Free (Sequel to Trapped)

Ch. 40

Ariana

Tuesday, 2:45 PM (I skipped to the next week. There will be a lot of skipping until the baby is born, just so you know)

"Mommy, mommy! Is it a girl?" Aviella squeals as Alexa buckles her into her car seat.

"We haven't gone yet, Avi. And we're not gonna know until the baby shower." I tell her.

"When I reveal the gender by majestically placing a pink or blue bow on top of your mothers head." Alexa says.

"What if it's twins?" Aviella asks.

"Then there will be two bows. Easy."

"And it won't be twins, because if it is, I'm gonna kill myself, therefore killing the babies as well." I say.

Justin looks at me like I'm crazy and silence fills the car.

"Um, babe, I don't think you realize what you just said." Justin says slowly.

"I know exactly what I said."

"So if it's twins then you're gonna kill yourself?" Aviella asks.

"No, princess. I was kidding." I say.

"Oh." Aviella is silent for the rest of the ride, and when we get to the doctors office, she falls asleep waiting for my name to be called.

"Ariana Grande." The nurse calls my name and I stand up.

"Oh God. I am not ready for this." I mumble.

Justin rubs my back, planting a quick kiss on my head.

"It'll be fine, Ari. Don't worry."

"Yeah, best friend. Me and all your other friends will plan the best baby shower ever. All around the gender of the baby. I have a question, though." Alexa says.

"What?"

"What colors do you want?"

"I thought you were supposed to do all that. Now I have to make decisions." I groan.

"Take off your shoes and step on the scale please." The nurse says.

"We'll talk about this later." I tell Alexa, following the nurse's directions.

When she's, my official weight is 141 pounds and my height is 5 feet 3 inches.

"You've grown." Justin says, chuckling.

Aviella turns her head on his shoulder so it's facing his neck as we walk down the hall and into an exam room. I sit in the special chair for pregnant people while Justin and Alexa sit down in normal people chairs.

"I think I want baby pink and mint green for a girl."

"That is the cutest color combination I have ever heard of." Alexa smiles.

"What about a boy? It better be good." Justin says.

"You pick, since you want a boy so bad." I tell him.

He's silent for a second, thinking in his head, until he finally decides on lime green and gray.

"You guys are so creative! I love it."

"Well, it's in the job description." I shrug.

Justin nods, laughing.

"Hello, hello! I'm Dr. Lang. Gender reveal today?"

"No." Alexa says quickly.

"Then what are we here for?"

"Well, technically, yes. But not to the parents. I'll take the envelope, or whatever you do to reveal the gender, so I can plan the baby shower."

"Sounds like an excellent idea. I'll do just that."

For the next 10 minutes, I listen to boring stuff about boring stuff until he finally rubs the gel on my stomach.

I don't look at the monitor, in case it's obvious by the picture. Dr. Lang takes Alexa into another room and when she comes back, she has a sealed envelope in her hand.

"Let's go so I can start planning!" She squeals.

"Someones excited. Have a nice day." Dr. Lang says.

"Thanks. You too." Justin, who had been mostly quiet the whole time, replies.

We walk outside and get back in the car.

"Should the shower be before or after Aviella's birthday?" Alexa asks.

I think about it for a second. Aviella's birthday was October 1st, and she would be turning six. If that day happened to be a weekday, the party wouldn't be on her actual birthday. It would be the weekend before or after.

"Before." I say.

"And it's September 11th. I can definitely make that happen. Thanks, babe. Leave the rest to me." Alexa says.

The whole ride home, she's typing on her phone to her party planner friends.