The crowd fell silent.
Mercy and I backed up so we wouldn’t obscure the tables or decorations.Pink and blue streamers fluttered in the wind from the trees and deck railing.Gifts covered the tables in the yard, which seated roughly eight people each.
Lucian walked through the magnetic screen door and appeared startled by the captive audience.When he noticed us, he jogged down the steps and crossed the yard.
“Are we supposed to shout anything?”I whispered.
Mercy nibbled on a grape.“I guess we’ll find out.”
Tak emerged and turned around to block his mate’s view.
“What in the world has gotten into you?”Hope asked.
She stepped out, just as pregnant as could be.Her turquoise-colored dress touched her ankles in the back, but because of her big belly, it only reached her shins in the front.I couldn’t help but admire the pretty flowers around the hem.
When she laid eyes on us, the table, and the decorations, she covered her mouth.Eyes rounded, she drifted forward and noticed the people in the yard, who stood and cheered, “Surprise!”
Tak bent over and cradled her belly from behind while watching her reaction.Tears streamed down her face as he whispered something in her ear before kissing her neck.
It was nice to see Packmasters in loving relationships.I’d seen plenty in marriages of convenience.These two were genuinely in love, and it tugged at my heart.
I fell back while her family hiked up the steps to greet her with affectionate hugs and thoughtful words.It was a beautiful moment to see such a large family gathered together for one person.I could only imagine what that felt like.
Everyone filled their plates with snacks and talked for an hour before the gifts were opened.Robyn gave her a detailed sketch of Hope pregnant in a rocking chair.Joy had made her a baby blanket, and there were also practical gifts like diapers, teethers, stuffed toys, and homemade clothes.
Once she finished unwrapping her gifts, I sat next to her and reached inside my purse.
“It’s not much, but I hope you like it.”I offered her the box.
Hope smiled, her cheeks rosy and round.“You didn’t have to.”
“One can hardly attend a baby shower empty-handed.Go on.”
She opened the box and gasped.“This is beautiful.Tak, look what Councilwoman Eden gave us.”Hope held up the stained glass butterfly, its blue and pink wings sparkling in the sun.
He nodded his approval.
“A local artist made it,” I told her.“I left her card in the box in case you ever need gift ideas or want her to work on a larger project around the house.She included a ribbon and an adhesive hook so you can display it in the window.Just be sure to hang it out of reach of the crib.”
“This is lovely.Handmade gifts are such a treasure.Thank you so much for thinking of us.”Hope gingerly placed the butterfly back in the box and then rubbed her lower back.“I feel like I’m going to pop.Everything’s sore, and my feet are so swollen I can’t even wear shoes.”She glared at her mate, who was preoccupied with picking something out of his lemonade.“I still can’t believe you had me getting a four-hour examination.”
Tak gave her a sheepish grin.“It was the only way we could get you out of the house, Duckie.”
“I was there so long I was about to ask her to deliver the baby.”
After collecting the empty plates, I stood and reached for my purse.“Thank you so much for inviting me.”
She clutched my hand.“You’re not leaving, are you?Please stay.Melody said we’re about to play games.”
“True story,” Melody confirmed while walking by.“I just hope we have enough toilet paper.”
“I’ve had too much fun,”I confessed to Joy as she nursed her baby beneath a canopy of twinkling lights in the branches above.
She chuckled softly as a night breeze rustled her hair.“Hope was having a good time until Virgil tried guessing her size with toilet paper.He might need to sleep with one eye open tonight.”
They’d played silly games I’d never heard of, and some of them had us laughing hysterically.One involved passing around toilet paper and everyone breaking off a strip to determine whose would wrap around Hope’s belly and fit the closest.Tak won, but Virgil was chased off when his piece wrapped around her ten times.The prizes were inexpensive but practical, including a few gift cards to Hope and Melody’s boutique.
Hope’s mother hugged her often, the light shining in her eyes that of a mother on the cusp of transitioning to grandmotherhood.I envied their unbreakable bond.
