Lover in the Window

Gender Reveal

Christmas morning rolls around, and snow covers the ground outside. All the gender party decorations are in their place and everyone is scattered around Eve's house.

A banner hangs across the living room that says, Hair Bows or Bow Ties? Two five-foot-tall chalk board stand at each side of a long table. One reads, Baby Alvarez, and the other reads, Baby Layton.

A bucket sits in the middle of the table, surrounded by pink and blue cupcakes, small bags of chips, sodas, juices, and some beef jerky sticks. Inside the bucket are pink and blue stickers with a line across them where everyone will write their name on the color stickers, they think the babies are and place it on each board.

An hour passes and a few games are played, everyone has put their guesses on the board. 4 girls, 3 boys for Raven, 1 boy, 6 girls for Eve.

Eli, Raven, Eve, Luke, Elijah and Ocean are all sitting around in the living room playing a game that Blair is hosting, the game consist of diapers full of chocolate bars, and you have to guess what the chocolate bar is. Raven ends up winning by 3 points.

"What can I say? I like my chocolate." Raven laughs and picks out a prize from the box under the table.

"Okay, okay. That's the last game. I can't wait any longer, let's get this party started." Eve jumps up and heads to the closet and pulls out a big black balloon.

Eli and Raven stand up and walk over to the balloon.

"Do you have names picked out yet?" Eve asks.

"We do. But only first names, we're undecided on middle names at the moment though." Raven replies.

Everyone's eyes focus on them as they count down.

All together everyone counts, "5...4...3...2...1"

Raven holds a needle up and pops the balloon and blue confetti falls to the ground.

"Oh my gosh, it's a boy!" Eli says as he hugs Raven tightly.

"Yay, I was right, I knew it, I could tell by the way you're carrying him!" Ocean says excitedly.

'What is our baby boys name?" Blair asks.

"Jasper Layton."

"It's beautiful, I love it!" Eve says as she hugs them both. "My turn!"

Raven walks into the kitchen and returns a few moments later with a small cake.

"Smash him." Raven laughs, hands the cake to Eve and points to Luke.

"Hell yeah, I like the sound of that!" Blair whistles.

"Before we do this, I just want to take a second and say a few words." Eve says. "Six months ago, I never would have imagines being here today with all of you. Our mother died and I honestly had no idea how we would make it through that, but you all came into my life when I need you all the most and I am forever thankful for that. My brother got his childhood sweetheart, a step-son, and a child of his own with his bride to be. I got my best friend and now another best friend. Thank you, Blair, for coming and living with me, and thank you Raven for becoming a part of my life that I never knew was missing. And Luke, my sweet Lucas. I never knew we would become as close as we are, from that night at the bar, I honestly believed we would be a one-night stand and never think about it again. But that night, we lay in bed and talk about everything in the world, we cuddle. We talk as if we have known each other our whole life, but most importantly we didn't have sex, we just talk, all night." Eve pauses for a second and wipes a tear from her eye.

"You told me you were never supposed to have children, because of your accident. But I am chosen to carry your child inside me, and make the impossible, possible. You are placed in my life for a reason, and I can't wait to see where our future is heading. I can't wait to live a life with you and our miracle baby. Thank you. For everything." Eve leans over and kisses Luke.

"Ocean, you have been my best friend since we moved here. To be such opposites, we are so close. You're a genius, you're so smart and so talented. You've been there with me through every heart break and every bad and good moment in my life. I honestly couldn't have become the person I am without your guidance. I love you, Ocean."

"Okay, quit before we all start crying." Blair says.

"Speak for yourself." Ocean says as she wipes tears from her eyes. "Let's see what this baby is!"

Eve leans over and kisses Luke, "I love you babe."

"I love you too." He says.

Eve smashes the cake into Luke's face, icing covers his chin and cheeks, and green cake is falling all around from the inside.

"Green? What the hell?" Eve exclaims.

Raven bust out laughing and falls against the table.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I had to." She says as she reaches beside the table under a box and slams another cake into Eve's face, pink and blue cake falls to the floor at her feet.

"Oh my gosh, are you kidding me, that's enough jokes!" Eve yells.

"There's no jokes here." Raven says and pulls out Eve's ultrasound.

Baby A, It's a girl. Baby B, it's a boy.

"Twins?" Eve's voice cracks as she tries to get words out.

"Twins?" Luke's face is in disbelief as he studies the ultrasound. "I get two babies?" He falls down to his knees and places his face into his hands and starts crying loudly and shaking.

Eve drops down to her knees next to him and wraps her arms around his neck as tears stream down her face.

Eli drops down next to them wrapping his arms around the both of them. "The second me and Rave seen the ultrasound, my heart is so full for the both of you." Eli pulls Luke's head onto his shoulder and kisses him on his crown. "I love you, man. I am so happy for you, not only are you blessed with the life of one child, but you got blessed with two, and it couldn't have happened to a more deserving person, honestly."

A few moments of silent cries pass and everyone is back on their feet.

"So, what are the names of my niece and nephew?" Eli says.

"We have Hadley for a girl, and Landon for a boy." Eve says.

"Harley and Hadley." Luke smiles.

"I love it. It's perfect." Eve replies.

"Do we have middles names?" Ocean asks.

"Hadley Tracy Alvarez is the girl name we picked out." Eve answers.

"And Harley Eli Alvarez." Luke adds.

Eli wraps his arms around Luke's buff frame and squeezes him tightly.

"It would be an honor for that baby boy to have my name." He says.

"No, it would be an honor to give my child a name with such a strong role model to look up to." Luke says as he pats Eli on the back. "I love you, bro."

"I love you too, man."

The lights begin to flicker and everything shuts off leaving everyone standing in the dark, panicking and trying to find a candle or flashlight.