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She does exactly as I ask, writing it down on a piece of paper. Holden and I resist the urge to look. It’s difficult, but we manage, making faces at each other instead.
When we leave the doctor’s office that day, Dawson waits for us outside. I hand him the envelope.
“You remember what to do with this?”
He rolls his eyes playfully. “Yes. Are you sure you can wait another three weeks?”
“No.” H and I answer in unison.
I nudge my husband with my elbow. “But we will. We’ve waited 26 weeks. What’s another three?”
Chapter 27
Holden’s connections are something that have always amazed me, and they’ve only grown since he joined the NHL. I had originally planned for our gender reveal party to be small and at our apartment, but this is huge.
We’re at the arena where Holden played most of his college hockey games. The whole place is reserved just for us. Brandon and Emily flew in to be here, along with his parents. My mom and John, however, couldn’t make it. Although, they won’t be missing anything. During the reveal, we will have them on video chat through a giant screen that Holden set up to make it feel like they’re here.
Only half of the ice is set up like the rink would be for a game. On the other half, the walls are taken down and the ice is covered with flooring. Pink and blue streamers hang down from the tall ceilings, and I find myself wondering how much Holden paid someone to decorate. Dawson is afraid of heights, so I know it wasn’t him.
At the end of the ice, are five targets. Holden’s hockey stick and numerous pucks lie nearby. One of those targets contains either pink or blue powder that will explode once the puck hits it. The other four will be gray. While it was Dawson’s job to be the only one who knows the gender beforehand, Skylar and Bree helped plan the party. They did an amazing job at incorporating Holden’s love for the sport.
The whole place is filled with people. A DJ is playing music through the arena speakers and everyone is having a great time. There are many guests I don’t know, but Riley advertised this with Kappa Delta Phi, so I shouldn’t be surprised by the turnout. Besides, as much as he may deny it, I know Holden loves the attention.
“Are you excited?” Em asks me, looking just as anxious as I am.
I nod. “Of course. Though, I think Holden has me beat.”
“Definitely. He’s wanted to know the gender for months now.”
“He’s so impatient. I’m surprised he let me make him wait. If it were up to him, we would have gotten the testing done to find out at twelve weeks.”
“What does he hope it is?” She questions.
Holden comes up behind me. “Well, I’ve always said a boy first, but now that I think about it, a miniature Kayleigh would not be something to complain about.”
Emily laughs. “Yeah, okay. You didn’t know her as a child. Complete and total menace, I’m telling you.”
He looks at me and smiles. “Great, so we’re screwed either way.”
“Definitely.
” My best friend and I answer at the same time.
Brandon comes up behind Emily and wraps his arms around her. “What are you talking about?”
“Whether they’re hoping for a boy or a girl.”
“Ah.” He says in understanding. “Well, I hope it’s a girl.”
“Why’s that?” I wonder.
“Because the world is not ready for a clone of Holden Rivers.”
The thought of a little boy with his green eyes and perfect dimples makes me smile. I can just picture them in the driveway, hitting pucks back and forth with their hockey sticks. Though, at the same time, I can see that with a little girl, too. Regardless, our child will be in ice skates before they’re even comfortable in sneakers.
“How many weeks do we have left?” H asks me.
“Eleven.”
