“I heard what happened with her.”
“Good. Because if you don’t get back to work, I’ll punch you in the mouth too.”
Parker’s eyes went wide.
Josie turned and walked away.
She had no idea what had gotten into her lately, but she liked it.
What she didn’t like though, was how things seemed to be lingering with Starla, the MC, drugs, and the swirl of crap that made up her life.
And the best part… Steph was going to bring a baby into this mess.
* * *
Josie coveredher mouth as she watched the figure of the baby appear on the screen. It was amazing. A giant head and a tiny body. She could see the outline of the button nose. The arms. The hands. Fingers. Little legs. Little toes.
That alone brought tears to her eyes.
“Are you ready to find out?” the ultrasound tech asked.
“Yeah,” Steph said.
Josie reached with her right hand and took Steph’s hand.
“Okay… you are having… a girl.”
Josie gasped and looked down at Steph. Steph burst into tears. She pinched the bridge of her nose as her cheeks turned red.
“A girl,” Josie whispered. “A little girl.”
“Yup,” the ultrasound tech said. “I’ll take some more pictures so you have something to take home. But this right here…” The ultrasound tech moved the cursor on the screen. It made no sense to Josie, whatever they were looking at. “Those are the lady bits, as I call them.”
“A girl,” Steph said. She blinked fast. “That’s what I wanted.”
“We want a healthy baby,” Josie said. “But a girl. That’s amazing.”
Josie touched the corners of her eyes and watched the ultrasound tech finish the rest of the ultrasound. This wasn’t just for the gender reveal, but an important appointment to measure the baby and check for any possible issues.
An hour later, they were done.
The baby was perfect.
In perfect health.
A perfect size.
Everything was perfect.
A little girl.
Josie began to fantasize about holding the little baby. Cradling her, walking her through the kitchen and into the living room, back into the kitchen. But she had to stop herself. This wasn’t her baby. This was Steph’s baby. This was Steph’s life. And maybe Reese was right about Steph being on her own too.
There was a lot to figure out still. But they had time.
One thing that caught Josie’s attention was how quiet Steph was on the ride back home.
“Are you nervous?” Josie asked. “Or did you really hope for a boy?”