Page 20 of Taming You

“He’s been a happy boy today,” Matt says.

I dance my fingers over Jayden’s tummy, pulling a giggle out of him. “I can see that,” I say in the tone my voice tends to hit when I’m talking directly to babies. “I can see we’re a happy boy today, aren’t we?”

Jayden giggles more as he waves his arms in jerky movements in front of him, and my smile widens.

Grayson and Hannah pull up, and as they’re getting out of the car, Hannah calls, “Loitering on the lawn now, are we?”

I look at Jayden as I respond to Hannah, using the same tone. “I just was saying hi to the cutest little boy, wasn’t I, Jayden? Aren’t you just the cutest boy.”

He gurgles in what I’m going to say is agreement, and I smile at Hannah. She joins me and looks in on him, too.

Grayson and Matt exchange nods as Grayson says hello to me.

She brushes her fingertips over Jayden’s tummy much in the same way I did earlier and smiles as she says, “Okay, I’ll give it to you. He’s pretty darn adorable.”

“Right!” I exclaim.

“You Carter kids make adorable babies,” Hannah says to Matt.

He grins at her. “That we do.”

“We should probably head inside,” Grayson says.

We make our way up the front steps, and Grayson knocks. Caleb quickly answers and ushers us inside. Lily, Bailey’s best friend, and Liv and Josh are already here, but I don’t see Bailey or Charlie.

“Where are the girls?” I ask.

Caleb grips the back of his neck in a way I haven’t seen him do much in all the years I’ve known him. “Um, they’re upstairs. They should be down soon.”

I nod and follow him into the kitchen and join Liv.

After a few minutes, I hear the running footsteps of Charlie, and she calls, “Aunty Liv, Aunty Lily.”

We all turn to watch her charge into the kitchen as she runs up to them.

“Hey, Charlie girl,” Liv says while Lily stares at her slack jawed as her hands come to cover her mouth and she turns to look at Caleb. Tears are starting to run down her face.

“Really?” Is all she manages to squeak out.

Caleb is grinning like a fool as he nods. Bailey finally walks into the kitchen and Lily is throwing herself at her. The rest of us are looking around confused until Josh finally offers his hand to Caleb and says, “Congrats, Man.”

“Thanks.”

Caleb can’t stop grinning, and Bailey and Lily are both wiping their tears.

“Charlie, what’s up?” I ask, and she turns to me, allowing me to read the front of her shirt.

Best Big Sister

Everyone must have gotten a chance to read it now as congratulations fill the air and hugs are exchanged. Something in me twists as longing pulls at me. I push it to the side, needing to stay in the moment and celebrate this amazing milestone with my friends.

Once I’ve hugged Bailey and Caleb and they tell us she’s three months along and due in April, I excuse myself to the back porch and take a seat on the top step and look out on their backyard. Charlie has toys all over the place. A covered sandbox sits in the back corner next to the little jungle gym Caleb built for her this summer.

Hannah comes out and sits beside me. “You good?” she asks.

I nod, not sure what to say.

“You know you can be happy for them and have other feelings as well, right?”

---