Page 45

Story: Ball For Me

Chapter 44

Ainsley

S hawn has made his mark. Not only in the league after the game tonight, but also about who I am to him in the media. I never thought I’d see the day where he would actually tell the media about his personal life, but I guess sometimes you change for the people you love.

We walk into the restaurant and into a private back room with a large family-style table. Our family, circling the table, looks up at us as we walk in and find our seats. Shawn’s hand snakes around my thigh as I turn to Nora, asking how school has been going for her. She is in her third year at UNT studying fashion merchandising, and it sounds like she has a lot of great options for internships coming up for her final year. I see Shawn glancing over and checking out the sonogram in my purse from time to time. Just wanting to make sure it is still there for when we decide to tell everyone.

“Oh, my goodness! You should come up in February for Toronto Fashion Week. It’s so fun and unique. Soph and I love to go to a couple of shows if we can.”

“What? You got into shows?” Nora looks at me, shocked.

I cough and hide my smirk. “Oh um, yeah. Liam was in a show his rookie year, and we went to watch, so now he can get us a couple of tickets now and then.”

“Stop it right now, Liam walked in a show?” She says louder, and the others at the table stop and look at us. Shawn looks at me curiously.

“The Postman came with the drip?” He says his eyebrows up in question.

My mom sighs and says bluntly. “I don’t know if he came with the drip, but he came with something out there.”

The whole table laughs. Shawn leans over to me.

“Oh, Bouch and I are soooo about to give him shit for this.”

I quirk an eyebrow up. “Be my guest.”

Just then, a voice clears. We look up at the waitress who has come to the end of our table.

“Hi folks! My name is Ophelia, and I’ll be taking care of y’all tonight. First off, I want to say congratulations for a great game played. Now, can I start you all off with some drinks?”

My dad clears his throat.

“Thanks, Ophelia. Can we also get a round of champagne for everyone? We’re also celebrating these two getting engaged.”

He points over to Shawn and I. The waitress looks at me, then Shawn, and gasps.

“OMG, no way!” she squeals.

“I’m so excited for you two! Congratulations! Yes, of course!”

She claps and runs off before anyone else can get a word in.

Shit. Um, I can’t drink that. I look at Shawn, and the same thing must be going through his head as we take a sip of the water in front of us nervously, and we both look down at our baby as I pick up the photos and put them in my jacket pocket.

My whole body is hot, and my stomach growls again, loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear. Shawn’s dad looks at us.

“Did y’all not eat on the plane or something? Shawn, make sure you and your lady get a good meal, always. It’s the key to a successful marriage. No one wants a hangry wife.”

“Amen!” Shawn’s mom claps. Shawn smirks.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m well aware already, and we had plenty of options for food on the plane. But Lee wasn’t really feeling much.” Shawn says, and I elbow him hard as Nora coughs a little as I break out into a full-on sweat. The waitress comes back in with glasses of bubbly champagne and starts placing them around the table. Well, I guess this needs to happen at some point. I’m so excited to tell them, but this moment seems so big that I lean over and grab Shawn’s thigh. He immediately brings his hand to mine and squeezes. Standing up, he takes the lead to give me a second to calm myself. This man is going to be the best husband and father. My heart swells at the thought of all the moments I get to create with this man. Including this one.

“I would like to make a toast! Ainsley, can you stand up with me?”

I stand up, and his large arm comes over my shoulders. The smell of him overtakes me, and it immediately helps center me. He clears his throat before speaking to the group.

“I have always known that my relationship with Lee was something special. Something I couldn’t quite understand as a kid. Lee has taught me that some loves are meant to stay with you, to be forever molded into your very soul. Sunshine, you make my world shine with wonder, and I can’t wait to see where life takes us.” He smiles as a tear slides down my blushed cheek.

Picking up my glass I see Nora’s eyes widen. I wipe the tears and almost go to take a sip of the drink to help my dry throat, but I stop and smile. Setting the flute down in front of me before adding.

“And I have always found my peace in other things, friends, family, my art. Still to this day, there is a different level of peace that just being surrounded by you all that overcomes me. But Shawn has given me the gift of loving me while I learn to find peace within myself. I learned that I have the power to cultivate so much more than what I can give to others.” I look at Shawn, “You have allowed me the time to discover that I have the ability to love not only you but also our child.”

Gasps echo around us, and more tears fill my eyes. Shawn wraps both arms around me and pulls me into his chest. Looking up at him, I mutter.

“Thank you, B, for allowing me to find my way in my darkest moments.”

He leans down and kisses my forehead.

“I’ll always be there for you, even as you grow and process everything that life throws at you.”

I nod. “Ditto, babe.”

Smiling, we both turn to see our family. Our mothers are looking at each other in complete shock, and Nora has her phone out recording. My mom speaks first, and I see her brain slowly turning its wheels.

“I’m sorry, are you meaning to tell me I get to add a new son-in-law to the family and another grandbaby?”

I nod and reach into my jacket to show them the photo of the baby. The smile that spreads across Shawn’s face is something else, and I can’t help but match it.

“SURPRISE!!!!” Nora yells over the group as she pans the camera around.

Shawn laughs over my head as he looks at his mom. She picks up her napkin and starts fanning herself.

“Sweet baby Jesus! I’m going to be a grandma!”

She stands up and marches up to me, scooping me out of Shawn’s arms in a hug.

“You know I love you, boy, and I love you too, Lee! But this baby…” She says, taking the photo in my hand and inspects it closer.

“I’m going to love this baby like you have never seen.”

Shawn cuts in, hugging his mom. “And we wouldn’t want it any other way.”

“Good, because that will make two of us!” My mother says right behind her. They’re both now looking at the photos.

Our dads stand and come and give us both a hug, congratulating us and already comparing schedules over the next year on when they can all make it up to Toronto.

Our mom’s voices are muffled in the background.

“This baby seems tall already. Sheesh. Shawn was such a big baby.”

“Oh my, so was Ainsley. I didn’t know girls could come out that big.”

Shawn and I lock eyes and bust out laughing. No turning back now, big babies and all.

We all enjoy the rest of the meal talking about wedding plans, grandparent names, baby shower ideas, and so much more. Nora has already sent me three new websites of cute fashionable maternity wear, which I wish I would've known about sooner because damn, who wouldn’t want to wear jeans that stretch around you like sweatpants? I’m pretty sure Shawn already put a handful of the outfits in his cart to buy.

Standing up to leave with several boxes of leftover pasta, I look back at our families that have picked up right where they left off all those years ago, just like Shawn and I did. They are all laughing and already making plans to see each other again next week.

We walk over to them and give them all big hugs goodbye, promising to send a million photos and videos until they get up to Toronto. We get back in the car to make our way back to the airport. Loading are stuff into the same jet we arrived in to take us back to Toronto.

Bellies and hearts completely full.

The plane ride home feels so quick. Probably because I changed into sweats and passed out in the bed, not waking until we were on the ground. Shawn already had our car home loaded and ready to go before he scooped me up and put me in the back seat.

As we make our way back into the city, I look out the window as the city lights come into view. Reflecting off the water, each building adding to the city's beauty, and standing proudly over it all, the CN Tower lit up red like a lighthouse calling us home.

The Six has always felt like home. It helped pick me up and show me the beauty of life. I look over and see Shawn taking in the same city around us. He reaches over and grabs my hand, squeezing it gently, and turns to pull me into his chest as the car slowly comes to a stop.

Leaning down, he whispers, the sweet, low hum of his voice relaxing me as he states.

“We’re home. You, me, in the Six.”