Page 114

Story: Cruel Betrayals

He glances down at his phone. “It’s Spencer, letting me know that the community center is completely decorated from top to bottom and guests will be arriving in thirty minutes.”
“How did they decorate it so fast?”
“I would assume Francesca and Savannah recruited the entire team and directed them to what they wanted.”
That would make sense. They are a force to be reckoned with.
Joseph’s phone chimes in rapid succession. He spins it around to show me the pictures Spencer had just sent.
There is a giant pink, blue, and white balloon arch in front of the community center’s double doors. Inside, there are balloons and streamers everywhere. Food, drinks, and desserts cover three rectangle tables, and in the corner is a present table that is already stacked high with presents.
“Oh my God. Where am I going to fit all those presents? My tiny condo will be full of baby stuff.”
“There are plenty of rooms at home. If you would give it a second thought.”
I sigh. I really don’t want to have this conversation again. “I like my condo. It’s my own place, and it’s right on the water near your uncle’s restaurant.”
I moved out of Arturo’s apartment two days after my date with Joseph. He begged me to just move into the house withhim, but I felt weird about things. I needed to get my own place, somewhere that is in my name.
That way, no matter what happens, no one can ever take it away from me. I’ll never be homeless again because my condo is paid in full.
He stands and leans closer to me to look me in the eye. “Like I told you a dozen times before, I’ll never disown you or the baby again. You and the baby will always have a room at my house. I am so sorry for making you feel like you can’t trust me. I’ll never forgive myself for putting you through that.”
“I know that, Joseph, but it’s your father’s house.”
“And? He’s head over heels with the baby already. He started renovating one of the guest bedrooms with its own ensuite for the baby.”
“The baby won’t need its own bathroom for several years.”
“I guess he figured if you stayed in there while the baby was young, you’d use it.”
“Yeah, I guess that-”
A knock on the door cuts our conversation off.
“Alexandra?” The doctor opens the door and shakes Joseph’s hand. “Are you ready to see the baby?”
I grin. “More than ready.”
She checks my folder before glancing at both Joseph and me. “You are right at twenty weeks pregnant. Are we finding the gender out today, or is it going to be a surprise for later?”
I look over at Joseph. “Are you wanting us to find out alone or with all our friends and guests?”
His expression softens, and he squeezes my hand. “That is entirely up to you. I will support the decision either way. At most, we will have to wait like an hour, or we can find out right now and share the news with our guests later.”
I press my lips together for a few moments before saying, “Let’s find out now. Just the two of us. This is your firstultrasound, and I want it to be special for you. Our friends can find out in an hour.”
He gives me a smile before pressing a kiss to my temple. “That sounds perfect to me.”
I lift my shirt over my growing baby bump and tuck it into the band of my bra before pulling the hem of my leggings down to expose my entire stomach.
Joseph looks confused, like he’s trying to figure the ultrasound out. “It’s for the ultrasound. She will squirt some gel on my belly and use that wand to see the baby.”
Joseph glances at the wand in the doctor’s hand. “Oh, I thought they had to do the ultrasound internally.”
The doctor chuckles. “Not this late in the pregnancy. We usually only do an internal ultrasound in the very beginning to find the heartbeat, but don’t worry, the wand for an internal ultrasound is way smaller than this one.”
The doctor and I laugh at Joseph’s relieved look.