“Yeah. I need her gone for at least two weeks while I make everything else happen. Plus it’s perfect timing right before Thanksgiving. I wanted to wait until I had the time off and the perfect time for her babymoon. All the books I’ve read said five months along is the best time for this,” I said, pulling out the brochure for the botanical resort down in Austin Peaks I had already booked.
“Ooh, this is nice, but now I’m confused. Why are we here?” Johnni asked while Hollis was still going through what the resort had to offer.
“While we’re gone, I’m having a workshop built for her in the backyard along with a garden. Our moms will be here some days, but they are busy decorating the nursery, so I don’t think they’ll be much help outside of that room. And with this being for my woman, I only trust her friends’ judgement when it comes to this project for her. Can y’all help me?”
“A workshop?” Hollis asked in disbelief as her face scrunched in confusion.
“Oh my gosh, her own garden! BK, she’s going to love it,” Johnni gushed.
“Yes. And trust me, I know. McKay knows about that part, but she doesn’t know about her work space. Once Peanut is born, she’s going to need her own area to make her herbal remedies and teas. McKay takes pride in her craft. I just want to createa space for her and only her. And since both of those things go hand in hand, why not make both happen.”
“Aw, that’s so cute. Of course, we can help. Leave a key just in case one of the glams isn’t here,” Johnni responded before she shot a look at Hollis, making me smirk before she agreed too.
“Yeah, we can help. And I love this whole idea, but please tell me you still plan on throwing our baby momma a party or something? Hella late or not, I know for a fact that Mickey would love a surprise party.” I chuckled because I was leaving that party up to them.
“Hollis, please, that’s why we’re planning the baby shower. This is the best thing for her right now. Something lowkey and all about her. Let her man handle this.” Hollis kissed her teeth at Johnni’s words and began to plead her case for a separate party outside of the baby shower.
I chuckled at the two of them going back and forth before I calmed them down.
“Listen, I’m good with both. Just shoot me the details for that too so I can handle that budget as well.”
“Ignore Hollis’s ass. She finds any reason for a party. We’re only going to throw one party and that’s the baby shower. Like we said before, the godmommas got that covered,” Johnni said as they got up, preparing to leave.
“Ooh, we’ll need your side of the family’s addresses for the invitations. So please let me know as soon as you can. It’s getting close and we’re a little bit behind since…well.” Hollis cleared her throat before she finished and I knew why. I wasn’t supposed to be here this long in the original plan they knew about.
I shook my head. I would pass them to Anna since it would be more of her friends than mine.
“Naw, I understand. Get up with Anna this week. She’ll know better of who she wants to include from our side. You met mycrew, they don’t need no paper invite, them niggas are word of mouth people.”
“Oh yeah. Since y’all are holding on tight to the gender of Peanut, do you want us to say neutrals for the baby clothes?” Hollis said with a hint of sarcasm in her tone. I tucked my bottom lip to fight off my laugh that wanted to escape.
Once McKay told me she had told our mothers, who we knew would tell our fathers, we told them not to say anything else while we came up with another way to spread the word. It wasn’t intentional, but it just played out that way. And I could admit I enjoyed the private moment with my woman with just us and the grands knowing about my baby girl's gender.
“Hold off on printing or saying anything just yet. I promise, everyone will know soon.” I had come up with the perfect plan that would take place on the babymoon so we could finally announce not only the gender, but the fact that McKay and I were starting our family together.
The sound of a phone ringing had Johnni rushing toward the door.
“Oh shit, I got to take this. Okay, BK, just text us the details and we’ll make sure everything is handled. Hollis, love you, I’ll call you later.”
“Wait, heffa where are you rushing off to? Practice doesn’t start back for another month.” All of that wasn’t my business, so if Johnni responded, I had no idea what she said as I got up, making my way back to my office to get ready for my appointment with a client.
Chapter
Twenty-Six
McKay
I looked around the beautiful garden filled with exotic flowers and plants everywhere as I waited for Burkeley to take his turn presenting his next option for our baby’s name.
Our baby.
I thought I was still dreaming because there was no way this was my life right now. On a babymoon planned by my once pretend, now very real man. When he told me he’d booked a flight, I had no expectations that he would take me to my wildest dream. The resort was called Iris Bays Botanical Garden Resort and should have been called the secret garden because I didn’t even know it existed until two days ago when we arrived.
Currently, we were sitting in a beautiful botanical garden, in a cabana shaped like a lily, going over potential baby names with the man who claimed not only me as his, but my baby. The moment could’ve been perfect had said man not just said some bullshit that had me snapping my eyes to the screen where the name was spelled out.
“Yeah, hell no,” I said flat out, now taking a sip of my drink, shutting down his pick so we could move on. Of course Burkeleyhuffed, preparing me to hear his argument of why it should make the final list.
“This is the third name on my list that you’ve said no to. I’m not understanding what’s wrong with the name Burkeana Morgan. She’s taking her daddy’s name.” I swallowed the sip of my strawberry virgin margarita as I rolled my eyes hard at Burkeley really sitting here sliding through his presentation of baby names he’d put together for me.
