No sooner does Sunday get those last few words out than Nolan and Misty come up behind mymother.
“Dear God,” Misty groans as she steps into our tense circle. “Mother? You didn’t! You promised me you wouldn’t.” She grunts as she looks to Sunday, “Please, for the love of all things good, ignore my mother. She can be a bit overbearing without meaning to.” Misty wraps an arm around Mom. The two of them have always been close, and someday I’d love to see Sunday just as close to my mother. Especially since she doesn’t have a mother of her own. But seeing that my mom has no problem scaring the hell out of her, I doubt that will ever be areality.
Sunday gives a sly smile to my sister, and something warms in me. “Duly noted. And now that the topic of who will raise my child is settled, I want to congratulate the two of you properly.” She lunges into a group embrace with Nolan andMisty.
“Congratulations, man.” I slap Nolan five. “Next Christmas,huh?”
“That’s right. And since we’re all here together, and our first announcement went a littlesideways…”
“A little.” Sunday cups her belly, and we share alaugh.
Nolan nods and raises a brow. “Okay, more than a little. Nevertheless, Misty and I thought we’d try it again—this time we’re going to have a gender reveal afterdessert.”
“During dessert,” Misty corrects. “We’ll cut into the cake, and if it’s blue on the inside, it’s a boy, pink it’s a girl. We don’t know ourselves. I gave the results directly to the bakery.” She reaches out and picks up Sunday’s hand. “I’m scared spitless, I’m so darn excited! But I know whether we have the same gender or not, our kids will be close.” She looks to me with tears flickering in her eyes. “I for one am thrilled with the way things worked out. And I’m so relieved you’re the father.” She gives a little shrug. “I’ve been rooting for the two of you foryears.”
Nolan thumps my arm with a light sock. “Me,too.”
Sunday is quick to swat him. “No, you havenot!”
“I was”— he holds up a hand in the event she’s moved to strike again—“on theinside.”
Mom takes a breath, then exhales as if she dropped a granite boulder she’s had on her back for years. She looks to Sunday. “I’ll be honest, the day we met, I said ‘now that’s a cute girl for OurSeth.’”
I’m ashamed to say that Our Seth is an actual moniker gifted to me by my parents. They’ve been prone to shelter and coddle, and those are two traits I don’t plan on taking with me on my own parental journey. But the kindness, the generosity, the faith, the positivity, the work ethic, all of those wonderful attributes they’ve instilled in me are coming along for theride.
Sunday wraps her arms around me and gives me a squeeze. “You were right about that. In fact, I am the perfect girl for OurSeth.”
We share a light laugh just as the waitress comes by to seat us. Dinner goes off without a single disaster, and that alone is noteworthy. Dessert comes in the form of a double layer vanilla cake, and you can see both Nolan and Misty grow stiff with a nervous excitement. The waitress hands them an enormous knife to do the honorswith.
Sunday shivers as if it were our gender reveal party—only we won’t be having one. Sunday and I are already set on the fact we’re going to find out in the delivery room. No cake, no knives, just one hundred percent jitters—at least on my part. Sunday is as calm as can be at her doctor appointments, and I haven’t missed a single one. Afterwards, I always reward her with a nice lunch, and we’ve made a ritual of seeing a movie the same afternoon. So far, Little Fish doesn’t seem to have a problem with it, but I’m sure once he or she arrives, lunch and a movie aren’t going to be at the top of the list for an easyafternoon.
“On three,” Nolan shouts as both he and Misty grip the knife that’s already embedded into thecake.
“One, two, three!” our raucous group roars, and Misty pulls forth a slice of bright pinkcake.
“It’s a girl!” my sister screams so loud the band stops cold for three seconds flat. The table breaks out into a riotous cheer as everyone stands to their feetembracing.
The cake is doled out, and our party eventually scatters to both the dance floor and the bar as Nolan buys a drink for everyone in therestaurant.
Sunday heads over to Trixie and Serena, while I head to get us a couple of ginger ales on my brother. I spot Shep, and I head onover.
“How’s it going?” He slaps me five. “Congratulations. Looks like everything is coming up roses for you. I’m glad about it, too. You deserve to be happy. You had a rough couple ofmonths.”
“That I did. And I want to apologize again for dumping all over you a few weeks back. You certainly didn’t ask forit.”
“No way, no apologies necessary. I think under those circumstances I would have been spilling my guts to anyone who would listen, too. In fact, I’ll be at Briggs all summer and hanging out at the Black Bear a little more than I’d like, so if you spot me, don’t be a stranger. It’s been years since I’ve been at Briggs, and it’ll be nice to see a friendlyface.”
“Rush will be there.” I nod over to him as he chats it up with Sunday and thegirls.
“I said friendly.” He bounces with a dry laugh. I know for a fact he’s close enough to Rush to razz him, and Rush seems to revere him like an olderbrother.
“Serena will be there, too. Her sister and your brother are married,right?”
“That’s right.” He sighs as he looks in her direction. “But that is one face that has never been friendly—feisty is more like it. In fact, I’d go as far as saying she’s a spoiled little brat.” He frowns before taking a swig of hisbeer.
I can’t help but belt out a laugh. Sunday might agree, but tongue-in-cheek, of course. “Okay, maybe a little. But her sister, Lex, is something special.” She’s as caustic as they come, and I mean that in an almost lovable way. Sunday adores her. And who could blame her? Lex stepped in to raise her after Sunday’s motherdied.
“You got me there.” His gaze never leaves Serena, although he doesn’t seem thrilled in the least. He seems downright annoyed. “Anyway, I think I’ll steer clear if I see her coming my way. I’m not in the mood fortrouble.”
