The Heart of Us (Love in Isolation 4)
Our surrogate, Kyrie, has her ultrasound today, and we'll find out if we're having a boy or a girl. We met her through a company Piper recommended and swore they were the best of the best. Four months ago, Kyrie got a positive test, and we've been staying in contact with her ever since.
Kyrie lives in the Midwest, so we can't be there for her appointment today, but her husband is FaceTiming us during the scan. I've been pacing for thirty minutes, awaiting their call.
“Tatum, you're going to wear a hole in the carpet if you don't sit,” Easton calmly tells me.
“I can't help it,” I say, plopping down on the couch and shaking my knee. I'm beyond excited but also nervous. At twenty weeks, they can get a better view of the baby to get measurements and make sure he or she is healthy.
“Piper's blowing up my phone. She's dying to find out.”
Her and me both.
Tristan and Piper had two baby girls, named Della and Delilah, seven months ago. Now she's eager for us to have a girl too so that all three can be best friend cousins.
My phone vibrates on the table, and I leap to grab it. I click on the screen and am greeted by Kyrie's sweet smile. "Hey, we're here," she says quietly.
Easton sits next to me and waves. We chat for a few minutes until the radiologist is finished setting up. Then her husband takes the phone and points us to the monitor.
The woman performing the exam talks us through everything she's doing and what she's measuring. I nearly burst into tears when I see tiny hands and a button nose.
“The baby has your features,” Kyrie tells me, and I smile.
“Are we ready to find out the gender?” the woman asks in an excited voice.
“Yes!” We all exclaim.
“Alright, let's see if they'll cooperate.”
The seconds that pass while she searches seem like the longest ones of my life. Finally, she captures a picture and freezes it on the screen.
“It's a girl!”
"Oh my God!" I would've been happy with either but knowing for sure is just so exciting.
“Congrats, Mom and Dad,” the woman says.
"Now to come up with a name," I ponder, and Kyrie chuckles. She knows Easton, and I haven't agreed on one yet.
After they're done, she tells me she'll call me later, and we hang up.
“It feels so real now,” I whisper when Easton captures my lips.
“We're gonna have a daughter,” he says with a grin. “She's probably going to wrap me around her little finger too.”
“Oh, one-thousand percent.” I chuckle.
“Well, who should we tell first?” he asks.
“Piper,” I say. She'll blow a blood vessel if we make her wait any longer.
"Hey!" she squeals as soon as her face appears on the screen. She's holding the twins in her lap, who are dressed up like they’re going to a ball. They each have big bows in their hair and wearing equally big dresses. "Did you find out?"
“Girl!” I blurt it out. “We're having a girl.”
“Ahh! Did you hear that girls?” She bounces them on her legs. “I'm so excited!”
"Congrats, guys." Tristan walks in from behind. "Your life is about to be turned upside down with pink bows and poopy diapers."
We chuckle.
“Probably not as much as yours was,” Easton counters.
“Sounds perfect to me,” I say as I gaze at my husband.
A life with him has been better than I could've ever imagined. Having a baby girl and starting a family with the man I love feels too good to be true.
* * *
EASTON
Even though Tatum didn't want to try to get pregnant again, she's been glowing since the moment we found out the surrogacy worked. I knew I wanted to start a family with her, and if this option had failed, we would've tried another. Though adoption is something we're still considering in the future.
“Ready to call my obnoxious sister?” Tatum asks.
I chuckle. “Sure.”
Oakley picks up after one ring, and by the look on her face, she's aggravated.
“Hey,” she says, and her mood shifts. “Do we have the news?”
“Let me tell her,” I say before Tatum can. She furrows her brows at me. “You told Piper!”
“But Oakley's my sister! I wanna tell her.”
“How come I didn't get to tell my brother then?” I counter.
“Oh my God!” Oakley snaps. “Will one of you just freaking tell me? Is it a taco or a frank and beans?”
“Ew!” Tatum scowls. “Don't be inappropriate about your niece.”
I gasp in shock. “You little cheater!”
Tatum giggles, pushing me away when I try to tackle her.
“Yay, it's a girl! Now, let's discuss my niece's name.”
“You're not picking it,” I blurt out.
"Oh, come on. I'm not having kids for like thirty years. Let me choose."
"Then get a puppy, and you can name it whatever you want," I say firmly. Knowing Oakley, she'll want some flowery hippie name like Blossom or Freesia.