All About The Treats

by Weston Parker

  There were more clicks as she pointed out each of the body parts. I finally saw the face. It looked like an alien. I was going to take their word it would turn into a baby eventually. All the books I read had assured me as much, but to say I was skeptical was an understatement.

  “Is it a boy or a girl?” Jace asked.

  The tech looked at me and Harper. “Are we finding out the sex today?”

  “No,” Harper answered too quickly for my taste.

  “What?” Jace and I asked at the same time.

  “What do you mean no?” I questioned. “I thought we were. Oh god, Harper, I can’t wait another five months to know.”

  She grinned. “You don’t have to wait five months, but I’ve arranged a special dinner at our favorite restaurant. We’ll find out then.”

  I groaned. “No. Not a gender reveal.”

  She was grinning big. “Yep. A gender reveal.”

  The tech smiled. “I’ll seal it in an envelope.”

  “Thank you.”

  I sighed, a little bummed I was going to have to wait several more hours to find out the sex of my unborn child, but getting a glimpse and counting limbs was satisfying. “Is everything okay with the baby?” I asked.

  The tech smiled. “I would love to give you an answer, but your doctor is the one that will need to give you results.”

  “Do you see anything concerning?” I pressed.

  She smiled. “I see a heart pumping. I see four limbs. I’m taking pictures of the organs and the heart valves.”

  She wasn’t going to give me a straight answer. “All right, I get it.”

  We watched while she finished the ultrasound. Once everything was finished, we left the clinic and headed back to Harper’s house. There were several boxes packed near the door.

  “I finished packing up the rest of my closet,” Harper said. “And I have Jace’s winter clothes packed as well.”

  I nodded. “I’ll put these in the trunk.”

  “Thanks, babe.”

  We had been slowly moving her to my house. She would officially be moving in once Jace finished the school year. The house was going up for sale in a couple of weeks, and we were working on clearing out as much as we could.

  We had agreed my house was the better option. We were already working on a home office for her. I was also going to be working from home. Jace was going to be starting a new school, a private school geared toward kids with an aptitude for the creative arts. I was hoping it would be a new start for him and his bullying problems would be over.

  “What can I help pack?” I asked, coming back inside.

  She looked around. “I think most of it is done. I’m leaving the kitchen until the last minute.”

  “Then let’s get you off your feet. I want to show you some of those things I was looking at for the baby.”

  She sat on the couch. I sat next to her, pulling her legs across my lap. I grabbed my iPad and pulled up the cart I had created on what was now my favorite store. She smiled, pulling up the items and nodding with approval.

  “This baby is going to be so spoiled,” she commented.

  “So spoiled and loved,” I corrected.

  “Definitely loved.”

  “What do you think it is? Did you get a peek at any extra appendages?”

  She giggled. “No, I sure didn’t.”

  I groaned. “I was planning on a shopping spree after the appointment.”

  “I thought it would be more fun for the three of us to learn the gender in a unique way. I didn’t want to do anything big, but I did invite Sawyer and Kylie to dinner.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “You did?”

  “Yes. They are a part of our family, and the two of them have played a huge role in the two of us being together.”

  “Thank you for inviting Sawyer,” I said.

  “Of course. I’ve come to think of him as my brother. He’ll make a good uncle to our baby. Since neither of us has any family, we get to pick our own members.”

  I laughed. “Works for me.”

  “I’m so excited to start this next chapter of my life with you. Our kids are going to be so happy.”

  “Our kids?” I said, swallowing down the lump of emotion.

  “Yes, our kids. You are as much Jace’s father as you are this baby’s. That is, if you want the job.”

  I nodded, emotion making it difficult for me to speak. “I do. I do want the job. I’d be honored to call him mine.”

  “Good, because he already thinks of you as a father.”

  “I’ll never try and replace his father. I promise I will always be respectful of that relationship.”

  “You’re doing fine. When he asks questions about his father, I’ll answer them. He will have the photo album of his father in his room to do with as he wishes. He’s a lucky kid that gets to have two of the best dads in the world.”

  I grimaced. “Let’s not put me on that pedestal just yet. I have yet to change a diaper.”

  “Being a father isn’t about changing diapers,” she said. “It’s about unconditional love and support. It’s being the bad guy when you have to and lending a listening ear. You’ve got great instincts. Go with what you feel, and you’ll be okay.”

  I smiled. “I wish my dad could see me now. I bet he never would have thought I could have a woman like you and a family like ours.”

  “Your father knew you could and would. That letter he wrote to you was proof of that.”

  “I guess you’re right. Is it time for dinner yet? I’m absolutely dying to go shopping.”

  She burst into laughter. “That is a strange sentence to come out of the mouth of a man like you. You hate malls. You hate shopping more than Jace does!”

  “Not when it’s online and not when it’s for the baby,” I said with a grin.

  “I’m pretty excited too,” she confessed. “I’ve been eying these dresses at the little boutique next to my office. They are over-the-top frilly. I can already picture our baby girl with your hair color and my blue eyes. I’ll put pretty pink bows in her hair, and she’ll wear sparkly shoes.”

  “And if it’s a boy?”

