We keep our gazes locked as we shove the glasses down into the cake. Someone in the crowd gasps. We turn to look down together, pulling the glasses away. I laugh, tears wetting my cheeks when I see the color.
“It’s a boy,” he says, stunned.
I laugh, lifting the cup of blue cake to his lips. “We’re having a baby boy!”
The crowd cheers, all of our friends celebrating with us. Dayton’s eyes are red-rimmed as a tear trails down his cheek. He licks the icing I’m holding up before crushing me into a hug so tight, like he’s too overwhelmed to speak and just needs to be close to me.
“Russell Dayton Copeland III?” I whisper in his ear.
I feel him nod against my shoulder.
“Thank you. Thank you for carrying our son and being the perfect woman that you are.” He pulls back from me, setting his glass down on the table before cupping my cheeks and searching my eyes. “My life wouldn’t be the same without you,Summer. You’re my life, my sunshine, the joy I feel every morning that I wake up comes straight from your existence. I love you so much.”
I laugh, nodding. “I love you too. You’re going to be such a great dad.”
“I have no doubts that you’re going to be an incredible mom. The best. He’s a lucky little guy.”
He kisses me on the lips. I taste the icing from the cake mixed with his happy tears before he pulls away, gripping my hand tightly.
Cal and Silvie approach first. They crush us both in hugs individually before Banks and Wendy come up to us. She claps excitedly.
“Are we getting another Russell Dayton?”
“I guess so!” I wrap both my arms around her neck. “You ready to be an aunty again?”
Banks claps Dayton on the back. “Congrats man. That boy is gonna be tall.”
“Hope so.” Dayton beams.
Cheri approaches us next, Javier and Amelia beside her. She’s seven months pregnant now, so her belly is sticking out farther than mine. Her and Javier started seeing each other the night of the wedding and basically never stopped.
“Another boy! Yay! They will be second cousins, hopefully as close as we were growing up!” Cheri smiles, wrapping her arms around Dayton’s neck.
“They’re going to be best friends, I can feel it.”
Cheri and Javier found out they were having a boy a few months ago, but they chose to have an intimate gender reveal that Dayton and I were a part of. I was pregnant at the time, but I didn’t even know it yet.
Javier shakes Dayton’s hand before moving along. The rest of our guests take turns congratulating us, all except January.Once everyone has moved downstairs to where the tables and food is set out, January waits patiently while Savannah snaps a few photos of us with the cake in the golden sunset light.
When she’s done, she hugs me. “I’ll see you downstairs. Love you!”
She disappears, leaving us alone with January.
“So, were you right?” I ask her.
She places her hands on the railing. The salty breeze blows her hair back as a lonely tear trails down her cheek.
“I’m never wrong about these things. I knew you’d be having a boy together since the morning of the plane crash.”
Dayton and I gape at her. He wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me closer.
January’s lips form a sad smile. “I got the chance to tell her about him, too, before they left.” She looks at me with watery eyes. “She said when the time came, she’d like to be called Gaga.”
I wipe away the tears that are blurring my vision before sucking in a sob.
“And I want you to know that since that day, I’ve been prepared to be the kooky old great grandmother to the little bugger, because he deserves all the love in the world. And he’ll get it.”
I reach for her, squeezing her into a tight hug as emotion rises in my throat. I already had a good cry about my mom not being here to be the best grandma in the world, which I know she would be. Russell would’ve been a fun grandpa, and I know Dayton’s had a few somber moments thinking about his dad not being here to witness this day.
