Page 67 of Shark Bait

“Yes, I do,” Troy answers.

I wish I had giant elephant ears so I could plaster one to the door and hear better. But I don’t, so I suck in a breath and hold it, wishing my heart would beat quieter so I wouldn’t miss the moment Tatiana announces the sex of the baby.

“See this here?” Tatiana asks.

No.

“Yes, I see it,” Troy answers.

“What is it?” Valerina asks.

“This is the genital area, and it looks like it’s a girl,” Tatiana says.

A girl!I scream inside my head, then lift my hand for Alessio to slap my palm. When I can’t contain my excitement, I dance my way down the hall the way Freddie Mercury arrived on stage at 1985’s Live Aid.

I’m having a girl. Also, Troy owes me a hundred dollars.

Alessio’s waving his hand for me to return and listen.

With a big smile on my face, I return.

He’s listening intently. I frown at his expression. I think he’s confused.

I listen in.

“Do you see this?” Tatiana asks.

“Oh, I see it,” Valerina says. “That looks like this picture on your wall.”

“What picture?” I whisper to Alessio.

He’s frowning. I can’t read his expression. Is there something wrong? If Valerina knows “it,” whatever it is must be normal. Right? Right? Jesus, what is taking Tatiana so long to explain?

I hear sniffing. Who’s crying? Troy? Is she crying? There’s something wrong with the baby. Oh God, no. I swallow, stop breathing, and listen.

“This here tells us it’s a boy,” Tatiana says.

I gasp.

Alessio’s staring at me. I don’t know what my expression says, but Alessio comforts me by patting my shoulder.It’s okay, he mouths.Congratulations.

I don’t know what to make of what’s happening in there, and he’s congratulating me. I don’t…

“All very nice,” Tatiana says. “These are healthy measurements. We will move on to the next.”

“Next?” Alessio and I say in unison.

“Do you see this here?”

Troy’s sobbing at this point, and I can barely hear her yes.

“Another girl, so you see, everything is fine,” Valerina says. “Aww, Troy.”

Everyone is crying now.

Slowly, my enthusiasm deflates. Two girls and a boy means she’s having triplets, unless there’s something wrong with her single baby. Given Troy’s already difficult situation, no wonder she’s crying.

And I have nothing to offer her in terms of comfort except the fact I’ll bring everyone who’s ever even looked at her wrong before Jesus, who’s going to banish them straight to hell where Lucifer and I, when my day comes, will torture them for all of fucking eternity.

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