  “Oh, don’t worry. There are some pretty stylish clothes for a little man as well. I love little overalls.”

  I grimaced. “No way.”

  “Oh yes, a baby boy must wear overalls with little boots.”

  I sighed. “We’ll discuss that when the time comes. Come on. Let’s get ready for dinner.”

  “It’s early.”

  “We’ll swing by that office supply store and get your new desk ordered.”

  “Theo, you don’t need to do that. That other one will work just fine.”

  I shook my head, gently pushing her legs off my lap. “Nope. Just fine isn’t good enough. You deserve the best. I’m so thankful you are making the move to Santa Clara. I want everything to be perfect for you.”

  “It is perfect. I’ll have you and Jace and the baby. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

  I helped her to her feet before hollering at Jace to get a move on. During the week, I usually stayed over at her place unless there was an early meeting I couldn’t get out of. Living with her felt natural. We had few squabbles, mostly about me leaving the cap off the toothpaste and not getting the trash out to the curb on time. I wasn’t used to some of the domesticated tasks. She was training me.

  I was a man in training, a father in training, and I had the best damn teacher in the world. I ushered my family back to the car, and after picking out some new office furniture for Harper, it was finally time to head to dinner.

  Sawyer and Kylie were waiting outside the low-key diner where Harper had introduced me to the joy of chicken fried steak. We had made the restaurant one of our regular places and had gotten to know the owner of the place. It made perfect sense she would choose to have the reveal at the restaurant.

  “This is different,” Sawyer whispered close to my ear as we were shown to the back of the restaurant where a long table w
aited for us.

  “Trust me, I was skeptical at first, but it is some of the best damn food you will ever eat.”

  He nodded. “I hope so.”

  “Thanks for making the trip up here. I appreciate you being here.”

  He chuckled. “When I heard she wasn’t going to let you find out at the appointment, I had to come just so I could tease you.”

  “She’s killing me slowly. I’m dying to know.”

  “Soon, very soon.”

  We all sat down, only to find out we had to wait until dessert to find out the answer to the question on all our minds. I was sure the waiting was giving me gray hair.

  Epilogue

  Harper

  I shifted Tiana in my arms, putting her little head on my shoulder to gently burp her and rock her to sleep. I slowly rocked back and forth, my hand patting from my infant’s butt up to her shoulders. It was my favorite time of the day. I loved cuddling her. I loved smelling her and listening to her little sounds of contentment.

  I was exhausted like any typical mother of a newborn would be. I hadn’t slept in weeks, and showering was one of those things I had to truly convince myself I needed. Hell, I’d even figured out how to eat and brush my teeth in the shower in an effort to save time.

  I didn’t need to do any of those things, but poor Theo was adjusting to fatherhood, and his max time alone with the baby was about fifteen minutes. He was such a worrier. Every little sound she made had him freaking out something was wrong. It was endearing and exhausting at the same time.

  I reminded myself I had done all of this once before, and before I had Jace, I had the luxury of babysitting experience. Theo had never even held a baby. The moment she’d been delivered, I thought he was going to faint. He’d turned sickly white and kept shaking his head, declaring her too small. My body wholeheartedly disagreed with that statement.

  “Shh,” I whispered when Tiana started to fuss.

  I didn’t want her to wake Theo and Jace, who had passed out on the couch. They looked like they had been through one hell of an ordeal. Jace’s mouth was open, his arm hanging over the edge of the couch, his legs stretched out over Theo. Theo was hugged against the back of the couch, one leg hiked over the back, his arm flung out to the side and resting on the floor.

  I smiled at the scene. Theo’s hair hadn’t been brushed in days, it looked like. Jace was in a similar situation. Tiana had decided sleep was really quite optional. The entire house had been awake with her. The girl had a powerful set of lungs on her, something I was proud of, but I also wished she came with a volume control.

  “Girl, you have just got your daddy wrapped around your little finger, you know that?” I whispered. “You kept him up all night last night and all day today, and he still wants to buy you a pony. You’ve got the power, young lady.”

  I rocked and patted, something that came as natural as breathing. Little Miss Thang had decided from the very get-go she didn’t just like the usual burping experience. She demanded the deluxe version that included bouncing and rocking while being patted.

  “I can’t wait for you to find your happy place because let me tell you, girl, you have got about the best family any little princess could ask for. Your daddy, oh let me tell you, he’s amazing. I’m going to have to try really hard to keep you from being spoiled. He is already planning all the things he will give to you. I’m sorry to tell you, young lady, but I’m the bad cop in this relationship. I’m going to be the one that has to tell you no. I’m just going to tell you now, I’m sorry, but you can’t have a new convertible for your sixteenth birthday, and you can’t pierce your navel, nipple, or nose when you’re thirteen. It’d be great if you could save me the trouble and just don’t ask.”

  She gurgled and squirmed before letting out a loud belch. “That’s my girl.”

  I continued to burp her until I got another burp before putting her back on the breast. My girl was an eater. If I didn’t feed her now, I’d be up with her in an hour—assuming I even got to put her down. Truthfully, I didn’t mind so much, although my ass was getting a little sore from the amount of time I spent in the rocking chair. My body missed being supine.

