Page 48 of The Wrong Side Of Us

A knowing Carter narrowed his eyes at me, studying me for a moment. In the end, he didn’t say a thing until we sat at the table.

Homemade hamburgers were the best, especially when made by Nathan. The only thing he wasn’t fond of was adding pickle juice to mine, but other than that, he didn’t mind.

He made sweet potato fries just for me, catching Carter off guard.

I never liked sweet potato before.

“You have to expand your horizons,” I explained, chewing a fry.

For the rest of the meal, I was silent, enjoying the smiles of the people surrounding me. I knew this was a day I would look back on fondly, the day we announced to the people we love we were forming our own family.

This was it.

They were my family, the ones who would stand next to me through thick and thin.

The family my baby deserved.

Nana would have been proud; I had no doubt about that.

Maybe I didn’t get the best example from my mother or my sister, but Nana…if I could be half the woman she was, I knew I could raise my baby right. I leaned my head on Nathan’s shoulder, thinking back to the craziness that brought us together: the different circumstances, the heartbreak.

It was all over.

Our lives weren’t perfect, but we had each other, and that was all that mattered. We knew what was important to us; we’d lived, we’d learned.

“Are you ready?” Nathan’s soft whisper brought me back to the present. I nodded, smiling back at him. His warm gaze bore onto my own, making no attempt to hide his happiness.

He stood up and picked up the tray of cookies while I remained at the table with our family. The tension built up as Nate set the tray in at the center of the table. His mom frowned, looking up at him.

“What is this?”

“Dessert.” He smiled, taking my hand in his. “Open it.”

Curiously, Deborah uncovered the tray, a crease forming at her forehead as she saw the stork-decorated cookies. Frank stood up behind her, widening his eyes when he took in the image. Carter stood up last, glancing over at me when he saw them.

“What is this?” Deb asked softly, her eyes shining with tears.

Nathan grinned, loving eyes roaming my face in wonder. “Your wish is coming true. You’re going to be a grandma.”

“Oh my God.” She covered her mouth as she gasped before rushing over to me and pulling me into her arms. “Oh my God, Evelyn.”

I laughed softly, returning the hug and closing my eyes. Such a sweet hug, heartfelt and full of love. When she pulled back, she raised her hand hesitantly. “Can I?”

I took her hand in mine and placed it over my small bump. Frank followed behind her and placed it over her hand, the couple smiling.

“You already have a little bump,” Frank said, grinning. “How far along are you?”

“Almost twelve weeks,” I replied.

My eyes met Carter’s, who still stood staring at the cookies. There was something about his posture that made my chest constrict with pain. “Give me a minute, please?”

Nathan’s parents nodded, embracing their son quickly as I walked over to Carter. I placed a hand on his arm. “Are you mad I’m pregnant out of wedlock?” I asked with a hesitant smile.

“Oh, of course not, Evelyn,” Carter said. Though his lips tilted up, the smile didn’t meet his eyes. He cleared his throat, sighing before he pulled me into his arms. “I’m so, so happy for you. You will be a wonderful mother.”

My eyes filled with tears. “Really?”

“I have no doubt,” he murmured, cupping my face in his hands. “Your grandmother…I just wish she could see be here to see this.”

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