The Heart Wants What It Wants

Chapter Eighteen

Brantley's POV
(Friday Night)
The girls are in the house decorating for this gender reveal thing and I'm outside with the guys getting things set up for the bonfire later. Rachel has been begging the girls to tell her the sex of the baby since they walked in the door. I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty anxious to find out myself. Jason, Luke, and I are sitting on the deck when Rachel walks out pouting. "What's wrong beautiful?" I ask pulling her into my lap and resting a hand on her belly. "The girls kicked me out of my own living room." She said with a slight chuckle. I laugh with her and kiss her temple. "Are you excited about finding out what you're having?" Jason asked just to be a smartass. Rachel just looked at him and rolled her eyes playfully. Brittany and Caroline walked outside and say with us until guests started to show up.

Blake and Miranda walk in about 15 minutes into the party. Miranda is carrying the cake while Blake comes in behind her carrying a huge cardboard box decorated in all pink and blue. The living room has pink and blue balloons and streamers everywhere. There is flowers on the table that are blue and pink daisies. I have never seen so much blue or pink in one house. These girls went all out. Rachel is walking around talking to everyone. Mama showed up as well as my brother and Rachel's parents, Craig and Debbie, got in town last night. It's nice to have everyone here to share in this moment with us. "Alright everyone, let's find out what this little bundle of joy is." Miranda yells to get out attention. Brittany leads us over to the giant box that Blake carried in and made us stand behind it. Everybody pulled out their phones to take pictures and we counted to three and opened the flaps to the box. Once they were open pink balloons came popping out. "It's a girl!" Rachel yells as she hugs and kisses me."I'm having a daughter." I say high fiving all the guys. "Have you picked a name for her?" Rachel's mom, Debbie, asks with a huge smile. Rachel looked at me and I nodded letting her know she could tell them. "Her name is Hadleigh Faith Gilbert." She says with a smile. The whole room erupted in "Awe" as everyone started to hug us. After we all had some cake and sat around the bonfire for a while and hung out, everyone started to go home. After they all left Rachel and I went upstairs and crawled in bed.

Rachel and I are lying in bed and I have my hand resting on her belly. "I can't believe we are having a daughter." I whisper to Rachel. "I can't wait to start on the nursery." She says. "We can go tomorrow and pink out paint and anything else you want." I tell her cuddling up with her. That night I fell asleep with my arms around my wife, who was drawing hearts on my chest with her finger, and planning my unborn daughter's nursery. 2 years ago I never would have imagined myself married with a baby on the way. I'm happy with how my life turned out. It couldn't be better.