MANifesting

It was also nice to see Cheryl and Dale rocking their eight-month-old in a stroller while their five-year-old led the other kids in a new dance. The more I got to know Cheryl, she really did have an excellent eye for decorating. She even took care of the balloons and streamers for this party.

Allie reached out to pat Christine’s stomach. “We keep forgetting because you’re not even showing yet,” she laughed.

“With Timothy, I didn’t start showing until I was four months along, so who knows,” she shrugged.

Watching Allie so excited for her friend’s second child was clearly making us realize that it was time for us to have another one as well.

“This party is genius,” Christine said to me. “Give them each a cupcake, then have them dance off the sugar immediately.”

Allie grinned. “Maybe we can throw Ryan his own high school dance when he’s sixteen.”

I couldn’t help laughing. “I think the other parents might have a problem if it’s in a bar,” I said.

“But since we’ll be here, the only drinking will be by the other parents,” she said. “It’s perfect.”

I didn’t bother explaining to her that kids might be uncom

fortable asking each other to dance when their parents were in the room. No sixteen-year-olds were quite that brave.

“So Allie, when are you having another kid?” Christine asked.

Allie lifted her glass, swirling the wine slowly. “I was sort of thinking that this might be my last one of these for a while,” she said, looking to me and fluttering her eyelashes. “What do you think?”

“You want to start on munchkin number two?” I grinned. “Sure! Just give me two minutes to kick everyone out first.”

Her hand reached out to give me a playful smack on the bicep, her rings flashing in the light. Every year for our anniversary, I’d been giving her another ring, with various colored stones that she helped pick out.

I also couldn’t stop buying her earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. Maybe there really was something to that feeling about claiming a woman by having her wear your jewelry.

A tug at my pant leg made me look down into warm brown eyes that matched the warm brown chocolate smudge on Ryan’s round face. Scooping him up, I held him on my hip. “Hey, buddy. Havin’ fun?”

He nodded eagerly, his dark curls flopping. “Yeah. I like the big TV.”

I turned him to face Allie. “Do you think Mommy should have another baby so that you have a brother or sister?”

His hands clapped frantically against my chest and shoulder. “Yes! Yes, please!”

I stared as Allie’s eyes became a bit glassy from Ryan’s excitement. Kissing the top of his head, I set him down. “Keep the other kids dancing a bit more, okay?”

“Okay.” He scampered off to grab a few hands and jump like a monkey with the rest of the preschoolers.

Christine handed Allie a tissue so that she could dab her eyes. “Hey, try to have a girl. Then I can just pass on all of the outfits I’m going to spoil this one with.” Christine’s hand circled her relatively flat belly as she grinned.

“Be right back,” I said, grabbing Allie’s hand and pulling her around the corner and down the hall a few steps. With so many parents in the room, I knew the kids were fine for a few minutes.

My arms slipped around her as I nuzzled her ear. “My gorgeous, incredible wife. Are you ready for another one?”

“Yes.”

“Should we be hoping for a girl?”

She smiled, looking up at me with a wink. “We’re supposed to just say that we’re hoping for happy and healthy, no matter what we get.”

“Yeah, but we could always start one of your magic notebooks and fill it with girl names and pink stickers and those flowery glitter strips.”

“ Washi tape . And you know it doesn’t work like that.”

“We worked like that,” I murmured, kissing down her throat, then slowly back up. “We needed each other, and we just happened, exactly the way you wrote it down.”