One Enchanted Summer

Chapter 36

CHAPTER

THIRTY-SIX

Quinn

I’ve continued to work at the restaurant because I still can’t let myself sit around the house. Once the strong smells and food aversions passed, it was nice to be active and on my feet. It gets a little harder as the weeks pass, but I’m grateful that Ash and the rest of my co-workers have all treated me normally. Tatum is the exception; she’s constantly trying to go out of her way to help me in any way she can.

I’m just finishing my shift when Tatum points to one of the tables by the window and says someone wants to talk to me. I follow her gaze and spy Gertie proudly sitting at a table. She grins at me as I approach.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

“Remember when you first got the job, and I said when I was feeling better you’d owe me dinner?” she smiles.

I nod, and she pats the table across from her. “It’s time for me to cash that in.”

I sit across from her, and although I’ve been around the restaurant for a while now, I never sit down and just enjoy it. Tatum, of course, was too eager to make sure Gertie sat in her section, so she’s beaming as she greets us and hands us menus.

“So, what’s good here?” Gertie asks me as she peruses the menu.

“The grits with cheese or fried green tomatoes,” I reply quickly. I may not have sat down and eaten, but I’ve definitely tried the food.

Gertie looks at me in surprise. “It looks like my little Colorado girl has turned into a southern lady.”

As always, Gertie checks in and asks how I’m feeling, and I know she’s not just asking about my physical well-being. I’m 28 weeks now, so my physical appearance is changing a lot, but my mental load has only gotten better. Grayson hasn’t had one ounce of fear since the gender reveal. He’s been nothing short of attentive and excited when it comes to all things baby and me. Between him, Gertie, and Tatum, I’m feeling more supported than I ever have.

Gertie is fully mended now and back to her gossip walks and even bike rides with Doris. I’ve noticed Harold joining them a few times, but when I try to ask Doris about it, she quickly changes the subject. Gertie simply pretends to zip her lips.

The rest of our lunch is so much fun that I make Gertie promise that we can go out for lunch weekly until the baby comes. Gertie points out that we can continue doing it even when she does come. It makes me happy to imagine my daughter spending time with Gertie. Tatum comes to our table with a mischievous grin and says, “The check has been taken care of.”

“You didn’t!” I accuse quickly.

She laughs. “No, I didn’t. Ash did.”

I was right from the beginning, Ash really has been a great boss.

I have six weeks left of this pregnancy. I flip between thinking about it and getting nervous, and trying desperately not to think about it and act like my life is completely normal. We haven’t made any big decisions yet, so we don’t even have a crib. I think we are both kind of procrastinating those significant conversations. I don’t want to pressure Grayson into anything he’s not ready for yet, at least not regarding our dating relationship. But this morning, Grayson surprised me with a morning date to Target and led me straight to the baby section.

The baby section is overwhelmingly cute. I want every little outfit with flowers and baby animals on it. Even Grayson is into it as he pulls out tiny outfits and asks how in the world a baby could be that small. I send up a silent prayer that the baby is, in fact, that small. We end up picking a few girly outfits, and then I drag him to the accessories department to get matching bows and shoes. Logically, I know she won’t need shoes, but when you see tiny baby shoes, it’s impossible to say no. I feel like I’ve earned the right to spend money on unnecessary things when I’ve spent the last eight months growing her.

On the way back to my house, we stop and get my favorite pick-me-up: a gas station fountain drink. I don’t know the science behind it, but somehow, fountain drinks from a gas station are superior tasting. Grayson glances at his watch and phone a few times, almost as if he’s waiting for something, and I wonder if I’m holding him back from other things. But he doesn’t seem to be in a rush.

The baby section was a little eye-opening at how many things are out there for babies. I’m still rambling about what else we need to get for her as we walk through the front door, and I’m hit with a shout of “Surprise!” I almost drop the shopping bags in shock as I see Tatum, Gertie, Doris, and a few other girls from work standing in the living room, smiling at me. The room is filled with pink, white, and gold balloons, and a giant banner on the back wall says BABY GIRL. My eyes fill with tears as I look around at them. Tatum rushes forward and pulls me into a hug, and when I sniffle, she leans back and looks at me.

“What’s wrong?” She asks.

“Oh, nothing, I just wasn’t expecting this,” I say, still in shock.

“You’re silly; come here!” Tatum says, leading me to a chair in the front of the room.

Grayson follows and gives me a quick kiss before saying, “No boys allowed.” I wish he could stay, but with a wink, he bows out of the room, and a bunch of expecting faces surround me.

“Well,” Tatum claps, “let’s get started!”

