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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ALEX
The dining hall is covered in blue from top to bottom. I never knew so much blue existed. Between the tablecloths, decorations, balloons, and streamers, it looks like Cookie Monster exploded in here. Considering it’s a baby shower planned by the Bishop family, I’m not even a little bit surprised.
“I’m so excited y’all are having a boy. The twins will have someone else to play with besides each other.” I overhear Benita talking to River who’s sitting on a chair in the middle of the room. She’s smiling, but I know she secretly hates all the attention.
After talking her into letting Benita and Mama host her a baby shower, those two wasted no time in planning. Even after I told them to take it easy, Mama scoffed and told me since she wasn’t able to plan Courtney’s baby shower, this was her chance to do one right for her grandbaby. Of course, Benita didn’t listen to me either. In the center of the room above where River is sitting are large alphabet balloons that read B-A-B-Y with blue streamers twisting along the ceiling.
As if that wasn’t enough, Mama called River’s mom, their official “meeting,” and asked her to send some baby pictures of River. So there are framed baby pictures of River and me scattered all over the hall.
The buffet table is decorated with bright blue bottle-shaped confetti. Mama made her famous shredded beef sandwiches. Aunt Patsy made the potato salad, and Benita brought fruit. There’s no such thing as a Bishop gathering without everyone bringing a side dish, so the table is jam-packed. And of course, sweet tea in a big ol’ punch bowl. Fortunately, Benita snuck in a bottle of juice for River, so she doesn’t have to pretend to like it for fear of being ostracized.
Everything looks way over the top, but what do I know? River’s eyes lit up like the Fourth of July when she walked in; whether or not that was a genuine expression is yet to be determined.
Standing in the back with the other husbands, Dylan, and my three brothers, we watch as they pass River presents and squeal at everything she opens. River is wearing one of those sashes that reads Mom-to-be as well as a corsage with blue flowers and baby’s breath. I had no idea what all the fuss was about until Benita schooled me.
Hell, I’m not even sure what half those items are she’s opening.
“What is that?” Jackson leans over and whispers.
Dylan and I narrow our eyes, trying to figure out what the bag and tubes are. “It looks like some kind of bottle,” I say with uncertainty.
“It’s a backpack of bottles,” Dylan adds.
“But the bottles have tubes on them.” Jackson folds his arms over his chest as we all stand and analyze the mystery contraption.
“You idiots,” Evan mutters.
Aaron snorts, shaking his head at us.
The three of us turn and look at them. “What?” I shrug.
“It’s a breast pump,” Evan tells us.
“Oh!” we say, accidentally grabbing the girls’ attention.
“Everything all right back there, boys?”
“Just fine, Aunt Charlotte,” I answer with a smile.
“Why don’t one of you boys grab the cake from the fridge so we can serve that next?”
“I’ll do it,” John says, already walking toward the kitchen.
River continues opening each gift, and every time a new piece of clothing is revealed, they make her hold it up against her stomach oohing and ahhing as she forces out a smile. I can tell she’s out of her comfort zone right now, but she's a real trooper about it all.
John brings the cake out, and Aunt Charlotte rushes over to check it.
“Well, what do you think, Daddy-to-be?” She smirks up at me.
“Looks great.” I smile, looking at the blue-frosted cake she and Benita made.
Evan comes from behind with a cake server set. “Want me to cut it?”
“No!” Aunt Charlotte blurts out. “River and Alex need to stand behind it so we can take some pictures for the baby book.”
“No one said there were going to be pictures,” I groan.
“What are you, new? Of course, we’re taking pictures.”
River walks over after all the gifts are opened looking exhausted.
“Looks like we’ll be set for a while.” I chuckle at all the gifts sprawled out on the tables. Mama invited the entire family and most of the town. It was also her idea to make it a co-ed party, but I think that was just so she’d have us here to do the heavy lifting.
“I can’t imagine one little baby needs all of that.”
“Oh, that’s because we know there’ll be more babies coming down the road.” Mama winks, intruding in on our conversation and then leaving like it’s nothing.
“What did she just say?” River whispers, panic evident in her tone.
I shake my head at Mama as she watches me from the other side of the table. “She’s still holding out hope we have more than one.”
