“Are you ready to see the baby?” Dr. Contreras asks as she puts the cold gel on my stomach. Liam stands next to me holding my hand.
“Yes,” I nod and look up at him. His eyes are focused on the machine. It’s finally time for my ultrasound and we’re going to see our baby. We had to push back a few weeks with all the craziness, but I’m beyond ready.
“And we’re doing the gender reveal later, so you don’t want to know, correct?”
Liam groans then shifts his attention to me. “They don’t have to know we know. We can pretend we don’t know at this stupid party. Look, I even have a great shocked face.” I glance over and he gives his best impression.
Such a dork.
I ignore him, “No, we don’t want to know.”
“You suck.”
“You’re being a baby. The party is in two weeks.”
“Stupid. I’m the father. I should know before some damn baker.”
“Zip it.”
She laughs and puts the wand on my stomach. I swear I don’t remember being so big with Aarabelle this early. I’m either retaining a lot of water or my body figures it’s already done this so might as well return to form.
The room fills with the wooshing sound of the baby’s heartbeat. Liam’s eyes widen, and his jaw drops as it echoes around us.
“What the hell is that?”
Dr. Contreras smiles. “That’s your baby’s heart. Nice and strong.”
“Our baby has a heart,” he says sounding clearly surprised.
I giggle, “I know.”
“I didn’t mean that literally.”
I twist my fingers with his and listen with a full heart. It’s a miracle we’re standing here hearing our baby or that any of this is happening.
“See that there,” the doctor says pointing. “That’s the baby’s heart. You can see everything looks good there.”
She continues to show us small glimpses of our peanut. Each time she points a new piece out, Liam claims he sees a penis, which she obviously won’t confirm. She goes through all the organs then hands us a few photos.
“I’ll let you get dressed and then I’ll be back to go over everything,” she explains.
“Is there anything to be concerned about?”
“I just want to look at the timeline and set a plan.” Her voice is reassuring, but something has me on edge.
Liam kisses the top of my head, and hands me a towel to clean off.
“I have a bad feeling,” I relay my fears to him.
“Everything looks fine, Lee. I know you’re worried, but from what I saw, the kid’s got all the parts.”
“Says the man who thought he would dent him or her with his giant penis.”
“Can’t help the equipment that was bestowed upon me.”
I stare, waiting until he looks over so he can see my face. He’s smiles then sits next to me.
“All joking aside, if there’s something wrong, we’ll handle it. But you’ve had a rough go at getting pregnant and staying pregnant . . . so, this is good. We’re at twenty-three weeks now. I’m handling everything I can so you can stay off your feet. Let’s just wait before we freak out.”
My head falls on his shoulder, and he wraps his arm around me. There are times in my life I feel so weak. As if all anyone does is reassure me that things will be fine. It’s just this baby . . . this life inside of me . . . is my chance. It’s my chance to prove I wasn’t broken or marred, but that I was meant to be a mother.
We sit here quietly and Dr. Contreras knocks and enters. “Okay, everything looked good. The baby’s heart and all of the organs are great. I’ve sent the gender off to the cake people, so yes, we were able to get a clear picture of that.” She smiles and then looks at the chart. “Only issue I have is your weight. You need to eat a little more. So far, you’re not gaining much and you said you weren’t having morning sickness. Are you eating healthy?”
“I have a kid who has no idea how to sit for two seconds so that could be why.”
She nods. “I want you to make sure you’re taking in enough calories for you and the baby.”
“She’ll eat.” Liam offers his promise.
“I’ll be more mindful.”
Dr. Contreras smiles and shakes my hand. “Good. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”
She turns to Liam and he returns the gesture. “She’ll eat . . . no worries.”
“Thanks, caveman. Go put your club away before you hit yourself on the head,” I say grabbing my coat.
The doctor laughs while leaving the room. Liam and I head to the car, I look closer at the sonogram to see if I can figure out if it’s a boy or girl. It’s going to kill me to wait until the gender reveal. Reanell and her stupid party. I was against it from the beginning, but somehow she tricked Liam into thinking this would be a fun idea.
