I wanted to chuckle at the scowl on his face. “You can stay here. I just have my own routine.”
“Shutting off your phone and watching creepy documentaries. No matter what day it is, that’s not healthy.”
“Probably not,” I said, holding back a smile at the concern pinching his brow. I’d started to make peace with the guilt I’d always feel around my father’s death, even though now I consciously knew it wasn’t my fault. It still felt wrong to celebrate a day so close to when I lost him and to have any kind of birthday at all without him there.
The next few days would be a little hard, but knowing I had Tyler and the baby to look forward to would make it a bit easier to come out of the haze this year, or at least I hoped it would.
We didn’t discuss it further as we drove to his parents’ house. Tyler was mostly quiet as we got closer, and I wasn’t sure if it was due to his opposition over my plan to spend tomorrow watching serial killers alone or having to deal with an afternoon of family.
“Everyone is coming, right?”
“Unfortunately.” He coughed out a laugh. “But they don’t bother me like they used to. Another thing I have you to thank for.” My chest pinched at his wide smile. Tyler still didn’t give smiles very often, but he always had plenty for me.
“Have you seen them since the wedding?”
He shook his head. “I still see Ross at the bakery sometimes, which surprises me since I stopped his made-up discount a long time ago. Alan, no. I hear he’s got a new girlfriend and she’s even younger.”
“Ah, good for him for sticking to what he knows.” I rubbed the back of his neck. “The last time I was at a family party with you, you told me you were okay staying strangers.”
He chuckled as he pulled up in front of his parents’ house.
“I was full of shit.” He leaned over and pressed his lips to mine. “You’re killing me in that dress today.”
“I didn’t think you noticed.” I wore a tight, short dress for today in fire-engine red. Instead of hiding my stomach, I’d decided to flaunt it, knowing it would get Tyler revved up enough for an amazing payoff later.
“Nowyou’refull of shit.” He kissed me again, close-mouthed but lingering long enough to make my heart kick up a couple of beats. “Now let’s get this over with.” He put the car into Park and unlocked the doors.
Helen and Mom told everyone to wrap the gifts in clear plastic so I wouldn’t have to sit and unwrap them, which I was eternally grateful for. I tried to hype it up to Tyler, but I was ready to get it all over with too.
“You’re glowing,” Leah said as she handed me a glass of virgin punch. “You must be feeling good.”
“I don’t know about good, but I’m happy. I’m just anxious for him to get here already.”
“Leah’s right,” Morgan said, coming next to me and elbowing my side. “You look amazing. It’s nice to finally see you let yourself be happy.”
Morgan’s smile didn’t make it to her eyes. She still wasn’t pregnant yet, and as many times as she assured me she was fine despite the extra time it was taking, I knew the last thing she wanted to attend was someone else’s baby shower—even if it was mine.
I slid my arm into the crook of her elbow and squeezed.
“I’ll be really happy when we can go home and I can put my feet up.” I hated wearing flat sandals with this dress, but heels were a definite no-go. The straps were digging into my ankles already.
“Olivia, I forgot to attach the gift receipt.” Tyler’s aunt Mary approached me with an envelope. “My grandson loved his vibrating seat, but if you don’t like it you can pick something else.”
“I’m sure our baby will love it too, thank you.” I took the envelope from her as I spied Alan behind her. He’d shown up alone but hadn’t mentioned where the new younger girlfriend was.
“I don’t remember being at a baby shower where I wasn’t at the wedding before.” She grinned as she cast a judgmental glance at my belly. I nodded with a tight smile. Tyler loved me and we were happy. Did I want to marry him? Of course. But if we stayed in a simple cohabitation bliss for the rest of our lives, I was fine with it. We were together in all the ways that it mattered, so petty relatives wouldn’t derail my happiness today.
“Maybe they’re keeping their options open, Mom.” Alan snickered behind her. “I don’t think I said congratulations earlier.”
“No, you didn’t, but thank you.” Not that we wanted it or needed it, but I could manage bare pleasantries for the next hour or two.
Tyler’s aunt made her way back into the small crowd, but Alan stayed, grabbing a beer bottle from the beverage table. His gaze traveled to where Morgan and Leah held hands, and a smirk ticked up the side of his mouth.
“So that’s where you landed,” he said to Morgan, raising his beer bottle. “Congrats to you too.”
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” I said as I spilled my almost-full glass of pink punch onto Alan’s gray shirt. “Pregnant women are so klutzy,” I clutched my chest for effect when I noticed a few pairs of eyes staring at us. “And my grip isn’t the best from this old injury I have.” I shook my hand out and caught Tyler’s gaze over Alan’s shoulder. He came closer and wrapped his arms around me from behind.
“Aren’t you too old to be playing games, Olivia?” Alan sneered at me as he patted his chest. Whatever they put into the punch left a wide neon stain over half of his shirt.
