BLAIR
“It’s a girl!”
Angela and Harrison yell simultaneously as they cut into the cake they purchased for their gender reveal party. Angela is already in tears and Harrison wraps his arms around her waist to support his wife and prevent her from falling to the ground. Her tears are indeed those of joy. Angela has been talking about this moment all week. She is so in love with being a mother and I knew she didn’t care one way or another what sex the baby would be, but she’s getting a sweet little girl and I couldn’t be more excited for her.
My own overload of hormones takes over and I find myself wiping away a few stray tears, just as I feel Cody’s arm wrapping around my waist and pulling me in just a bit closer to him, “Are you doing okay over there Bear?”
“I’m fine,” I say with a tiny sniffle. “I’m just so happy for the two of them. They are going to be great parents and that little girl is going to be spoiled rotten in the best way possible.”
“Have you changed your mind about wanting to plan one of these? I’m sure if you told Emory and our moms they’d throw something together last minute.”
“No,” I shake my head. “We did the big reveal party once before. Angela and Harrison deserve their chance to be alone in the spotlight right now.”
His lips press against my temple, “You’re a good friend, Bear. You don’t need to always be thinking about everybody else though.”
“For this I do. I need to let them have this.”
As the pink-tinted cake is served by the waitstaff, Angela and Harrison make their way around the room and chat with the guests. I don’t think they imagined this many people would want to be here today, but we like any reason to celebrate here in Strawberry. When I was planning this party with Beth and Maxine we left it as an open-ended invitation. We did send out some physical invites, but most of the information was just spread by word of mouth. There are easily a hundred people here to share in the joy.
Angela’s brother Chaz was able to make it from Sacramento. He’s been pretty quiet, keeping his distance from the center of attention. He is just in the background keeping a watchful eye on his little sister. I don’t think it matters that she’s a grown woman, married, with a baby on the way, Chaz still sees her as his to protect and guard. I wonder if Hayes will feel that same way about his younger sibling. The age difference between Chaz and Angela is just a few years, nothing like the eighteen, almost nineteen that will be between Hayes and this baby. Even though Hayes has shown nothing but excitement about being a big brother, I can’t help but wonder what the reality will be like between the two of them.
Speaking of siblings, Emory skips over with her slice of cake in hand and joins us at our table. Right as she takes a seat, Angela and Harrison stop by as well. Cody graciously gives up his seat so the mom-to-be can sit for a moment. “Thank you, Cody. Man, I’m starting to feel the difference with this belly. Tell me that it gets better, Blair.”
“I could tell you that, but I would be lying. There was a point with Hayes that I was pretty certain I would forward and land on my face if I tried to stand up straight. I think that’s why we all get that little back bend and waddle.”
“You were huge with Hayes,” Emory jokes while mimicking a huge, round belly. “Do you think you’ll be bigger or small this time around?”
“It isn’t exactly the best practice to tell a woman how huge she was when she was pregnant, Em.”
“Meh,” she shrugs her shoulders, “We’re all family here.”
I roll my eyes, “You’re quite the character…Anyway, I don’t know the answer to that. I’m certainly not the pregnant eighteen-year-old I was back then. I started this pregnancy in a completely different shape. I guess only time will tell.”
“I promise if you get too big to get out of bed in the morning I will always be there to offer you a hand,” Cody said, attempting to bite back a laugh.
“I promise if you talk about how big I’m potentially going to be again I’ll kick you out of our bed and send you to the couch.”
“Ouch!” Harrison exclaimed, “Shots fired right there, man.”
“This is why you can’t come to me with advice on being a dad and helping out your pregnant wife. I’m in the dog house more often than not.”
“Oh stop being a baby,” I playfully shove at Cody. “It was only that one-time last month I told you that you couldn’t sleep with me in the bed and that was because you ate those oysters when you were at the country club for that dinner with your dad and it didn’t matter how much you brushed your teeth, I could still smell it.”
“Oysters?” Angela scrunches up her face, “That’s disgusting, Cody.”
“They’re amazing and once this one over here doesn’t gag at foods that are currently on her no-go list, I’m taking her out to the country club and making her try one.”
“They look like snot,” I curl up my lip.
“I hate to take my brother’s side, Blair, but you’ve got to try them.”
“Now I feel like the two of you are ganging up on me and I don’t like it.
“Alright, enough about gross oysters, are we getting together next weekend to celebrate your news?”
Angela is referring, of course, to our ultrasound appointment on Thursday to find out the gender of our own cupcake. “I already said we’re not doing anything major. I’m not against getting together as a group for dinner or something, but it certainly won’t be this,” I gesture around the room.
“You know what?” Cody said, “I actually think that’s a great idea. Do you know what your schedule and Dalton’s will be like, Harrison?”
“I’m working nights, but this is Dalton’s weekend off. I bet he’d come over with Katie. Barring any major emergencies, I could stop by for a bit before heading to the station.”
“I guess I can compromise if we’re just keeping it small.” I turned to Angela, “You realize this means you’re going to have to wait until our dinner party to find out what I’m having now, right?”
“Oh no! I didn’t agree to that stipulation.”
“If I tell you, you’re going to tell Harrison and then he’ll tell Dalton, and then what is the point?”
“I don’t tell Harrison EVERYTHING,” she huffs.
“Liar,” I say with a wink. “I still want to tell our parents that night though, Cody.”
“That’s fine, we just have to tell Emory not to dig for information from my parents,” he looks pointedly at his sister.
“No promises. If I make sure mom has a few glasses of wine after work, she’ll be spreading your secrets like butter on a warm biscuit.”
“Don’t you dare!” I say scolding her while laughing.
“I’m just kidding, I’ll be good as long as you don’t make me wait long.”
“I guess that’s settled then, Cody. I’m putting you in charge of planning dinner. I’ll be in charge of keeping this baby baking.”
Cody laughs while he leans down to kiss my cheek, “Deal, Bear. Just keep baking Baby Bishop and I’ve got everything else taken care of.”
YOU ARE READING
Strawberry Wine (Strawberry Inn Book #2)
RomanceAt just 17, Blair and Cody were high school sweethearts with big dreams. They were both headed to university on athletic scholarships when a positive pregnancy test changes everything. Coming from two traditional families, they get married right aft...