Aidan returns from Ireland next week and is coming into Dulles, so he asked if he could come for a visit and meet Aarabelle. We figured we could spend the week with him and then find out the sex of the baby.
I groan, “I can’t tell if I see a penis.” I huff and throw myself back on the seat.
“Careful with the pushing on the seat please.”
“You’re kidding me?”
“Sweetheart, Robin has been good to us.”
“Robin can’t fit two kids in the back.” I call this to his attention and the shock ripples across his face.
“That’s not even funny if you’re telling me what I think you’re telling me.”
I turn slightly so I can watch this. “You and Robin are going to need to come to some kind of understanding. You’re going to need a new woman.”
“Robin is mine and I am hers.”
“I thought I was yours,” I raise my brow.
“But . . . you . . . but . . .” Liam splutters and grips the wheel. I wouldn’t ask him to sell his car, but this is almost too fun.
“It’s just not practical.” I shrug and turn my head so he can’t see my smile.
“What if we have an every other weekend deal?”
I swear I’ve never seen a man so attached to a piece of metal before, but this is Liam. The man who fed my child cake and tied her diaper on with rope. He’s the guy who will wax his car by hand for two hours to ensure the paint stays pristine. I really hope we have a girl, because if it’s a boy, he’ll be teaching him this same craziness.
“I’ll think about it.”
“I’ll make it worth your while.” Liam’s voice is full of promise.
I giggle and sink into the seat. I’m happy. Deliriously happy. I have the most amazing man, a beautiful little girl, and another baby on the way. Aaron is alive, and we both have a way to find peace. He and Liam have been speaking in very small doses, but it feels like things are how they were meant to be.
“You look beautiful,” Jackson says as he kisses my cheek.
“Thanks, I’m getting huge.” I feel like I keep saying the same thing. I swear, I’m going to wind up giving birth to a damn toddler.
It’s finally gender reveal day. I’ve had to fight the urge to call the bakery pretending I’m Reanell and need the color of the cake. It’s been killing me not knowing. I’ve debated killing her for talking me into this. She claims I owe her since Mason is deployed and she has no other means of fun.
“Nonsense.” Jackson steps inside before I see Catherine behind him.
“Cat!” I scream and embrace her. “You didn’t say you were coming.”
“I wouldn’t miss it. I had to come to New York for a meeting, so I planned it so I could be here.”
“How’s wedding planning?”
“Going . . . we’re not in a rush. What about you? Jackson said you and Liam . . .”
I show her the ring and she gasps. “Wow, that’s breathtaking.”
“It was his mother’s ring.”
“It’s beautiful. Any guesses on the baby?” She smiles as her shoulders scrunch up.
“I think it’s a girl. Liam swears it’s a girl too.”
We’ve argued for two weeks about the sex. Before I can explain, I feel a hand on my lower back.
“It’s a girl,” Liam’s husky voice says from behind me.
“I really think you should change to thinking it’s a boy,” I say for the tenth time today.
“Not a chance, sweetheart. If you want someone to be wrong, it’s going to be you.” Liam’s hand snakes down and squeezes my butt.
I slap him and scoff, “He’s impossible.”
“Wait,” Catherine says confused. “You want him to think opposite?”
“Yes, that way he’s wrong, and I can gloat.” Makes perfect sense to me.
“I thought Jackson and I were competitive.” Catherine laughs as someone else knocks on the door.
“Excuse me,” I say and walk to see who’s is here.
“Now,” Reanell says as soon as the door opens. She has the cake in her hand, and I have to remember I need to keep it together. “Before you do something stupid like tackle me . . .” She waits until I look at her eyes. “You will behave, or I’ll never watch your kids, and when Liam pisses you off, I’ll tell him things to fuel his argument.”
“Some friend you are.”
“God, you’re a peach when you’re pregnant,” she laughs and eyes me as she moves past me.
“Good enough to eat,” Liam says hushed against my ear.
“Change your choice!” I yell and rush after him. I wrap my arms around his back and he sighs.
