I stared at myself in the mirror, running my hands over my gigantic stomach. I had on an ivory dress with lace details along the bell sleeves and the hemline. It was a beautiful dress, and it made me feel strong and confident: something I had been struggling with in my last trimester.
“You look fantastic,” Melody said, from behind me.
I whirled around and smiled. “You’re here! I didn’t even hear you come in.”
“You were too busy admiring yourself in the mirror.”
I rolled my eyes. “More like lamenting the state of my body.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “You’re glowing.”
“Am I?” I asked. “I think I’m just sweating.”
She shook her head at me. “I can’t believe you’re going to have a baby.”
“Neither can I,” I admitted. “I’m excited, though.”
“So…what are you having?” Melody asked, with raised eyebrows.
I laughed. “I couldn’t tell you even if I wanted to,” I said. “We don’t know.”
Melody frowned at me. “What?”
“We told the doctor that we didn’t want to know,” I explained. “But we were going to have a gender reveal party that doubled as a baby shower. So Doctor Mitchell wrote down the baby’s gender in a sealed envelope and then I dropped off the envelope at this amazing little bakery down Corey Street. They’ve baked us a special cake for the occasion, and the moment we cut into it, we’ll know if we’re having a boy or a girl.”
“Oh nice,” Melody nodded. “I’ve heard of people doing this. Very interesting. So what are you hoping for?”
I smiled. “I don’t care.”
“Bullshit,” she said immediately. “Everyone has a preference.”
“I don’t,” I said honestly. “As long as this baby’s healthy and happy, I’m happy. And so is Jake.”
“Okay, okay,” she said. “I’ll buy that.”
I laughed. “Did you bring your plus one?”
“He’s outside,” she nodded.
“And, how’s it going so far?”
“Only time will tell,” Melody said. “We can’t all be as lucky as you.”
I smiled. “You know, I might actually believe in soul mates now.”
“Really?” she said. “Well, I’m glad, although I can’t take credit for converting you. It was Jake who did the trick, wasn’t it?”
“It was,” I had to admit.
“Well, I may have to go through a few more men before finding my own soul mate.”
“Don’t lose hope,” I laughed.
“Never,” Melody said, giving me a wink. “In any case, I like the search.”
“I’ll bet,” I smirked. “Did you leave your new beau outside by himself?”
“Don’t worry; he’s fine,” Melody said. “He’s talking to this impressive bald man out front; I think his name was Larry?”