“We aren’t hiding and jumping out from behind the couch?” Tammera asked.
“No. If she’s mad about the surprise, it’ll be easier to hand her a drink and all should be forgiven.”
“Good thinking,” Lucius said.
The four of them gathered in the foyer with champagne flutes in hand, and Donovan couldn’t figure out why his heart was beating so fiercely. This wasnota big occasion. It was merely what sweet, lovely, hard-working Lela deserved—a little recognition. Maybe he was feeling this way because he knew how much it meant to him. Lela was his whole life now. He wanted everything to be right.
From outside, Echo’s voice filtered through the door. She was plainly talking many decibels above a normal level. The latch on the lock clicked, the knob turned, and she and Lela stepped inside.
“Surprise!” Donovan said, followed by an uneven chorus of the same sentiment from Lucius, Tammera, and Delia.
“What’s all this?” A bashful smile crossed Lela’s face as Donovan handed her the glass of champagne.
He leaned down to kiss her softly. “We’re finally going to celebrate your big achievements over the last year.”
“You really didn’t have to do this.”
“Oh, shush. Just take the love we all want to give you.” Tammera wrapped Lela up in a big hug.
“Congrats on everything, Lela,” Delia said.
Lucius and Echo got in on it last, with more embraces and well-wishes. That was when Donovan noticed that Lucius had not brought Echo a drink. “Echo, let me get you a glass of champagne.”
“Dad. No.” Echo looked at Donovan, then her gaze found Lucius and a smile bloomed on her face.
“What’s going on?” Donovan asked.
“Oh, my God.” Lela clasped her hand over her mouth.
It gradually dawned on Donovan, like he was a step slow. His eyes welled with tears. “Are you?” he asked Echo.
She nodded and pressed her lips together tightly, also trying not to cry. “This wasn’t really the way I wanted it to come out. But I guess I should’ve been smart enough to figure out that you’d serve alcohol and I’d have to decline because of the baby.”
The baby.Donovan pulled his daughter against his chest and squeezed her tight. He was a mess of emotion, an overflowing well of happiness and hope. His baby was having a baby. “How far along are you?”
“I just passed twelve weeks. I’m due late April.”
“Your grandmother and Stuart are going to be so excited to hear this news. And your Uncle Austin, too. Does your mom know?”
“I called her this morning. After I spent an hour being sick.”
“That’s why you were late.”
She reared her head back and arched both eyebrows at him. “That’s why I was late.”
“Wow.” Donovan slowly let go of Echo, still a bit stupefied, and watched as she and Lela shared their own tender moment. They grinned and chattered away, both wiping away tears. Delia and Tammera patiently waited for their chance to congratulate Echo, too.
Lela turned to Donovan. “Pretty amazing.” She snaked her arm around his waist and leaned into him. “Somebody’s going to be a grandpa,” she sang.
A grandpa? Whoa. “I suppose I am.”
“So what’s the plan for tonight?” Lela asked.
“We got takeout, Tammera and Delia decorated the living room, and there’s cake. I kept it simple. I knew you wouldn’t want a big thing.”
“So you threw a small thing instead.”
“I might be pretty good at listening, but I’m not great at always following orders.”
