As soon as Cole and Oakley stepped out of the room they’d been gossiping about why we were really here. It was as if we didn’t all get together regularly.
“She kicked!” Jasper exclaimed, grinning so wide I thought his face would split.
Sarah and Jenna were over in a flash, laying their hand on my stomach. They’d asked me the first time and now just assumed they had free reign. I didn’t mind though; they were family. It was strangers that I didn’t like touching without permission.
“And it might be a he,” Sarah said.
“You only want that because you’ve already got a granddaughter,” Jasper replied.
“I don’t care as long as we get healthy.”
I didn’t care either, but I still thought girl. I could just see me and Jasper with a fair-haired daughter, hopefully with Jasper’s gorgeous grey eyes.
“You feel that?” Jasper said, smiling at me.
“You’re kidding, right?” I felt every movement!
He laughed and for a second I though he was going to kiss me, but he looked away, startled by Leona’s giggle as she placed her little hand on my bump too. Cole’s niece was so cute and such a big sister figure for Everleigh. I had no doubt that even though she wasn’t related to my baby, she’d be just as protective and caring.
Sarah beamed, obviously picking up on our almost kiss too. She’d never said anything to me about my relationship with Jasper, but I could tell she knew I wanted to be with him. I suspected she never mentioned it because she knew he wasn’t ready for anything new yet and didn’t want to hurt my feelings. I understood the situation, and I could wait. Jasper was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with so what was a few months or a year in exchange for a lifetime? Or what I hoped would turn into a lifetime.
“Does it hurt?” Leona asked.
I shook my head. “Not really. It just feels weird.”
“I miss that,” Cole’s mum, Jenna said. “Feeling your baby moving around inside you is incredible.”
“Have another one,” Sarah joked, making Jenna laugh.
“Oh I don’t think so. I’ll settle for more grandkids.” She looked at Mia who shook her head, determined that Leona was going to be her only child. “All down to Cole then, I guess.”
Jasper scowled.
Suddenly Everleigh squealed. We all looked up, but no one moved because as I’d come to understand – from a few almost-heart attacks – that was her excited squeal.
“Nanna! Grandma!” she screamed, running into the room. Cole and Oakley were right behind her, arm around each other, laughing. In the hand that she was waving around was a scan picture. “I’m going to be a big sister!”
Everyone immediately leapt up to congratulate all three of them. Oakley had said they wanted more children but weren’t trying just yet. Perhaps her pill didn’t work either. A chorus of ‘Congratulations’ and ‘I’m so excited’ echoed through the room.
“How far along are you?” Sarah asked, gripping Oakley’s hand once we all sat down again.
“Fourteen weeks. I’m due on the 14th of June.”
“You’ve known all this time, and you didn’t tell me?” Jasper said, frowning.
Oakley sighed. “We wanted to wait for the twelve-week scan.”
“You’re fourteen weeks.”
She leant into Cole’s side, and he kissed the top of her head. They were so sweet together. I wanted that too. “I know, but the scan was closer to thirteen weeks and then we wanted to keep it to ourselves for a while. Plus we were worried how Eveleigh would take it. Turns out she loves the idea of a brother or sister.”
“Fine,” he replied, grumpy, and I elbowed him in the side. “I’m happy for you both.”
The side of Oakley’s mouth pulled into a smirk as she noticed what I’d done.
“Thank you, Jasper.”
He gave Oakley a hug and then it was my turn.
I smiled; excited to share this experience with Jasper’s sister and excited the baby would be my child’s cousin.
Christmas morning in my house was always hectic. We opened presents, played Christmas songs, danced around the living room, picked at chocolates and cooked the dinner as a family, messing around as we went.
I’d just finished moving my presents up to my room to clear space for later, when my aunt, uncle, cousins and grandparents arrived in the afternoon, when my bedroom door was pushed open.
“Hello?” I said, and took a step towards it, and then jumped as Jasper sprang through the doorway in an elf costume. I burst out laughing.
“What are you doing?”
“Merry Christmas!” he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around me in a tight hug.
“Again, what are you doing?” I asked, still laughing.
He pulled away and jingled the bell on the end of his green hat.
“I promised Eveleigh I’d be an elf months ago. I hoped she’d forget but…”
“Well I’m very glad she didn’t.”
“I’m on my way there now so don’t think I’m crashing your Christmas.”
As if I’d think that.