Page 124 of Space Balls: Houston, We Have Liftoff
I wiggle my fingers, enjoying how the Christmas lights from the tree by the TV play off the cushion cut diamond and all its surrounding pink pave ones. It’s classic, with a twist.
Hashtag just like me.
Brit grabs my hand and smiles over my ring with me. “Just as long as you get hitched before my niece is born.”
Vance rubs my stomach. “We won’t know if it’s a boy or a girl for a few more weeks.”
“No, it’sdefinitelya girl.” Brit takes another big sip of her drink, and I wonder just how much peppermint schnapps she poured in to be this tipsy after one mug. “If God gave me boys, it’s only fair you get girls.”
I smile when Brit hiccups. “Not exactly sure that’s how it works.”
“Boy or girl, doesn’t matter to me.” Vance kisses my neck, causing more goosebumps to pop. “As long as the baby is healthy, then everything is good.”
Raising my arm, I wrap it around his neck in a hug.
Yes, everythingisgood. Vance has given or has plans to give me everything I told him I wanted.
“I can’t believe you’re going to be in space though.” Brit downs the rest of her drink, a chocolate mustache on her lip. “Can I call dibs on being in the delivery room?”
Well, almost everything I wanted.
I catch myself frowning and shake it off with a large smile. “You’ll have to put your name in the hat with everyone else.”
Helen walks in from the kitchen, having spent most of the afternoon oooh-ing and aah-ing over the mixer I glitter-bombed for Brittany. Looks like I have another DIY project in the future. “I can’t believe you’re actually having a lottery drawing to see who’s going to help you deliver my grandbaby.”
I shrug, not knowing what else to say.
When I pulled up my panties in the doctor’s office after finding out the due date coincided with Vance’s flight, I made myself pull up my metaphoric big girl panties too.
So what if the father of my baby won’t even be on Earth during delivery?
So what if, as a first time mom, I’ll have to figure out breastfeeding, sleep training and deal with newborn vaccinations all on my own?
I’m Rose West. I got this.
“I like this one.” Brit’s speech slurs. “Very Pinterest worthy.” She hands me the house in Trish’s neighborhood. The one with the fountain neighbor.
It’s larger than I originally wanted. But Vance convinced me that if I wanted more than two kids and a glitter room, we should probably increase our square footage. It’s situated on the north side of NASA, almost in the middle of Flynn and Holt.
Plus, it’s right across the road from Trish. And out of all the girls, I’m pretty sure she’s going to be the first to get knocked up. Our kids could grow up together. Ride the bus together.
I study the white brick house, imagining all the personal touches I could make to this house to make it a home.Ourhome.
In just a few short days, I’ve gone from sleeping alone in my childhood bedroom to being in a committed relationship with a man who loves me and whom I love. A man who, now that he’s put a ring on it, will be my dinner companion for life. Plus, I’m about to purchase a place where we will raise our baby—together. A place where we will all feel loved and wanted.
A place I can make special with help from Pinterest.
It might not be everything, but it’s enough.
I drop my ring hand over Vance’s, thinking about how love changes things. Because now, confident in Vance’s love, of our commitment, the importance of getting everything I want quickly turned into wanting to get everythinghewants too.
This upcoming mission means a lot to Vance. His whole career has been focused on getting to this moment. It’s what he’s always wanted.
So I’ll take one for the team, as it were. A team is like a family, after all. And that’s exactly what Vance, the blob in my uterus, and I are—a family.
“I’ll tell the realtor to put an offer on it.” I hold up the listing in my hand. “Cash. That should stop the bidding war.”
“Whoa.” Vance shifts me on his lap, half turning me so he can see my face. “I can’t let you do that.”
