Page 94 of There Are No Words

Blinking, he looked at me. “Now? I was wondering what you four were doing over here. Everyone’s ready to start the party. Can’t you talk about her another time?”

This wasn’t exactly the conversation I wanted to be having at my baby shower, but if they were ready to talk about it here, then that was what we’d do. “We went to findher,” I said, addressing Maria and ignoring Dom so this conversation could get back on track.

“Yeah, what’s with the cynical attitude?” Perla asked, reaching for a drink from the table behind us.

“I may not be the oldest sister anymore, technically speaking, but I will always look out for you guys. And I feel that we don’t know much about her.” Maria was really digging her heels in on this one, wasn’t she?

Sucking in a deep breath, Bianca pointed at Maria. “There we go. That explains it.” She gestured to Dom. “Can you just start some games, we’ll be over in a minute, okay?”

Then she ushered us out of the main room and behind the door of the storage closet under the stairs.

Inside, I tugged on the light from the bulb hanging overhead.

“Maria, listen, you’ll always be the older sister,” Bianca said, wrapping her arm around her shoulder. “Just because Jade exists, and she came first doesn’t change anything.”

“Exactly. You’ve always been the big sister. Nothing’s going to change that, Maria,” Perla said, throwing her arm over them.

I was starting to feel claustrophobic, so I backed up and rubbed my belly, thinking about Baby. Then I inhaled deeply and said what had been on my mind all along. “Jade should’ve always been in the picture. We’re just welcoming her in a little late. That’s all.”

“It’s different. It’llbedifferent,” Maria insisted, and I had to wonder what this was really about because it definitely wasn’t as simple as Bianca seemed to think, but, again, I bit my tongue.

Bianca laughed and fluffed Maria’s ponytail. “No, it won’t. I’ll still consider you an old fart.” And at that, we all laughed with her.

“It’ll be okay,” I said, trying to assure her.

Maria sighed. “Fine. Let’s invite Jade. But keep your guard up, okay?”

“Got it. I’ll get the armor out from the back of my closet when I get home, but, for now, can we please go out to my baby shower and reveal my baby’s gender?”

Bianca pulled me into their group hug. “Ohmigod, yes, please! I’m dying to know what you’re having.”

“My money’s on a girl,” Perla said, acting like she was so sure of it. “You’re carrying just like Maria did. It’s a girl.”

I reached for the doorknob behind my back, opened it, and walked out backward. “You’ll have to wait and see!” I called in a sing-song voice before turning on my heel and practically bumping into Patrizia.

“Allie!” she screamed and pulled me into a hug. “What are you four doing in there?”

I laughed as my sisters came out one by one. “Oh, nothing. Thanks for coming.”

Patrizia bent down and took my belly in her hands, looking at it. “We’ve started a pool. I’m betting it’s a girl.” She rubbed her hands over it once more. “Yeah, definitely a girl.”

Removing her hands, I angled my head and looked at my cousin. “All right. I’m pretty sure betting wasn’t on the agenda for today, but you can all bet at your own risk.” Then I shouted, “Now who’s ready to get this party started?” My eyes met Brady’s across the room and everyone cheered.

Frankie turned down the music and Perla appeared by his side, waving a bucket of pacifiers around. “Let’s bob for pacifiers!”

“That’ll give everyone time to get their bets in because if some of you are betting, then all of you are betting, and I’m dying to know who will win,” I called out. Brady walked up beside me, then. “Did you know they’re taking bets?” I asked, loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Hey, they have a fifty-fifty chance,” he said, and we laughed, enjoying how much fun everyone seemed to be having already.

As Perla and Frankie did their thing to set up the game, Isabella rushed over, and Brady bent down to talk to her since I would not be bending over again until this baby was out of me. “I hear everyone calls you Peanut, but can I call you Isabella?” he asked.

My niece looked up at me, eyes wide.

I only shrugged, though. “He doesn’t like to call me by my nickname, either.” Between you and me, I had a feeling that we’d have to find a name for our daughter that couldn’t be shortened because Brady wouldn’t have it.

She gasped. “He doesn’t?”

“Nope,” he confirmed, tapping her on the nose. “So, what do you say?”

---