Helpless | A Modern Hamliza Story

Chapter Twenty

"It's a boy," the technician announced. "Congratulations."

Eliza smile grew thinking about her son that she was carrying. Alexander's heart picked up its pace, his face wrinkling up as he began to cry. He had a son!

The technician continued on with the anatomy scan, not noticing any markers that would be indicative of chromosomal abnormalities. The pair could barely keep their focus on the rest of the appointment, Eliza already thinking about the cute little clothes and different names for the baby.

"I can't believe we're having a son," Eliza said, still not over the sweet ultrasound pictures that they got from the appointment. She was taking pictures of them on her phone to send to her sisters as the couple walked back out to their car.

"Lafayette is going to be so mad. He, Mulligan, and Laurens placed bets on what we were having, and he put $25 on it being a girl," Alexander laughed, recalling the conversation they had the other week.

"Mon ami, it has to be a girl. I can only see you with a girl," Lafayette explained before downing another shot of vodka. "Besides, I don't think Eliza wants to take care of a second, mini Alexander, am I right?"

Laurens threw his head back in laughter, his fist hitting down on the table.

"I bet you anything it's a boy. Eliza thinks it's a boy, and I haven't seen too many mothers be wrong about it. Plus, she just exudes boy mom energy. Sorry, Laf," Laurens responded, shrugging his shoulders and smiling at Alexander.

"I'm going to have to agree with Laurens, Lafayette," Mulligan added. "I would put money on it being a boy."

Lafayette's jaw dropped the second he realized he was in the minority opinion. He was a stubborn Frenchman for sure, and when he had an opinion, he stuck to it. "I bet you each $25 that it's a girl. It just has to be."

Laurens and Mulligan looked at each other, one eyebrow cocked as they thought over the bet. With as confident as they were that this baby was going to be a boy, why not take the bet? They both put one hand out to shake on it.

"Deal."

"They placed bets on our child?!" Eliza gasped in disbelief that they would go this far with their bets.

They've had some pretty dumb bets in the past, including one about who could stomach more of that god-awful candy corn over Thanksgiving during their sophomore year. Who does that?! Well, Lafayette, Mulligan, and Laurens do. And now here they were betting on Alexander and Eliza's baby. What was next? What day the baby was going to be born?

"Mulligan also has you going a week and a half overdue."

So they would continue betting further. Point for them, Eliza thought.

"Shame on him!" Eliza said immediately, her voice getting louder. "I swear to God if I go that late, I'm blaming him."

"That's what I told him. Laurens said that he'll be in trouble if you go that late."

"Are there any other bets I should know about?" Eliza asked, turning the air condition up higher and shifting in her seat.

"Mulligan also says that we're going to have a ten pound baby. I told him he better hope the baby isn't that big, or you'll be out to get him," Alexander explained, thinking about the other bets that were made within ten minutes of the first bet. Those three couldn't do anything without betting.

"He's got something coming for him. I need to have a discussion with him. I bet he thinks he's so funny, too!" Eliza huffed.

All she hoped was that Mulligan was completely wrong.