Jake and Richard had gone all out and hired an agency to set up the gender reveal, careful to keep the genders secret until the gold balloons marked with a J and A were popped. The confetti that fell from them would reveal whether their baby was a boy or a girl.
The party was here at Richard and Julianna’s cabin, where they were staying while interior designers worked on their mansion. It was hard not to be jealous of such a large kitchen for what they considered a vacation home. I was on one end of the room while Julianna and Annie were at the other, and yet they seemed so far away from me. Their living room alone was twice the size of my apartment.
Had we been at my place, there was no way in hell that all three of us could have fit in my kitchen.
I took a deep breath and smiled as Annie walked over toward me, rubbing her hands all over her large belly. “You’re doing such a good job, Crystal.” She pointed at the bags I had been tying. “These are adorable! And I can’t wait to do the balloon thing. I know I'll be happy with any gender, and please don’t tell Richard this, but I want a girl.”
Julianna walked over too, all the while supporting her lower back with her hands. “I’d love another girl, too, but I know that Jake is rooting for another boy. He thinks Jude needs a baby brother, I guess.”
I wasn’t surprised that Annie wanted a girl. “I can see why you’d want a daughter, Annie. You and Addison are like two peas in a pod.”
Ever since she and Richard had become an official couple, she spent just as much time and energy as a stepmother as she did a wife.
Annie pulled out a seat and sat down across from me. “This might be the first one that I’ll be birthing, but I consider it my second child.”
“I hope I didn’t offend you with what I said, Annie.”
She waved her hand in the air. “Not at all. I may not be Addison’s real mother, who is a devil woman, but I still consider her to be my real daughter. Speaking of which, where is she right now?”
Julianna’s back couldn’t take anymore standing, either. “She and Caley are watching a movie in the living room. I think it’s a Disney one, but who knows. After you’ve seen a hundred Disney movies, they all look the same.”
The two of them helped me put together the rest of the party favors. “I think it’s wonderful how happy the two of you are. Between your husbands and children, I am officially jealous.”
Annie threw her head back and let out a forced laugh. “Honey, it’s not all fun and games. This pregnancy has made me a walking, whoopee cushion.”
“Tell me about it,” Julianna said with a smirk on her face. “I stopped trying to hold it in front of Jake anymore.”
“I suppose that’s one of the perks of living alone,” I replied, smiling while sealing another bag of candy up with a green and yellow ribbon.
As the two talked about the other issues that came with pregnancy, my mind wandered back to the fender-bender from earlier. It still ate at me that someone could be so arrogant.
Annie noticed that my mind was elsewhere. “You’re not yourself today, Crystal. Is everything alright?”
I let out a sigh and stopped what I was doing. “I got into an accident on my way over. It’s nothing major, just a tiny fender-bender, but the other driver was such a jerk!”
Julianna wanted details. “How did it happen? Did you get his name? Is your car messed up? Are you physically hurt?”
I shook my head and shrugged. “It’s not that big of a deal. You can’t even see the scratch on my bumper unless you get down on your knees and squint, and I’m fine. I was backing out of my parking spot downtown, and some idiot wasn’t looking where he was going. Next thing I knew, his BMW was slamming into me.”
Annie breathed a sigh of relief. “So, how was he a jerk to you?”
“He didn’t try and get out of exchanging insurance information, did he, Crystal? Because even if it’s just a scratch, you should still get it fixed, or else your car will depreciate.”
“That’s the thing, Julianna. He begged me not to call the cops or report it to the insurance company, and instead of doing so, promised to buy me a new car.”
Annie’s eyes bugged out at me. “Please tell me you’re joking. That’s insane!”
“I’d show you his business card, but I left it in my car. And no, I’m not joking!”
“Not that you aren’t a sweet woman, Crystal, but there’s no way in hell that a stranger would offer to buy you a new car. It sounds like a big joke!”
I sensed that Julianna was right. “I know, and it pissed me off at how cocky he was about the whole situation. It’s the last thing that I needed after these past six months.”
Annie turned to Julianna. “I think I told you, but in case I didn’t, her mom died about six months ago from cancer. She didn’t tell Crystal until she was close to passing away, either.”
Julianna stood up and wrapped her arms around me. “Sweetie, I am so sorry! I do remember Annie telling me all about it, too.”
A few tears fell from my eyes as she continued to hug me.
