Page 112 of No Greater Love
"Dad loves suspense. Remember how he made me wait until Christmas morning to open that chemistry set?" Paige grinned. "Besides, he's been trying to guess for weeks. Yesterday I caught him googling 'early signs of baby gender' at breakfast."
The guest list was perfectly us—a mix of hospital family and actual family that showed just how intertwined our lives had become. Maria had claimed the beverage station and was already holding court with my aunts, comparing stories about difficult doctors. Sophia and Jack had arrived early with Madison in tow, who was currently teaching some of my younger cousins card tricks that probably counted as mild gambling.
"Oh, honey," my mother said, appearing at my elbow with a plate of her famous deviled eggs, "you need to eat something. You're eating for two now."
"Mom, I'm barely four months along. The baby is the size of an avocado."
"An avocado needs nutrients," she said firmly, then softened. "You look so beautiful, baby girl. Glowing."
And Ididfeel beautiful. The yellow sundress Nate had picked out hit just right, and my barely-there bump was perfectly framed by the empire waist. More importantly, I felt settled in a way I never had before. Surrounded by people who loved me, carrying the child of the man I adored, watching my daughter—my daughter—orchestrate this entire event with the enthusiasm of a party planner.
"Tasha!" Mrs. Swanson approached, looking unusually fancy in a floral dress instead of her usual cardigan. "Where do you want me to put this?" She gestured to a beautifully wrapped box that was clearly a handmadesomething.
"The gift table is perfect, thank you so much for?—"
"Nonsense. I've been knitting baby blankets since I retired. This one's special, though." Her eyes twinkled. "Gender neutral on the outside, but there might be a little surprise border that'll make more sense after the reveal."
Before I could ask what she meant, Paige appeared at my other side, practically vibrating with excitement. "It's time! Everyone's here! Dad's ready! The cake is perfect!"
I looked around the backyard and felt my heart do that swooping thing it had been doing a lot lately. Everyone we cared about was here: Sophia and Jack, deep in conversation with my brother Marcus about something medical. Madison, showing my grandmother photos of New Zealand on her phone. Maria and my cousin Aisha, bonding over their shared opinion that all men were basically toddlers in disguise.
And Nate, standing near the cake table, looking nervous and excited and so handsome in his button-down shirt that I wanted to drag him inside and remind him exactly how we'd gotten into this situation in the first place.
"Okay everyone!" Paige called out, her voice carrying across the yard with surprising authority. "Time for the gender reveal! Mom and Dad, get over here!"
Mom and Dad.She'd been saying it so naturally lately that I barely noticed anymore, but today it hit me like a gentle wave. To everyone here, that's exactly what we were. Parents. Partners. A family.
Nate materialized beside me, his hand finding mine automatically. "You ready for this?" he asked softly.
"Are we ever ready for anything?" I smiled up at him. "But yeah. Let's find out if we're having a son or daughter."
The crowd gathered around as Paige presented us with a knife that was probably overkill for cake cutting but definitely added to the drama. "Everyone count down from three!" she instructed.
"THREE!" came the chorus of voices.
"TWO!"
Nate's hand covered mine on the knife handle, his thumb stroking gently across my knuckles.
"ONE!"
We sliced through the white fondant together, and the inside of the cake revealed itself in a burst of blue so vibrant it was almost electric.
"IT'S A BOY!" Paige shrieked, jumping up and down like she'd just won the lottery. "I'M GETTING A BABY BROTHER!"
The yard erupted in cheers and applause. My mother immediately started crying happy tears. Mrs. Swanson looked smugly satisfied in a way that suggested her surprise border definitely involved blue. Madison was already taking pictures, documenting everything for posterity.
But all I could focus on was Nate's face. The wonder and joy and slight terror of a man who was about to become a father again, eleven years after the first time.
"A son," he said softly, just for me.
"A son," I agreed. "Paige is going to be insufferable. In the best possible way."
"I'm going to teach him EVERYTHING!" Paige announced to anyone within hearing distance. "Baseball, science, how to make the perfect s'more, all the constellations?—"
"How to avoid the friendship bracelet incident?" Sophia suggested with a grin.
"We are NEVER speaking of the friendship bracelet incident," Paige said with dignity, then immediately abandoned all pretense of sophistication. "But yes! I'm going to be the best big sister EVER!"
