Page 111 of Cluelessly Yours

“But is the baby a girl or a boy?” Grant asks again, stomping his little foot in annoyance.

Both Noah and I laugh.

“How about I take you guys to see Aunt Brooke now, and you’ll get to find out?”

“Yes!” Grant cheers, and Seth fist-pumps the air.

Noah wraps his arm around my shoulders as I lead them toward Brooke’s room. Though, it’s no surprise that the boys can hardly contain themselves when we reach her door.

“Now, hold on,” I say, and while I’m gripping Seth’s shoulders to stop him from bursting in, Noah is doing the same to Grant. “We all need to be calm when we go in there. We don’t want to startle the baby, okay?”

“Okay, Mom.” Both of the boys nod.

Once I open the door, they both skip inside and head straight for Brooke’s bed, where she is now sitting up with her little bundle of joy in her arms. She looks exhausted from labor and pushing for two hours, but she also looks beautiful. And happy. So insanely happy.

Mo and Vinny are standing beside Chase, and both of the men grab Seth and Grant, lifting them into their respective arms and helping them get a better view of the baby.

“Is it a girl or a boy, Aunt Brooke?” Grant asks my sister, and she smiles up at him.

“You guys, I’d like you to meet your babygirlcousin, Emmy Rose.”

“She’s so cute!” Seth exclaims.

“She is really cute!” Grant agrees.

Emmy startles a little at their loud voices, but other than that, she just peers at the room filled with so many people who love and adore her through her little newborn eyes.

“You know, if she can already handle our wild Seth and Grant without tears,” Mo comments with an amused smile, “then I think she’s going to fit right in.”

“Definitely,” Noah agrees, tucking me closer to his side. “Congratulations, you guys. She’s beautiful.”

“Beautiful and perfect,” I add, smiling over at my sister.

Noah presses a soft kiss to my forehead, and I have to swallow hard against the emotion that wants to spill down my face.

What a day. What a perfect day, inside this happy and awesome life of mine.

A year later…

August

Sammy

Dolly Parton-inspired pink tulle runs in ribbons around the floral bouquets sitting in a jug of water in a corner of the room, and my sister smiles into the mirror in front of her as our mom tucks her veil into the top of her hair.

My sister’s fairy tale is finally complete, because today, she marries Chase Dawson. The man of her dreams, one of the best guys in the world, and her real-life Romeo.

Benji sits at her side, a bow tie and a top hat making him absolutely dapper, and Mo drinks from a small glass of red wine with a tissue nearly permanently attached to her eyes as she watches Brooke.

I can’t blame her. I’m emotional too.

My sister looks downright gorgeous in a silk gown that skims her figure, soft but elegant makeup, and bountifully curled hair. Her body has been curved by motherhood, but I swear the weight suits her even better than her thin figure of before. But the most beautiful part of her altogether is the never-ending smile on her happy face as she gets ready to say “I do” to her literal bookboyfriend.

Mo and I are her only bridesmaids, and because of that—or maybe because Brooke is a cool customer about everything other than me and Noah Philips—she let us choose our own dresses.

Mo went for a more structured blush-colored number, and I chose a lavender gown with a satin bodice and feather details at the bottom.

It’d be too much for any other wedding, but for Brooke’s, it’s just the kind of Dolly Parton-inspired exaggeration she’s looking for.

---