Patrick
“Please write it down on a piece of paper. Oh, and please don’t tell us.” Ashley reminded the doctor for the fifth time.
We had five beautiful girls and now one more little Daniels was on the way. Baby number six. The number we agreed would be our stopping point.
For each one of our perfect little bundles we found out the sex ahead of time and followed it up with a celebration of pink letting our family in on the exciting news. This time we were changing it up a little. We were all going to find out together.
The doctor scribbled the secret on a piece of paper, folded it up and handed it to me. I immediately stuck it in my pocket. No peeking allowed. At dinner tonight when everyone was there, we would open the paper and all find out together.
Ashley finished getting dressed and I held onto her hand. We stopped at the reception desk and scheduled her next appointment. She took out her wallet searching through her purse for her phone. I couldn't help but peer in to the large bag that she used to tote around all the stuff for the girls. In the sea of pink, something blue caught my eye, a tiny tee for a baby boy. She looked up and gasped when she caught me staring at the blue shirt tucked inside.
“I bought it just in case.” She explained and quickly closed her bag with a sharp snap. “It was silly. I probably shouldn’t have bought it. I was Christmas shopping with Robin and it was just so cute and on sale. So, I picked it up. And who knows maybe we’ll need it.”
“Maybe.” I squeezed her hand and smiled. I didn’t care if it was a boy or girl. I had grown up in a house of all boys, I’d be perfectly happy if my home was filled with all girls. I loved my girls. Each one of my princesses captured the beauty of their mom in their own unique way. My wife and all five of our blonde beauties held my heart captive and this baby on the way had already earned a place all their own. It was safe to say I was one of the happiest guys around.
After Ashley was safely buckled in, I started the drive home. Snow had just started to fall, a small coating blanketing the ground. It was a pretty back drop with all the twinkling lights shining from the houses.
“It’s probably another girl,” Ashley said staring out the window. She lifted her hand to her hair and twirled a blonde strand around her finger.
“That would be wonderful.” I smiled.
“It would," she said in almost a whisper. I reached over and squeezed her thigh for some reassurance. She cleared her throat and spoke up. “If it's a boy I'll be really happy. I'll probably cry, I’ll be so happy. Big, wet, tears of joy.” Ashley turned her head in my direction. “Don’t you want a son Patrick?”
“I just want a healthy baby. I’d love a daughter or a son, both the same.”
“I want a healthy baby too, but…” She twirled her hair faster.
“But what?” I questioned, just a tad bit concerned where she was going with that sentence.
“But nothing.” She let the spiral of hair fall from her finger and slapped on a smile.
A pit of worry settled in my stomach as we pulled up to our house and parked. We walked across the street to my parent’s house where everyone was waiting for us. Ashley’s statement about tears of joy over a boy still was weighing heavily on me. Boy or girl my eyes were sure to moisten once we found out, but I feared if what was written on that paper was not the word boy, her reaction may not be something we wanted to happen in front of others.
“Ashley, before we go in, maybe we should open the little slip of paper. Find out by ourselves first.”
“No.” She shook her head and I noticed her hands start to tremble. “We planned it special. Come on, let’s just go in. The whole family is waiting for us.”
We walked into my parent’s dining room. The settings around the table had more than doubled in size. My parents sat happily at the ends of the tables delighted by the attention of all their granddaughters, our five girls and my brother Kent and his wife, Robin’s daughter. My mom could never get enough, she was in pink girly heaven, something she never got to experience with three sons. Dad was hunched over reading a book to Karley who hung on his every word with wide eyes. Uncle Matthew was home from college and was in the middle of a heated game of Candy Land with Lola and Michelle. It warmed my heart to know soon this table would have another family member at it.
Ashley sat down and I took the seat next to her. Everyone quieted down anxious to hear the big news.
“Well hurry up. We’re all busting with excitement,” my mom exclaimed.
Ashley held her hand out to me and I dug into my pocket for the folded slip of paper. I hesitated, taking a deep breath before handing it to her.
Everyone’s eyes were on Ashley as she took the paper and unfolded it. I held my breath and waited. She bit her lip and her eyes filled. Big, wet tears streamed down her face. Through the tears she smiled at me. Tears of joy. Relief instantly washed over me. It was the news she was hoping for. She passed the paper to me and I read it out loud.
“It’s a girl.”
