The call came justafter breakfast, while I was halfway through an overripe papaya and Cal was arguing with the blender and losing.
Leilani’s voice was bright. “It worked!”
That was all she said.
And I knew exactly what she meant.
“Oh my God,” I whispered, dropping the papaya and screeching—“Cal!”
He turned mid-blender battle, barely able to hear me over the whir of the machine. “What?”
“She’s pregnant!”
The blender shut off, and Cal was suddenly crossing the kitchen in three long strides before pulling me into the tightest hug of my life.
We stood there, clutching each other, laughing, crying, rocking side to side.
“She’s pregnant,” I said again, uselessly. “We’re having a baby.”
“I know,” Cal said, laughing against my neck. “We’re having a baby.”
I pulled back just enough to see his face, to memorize the moment—the damp lashes, the crooked smile, the stunned, disbelieving joy.
“We’re going to be dads,” I whispered.
He nodded, blinking fast. “You and me. Sleep -deprived. Covered in spit-up. Arguing about diaper brands.”
“Making up over adorable onesies and snoring together on the couch,” I added.
He laughed, that deep, breathless laugh I loved so much, then he grabbed my face in both hands. “Matt. We’re bringing a human into the world. A whole new person.”
“God help them,” I murmured.
Cal kissed me, sweet and certain. “They’re gonna have the best life.”
And in that moment I felt an emotion I wasn’t expecting.
Hope.
Real, ridiculous, terrifying, beautiful hope.
There are certain nights that stamp themselves into your memory—not because of how perfect they were, but because of how gloriously, deliriously alive they made you feel. This was one of those nights.
The table was too small for all of us to fit properly, the food was slightly burnt, and Mrs. Mulroney had insisted on uncorking a bottle of wine with a meat cleaver. But the air? The air practicallysangwith something electric.
“She’swhat?” Angus boomed from across the table, his fork frozen halfway to his mouth.
“Pregnant,” I said, for what I was starting to realize might be the fiftieth time that day. “Leilani’s pregnant. With our baby.”
Kimo whooped so loud I swear the lights flickered. Tutu gasped and immediately started crying. Nakoa puffed his chestproudly. Mr. Banks started quietly singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”. While Mrs. Mulroney blew her nose into a napkin and declared, “I hear the pitter-patter of little feet already. Either that or I lost control of my bladder in all the excitement.”
Cal squeezed my thigh under the table like he still couldn’t believe it was real.
Leilani, radiant and awkward in equal measure, just smiled shyly and said, “First trimester, so don’t jinx it. But… yes.”
The room erupted with joy again.
Her family raced around the table to hug her, thenourfamily joined in the group hug.
