Callie releases a long exhale, resting her head back against his chest. “Fine. Maybe I don’t hate you.”
“Wait. What the hell just happened?” Wilder asks.
“He’s holding her bump,” Olivia replies. “I’ve heard it feels amazing.”
Callie smiles lazily. “It takes the pressure off my lower back and pelvis. Like a literal weight being lifted. You should try it.”
Without hesitation, Griffin stands behind me, and his large palms slide beneath my belly. As he lifts, the relief is immediate.
“Oh god,” I say breathily, dropping my head back against his shoulder.
“You keep making sounds like that, and we’re gonna have to leave the party early,” Griffin whispers into my ear.
A camera flash goes off, reminding me what we were supposed to be doing. Griffin carefully releases me, and all of the pressure returns.
“I’ll pay you to stand like that for the next ten weeks.”
He kisses my temple. “I’ll hold you and tater tot anytime you want. No payment needed.”
“Auntie Lina!” A blur in the shape of Emmy Lou comes rushing toward me.
I crouch down low and catch her in my arms, getting a hit of her lavender scent.
“Are you having a girl?” she asks. “Mama’s having a girl. And Uncle Jaxy and Auntie Kiki are having girl babies, too. That’s a lot of girls.”
A chorus of laughter follows Emmy’s stream of consciousness.
“I don’t know what I’m having,” I tell her. “What do you think?”
She shrugs. “Dunno. I’m gonna have so many cousins! This is the best day ever!”
I wobble on the balls of my feet. Griffin steadies me, thenhelps me stand. He holds out his other hand for Emmy Lou. “How about I take two of my favorite girls to get a treat,” he says. “Then we’ll find a seat so Auntie Lina can rest.”
Emmy bounces up and down excitedly. “Yes!”
The guests start streaming in, and we make our way to the buffet table at last. I fill up on all of my favorites, including the sourdough bruschetta Olivia made with Griffin’s help. When I’m full to bursting, I pass my leftovers to Griffin and rest my head on his shoulder.
“Tired?” he mumbles around my leftover pastry.
“Exhausted,” I admit.
He presses a kiss to my forehead and runs his hand over my bump. “Thirty minutes and I’m taking you home to rest.”
“Ok.” I lock eyes with Caroline, seated across from us, and she smiles like we’re in on some sort of secret.
A loud clinking sound fills the barn as Evelyn draws our attention to the small stage in the center of the room. “First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for coming to celebrate my amazing daughters-in-law. Callie, Olivia, and Angelina—I can’t tell you how grateful we are to have you in our lives. Thank you for loving our babies. I couldn’t ask for better partners for my boys, and mothers for my grandbabies.”
My heart gives a jolt of longing. Love was never a part of the equation for us. After all of these months, I’m still not sure how we got here or why he stuck around. It doesn’t make sense, but I suppose it doesn’t have to. This is our life, and maybe it isn’t love, but it’s still the most real and honest partnership I've ever had.
“This isn’t really a traditional baby shower,” Evelyncontinues. “But lord knows we’re not the traditional type.” She glances at Wilder before her gaze shoots to Griffin.
I can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of me. “Damn. She got you there.”
“Should I take you on a walk down memory lane to remind you who got us into this situation in the first place, Mrs. Hayes?”
“Mm. I wouldn’t mind another wedding night, Mr. Hayes.”
He lifts his sleeve to check his non-existent watch. “Has it been thirty minutes yet?”