The end.
“Please write it down on a piece of paper. Oh, and please don’t tell us.” Ashley reminded the doctor for the fifth time.
We had five beautiful girls and now one more little Daniels was on the way. Baby number six. The number we agreed would be our stopping point.
For each one of our perfect little bundles we found out the sex ahead of time and followed it up with a celebration of pink letting our family in on the exciting news. This time we were changing it up a little. We were all going to find out together.
The doctor scribbled the secret on a piece of paper, folded it up and handed it to me. I immediately stuck it in my pocket. No peeking allowed. At dinner tonight when everyone was there, we would open the paper and all find out together.
Ashley finished getting dressed and I held onto her hand. We stopped at the reception desk and scheduled her next appointment. She took out her wallet searching through her purse for her phone. I couldn't help but peer in to the large bag that she used to tote around all the stuff for the girls. In the sea of pink, something blue caught my eye, a tiny tee for a baby boy. She looked up and gasped when she caught me staring at the blue shirt tucked inside.
“I bought it just in case.” She explained and quickly closed her bag with a sharp snap. “It was silly. I probably shouldn’t have bought it. I was Christmas shopping with Robin and it was just so cute and on sale. So, I picked it up. And who knows maybe we’ll need it.”
“Maybe.” I squeezed her hand and smiled. I didn’t care if it was a boy or girl. I had grown up in a house of all boys, I’d be perfectly happy if my home was filled with all girls. I loved my girls. Each one of my princesses captured the beauty of their mom in their own unique way. My wife and all five of our blonde beauties held my heart captive and this baby on the way had already earned a place all their own. It was safe to say I was one of the happiest guys around.
After Ashley was safely buckled in, I started the drive home. Snow had just started to fall, a small coating blanketing the ground. It was a pretty back drop with all the twinkling lights shining from the houses.
“It’s probably another girl,” Ashley said staring out the window. She lifted her hand to her hair and twirled a blonde strand around her finger.
“That would be wonderful.” I smiled.
“It would," she said in almost a whisper. I reached over and squeezed her thigh for some reassurance. She cleared her throat and spoke up. “If it's a boy I'll be really happy. I'll probably cry, I’ll be so happy. Big, wet, tears of joy.” Ashley turned her head in my direction. “Don’t you want a son Patrick?”
“I just want a healthy baby. I’d love a daughter or a son, both the same.”
“I want a healthy baby too, but…” She twirled her hair faster.
“But what?” I questioned, just a tad bit concerned where she was going with that sentence.
“But nothing.” She let the spiral of hair fall from her finger and slapped on a smile.
A pit of worry settled in my stomach as we pulled up to our house and parked. We walked across the street to my parent’s house where everyone was waiting for us. Ashley’s statement about tears of joy over a boy still was weighing heavily on me. Boy or girl my eyes were sure to moisten once we found out, but I feared if what was written on that paper was not the word boy, her reaction may not be something we wanted to happen in front of others.
“Ashley, before we go in, maybe we should open the little slip of paper. Find out by ourselves first.”
“No.” She shook her head and I noticed her hands start to tremble. “We planned it special. Come on, let’s just go in. The whole family is waiting for us.”
We walked into my parent’s dining room. The settings around the table had more than doubled in size. My parents sat happily at the ends of the tables delighted by the attention of all their granddaughters, our five girls and my brother Kent and his wife, Robin’s daughter. My mom could never get enough, she was in pink girly heaven, something she never got to experience with three sons. Dad was hunched over reading a book to Karley who hung on his every word with wide eyes. Uncle Matthew was home from college and was in the middle of a heated game of Candy Land with Lola and Michelle. It warmed my heart to know soon this table would have another family member at it.
Ashley sat down and I took the seat next to her. Everyone quieted down anxious to hear the big news.
“Well hurry up. We’re all busting with excitement,” my mom exclaimed.
Ashley held her hand out to me and I dug into my pocket for the folded slip of paper. I hesitated, taking a deep breath before handing it to her.
Everyone’s eyes were on Ashley as she took the paper and unfolded it. I held my breath and waited. She bit her lip and her eyes filled. Big, wet tears streamed down her face. Through the tears she smiled at me. Tears of joy. Relief instantly washed over me. It was the news she was hoping for. She passed the paper to me and I read it out loud.
“It’s a girl.”
The end.
