Page 96 of Honky Tonk Cowboy
A few minutes later, Garrett came down. Lily heard their morning kiss, and knew Chelsea was handing Garrett a mug and then hugging her own mug between her hands. And then, side by side, leaning into each other, they’d mosey to the front door, and open it to come out onto the porch with their first cups of coffee to watch the sun rise together while the whole world was quiet.
The screen door creaked its old familiar whine. And then Garrett said, “What in the all-fired get-out is this?”
Lily giggled. She couldn’t help it, and Garrett looked from the little basket at the front door, to her and Ethan on the porch swing.
Chelsea knelt and pulled at the small blanket they’d tucked inside the basket. Beneath it there was a pair of booties, a rattle, and an ultrasound printout. She picked it up, rising slowly and facing Ethan and Lily. And then she grinned, and said, “Baby?”
“Mm-hm,” Lily said, nodding.
And then Chelsea was hugging her and they were both bawling, and Garrett was clasping Ethan’s hand and slamming his shoulder. “Dang, son, I was beginning to give up hope for grandkids! Congratulations!”
“Is there a due date yet?” Chelsea asked. “How are you feeling?”
More footsteps came from the stairs as Hyram descended.
Chelsea quickly put the photo back in the basket and pulled Garrett out of the way.
Hyram opened the screen door, looked down at the basket, and didn’t even need to pull the blanket aside before he was grinning and slapping his thigh and yelling “hot damn!” like a true Texan.
His shout woke the household, and soon the whole crowd was on the front porch, celebrating and high-fiving and hugging each other. Maria leaned close and whispered, “Thanks for takin’ the pressure off me, Sis.”
In the middle of all that love, Ethan kissed Lily. She laughed against his mouth to the cheers and happy tears of their huge and ever-growing family.
