Fallon’s knee is bouncing up and down, which is making my stomach churn as we drive to my parents’ house. Softly, I place my hand over top of it to hold it in place and make her stop.

“I’m nervous.”

“Don’t be,” I tell her, but I can feel her clammy skin beneath my hand, and know my words won’t help much.

“Your mom is gonna be so upset.”

“She’ll be okay. She’s a lot like you and very understanding.”

“But we lied. I lied . . . it was my idea, and I don’t want us to break this news to her.”

“It’s the right thing to do, trust me.”

She nods and looks out her window as I pull into the neighborhood. I can’t deny that I’m a little anxious myself, but I know my mom, and she’ll understand. She’ll love this baby just as much as I do.

I turn onto my parents’ street, then into their driveway and glance at Fallon, but she’s too busy chewing on her fingernail to notice. I reach for her hand, forcing her to look at me and stop what she’s doing. She looks at me, and her green eyes melt my heart. I love everything about her, but her eyes . . . fuck, they are the key to my soul.

“I love you,” I tell her and kiss her affectionately.

“Love you,” I assure her one more time that everything will be okay and we get out of the vehicle and head toward the house.

“Mom? Dad?” I call out.

“In here,” my mom says from the family room.

Fallon has a death grip on my hand, and I give her a little squeeze of reassurance as we greet my parents.

“What a nice surprise,” my mom says and reaches to hug us. My dad mutes the television, waiting for us to join him in the living room before standing.

“Thanks for doing this, son.” It’s a whisper, but he still looks at my mom to make sure she didn’t hear him. Judging by the huge smile on her face as she takes a seat, it’s safe to say she didn’t.

“So what are you kids up to today?”

“Not much, we wanted to talk to you about the baby.”

My mom’s expression beams when I say the word “baby.” “Can I first just say how truly happy I am that the two of you are together and giving me my first grandchild? I always had a feeling it would happen. I saw the way you always looked at her, Parks.”

I give my dad a suspicious glance, and he looks away. He obviously told my mom about how I felt about Fallon, even though he said he wouldn’t. Traitor.

“Well, I couldn’t be happier that he finally told me,” Fallon adds, which makes us all laugh.

“What? I was scared. She’s everything to me.”

“You did what you felt was right, and it all worked out in the end, son.” Fallon inhales, clearly agreeing with my dad. However, I’m sure all this chitchat is just making her more nervous.

“So, Mom, Dad, we need to tell you something.”

“Okay.” My mom’s expression become serious, and as I search for the words, Fallon takes my hand and places it in her lap, close to her stomach, reminding me of what I told her. Sometimes as a parent, you have to do hard things that you don’t want to. But this is what’s right for the baby.

“The baby is not biologically mine.”

“What do you mean?”

“Fallon got pregnant before she and I started dating, but I’ve made the decision to raise the child as my own. We hope you both will love the baby as your own, too.”

“Who’s is it?” My mom looks to my dad, who is doing a good job looking shocked but supportive, and then she turns to Fallon.

“My ex-boyfriend, Leo’s.”

“Oh God!” My mom’s hand flies over her mouth. “That boy who was on the news?” Fallon nods. “Your mother was so upset when she saw the story. We were all so grateful that he didn’t hurt you.”

“So were we,” I tell them.

“Does he know?” she curiously looks at us.

“No,” I answer, and she doesn’t pry any further.

“Well, regardless of the DNA, that baby is our grandchild.” She pats Fallon’s knee. And I feel ridiculous for thinking my mother would have ever had a different reaction.

“Really?” Fallon asks in a non-believing tone.

“Yeah, really,” my parents both agree, settling her reservations.

“Do your parents know?”

“No, I don’t think I wanna tell them, either.”

“They’ll understand.” And they would. I hope them planting the seed will push Fallon to tell her parents, too. Mine were so understanding, and I’m sure hers will be the same way.

* * *

“Everything looks perfect,” Dr. Cornelius tells us as she finishes the exam and ultrasound on Fallon and the baby.

“Thank you,” she says and sits up on the exam table.

“You’re most welcome.” The doctor hands Fallon the new pictures she took and a sealed envelope with the sex of the baby inside. We couldn’t decide if we wanted to know or be surprised, so she wrote it down for us to look at when or if we were ready.

“See you next month,” Dr. Cornelius gives us a final smile and a small wave as she collects Fallon’s chart and heads out into the hallway. Fallon hands me the envelope and pictures, before getting dressed.

“I kind of want to know.” I look between Fallon and the envelope in my hand.

“You do?”

“Yeah. Don’t you?”

“I don’t really know. I go back and forth.”

She smiles at me, not giving in, but then she wraps her fingers around the envelope and slides it from my grasp. The decision about the sex of the baby is right here.

“Are you sure?”

I give her a nod, and without saying anything else, she tears it open, and I couldn’t be more thankful that this is the biggest dilemma in our life.

I’m like an overactive child on Christmas morning as I wait for her to read the paper. Eternity passes in the span of few seconds, and then a smile stretches her lips before she hands the paper to me. God, I don’t think I could be more ecstatic to be having a baby girl with her.

Looking back on things, from where we began, sometimes it’s unreal to me that being with Fallon is my reality and now we’ll have a little girl to show the world to as well.

“Are you happy?” I ask, pulling her in close and she exhales then says, “God, yes.”

Looking at her, as gorgeous as ever. Not only the most beautiful woman in the entire world but the most stunning pregnant woman, I couldn’t be more grateful to have her as my partner, my lover, the mother of my daughter—my everything.