Page 130 of Marriage (Red, White &) Blues

I hooted. He hadn’t shouted that since he first talked me into coming to Vermont.

The pregnancy progressed nicely. We made an appointment with my OB for her to see me again. I was far enough along to find out the sex of our baby—no, you’ll just have to wait to find out, like everyone else.

To say my best friends were happy to hear of us moving back was an understatement. Pen and Sierra immediately started planning a baby shower. My mother took to spending her weekends planning with them. The home building moved along even through the dead of winter. It turned out that contractors liked making money in the winter, too, and what they were getting from us made for happy holidays, whatever holidays they celebrated.

On the day of the baby shower, the sunshine fooled us all because although it shone brightly, it was still as cold as Scrooge’s heart pre-spirit visits outside. But we weren’t too far from the big melt, and that mademyheart happy.

Spring was springing. Now, in Michigan, spring varied between beautiful short sleeved days to blizzards that left us buried for two weeks, and everything in between. It just made us enjoy our swampy summers even more.

But I walked inside Pen’s large Georgian home. She led me to the chair of honor in the living room and I sat, my belly protruding into the next ZIP code. Given we were still creating Wonderland for our little bundle of joy, the gifts reflected that. I saw our crib—hear me out, I never registered for the crib because the price tag on that custom piece—hoo boy, how could I ask anyone to pony up that cash? It was too much. Yet the teacup crib sat in the corner of the room filled with other gifts. Despite the cold outside, I wore a pink, short-sleeved, satin and chiffon dress with pretty roses on the bodice. I loved it. I felt beautiful. I felt objectively like a mother today. Given our Wonderland nursery, Pen and Sierra threw me a Wonderland shower.

My mother walked in from the kitchen with— “Maisie?” I cried. She smiled, moving in to hug me.

“Did you think I’d miss this?”

“But didn’t you have to?—”

My words got cut off by Dee. “These stuffed mushrooms are on point.”

“Dee?” I squealed, crying harder.

“You both showed….” I wiped at my eyes. “I can’t believe you both showed.”

“It’s not that big a deal,” Maisie said. “Clinton” —Maisie’s husband— “saidcongratulations. He’s at the house.”

“But coming all the way from Vermont.”

“Vermont? Oh—that’s right. Dee and I are part of your shower gift.”

I narrowed my eyes now, not understanding. “What do you mean?”

“Did you really think we’d let you and Blake make a big move with a baby on the way and not have anyone you can trust in your corner? It’ll take months to find trustworthy staff for the new place.”

“It will. I suppose you’re right. And you’re here to help with that?”

She bobbed her head. “Dee and I refused our severance packages, opting for employment in Michigan. You don’t get to raise that baby without me.”

“Or me,” Dee garbled around a mushroom.

“You… You moved here?” I asked, still not understanding.

Maisie laughed. “Yes, wemovedhere. You need us, but we need you, too. The last of my kids moved away three years ago. All I had was Blake, and then you.”

“My wife loves Michigan,” Dee said. “We have family near Grand Rapids.”

Blubbering mess, party of one, right here.

As more guests showed up for the party, I greeted them and continued to cry. Then the last person to show… Pen answered a knock on the door and a frozen Murielle stood there holding a big, wrapped box.

“Murielle? You invited Murielle?” I shot from the chair to hug her. “This is the best day. You all… you made the trip… the day…”

“Oh sugar, when these nice women called me up, I swear I squealed like a stuck pig for a good five minutes after. No way I’d miss your shower.”

“We’ve decided to keep her,” Pen said andkeep her?

“Like you decided to forego the whole childhood thing and adopt a full-grown adult?”

“Blake,” Sierra called. “You’re up.”

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