When we’re like this, nothing can hurt me. He blankets the fears that threaten to smother me. With him there is peace.
Liam turns then his arms cross against my back. He holds me as his blue eyes prick with wonder. “You are trouble.” He slants down and kisses me. “Good thing I like trouble.” Another kiss to my lips.
“Let’s go cut our cake . . .” I try to lure him.
“Have you been cramping at all?” Liam asks seriously.
I’ve had a few sparingly, but nothing like the last time. I’ve been taking it easy and trying to stay off my feet. Of course, Aarabelle doesn’t fully get that, so Paige has been brought on as a full-time nanny for a work-from-home mom. She helps with so much more than I could expect, and she’s very attached to Aara.
“No, Dad. I’ve been good. I promise I’ll be careful.”
“There’s my wife!” Mark comes in with his booming voice. “How’s our sparkly baby coming along?”
“You’re so dumb.” I laugh and hit his arm.
“Hands off my woman, Twilight,” Liam warns with a hint of playfulness in his voice.
“Or what?”
“I’ll kick your ass.”
“Bring it. I’m twice your age and twice your size.” He winks at me and taunts Liam. “When the doctors told us the great news, we were thrilled . . . then we realized we’d have to tell you.”
“Oh, for the love of God.” I push Mark, and they both burst out laughing.
“Did you see her face?” Mark says between guffaws.
“Dude, we had her good.”
“Assholes,” I mutter and walk away.
Quinn arrives late as usual, and we all grab seats and catch up. This is more like a barbeque than anything else. Aarabelle is, of course, on Liam’s lap most of the day and occasionally she and Jackson play a little. Knowing how Jackson also lost a child breaks my heart. His daughter or son would’ve been almost four I think. He will really be such an amazing dad one day.
Aidan and I spend a good amount of time talking. He’s already head over heels in love with Aarabelle. She delivers him toys as she shares her half-eaten cookies. He never blinks an eye, just takes a bite and asks if he can have her call him Seanathair, which means “grandfather” in Gaelic.
Of course, this will take a long time to teach her, but it means a lot to him. It also will help cause less confusion for the new baby as well. It gives the men the same name for both children.
“Okay, I’m going to eat the damn cake myself if we don’t get to it now,” Liam says and claps his hands.
Everyone laughs as Reanell glares at him. “One call and I’ll have your ass back on a plane,” she toys with him.
“That is, of course, if Commander’s wife says it’s okay to cut the cake.”
We all laugh at Liam’s quick rephrasing, and Rea smiles.
“Let’s go find out what the bun in the oven is.”
We head over to the table where there are two small egg shaped cakes. Both white, and once we cut them open, we’ll know.
“Okay, the way this works is only one of you cuts the cake and the other announces the sex,” Rea explains.
“Why are there two?” I ask.
“Maybe there are two babies,” she jokes. Or at least she better be joking.
“Not even funny.”
Rea smiles, “I got two because the one wouldn’t feed this herd. Let’s be real here, Mark could eat that cake on his own.”
Mark scoffs, “I’m not the one named Muffin Top. Let us not forget who’s the fat kid with the cake here.”
“Funny,” Jackson replies, and we all bust out laughing.
“Liam, why don’t you cut the egg, and Lee can let us know what it is!” She bounces with excitement.
Liam’s eyes focus on the cake as he grabs the knife. He places it down, my eyes look to him in confusion before hands grip my face, and he presses his lips to mine. You can hear the group laugh and make teasing noises, but all I focus on is him.
He pulls back and stares for a beat. “I love you and right now . . . I’m just happy.”
“Me too. You make me this way.”
We both smile at each other and Liam starts to look around the room. “Aara?” he calls out.
Within seconds, she’s running across the room toward us.
“There you are. Wanna see if you’re going to have a sister or brother?” She starts to reach for the cake. “Or better let’s have some cake.”
Liam inclines, and I think he’s going for the knife instead he sticks Aarabelle’s hand in the cake.
“Liam!” I start to complain, but then when her hand comes out, we both just look at each other and smile.