Tatum was born to host a baby shower. She thought of everything: cute theme food, guessing games, diaper raffles, and she even got baby pictures of me and Grayson. She’s thriving, and honestly, seeing her being so happy makes the whole thing even better. I can’t help but feel loved as I look around the room and laugh at Gertie trying to guess how big my belly is while Doris shakes her head. Tatum and the other girls from work are laughing as they fill out silly pregnancy mad libs, and my heart swells at the joy in this room. A year ago, I never expected any of this. I’m not sure I would’ve felt worthy of this a year ago. I may not have felt like I deserved such generous people, and I definitely wouldn’t think I could be capable of being a mother. I’ve grown so much in the last year, partly because of the people in this room. I can feel myself getting emotional again as I start thinking about it. Before I start crying, I get Tatum’s attention and say, “Presents?”

Her eyes light up, and she declares, “Presents!”

I eagerly tear open the bags to find cute clothes that make me gush, baby bottles, baby books, teething toys, and so many packages of diapers. Everyone went above and beyond what I could’ve expected. We finish the party by eating more food, and I take the time to talk to everyone one-on-one and thank them for coming.

“Thanks for all this,” I say, motioning around when I get to Doris and Gertie.

“Tatum did most of the work. I only supplied the venue,” Gertie replies.

“And I brought presents,” Doris adds.

I laugh, “Well, thank you. I really do appreciate it.”

“We’re so excited for you and this little baby,” Doris says sweetly.

“We need more young blood in this neighborhood,” Gertie jokes.

“Speak for yourself!” Doris quickly replies.

I laugh and leave them to it while I find Tatum to thank. I spot her cleaning up in the kitchen and rush to hug her. I’m so overwhelmed with gratitude for her friendship.

“Thank you, Tatum, for all of this,” I gush.

She grins at me, “I love you, Quinn, and this baby! I was so excited to celebrate!”

“I don’t know what I did to deserve a friend like you,” I say earnestly.

“You’re the best friend I’ve ever had,” Tatum replies. “I’m just glad you’re finally able to see how great you are.”

I pull her into another hug as she chuckles. “You’re kind of emotional today,” she teases.

“Pregnancy hormones are no joke,” I reply.

“Well, you’ve got one more present waiting for you outside, and I have a feeling it’s going to make you very emotional,” Tatum tells me. I look at her in confusion, but she waves me away.

After a chorus of goodbyes and absolute refusal to let me help clean up, I walk outside to see Grayson waiting by his car. I glance around the yard but see nothing else out of the ordinary.

“Are you my present?” I call in a teasing tone.

A smile tugs on his lips as he says, “I’m not, but I’m going to take you to it.”

I like the sound of that, and I jump in the car eagerly. My mind races as we drive, and I wonder where we could possibly be going. The more I think, the more crazy ideas pop into my head, and I have to try and stop myself. Finally, I look around and recognize where we are.

“Is the present at your house?” I ask as I realize we are close to Grayson’s place.

He nods but doesn’t say anything more. I follow him inside the house and upstairs, where he stops outside a closed door. He opens his mouth to say something and then stops.

“You’re killing me!” I blurt out, unable to contain myself.

He laughs and then opens the door for me. Inside is the most beautiful and sweet nursery I’ve ever seen. It’s painted a soft pink and has a large, fuzzy white rug in the middle. A cozy gray rocking chair and blanket sit in the corner beside a gorgeous wood crib. I’m frozen in shock as Grayson steps into the room and rubs the back of his neck, waiting for my reply. I don’t know if I can form verbal words right now. My eyes roam over the room, noticing all the small details he put into it. On one wall is a small bookshelf with baby books, specifically lots of Princess and books from the park. Hanging above the shelf are three frames with cute, cartoon drawings of the park. I step closer and notice a tiny little bunny rabbit with floppy ears in the crib and a baby blanket.

“If you don’t like anything, we can change it,” Grayson says softly.

I spin to look at him and realize he’s still waiting for me to say something.

“It’s incredible. This is amazing,” I say in complete astonishment. “I don’t even know what to say. I wasn’t expecting this at all.”

Grayson smiles at my response. “Good. It was tough keeping it a secret.”

“But, this isn’t all,” he says, and I freeze and look at him. What more could there be?

“I want you to move in with me. I want us to all be together- as a family.”

My heart stutters at his words, and my mind starts to whirl a hundred miles a minute.

“Are you sure?” I manage to mumble.

He laughs and steps closer. “Of course, I’m sure! I may not have had a choice in falling in love with you. That was involuntary. But I have a choice to stay and build this life with you, and I choose that. I choose you, and I choose her. I want to wake up next to you and go to bed with you, and I want to be a family with you and our little girl,” he says as he gently touches my belly. As if she knows it’s her dad, I feel her kick against his hand.

“I think that’s a yes,” I say.

Grayson looks at me, his face full of joy, “yes?” He asks.

I nod, and he cups my face, pulling me into a kiss.