Match Made in Valley View (Valley View Book #2)

Chapter 32

END OF APRIL

I may have gotten away with not having morning sickness or some of those agonies of the first trimester that most women experience, but mother nature sure made up for it as I’m navigating this second trimester. Number one being the hormones. I consider just waking up every morning and starting my day with an apology because I never know which me Wes is going to see.

On Easter Sunday I was a crying mess the entire day. It is one of the few days a year in which the entire Brown clan gets together and joins Mama Betsy and Raymond to church. I probably cried a hundred times that day. The first was when Annabelle woke up early because the Easter bunny had come. It was my first time getting to be the Easter Bunny and a moment I will for sure remember forever.

I’d never seen somebody so happy about a few plastic eggs hidden around the house. I thought I was going to be just fine until the girl comes up to me and says that next year she’s going to teach the baby how to hunt for Easter eggs. I was done. I started full-out ugly crying. Poor thing thought she hurt my feelings, but I was just so damn happy for all the things that would be coming next year with our growing family.

At the church service, the preacher talked about how Spring and Easter are the time for new beginnings and new life. Spring marks a new year for farms and ranches and the new life that he was mostly talking about wasn’t human, but when Wes slipped his hand on my ever-growing belly, well damn I lost it in the middle of the church service.

Then there was the family picture. Much to Wes’s chagrin, I had picked out coordinating outfits for us to wear on Easter. He looked so handsome in his dark denim jeans and light blue dress shirt. The blue matched the blue flowers in my skirt and the blue cardigan Annabelle wore on top of her dress. Tiff took our pictures in front of the church and showed them to me later. Annabelle on his side, his arm around my waist holding me close, and my pregnant belly holding our baby.

Another thing that has been a battle is this growing belly of mine. Now don’t get me wrong, I love my belly, but height has never been my strong suit, and apparently when you’re barely 5’2” a pregnant belly just takes over. What started as a cute little bump at 14 weeks has almost taken over me at 20 weeks and I feel utterly massive. I cannot imagine what I’m going to look like at 40 weeks.

Being that I am in my 20th week, it is the week that we’ve all been waiting for. Today we get to find out the gender of the newest Baby Brown. Everybody has placed their bets, all the guys except Tyler think it is a boy and all of the girls think that it is a girl. We’re pretty sure Sadie is hoping for a girl too. 

“Any last guesses?” Wes squeezes my knee.

I glance over at him and shake my head, “I don’t know, I’m still going back and forth.”

“Well, I guess after today you won’t be indecisive.” He gives his eyebrows a little wiggle causing me to laugh. We’ve both been really excited to find out if we’re having a boy or girl. Neither of us has a preference. We both love Annabelle so much, so having another girl wouldn’t be a disappointment or anything. 

“I’m not indecisive! I just can’t make up my mind.”

“I’m pretty sure that is the definition.” 

Dr. Neil knocks on the door and waits for our response to open it. She has a huge smile on her face as she steps in and shakes both my hand and Wes’s. “Good to see you two again. I figured Dad would be at this appointment too.” 

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world or any appointment if I can help it.” Wes has made the time every single month to come to my appointments. I told him after the first one it wasn’t a big deal, but he still wants to join me. I think it is making up for the missed opportunity with Annabelle.