in his, helping me down out of the truck. I can’t hide the shaking tremors that control my small hands no matter how hard I try. “Are you sure you can do this, baby? If you can’t, just wait here and I’ll go talk to Luke.”
I take a few small steps up the gravel driveway considering Colton’s offer. “No, I need to do this. It’s only right that he hears this from me, Colton. But I’m so happy you’re willing to do it with me.” We step up on the creaky porch and I drag in a rough breath as Colton taps his knuckles against the front door. Luke pulls the door open, immediately smiling when he sees Colton and I standing on his porch. Words don’t have to be spoken for Luke to know why we’re here. He has a keen sense that I admire.
“Hey Y’all! Come on in.” He hollers, stepping back from the door making room for us to enter. The living room is entirely different from the exterior of the house. The siding of the house is tattered and stained from the coal polluted air, and the windows are thick and grimy with soot. However, the inside is a different scene. The living room walls are painted a soothing grey, beautiful white crown molding lining the ceilings. A black leather sectional stretches along the wall and adjacent from there is a flat screen TV, anchored to the wall. It’s simple, sleek and very clean. Everything is neatly in its own place. We take a seat on the couch, and Luke sits down across from us bracing his elbows on his knees. “Glad to see y’all together.”
“Luke, listen.” I pause, my breath is shaky and my palms are beginning to sweat. I keep telling myself that he will be so elated when he hears this news. “I had a doctor’s appointment this mornin’ and we wanted to come by to let you know that the paternity test were conclusive.” I wring my hands together tighter in my lap trying to find the words, but before I can spit it out, Colton comes to my rescue.
“I’m the daddy. We just wanted to tell you first to ease your mind.”
Luke stands up to shake Colton’s hand, but pulls him into guy hug instead. “Congratulations, man. I’m so happy your family is comin’ together as it should.” When he releases Colton, he takes my hand and pulls me into a bear hug. Whispering against my ear he says, “Through the storm, beauts. Always.” And I know that no matter what time of day or night, no matter how fierce the waters may be, Luke would cross any ocean to save me.
“We’re having a small get together tonight to tell the family and it just wouldn’t be the same if you weren’t there.” I tell him nervously, but when he smiles back at me my tension resolves and I know that Luke is just fine with everything.
“Sounds great, y’all know I’ll be there.” Luke says as we make our way to the front door. I give him one last hug before stepping out into the breezy, spring air. Although I could feel Luke’s relief, I still have a bit of resentment for myself that all of this was even an issue. Luckily, the two most important people in my life are still standing tall with me.
“Feel better now that you broke him gently?” Colton kids and I nudge him in the side because he knows how badly I feel that this was even an issue to be begin with. “Darlin’, Luke’s a good friend. Don’t worry ‘bout him. He’s a tough son of a bitch and he’ll get over you soon enough. He’ll always have a place in his heart for you. But his heart is so tattered, he can’t love someone as perfect as you. Not like I can.”
“I know, baby.” That’s the only response I can give him because he’s so right.
“Carly Jo, why’s everybody comin’ over to your house for?” Heidi Jo asks following on my heels into the dining room. I sent Colton out to pick up dinner while Heidi Jo and I finish setting everything up for our little celebration. “Just tell me already. I can keep a secret.” She whines, dragging her feet behind her, swinging her arms low in her classic dramatic fashion.
“Sweets, it’s a big secret, but I can tell ya this…you’ll get to see Brailee tonight and meet her twin brother, Braden. That’s exciting, right?”
She stops dead in her tracks popping her hip to the side, firmly resting one hand on her hip. “She has a twin brother? Like there are TWO Brailee’s but one is a boy? Oh brother? What am I gonna do now? That girl is wild enough to shoot at and now ya tell me there’s two of ‘em, and one’s a dirty smelly boy? Oh geesh!” She proclaims before stomping off to the living room. Well, that’s it folks! I have a seven year old diva going on fifteen on my hands. What the hell am I gonna do with that child? Goodness gracious, how did anything Colton Weston created become that dramatic?
