Page 60 of Shine: Sins of the Father
“You ready to find out what you’re having, honey?” she asks, reaching over and patting my leg.
“Yes.”
“Well, I’m hoping for a girl,” she says. “They have much cuter baby clothes.”
“I honestly don’t care which. I just know I’m going to love this baby so much.”
“I know you are, my darling. They say twins skip a generation, so I think you’re safe.”
“God, don’t wish twins on me.”
“I’m not. Your brothers were a handful. You don’t need that right now. You need a nice, calm, non-colicky baby who’s easy and who’s healthy.”
“That’s all I want. A healthy baby.”
“This is so exciting. As soon as we find out the sex, I’m going into high gear, planning your baby shower.”
“I don’t want you to make a big thing of it, Mom. Please.”
“Do you want to do it at your shop? If it’s a girl, the place would be perfect with all that pink.”
I cock my head. “You’ve just given me a brilliant idea. I could also offer baby showers. It’d be perfect. Why hadn’t I thought of that before?”
“I don’t know. I’m surprised no one’s inquired about it. You really need to open up more slots once you’ve got more time.”
“When will that be? Once the baby comes, I’ll never get a minute to myself.”
“Have you hired anyone yet?”
“No.”
“You need to get on that. You need some capable people to cover for you when you’re in the hospital. I can help, but not every hour of the day. To tell the truth, Fiona, I think you’re working yourself too hard. And that can’t be good for the baby.”
“I’ll hire a couple of people next week. I promise.”
Half an hour later, I’m lying on the examination table, my belly covered in goo, staring at the monitor as the tech moves the wand over my skin. She measures different areas that all look like blobs to me. I think I see the head and a beating heart, but I can’t see anything that would tell me the sex.
She moves the wand to the side. “Do you want to know the sex?”
“Yes, please,” I reply, and reach out for my mother’s hand.
“Let’s have a look. The baby’s being very shy. Here we go. Well, looks like it’s a boy. Congratulations.”
“A boy. Wow,” I whisper. “Is he healthy? Does everything look okay?”
“He’s doing great. He’s measuring right on schedule for his due date. Do you have a name picked out yet?”
“Not yet.”
After I dress and we leave, we walk out to my mother’s car. I feel like I’m in a daze. Somehow, knowing that it’s a little boy makes this all the more real. Before it was just an abstract thing. I look at my mother. “This is really happening.”
She smiles and cups my cheek. “It is, dear. Are you excited?”
“I am. I’m just a little freaked out.”
“Thanksgiving is coming up, and then Christmas. I thought we could have your shower after the holidays. Maybe mid-January. What do you think?”
I barely hear her. I’m still stuck on the fact that my baby is a boy.
