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Nick
We’re having a boy. I didn’t care either way, but I’m excited to know. I’m even more excited to see the look on Leigh’s face. Happiness and maybe even relief. I think she was a little nervous at the idea of being a girl mom.
She can handle a boy. Probably one who will trip over himself to make his mama happy.
As everyone cheers, she steps to me, blue frosting covering her lips, and slides her hand into my hair, pulling me to her. I make sure the kiss stays relatively chaste, but damn if I don’t want to do exactly what I know she wants to do.
“A boy,” she whispers, resting her head against mine. “I hope he has all your heart, your charm, and a smile that melts me, just like yours.”
“And your spunk. All of your spunk.”
“We’re doomed,” she says with a laugh.
Maia steps over and pulls Leigh into a hug. “The paper, just to double check.” She hands Leigh the envelope and watches as she opens it and breathes a sigh of relief.
“It matches.”
I dramatically wipe my brow. “Thank God.”
Abuelita walks over and pulls Leigh into her arms. “A boy. A boy! I don’t know anything about boys, but I suppose we’ll figure it all out. Ay! A boy!” She gives Leigh a juicy kiss, then pulls me into her arms. “Ah, mijo, a boy.” She pinches my cheek. Yes, pinches it as she steps back and looks at us, visibly swooning.
This is crazy.
Not quite eighteen and about to have a kid. I glance around at the few friends of mine who are here. I didn’t invite a ton of people. I wasn’t sure who would want to come. I mean, we’re in high school. How many people want to celebrate their friend having a baby?
Trevor is here with Hyla, and Rae is leaning against the fence, taking everything in. Aaron walks over to her and hands her a drink. They stand a few feet apart. Apparently, they haven’t figured their shit out yet. And Rae looks… less like herself than normal. Not as vibrant.
I kiss Leigh on the cheek and make my way over to them. “Hey, guys.”
Rae pushes off the fence and plasters a smile on her face. “Hey, asshole. Congratulations.”
I pull her into my arms. “Thanks. You okay?”
As she steps back, she looks down for a second, then back at me. “Fine, why?”
My head tilts, trying to figure out what seems off, but I can’t place it. Then I glance at Aaron and am met with a look that saysleave it alone.
As much as I want to make sure she’s okay, I know better than to cross Aaron. I’ve never met anyone more protective in my life. And there’s no one he’s more protective of than Rae. Not to mention he’s six-foot-one and has biceps that could crush your skull. Nope. No interest in crossing him.
Sarah and Mackenzie walk over and congratulate me, but then my dad pulls me aside.
“A boy, huh?”
I let out a hard exhale. “I guess so.”
His lips pull into a smile, and he puts a hand on my shoulder. “And how do you feel about that?”
I let out a laugh, still in disbelief. “Excited. Nervous. Scared as hell.” I look down for a second. “I don’t want to fuck it up.”
He squeezes my shoulder, making my gaze flit back to him. “You’re not Marty. You never will be. I will always love my brother, but I’m sure as hell not proud of him. I am proud of you. I’m proud of the way you love with your whole heart, the way you care for the people around you, and of how much you’ve grown. It may not be easy, but you’re strong enough to handle the hard parts. I fully believe that.”
I clear my throat, trying to push down the emotions setting in. “Thanks, Dad. And thank you for setting the example for me about what a father should be. I love you.”
He smiles again, but his eyes are filled with emotion. “I love you, too.”
Before any other heavy emotions spill out, Leigh strolls up to me and wraps an arm around my back.
“Time for pictures.” Her eyes dance as she says it, and I smile brightly.How the hell did I get so damn lucky?
