Never Giving Up (Never #3)(15)
“Perhaps,” he said as he reached over and took my hand, “you never got pregnant before because, in the grand scheme of things, you’re only meant to have my children.” He brought my hand up to his mouth and placed a kiss on the back of it.
“Well, you’re probably right about that. I’m so glad you’re the father of my child.” I don’t think I’d ever spoken truer words. We sat in a warm silence surrounded by an unspeakable happiness.
After a few minutes Porter spoke up. “When do you think we should start telling people about the baby? I don’t think Megan is going to hold up much longer.”
I giggled because he was right. I’d sworn her to secrecy and she nearly killed me with a death glare. The last time I made her keep a secret from our parents, everything went to hell in a hand basket. “I guess if it’s just close family we could tell them any time. Now that we know the baby is healthy and progressing normally, I think it would be fine. But we should wait until the second trimester to tell anyone else.”
“Do we call them or tell them face to face?”
“I think we tell them in person. I want to see your mom’s face when she hears she’s going to be a grandma.” It nearly brought me to tears just thinking about it.
“Ok, so maybe we go to your parent’s house tonight and then go to Lincoln City this weekend?”
I smiled at him. “Sounds perfect.”
After making dinner plans with my parents, Porter and I found a baby boutique and perused for a little while. I watched him as he picked up a onesie and his eyes grew wide as he inspected it, turning it around in his hands.
“I can’t believe babies are ever this small. How can anything ever be this small?”
“Says the man who doesn’t have to push it out of his body,” I smirked.
“You know what I mean. This is tiny.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” I said softly, smiling at his amazement.
We picked out a few things and then headed to Portland, our heads still spinning with all the information fluttering around in our heads. We stopped first at Poppy. I always tried to stop in when I was in Portland just to see how things were going, and also to see the girls.
The anxiety that was associated with Poppy never eased completely. I was usually fine and able to spend time there, working and keeping myself busy, but sometimes I had weird flashbacks, or a loud noise would startle me. Luckily, in the past months I had learned a few ways to cope with the panic that would come over me, and sometimes the biggest way to ease the fear was just to leave. I loved Poppy, but I also understood that there would be days when I just couldn’t be there. Today, however, I was too happy to let bad memories ruin anything for me.
Megan spotted us as we walked in and gave me a big smile.
“Hey, Fella. Hi, Porter. I didn’t know you were going to be in Portland today.”
“Yeah, it’s kind of a last minute trip. We’re going to have dinner with Mom and Dad.” I raised my eyebrows at her, trying to clue her in to our plans to tell them.
“Oh!” Megan said, recognition coming across her face. “Is this an important dinner?” I nodded my head, smiling. She exhaled loudly. “Oh good, cause I’m tired of this whole thing already.”
“But you’re an expert secret keeper,” Porter said quietly.
“You guys are the worst with all the secrets.”
“You should feel privileged to be in on this one. It’s kind of a big deal.” I smiled at her.
“Or a tiny deal, depending on your point of view.” Porter stated. I laughed at his joke, but Megan just looked at him with confusion.
“We just wanted to stop by to tell you that after tonight Mom and Dad will know, so you can tell Patrick. But we aren’t telling Tilly until this weekend or anyone else for a few more weeks. So don’t go crazy telling everyone,” I said, eyeing Brittany on the other side of the store.
“I should be ok if I can tell Patrick. He knows something is up but has given up on trying to get it out of me.”
“Besides keeping secrets, how’s everything else going? How is my first store doing?”
“Everything’s great here. Sales are still strong even though the foot traffic is slow, what with it being cold as balls outside. Speaking of balls,” she said with a grin, “you and Kalli need to get to work planning my bachelorette party.” I rolled my eyes.
“There will be no balls present,” Porter interjected before I had a chance to say the exact same thing.
“Hey, no husbands or fiancés allowed. And if I want to see some balls, I will see some balls.”
“Really, Megan? Of the entire male form, balls are what you’re focused on?”
“Good point. You know what I want—a stereotypical, over-the-top, full-of-naked-men, bachelorette party.”
“And you’re ok if I bring Patrick to a strip club and buy him a bunch of lap dances?” Porter asked, clearly not ok with the picture Megan was painting.
“Of course! That’s what I’d expect from anyone throwing him a bachelor party. Let him live it up. It’s the last time he can let a woman, besides me, fondle him guilt-free. What else would you do for a bachelor party? Smoke cigars and play cards? Yuck. That’s what you do after you’re married.”