Page 62 of Uxpectedly Ever After

Another wave of whoops and catcalls—this time from my fellow firefighters in the corner.

“What you don’t know is that I’m holding the envelope revealing whether I’m getting a niece or nephew.” He waves the sealed envelope overhead. “And since I found out about the pregnancy after half of Portland already did,”—he levels a playful glare at Navy, who shrugs innocently—“ they gave me the honor of sharing the news.”

Clover leans back against my chest, and I wrap my arms around her, my hands resting on her belly where the baby pushes against my palm. In this moment—surrounded by friends, holding the woman I love while she carries our child—I feel a completeness I never knew was possible.

Kasen rips open the envelope with an overly dramatic flourish, pulls out the card, scans it—and a huge grin lights his face.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he proclaims, “I am thrilled to announce that the newest addition to our family will be…”

He pauses, just to fuck with us.

“A boy! I’m getting a nephew!”

The room explodes into cheers, and I tighten my arms around Clover, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. A son. We’re having a son.

“Told you,” she murmurs, turning her face up to mine. "Mother's intuition."

“Should’ve listened to you, Freckles.” I brush my lips over her forehead, choking back the weirdly intense surge of emotion welling up in my chest. A son. A little boy, maybe with Clover’s blue eyes and that same iron will, or maybe he’ll get my height and a tendency to take everything apart just to see how it works. “But the next one’s definitely gonna be a girl.”

Her eyes narrow. “Next one?”

I pretend not to hear her as the party kicks into an even higher gear. Morgan hands out cigars to the station crew, Theo toasts with a fresh round of drinks, and Navy ties blue ribbons onto anything that isn't moving.

I lose track of Clover for a bit—she’s drifting through the crowd, fielding a barrage of name questions and letting everyone congratulate her. We’ve batted around Noble Jensen—she says Noble because that’s how she sees me and Jensen after my dad—but I’m not pushing. There's plenty of time to decide.

I’m grabbing a beer when Reed appears at my side again, this time towing Kasen behind him.

“So,” Kasen starts, “is it weird for you that Reed’s seen Clover’s... you know.” He waves a hand vaguely southward.

Reed groans. “Are we still on this?”

“It’s a legit question,” Kasen insists. “I’d be freaked if one of my buddies had seen my girlfriend’s… lady parts.”

“Lady parts?” I echo, almost choking on my beer. “What are you, twelve?”

“You know what I mean.”

Reed sighs. “I’m a doctor. I’ve seen thousands of—” He cringes, “—lady parts, if that’s how we’re phrasing it now. It’s clinical.”

“Sure, but now you’re tossing back beers with the husband of said lady parts,” Kasen points out. “That’s different.”

“Fiancé,” I correct. “And would you stop saying ‘lady parts’? Jesus. She’s your sister.”

He shrugs. “Yeah, well, I’m trying not to think about it that hard. But fine.Vagina.Is that better?” Kasen’s definitely had one too many, because now he’s trying to stir shit up.

"Can we please talk about literally anything else?" Reed glances skyward like he’s praying for lightning to strike him. “I’d rather discuss the biochemical process of how your IPA ferments than this.”

“I’m with Reed,” I say. “But to answer your question—no, it’s not weird. He’s a doctor, it’s his job.”

“Thank you,” Reed mutters, relieved.

“Although,” I add, smirking, “if he starts drooling whenever Clover walks by, we’ll have problems.”

Reed punches me in the arm. “You’re an asshole.”

“Guilty.”

Kasen shakes his head, laughing, and the two of them start talking about the Ducks’ upcoming season. I tune them out when I spot Clover across the room, one hand resting on her belly as she chats with Brenna. As if sensing my gaze, she looks up and gives me that smile—the one that's just for me, that crinkles the corners of her eyes and makes my heart do backflips like I'm a fucking teenager with his first crush.

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