Page 130 of Own the Eights Maybe Baby
“You’re familiar with this book, aren’t you? It’s about a mischievous bunny who’d disregarded his mother’s warning to steer clear of Mr. McGregor’s farm, only to go straight there, and barely escape by the skin of his teeth.”
“I—” she began when Gene and Marjory handed her a slim rectangular box.
“We should have checked with Denny and Maureen first,” Gene said with a chuckle.
“Go on and open it, Georgie,” Marjory offered.
Georgie handed him the picture book and their fake baby as she unwrapped the gift, revealing another copy ofThe Tale of Peter Rabbit.
“This book was also one of Georgie’s favorites as a girl,” Gene announced to the group.
She nodded. “My dad introduced me to it.”
“No, he didn’t, dear,” Marjory countered, then shared a look with Gene.
Georgie cocked her head to the side. “Sure, he did. My dad was all about the books—even when I was little.”
Gene shook his head. “No, sweetheart, open it. We added an old photograph to the title page.”
Gently, Georgie lifted the cover to reveal an image of a woman, who looked like the mirror image of his wife, holding a baby in one arm and a book, none other thanThe Tale of PeterRabbit, in the other.
Georgie stared at the image. “I had no idea.”
“It was almost a running joke with your mom and dad,” Marjory added.
“How so?” Georgie asked.
The man chuckled, then waved them all over to sit as Barry hung back, capturing the moment.
Gene settled into a chair, then met Georgie’s gaze. “Peter Rabbit was all your mother, Georgiana. Your father wasn’t crazy about that book at all. He hated that Peter was such a naughty rabbit and almost got himself caught by not listening to his bunny mother and avoiding the dangerous farm. But not your mom. That’s not how she saw it.”
Georgie’s hand went to her belly. “What did she think?”
“She saw Peter’s day of dodging the farmer and barely making it out alive as a grand adventure. Naughty Peter might not have gotten the reward of eating bread and berries like his siblings did when he finally returned home, but he had something they didn’t.”
“What did she think Peter Rabbit had gotten?” Georgie asked, her voice barely a whisper.
“Experiences. Your mother argued that, thanks to his wild day, Peter had encountered the world. And that was worth the risk to her,” Marjory explained.
“I would venture to say all those pageants she’d entered you in was a way to give you a taste of the world—a way to gain new experiences and learn about different places,” Gene added, then paused. “And, if I remember correctly, she was also avoiding carbohydrates, so a dinner of bread sounded ghastly to her.”
Georgie released a teary chuckle. “It does sound like her.”
Jordan reached over and took his wife’s hand. “Are you okay?”
Georgie sucked in a tight breath, then leaned forward, and squeezed his hand.
“Stevie Nicks?” he asked, then shook his head. “Paxton Dicks?”
That wasn’t it either!
Dammit! How could he not remember the name of the practice contractions?
“Oh! I’ve got it! Braxton Hicks!” he called out.
She nodded, giving him a thumbs-up, then exhaled as her body relaxed. “Just a little one, but…” she trailed off.
“Do you want some water?” he offered.
