Page 54 of Accidentally Falling
ARDEN: No it’s adorable and my sister is going to be pissed I didn’t do anything for her
JUDE: Oops
ARDEN: You can make it up to me later
JUDE: Be a lot easier if we moved in together
ARDEN: Not a chance, Country Rhodes—go be the prized sibling
JUDE: Just you wait
ARDEN: I told my dad—he’s excited
JUDE: That’s great—I think he’s going to really enjoy being a grandfather
ARDEN: I hope so
I’d madeit a point to stay in contact with Evan Mills. Things had yet to improve with Arden’s mother, and while she and I probably hadn’t gotten off on the right foot, Evan and I seemed to have an understanding.
ARDEN: Can you bring more heartburn medicine back with you? We’re hitting the orange juice hard
JUDE: I’m sorry, that sounds like a job for someone who lives with you
ARDEN: You did not just say that
JUDE: I’ll bring them but it’ll cost you
ARDEN: You’re not moving in because of heartburn meds
JUDE: What about heartburn meds and a cupcake?
ARDEN: No
JUDE: Don’t worry, Tennessee, I’ll think of something…
“I got you a cupcake,”I tell Deacon as I walk into the kitchen, Dez’s paws happily clicking on the hardwood as he comes over to greet me.
“A cupcake?”
“We found out what we’re havin’ and people do this kind of thing. Arden called it a gender reveal, and said her sister is gonna be pissed when she finds out you got a cupcake.”
I watch as my brother digs the heels of his hands into his eyes as I place the box on the counter.
“Dammit,” he mumbles, clearing his throat as he looks at me. “All right, let’s do it.”
Lifting the lid, he picks one of the cupcakes and, without fanfare, takes a massive bite, the dessert practically demolished as he pulls back to look at the remains.
“Well, there was supposed to be frosting in there, but I think you ate it all.”
“No way, it’s pink.” His eyes widen. “It’s pink? It’s a girl?” Excitement laces each word, the sentiment mimicking my own feelings as I nod. “Congratulations, but holy shit, what are we gonna do with a girl?”
He rounds the island and pulls me in for a hug, his arms wrapping around me as I chuckle. “We’re going to spoil the hell out of her.”
Deacon and I never had a lot of family growing up—no cousins or anything like that. It was just us, rough and tumble, especially when the neighbor kids didn’t want to play. It was lonely but we had each other.
My little girl will have it better than we had it.
And she’ll have us wrapped around her little finger before we can blink.
