Page 128 of The Infiniteness of Yesterday
I sigh and swish my hand back and forth. “Her back is starting to kill her, and her ankles are swelling and no matter how much I tell her she’s fucking gorgeous she doesn’t believe me. But other than that, she’s doing well.”
“It’s going to be a big change for you guys.” He doesn’t say it aloud, but his look clearly sayscan you guys handle that?
Frankly, I don’t know if we can, but I know we have to.
“Huge,” I agree. “We’ve taken a few parenting classes and both got CPR certified. CPR is crazy different on infants so I’m glad we did it. It gives me piece of mind.”
He nods in understanding. “Yeah, that makes sense.”
Harlow’s mom scurries over to me and takes my hand. “Do you like everything?”
I chuckle, because even if I hated it, it wouldn’t matter what I think as long as Harlow is happy, and from the beaming smile on her face, I’d say she’s pleased.
“This is great. You and my mom did an incredible job. It…” Fuck, I’m going to get choked up about this. “It means a lot to me that you guys are supportive about the baby.”
Her smile is pure understanding, and she pulls me into a quick hug. “This baby is going to be so loved, and not just by you and my daughter.”
With those words, she quickly moves on to greet a new guest coming in the door.
Jasper eyes up the corner of the room and groans. “They’re going to make us play games, aren’t they?”
I laugh. “Oh, totally.”
He grunts out, “I’m too anti-social for this.”
“You’re in the wrong place then, bud.” I clap him on the shoulder.
“You’re telling me, but Willa wanted me to come, and I can’t seem to tell that girl no.” His eyes find her automatically in the room and he smiles in her direction.
“I feel you. I’ll do anything for Harlow.” That girl has me wrapped around her finger and I know if we have a daughter, she’ll do the same.
“All right, everyone’s here, so let’s take our seats,” my mom calls out to be heard above everyone.
I nod my head at Jasper and head over to my girl. Our seats are side by side and I’m glad no one got the wild idea to separate us.
The restaurant serves our catered meal and when that’s over our mom’s move onto the games before ending the day with the gifts for the baby. Her parents already purchased the crib and changing table for us and mine took care of a stroller and the car seat, so most of the gifts consists of smaller items like infant medicine, pacifiers, and diapers. Lots of diapers. I swear by the end of it I could build a fort out of them, but I’m not going to complain. From what I’ve read, babies go through a ton of diapers.
We have to load up my car, Harlow’s mom’s car, and my mom’s car with all the stuff.
Harlow slides her hand into mine as her mom pulls away from the restaurant. “I didn’t expect everyone to spoil the baby so much.”
“I didn’t either,” I admit. “There’s not much else we need to get.”
She rubs her stomach. “I’m terrified to give birth, but I can’t wait to meet this baby. I feel like I’ve been pregnant forever and I still have two more months of this.”
“Yeah.” I eye her. “And we haven’t even come up with names.”
Every time I’ve broached the subject she’s panicked and shut me down. She says naming another human is overwhelming and I have to agree. It’s baffling that I’m expected to come up with a name for someone I don’t even know yet. Name’s can make or break people.
She purses her lips. “I know we need to talk about it, but it gives me hives just thinking about it.”
I cock my head to the side and open the car door for her. “It does not give you hives.”
“It’s hyperbole.” She rolls her eyes at me and sticks out her tongue. “But it does stress me out.”
“I just don’t want us to get to the hospital and not have it figured out. We’re going to have to fill out a birth certificate.”
She groans. “Ugh, don’t remind me.”