  “I can’t wait to watch you grow up with the best daddy in the world and the best big brother in the world, but don’t grow up too fast. I want to cherish these precious moments with you.”

  I finished feeding her and carefully put her back on my shoulder, starting the burping process all over again. I looked at the two boys I loved most in the world and couldn’t help but get a little emotional. I cried over just about anything, but the two of them made me cry often. I was overcome with love and joy.

  Theo had been absolutely amazing throughout the pregnancy, pampering me and making sure my every need was met. He had been right beside me the first couple of weeks at home as well. Jace too. He was doing so well in his new school, and I hated him losing sleep, but he wanted to be a part of the process. I couldn’t deny him that.

  “Maybe, just maybe, we’ll have to make you a big sister. I’m not ready to commit to that just yet, but I’m going to keep an open mind. We’ll see how much trouble you give me over the next few months. You might be just like your mommy, and there is not room enough in this world for more than two of us.”

  Theo stirred, pulling his jacket that had been haphazardly flung over him as a blanket. I heard a thunk and looked toward the floor to see a small black box. It had fallen from Theo’s jacket. I stared at the box, trying to determine what it was.

  He shifted again, lifting his head and looking at me with bloodshot eyes. “You good?” he asked.

  I smiled. “I’m good. You dropped something.” I used my head to nod at the floor.

  He sat up, being careful not to disturb Jace as he got to a sitting position on the couch. He reached down and grabbed the box before looking at me. “Oops.”

  “Oops?”

  He grinned. His hair sticking up and his jaw unshaven was just about the sexiest thing I had ever seen. “Can we pretend you didn’t see this?”

  “Can’t unring the bell.”

  He ran a hand over his hair, doing nothing to tame the wild mane. “Well, I wanted to wait until we had a minute alone. I wanted this to be a special moment that we would remember for the rest of our days.”

  I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest so hard I worried it would disturb my sleeping baby. “Can you give me two minutes?”

  “Huh?”

  “I’m going to try and put her in her bassinet,” I told him.

  “Oh, yes, can I help?”

  I smiled. “I got it.”

  I slowly got up, doing my best not to jolt her or startle her in any way. I laid her in the bed that had wheels. We wheeled the girl all over the sprawling mansion. It was the only way we were really comfortable with Jace transporting her for the time being. Theo joked he was going to paint flames on the side. We called it her chariot.

  I stood over her, waiting to see if she would stay down or if she was going to put on a lung-power showcase. She didn’t make a sound. I gestured for Theo to follow me across the hall.

  “That was too easy,” he said, looking back over his shoulder.

  “It’s bound to get easier,” I told him.

  He smiled. “Thank god, because I am not man enough for this father thing if it means sleeping three hours a day.”

  I laughed. “It’ll get better.”

  “In that case,” he said, getting very serious. “I need to ask you something.”

  I nodded, already knowing what was coming. “Okay.”

  He took both my hands in his. “You are my entire world. You have taken me from a dark, cold place in life to a place filled with warmth and love and so much happiness I can hardly stand it. I want to spend every single day of my life just like today. Well, not like today because today was really, really hard, but a version of this day. If that version included a rested mommy and daddy and baby.”

  I smiled. “I understand.”

  “G
ood. I digress. This lack of sleep is really screwing with my head.”

  “Theo, we probably have about twenty-two minutes before it starts all over again,” I reminded him.

  “You’re right.” He dropped to his knee so fast, I thought maybe he’d collapsed. He wobbled before holding out the box. “Harper, will you please marry me? I want to be your husband. I want to make this official. Please marry me.”

  I smiled and bent over to kiss his head. “You’re damn straight I will. This body just popped out a child for you. You better marry me.”

  He smiled. “Thank god. Can you help me up?”

  I was giggling so hard, I nearly fell over. It was the lack of sleep making us a little silly. He pulled me into his arms and held me close. I took a moment to soak it all in. My life had changed dramatically the day I met him. I could have never guessed how much it would change.

  “I love you,” I said.

  “I love you more than humanly possible. You have made me complete. I know it’s cheesy, but I truly feel like you are my other half. I’ve been meandering through life a shell of a man. You filled me up with love and joy and so many other good things. I never want to think about us not being together. You are my everything.”

  “You are my rock. You give me so much strength just by being near me. Everything you have done for me and Jace is truly amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better man. We have a beautiful family, and we have so many good things to come. I can’t wait to share every one of the good moments with you, and I know you’ll be there for me in the tough moments, just like I’ll be there for you.”

  He slid the ring on my finger. I looked down at the princess-cut diamond and felt like we already had a bond that was so much more than a ring or a marriage license could ever be. He was my partner in life. He was my soul mate. He was the man I was supposed to spend the rest of my days with.

  “Do you think we have time to run down the hall and sleep for a few hours?” he whispered.

  I laughed. “Babe, you can hardly stand up. Go to bed. I’m going to get Jace into bed, and then I’ll bring her in.”

  He shook his head. “Nope. This is a team effort. I’ll take care of Jace, and you very, very gently wheel that chariot of hers into our room.”