Page 154 of Carson

“I’ll keep the other two yahoos over at the house to give you a little privacy.”

“Okay.”

He gives me a big hug. The kind that makes you feel as if everything is going to be okay.

After he leaves, I spend some time going through the baby girl clothes he bought. We’re putting a lot of faith into the words of a dying woman. I hope she’s right, but the saleswoman assured us we could return them if I ended up having a boy.

I set the new baby camera on the dresser and then head downstairs to wait for Carson to come home.

Right on time, he steps through the door. “Man, oh man, am I glad I slipped past Dad. He was waiting for us in the driveway. Cole and Carver weren’t so lucky. They’re over there cleaning his gutters as we speak.” He laughs. “Suck-ahs.”

His laugh is a little evil, and it makes me smile.

He walks over and wraps his arms around my waist as I wipe the counter. “Supper smells good. Is it in the oven?”

“Yeah, it’s meatloaf. It should be done in about forty minutes. I just put it in.”

“Perfect. That gives me time to run up and shower.”

He gives me a kiss on the cheek and then heads upstairs.

I quickly pull my phone out to watch him on the baby cam, knowing that his family is also watching over at the house.

At first, he doesn’t notice, but when he does, he freezes.

For one awful second, I wonder if he regrets not using protection. I guess I can’t blame him. My reaction wasn’t much better.

But then he bites his knuckles and starts jumping up and down like an excited child.

I laugh and cry at the same time, watching as he walks over to the bassinet, placing his hand inside. He grabs the test I left on a pink blanket and looks at it. He tries to compose himself, but each time he does he silently cheers and fist-pumps the air.

It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, and it puts the last of my fears to rest.

Carson will make a great daddy.

I know this because he was taught by the best.

Eventually he walks down the stairs as if nothing happened. I slip my phone into my pocket and pretend to be busy cleaning the kitchen, going over the same spot he watched me clean earlier.

Carson walks over and takes the sponge from my hand. Then he turns me around and looks me in the eye … calm and steady. He cups the side of my face and pulls me against his chest, holding me there.

It’s perfect.

“Are you okay?” he asks when I haven’t broken down crying in his arms.

“I’m better than okay,” I say honestly. Between Dan and him, I know everything is going to be okay. I can trust them like I trust the water to hold me when I swim.

He smiles down at me, finally showing me how excited he is now that he sees I’m good.

“We’re having a baby!” He shakes me lightly in his arms, making me laugh.

“We are.”

“How do you know it’s a girl?”

“Just a guess,” I tell him.

Dan and I discussed it, and I decided not to tell him about my mother’s premonition and what she saw.