“Thank you,” Aubrey said into the outside microphone. “Everyone, please gather around. Since Hannah and Owen’s bundle of joy is due first, we’ll be revealing their gender first.”
Hannah and Owen stepped up to the railing. Hannah was normally one of the fittest among the close friends.
Now, however, there was a massive bulge on Hannah’s tiny frame, and it looked like she could topple over at any moment.
“Hannah, Owen,” Aubrey started. She waved her other friends over and waited as the Wildflowers and their spouses all gathered around. “If you would direct your gaze to the skies,” she said with a smile. Everyone glanced upward.
Within the next minute, a very large firework filled the sky with a massive blue explosion over the water beyond the grassy yard. The fireworks were a normal part of some parties at the campgrounds. They even had a barge out on the water holding all of the cannons for the ease of the light shows. New Year’s, Fourth of July, any big parties they held—they took any excuse to set them off.
Everyone clapped as the happy couple hugged. Then her friends surrounded her and hugged the new family even more.
Hannah took the microphone this time. As she wiped tears from her eyes, she said, “We’re having a boy.” Everyone cheered again. “Thank you everyone for coming out tonight. Now, I’m going to hand this over to Elle, who, I’m told, doesn’t know the gender of their child yet but has a special message first.”
Elle took the microphone and hugged Hannah.
“We don’t,” Elle said, taking Liam’s hand in hers. “But we do know something ya’ll don’t.” She smiled and then nodded and turned to watch the fireworks.
This time, the sky filled with not one, but two massive explosions. The one on the right side was blue, but the one of the left side, was pink.
Everyone gasped.
“What?” Jules asked.
“Twins,” Damion whispered in her ear. “They’re having twins.”
“We’re having twins,” Elle confirmed happily into the microphone. “And apparently one of each sex,” she said as Liam hugged her while everyone cheered loudly.
Jules glanced over at Damion. The look on his face instantly told her that he knew ahead of time.
“You knew. How?” she asked.
He chuckled. “I guessed.” He shrugged. “She’s the same size as Hannah but three months behind. That should have been a clue.”
“You… seriously guessed?” She laughed.
“That they were having twins. Not the sex of them. A boy and a girl.” He shook his head. “They’re going to be busy.”
“I think it’s wonderful.” She sighed as she watched the happy couple. Then the sky filled with even more fireworks, and she stood by Damion, a heartbeat away from him, watching the light show.
She could feel him inches from her. His body heat somehow penetrated her clothes differently than the warmth of the early summer evening did.
Maybe it was just her awareness of him that caused her body to warm. Maybe he was the reason she practically vibrated.
Damion laughed suddenly. “Two for the price of one.”
“A very good bargain,” Jules joked along.
“Champagne?” he asked, taking two glasses from the waiter that was handing them out.
She took the glass from him and sipped. “This was… an amazing night.”
“Yeah, who else but the Wildflowers could throw a massive party like this?” Damion added.
“I know, right?” She turned around. Even here, outside, there were decorations. Everything had been just… perfect. Much like all of the parties they had thrown in the past. Birthdays, engagements, weddings, and Zoey’s baby shower, where she had astoundingly gone into labor before the party had ended. Everything the friends did, they did completely.
Even when picking their husbands. Three of them had married brothers. Now, they were truly related with the last name of Costa.
Zoey, Elle, and Hannah. All of their children would be cousins.