Page 175 of Toxic Wishes
“With our genetics, I’m sure it’s a boy. Be a miracle if it’s a girl,” Cliff says, stretching his torso side to side as if he pulled something helping me hang the signs a while ago.
“You sure you don’t want to know?” Colt says, grabbing my hands, ignoring everyone’s comments.
“Yes. I’m sure.”
“Okay, sweetheart. If that’s what you want, I figured you would want to throw a big gender reveal party. I know you girls love doing that stuff.”
“Really? Do you think I would like to do that? Have you not gotten to know me at all.”
He chuckles lightly and gives me a gentle kiss on the lips. “Yeah, true, what was I thinking? You could care less about that crap.” We are lost in the moment, and I know Colt’s mind is moving a million miles a minute right now, but the best part is he’s not freaking out, which makes me feel relieved in itself.
“Yoo-hoo!” we hear a girl's voice as the front door opens, turning our heads that way.
“Mel?” I squint my eyes, ensuring it’s her and not the lack of sleep I’ve been getting.
“How did you all know I was coming?” She says as she takes in the surroundings of the banner and party favors.
I run over to her and almost knock her down, giving her a big hug.“What the hell are you doing here?” I say into her long blonde hair.
“I figured you had such good luck out here with Mr. Lover boy. I figured maybe I needed a change from the L. A scene and it was time to get me a country boy myself. Lord knows the men back home are getting weirder or staying true to being a bachelor for life.”
“I’m so glad you’re here.” I haven’t seen Mel since the Super Bowl, and Josh wanted to be here tonight, but he’s been swamped with classes, exams, and helping his parents' business as he continues to pursue his dream of finishing medical school for the both of us.
“What’s all the commotion about?” she asks as I pull back. Everyone goes silent, turning to me. “I’m pregnant,” I say softly, wondering if she heard me.
“Ahhh!” she screams, jumping up and down. “I’m going to be an aunt!” She brings me in for a hug again, squeezing me so tight I thought I might pop.
After hours of playing catch-up and cleaning the kitchen, we were all ready to wind down after I told Hildagaurd she could have the night off.
“How about I make us all some tea,” Nora says.
“I’ll help.” I follow Nora into the kitchen and start getting out the tea cups. I hear a jar close and immediately turn around. It’s as if it all happens in slow motion as I see her flip the card open.
“Don’t open that,” I shout.
She jerks, then turns around swiftly, asking, “Why not?”
“That’s where I hid the paper with the baby's gender. I don’t want to look at it yet.”
“What?” Nora scrunches her nose at me, and I turn to Bodie. “You aren’t allowed to look in there either, bud. Promise me?” I say.
“I promise,” he says as he stares down at his iPad, not interested in a word I’m saying right now.
Good.
Rather than listen and immediately put the card back, Nora peeked and put it back in the jar. Cliff is the first one to say something. “Nora, how are you going to do that to them?”
“What? I put it back,” she says as tears opens a tea bag then lights the stove.
“Great’ Colt says as he slumps his shoulders over. “I’m the father, and I don’t even know. How is this fair? “
“No worries, you, of all people, should know your secret is safe with me.” She winks at Colt.
Nora was like a vault, but more than that, would Colt and I try to get it out of her over the next six months? Even though this was my decision, it was killing me not knowing, so I knew it had to be eating up Colt inside as well. Becoming a mother was by far the best thing that has happened to me, and I would love the baby no matter what, but I was consumed by curiosity. If Nora let it slip accidentally, that would mean we were meant to know, right?
“The baby is going to be my baby sister or brother, which I’m hoping is a boy, but dad says I’m a horrible guesser,” Bodie says with a yawn. “I think I ate too many peanut butter cookies, Grammy.”
“What did I tell you?” Nora says. Bodie groans as he holds his stomach.