35. Aspen （4 weeks later）

Aspen (4 weeks later)

“No!” I shouted, running towards Boone and Rhodes, who were carrying in the backdrop. They paused, looking at each other and then back to me. “It can’t go there, it has to go over by the cake stand! This is where the chair Theo will sit in is going. I have a vision!” With a grunt and a nod, the men began walking again towards the correct spot. I’d spent all morning directing the guys to help bring in all the decor and it was testing my patience. Boone was lucky I loved him.

Today was Theo’s gender reveal party and I’d been planning for a couple of weeks now. I was the only one who knew the gender. Well, and Boone, because I can’t keep a secret from him, but Theo doesn’t know that. So far, I’d been strong enough not to tell Penny, because knowing her, she would’ve told the entire town by now.

My Pinterest board has officially come to life following the theme of all things teddy bears. I had cupcakes that looked like little bears and a photo backdrop that was in two pieces, one painted light brown and the other a darker brown. Theo isn’t a “pink” for girl or “blue” for boy kind of person. Instead, she loves all things neutral. Even the possible baby names could be used for either gender, but she still wanted to know what she was having.

Instead of having a color reveal the gender, I commissioned a cake where you burned away a top layer of paper and it revealed a word underneath. I was most excited about this find and proud of myself for finding a baker to commission it.

The party was being thrown in Theo’s mom’s backyard, decorated with bear-shaped balloons made into bouquets with other shades of brown regular ones. There were linen tablecloths on the plastic folding tables and centerpieces that consisted of a teddy bear holding a baby bottle and pretty wildflowers from the farm around it. I even took it far enough to create little honey pots for goodie bags that had teddy grams to snack on too!

“This looks amazing!” Theo said, coming to stand next to me to take in all the decorations and effort put into the setup. Theo looked stunning in her bodycon dark brown dress, a pair of Doc Martin’s, and the cutest pair of teddy bear earrings that had fur on them to look like real bears. Her cute bump was sticking out, she was now showing at nearly eighteen weeks along. Her skin was glowing, the sickness seemed to pause and she was happier than I’d ever seen her. I was so proud of her for doing it by herself and raising a kick-ass kid.

I patted myself on the back and replied, “I think I outdid myself, and I’m excited for you to find out what this little munchkin is!” I placed my hands on her belly and crouched down. Theo laughed, placing her hands over mine.

“Auntie A can’t wait to meet you!”

“Whatever they are, they will be spoiled,” Theo cooed.

“Damn right!” Penny yelled, walking over with a glass of wine in both hands. She handed me one and kept the other for herself. I took a long sip, needing the refreshing sip from the stressful day of preparing.

Everyone was just about to arrive, and by everyone, I meant some of Theo’s old friends, my parents, Mac, and Logan. Boone and Rhodes were already here, and so was Theo’s mom. It was a small party, but she was surrounded by people who adored her. That’s all that mattered.

Boone came up behind me, wrapping his arms over my shoulders. He kissed my cheek and said, “Now, what can I do?” I loved that about him. It was never a complaint but an eagerness to make it happen.

“The chair for her to sit in is in the garage. Could you grab it and put it over there, on the rug?” I pointed towards a balloon arch and vintage rug that sat in the grass. I went to a local thrift store and asked to rent some of their furniture, they were eager to help out. Lucky for me, I was able to snag a big rocking chair, a cute vintage coffee table, and little decorations to go on said table to create the cutest area for her to open the presents. The rug was new, though, because I had to draw my line somewhere.

“Anything for you, Darling,” he said and placed one more kiss on my neck before walking away. I couldn’t help myself; watching him leave was always a treat. His ass filled out the light wash wranglers so well, and the way he walked, Lord help me. I fanned myself with my hand, only because it was really hot out.

I was alone now, and I took a minute to observe as everyone filed into the backyard. Theo was greeting guests. Penny stood in the corner with Mac trapped in a conversation. My parents were talking with Theo’s mom, all while Rhodes watched with a beer in his hand. He wasn’t watching me or Penny and Mac. His eyes were stuck on Theo, a sense of longing in his gaze I’d recognize anywhere. I smiled to myself; I’d have to point that out to Theo later. Like I had said, I loved a “not his baby” trope.

Time passed and the party went on. Guests played corn hole, music was blasting from the speakers, and everyone was having an amazing time. The food was delicious. We had it catered by the only Italian place in town because right now Theo was craving pasta, any kind.

When everyone was done eating, I took that as my cue to get the reveal ready. I paused the music and cupped my hands around my mouth.

“Hello everyone! Can I have your attention?” I yelled the best I could, but it wasn’t loud enough. My dad whistled, and all the conversations quieted down. When everyone was silent, I continued. “I think it’s time we have the beautiful mom-to-be come up here so I can finally get this secret off my chest.” The small crowd laughed, and Theo wobbled away from her mom and towards the stunning display I created.

The cake sat on a golden plate on top of an old whiskey barrel. It was decorated in white with a bear holding neutral-colored balloons on the side. A thin piece of wax paper was laid on top, covering the space where the gender sat. The trick was that when you lit the paper on fire, it vanished to reveal the words “baby girl” or “baby boy” written in cursive. I pulled out the lighter and handed it to Theo.

“You’re going to light the paper on fire, and it will burn away. Underneath will be the answer.” I stepped back and pulled a chair from the table to stand on. I needed the perfect angle for the perfect photo. Theo nodded, holding the lighter between both hands with her finger on the trigger. “On the count of three, go ahead. Ready?”

“Oh my God! Yes!” she squealed, jumping up and down with excitement.

The crowd joined in on the countdown, and I got my phone camera ready. “1…2…3!”

Theo clicked the lighter once, then again before a flame started. She held the fire to the cake and waited until it caught before pulling away.

Within seconds, the paper disappeared, and underneath were two words, baby girl.

I snapped a million pictures as the words appeared.

Theo turned the crowd and yelled, “It’s a girl!” The whole party cheered for her. I hopped down from the chair and hugged her tightly as Penny ran over.

“I’m so happy for you!” Penny yelled, which happened to be in my ear.

“I knew it was a girl,” Theo said. “I don’t think I’d make a good boy Mom.”

My heart was so full of happiness it could burst.

Over the last few months, I’d discovered so much about myself that I didn’t think was possible in my mid-twenties. Before all this, I was an insecure bookworm who escaped to romance novels to feel something. I shied away and put myself in a box where I felt I had to conform to please the people who raised me. Through a lot of self-discovery and pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I evolved into a woman who was now writing her first novel and experiencing love firsthand.

My recent successes were all thanks to a man I took a chance on. I let my guard down and had faith that he wasn’t the womanizer he was in high school, that he had grown up and made a new life for himself. It was a chance I’d take over and over again.

My friends and I grew closer than ever. I decided I would take charge because I wasn’t happy with the few and far between calls or meet-ups. If I learned anything over the last few months, it’s that I’m the decider of my own fate, and I have the power to change as long as I want it. I’m empowered by those around me, no longer brought down by expectations I never really wanted to appease.

For the first time, I feel ready to take life by the horns and let that bitch buck.

THE END

The manuscript you read was a rough draft of the novel, The Story We Wrote by Aspen Westgrove. The plot closely reflects real-life events and characters, which were used as the foundation for writing.