Page 107 of Single Chance

The excitement in the air was tangible in the moments of silence as Sam pressed the glass down into the cake. Rowan gripped me as if her life depended on it, and I had the fleeting thought that supporting her through labor wouldn’t be a pain-free experience for me.

“It’s a”—Sam blocked our view, so we held our breath for her announcement, as planned—“girl!”

With a squeal of happiness, she held the glass full of cake and icing up high to show off the pink.

A round of cheers went up, along with random comments and jokes, as Rowan and I pulled Sam into a three-way hug. My daughter was bouncing on her toes as she dropped a brief hug on us, then went to hug Kinsley.

“She wanted a girl,” Rowan said, her grin splitting her face as I went in for a kiss. “So she can knit cute girl clothes.”

“And you?” I asked once I could pull my lips away from hers enough to speak.

She shook her head. “You know I don’t care. I just wantyourbaby, whatever flavor.”

With my arms around her and our bodies as close as they could possibly be while still clothed, her baby bump pressed into me, I said, “You’ve got my baby. And my teenager. And me.”

“Sounds like the perfect family to me.”