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“You do so,” Charlee says. “You’re into your brother’s best friend!”
“Am not! He’s a pig!”
“Are too! He’s sexy as hell!”
“You’re into your brother’s best friend!” Harper whisper-yells, jabbing Charlee in the shoulder. “And your best friend’s brother!”
Charlee just smiles and shrugs, plucking a cookie off the table and popping it in her mouth. “You’re not wrong.”
These girls of mine are crazy. I don’t know why I let them talk me into having a gender reveal party.
Oh, wait. Yes I do. Because these girls are crazy.
“Auntie Claire!” Vivi yells. She holds her hands up in the air and spreads her legs. “I comin’!” I watch her tuck and roll, somersaulting across the grass to me. When she crashes into my legs, she jumps up, smooshing her face into my belly.
“Hi baby,” Vivi whispers against my stomach. “It your big sister, Bibi.” Big sister, because she’s dead set on it. Bibi, because she can’t pronounce her own name. Smiling up at me, she gives my belly a rub before smooching it. Then she dashes away, making a beeline for Avery’s parents as they step into the yard.
“Oh,” I say with a little gasp, rubbing a hand over my belly when something kicks inside me with a little more ferocity than the flutters only I’ve been able to feel from the inside out.
And then it happens again, this time with a even more intensity, just enough to knock the air right from my lungs.
“Avery!” I shriek.
His wild eyes tear my way as he shoves his drink into Wyatt’s chest, dashing across the yard to me. “What? Are you okay? What’s wrong?” His hands run down my arms, lifting them as he looks me over, checking to make sure I’m still fully intact.
I place his hand over my belly and wait. Sure enough, there it is, as if that tiny thing in there knows Daddy is right on the other side.
Avery’s lips part, his lashes fluttering as his eyes lift to mine. “Is that…it’s…”
“He’s moving,” I whisper.
A single tear rolls down his cheek as he presses both hands to my stomach, letting them roam as Baby Beck flits around in there. He bends his head, nose skimming my belly.
“Hi baby,” Avery murmurs. “It’s your daddy. I love you so much.”
“Don’t touch me,” Harper sobs out. I glance up to find her camera in one hand, tears streaming down her face while she simultaneously tries to take our picture and swat away Wyatt.
“You’re crying,” Wyatt half laughs. “Harps, you’re turning into your mom.” He pulls her into his arms, hugging her, and she only struggles for a moment. His arm darts out, wrapping around Jess’ trembling hand, and he tugs her into their hug, holding both overly emotional Beck women while they cry.
Ten minutes later, when all the tears have been tucked away—temporarily, I’m sure—Avery, Vivi, and I gather around one lone, oversize gray balloon.
Avery hands the string to Vivi. “You know the drill, munchkin?”
Her head bobs. “I hold da balloon. You pop it. Stuff spwinkle out.”
“And if it’s blue?” Avery asks.
“It a boy!” she screams. “I get a brudder!”
He chuckles, smoothing back her hair. “And if it’s pink?”
Vivi’s brows pinch together with her less than impressed pout. “It not be pink. It be blue.”
Our friends and family count us down from ten, and when we hit zero, Vivi shrieks at Avery to go, go, go! With his eyes on me and a soft smile, he raises the pin to the balloon.
A loud pop fills the air.
Blue confetti rains down from the sky, decorating our hair, clinging to Avery’s eyelashes as he swoops in for a kiss, murmuring how much he loves me into my mouth.
