Tangled Hearts.

~Chapter 50~

~Raelyn~

~May 17th~

The next day, we got up so we could go to my doctor's appointment that I had prescheduled. I stood in front of the mirror, smoothing down the fabric of my pink dress, my hands trembling slightly.

Colby, noticing my anxiety, wrapped his arms around me from behind, offering a reassuring squeeze. "You look beautiful, Raelyn," he whispered, planting a gentle kiss on my cheek.

Isa, leaning against the doorframe with a smile, chimed in, "You've got this, sis. Little one's going to be just fine." I met Isa's gaze in the mirror, her own reflection looking back at me with a mix of hope and worry.

"Thanks, Isa. I just want everything to be perfect, you know?"

Blake tugged at my dress, his eyes wide with the innocence only a child could possess. "Mommy, are we going to see the baby today?"

"We are, love," I said, bending down to ruffle his hair. "But the baby's going to keep a little secret from us just a bit longer."

~

As we headed out, I couldn't help but voice one of my cravings. "Can we swing by and grab a yogurt parfait on the way? I've been dreaming about them."

Devyn, always the voice of reason, glanced back from the driver's seat with a playful roll of her eyes. "Sure, but no gender reveal until tomorrow. Party rules."

I pouted exaggeratedly, eliciting a chuckle from everyone in the car. "Fine, but as soon as it's 48 hours, I'm tearing into that envelope!" The car ride to the doctor's office was filled with a mix of excitement and nerves.

Devyn was at the wheel, navigating the morning traffic, while Isa sat beside her humming softly to the radio tunes. In the backseat, I held Blake's hand, my other hand resting on my belly, feeling the gentle kicks from within. Colby kept stealing glances at me his eyes brimming with anticipation.

"So, have we all decided on the names then?" Isa asked, turning the volume down.

I nodded, "If it's a girl, I'm torn between Brynlee and Aspen. Kensley is cute too."

"I like Aspen, it's unique," Colby chimed in, squeezing my shoulder. "And if it's a boy?" Devyn glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

"Theo has a nice ring to it," I replied, smiling at Blake. "What do you think, Blake? Theo or Mason?"

Blake's eyes lit up, "Mason! And we can call him Mase!" Isa laughed, "And what about Jay, or JJ as we were saying? That's a strong name."

~

As we pulled up to the doctor's office, the conversation paused, all eyes on me. I took a deep breath, my heart racing with the thought of finally knowing.

"Whatever the name, it's going to be perfect," I said, a gentle hand only belly, ready to meet the newest addition to our family.

"Let's go find out." We all walked into the building and checked in, "hi I have doctors' appointment."

The receptionist Olivia looked up at me "Oh, hi Rae, Dr. Love will be right out with you two."

"Thank you so much." I spoke. We sat nervously in the waiting room of Dr. Love's office. The anticipation was palpable as we wondered about the gender of our baby.

~

Finally, our names were called, and we entered the examination room. Just me and Colby went into the office and the girls and Blake stayed outside.

Dr. Love greeted us with a warm smile. "Hello mom and dad! How are you both feeling today?" I shifted in my seat, my excitement bubbling over.

"We're doing great, Dr. Love! We can't wait to find out the gender of our baby!"