“How you feeling, Momma?” Marshall asks.
“Good. I could probably use a nap.” I chuckle.
“Done. Let’s kick these jokers out and make that happen.”
“They’re our family,” I remind him.
“And I love them all dearly, but it’s my job to take care of you.” He kisses me on the temple, and yep you guessed it. My heart rate kicks up. He still has that effect on me.
An hour later, the house is quiet. All three girls are napping, and Marshall and I are trying to as well. Except even though I’m exhausted, I can’t hold in my secret any longer. “So,” I say. I’m in bed with his back to my front, our joined hands resting on my baby belly.
“What’s up, gorgeous?” he asks, kissing my shoulder.
“I had my massage yesterday.”
“I know. You said it was relaxing. Do you need me to schedule you another one this week to recuperate from the party?”
“No.” I shake my head. “They sold me on an upsell.”
“Oh, what did you get, hot stone or something?”
“No. An ultrasound.”
“What?” He climbs over me on the bed so we’re looking eye to eye. “You had an ultrasound without me?” I can hear the hurt in his voice.
“I did. I’m sorry. It was too tempting. I have pictures, and before you get mad, I made an appointment for us to go together for another one first thing Monday morning.”
His features relax. “Good. Where are the pictures? I want to see her.” Marshall is convinced we’re having another girl. He claims that he loves his girls, of which I’m included in, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. However, I know he would be ecstatic to have a son.
“They were able to determine the gender.”
“What do you think about Marissa?” he asks. Yes, we gave all of our girls M names.
“Well, I think if it’s a boy he might get made fun of in school, but if that’s the name that you’re sold on.” I shrug as best as I can lying down.
“Wait. What?” he asks, his eyes wide. “Did you say they told you the gender?” His voice rises an octave.
“No. They didn’t tell me, but they did write it down and put it in here.” I reach under my pillow and pull out the envelope I stashed earlier. I can’t help but think about our wedding day and the envelope I stashed on this same bed, in the same location. The adoption papers that my husband was all too eager to sign.
“So, in this envelope is the gender of our baby?” he asks with awe in his voice.
I nod. “Yes.”
“And you didn’t look?”
“No.” I cup his face with my hands. “I didn’t look. I wanted us to find out together.”
“Good things happen to me when you present me with envelopes that have been hidden under your pillow,” he teases.
“Open it.” I smile up at him.
“Come here.” He moves to rest his back against the headboard and I do the same. He pulls me into his arms and kisses my temple. “You ready, Momma?”
“Yes.”
He releases his arm from around my shoulders and slowly slides his finger under the flap of the envelope. I hear him pull in an audible breath as he reads the words written on the small white piece of paper.
“Tell me,” I urge him. The suspense has been killing me.
“A boy,” he says thickly.
“A boy?” I ask through the tears clogging my throat.
“A son.” He smiles at me. “Happy tears?” he asks, even though he already knows that answer. That’s Marshall; he’s always putting me and the girls before himself.
I nod and tears coat my cheeks. “We’re having a little boy.”
“I love you so fucking much,” he says, kissing me hard. “Thank you for this life you’ve given me. For our four children and the love—” He shakes his head. “So much love.”
“It’s the magic.” I shrug, making him smile.
He grabs my hand and places it over his heart. “Beat by beat, baby.”
“Beat by beat,” I say, smiling through my tears.