Becca snorts, doubling over in laughter. “Can you believe I kissed that thing?”
“Strangely, I can.” They’re not together anymore, and I don’t get to talk to Jake the way I used to when they were seeing each other, but I’ve forgiven him for hitting me. Even Rhett’s worked on repairing their friendship. Love makes you do stupid things, and Jake did his fair share of them while he was fighting for Becca.
“Ohmigod, if he shakes it any harder, that costume is going to rip in half. Are you seeing this?” She elbows me in the side she’s so worked up, and then gasps, realizing she just hit my stomach. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry.”
“I’m fine, but you’re telling Rhett.” She blanches, sliding down lower in her seat. “I’m kidding. It’s not a big deal. You didn’t hit me that hard.”
As soon as the last note is sung, the auditorium is on their feet, whistling and clapping. Jake curtsey’s in his sequins, and another round of laughter pours from the crowd. It was everything I expected and then some.
After a final bow, they file off the stage—well everyone except for Rhett. He walks over to the microphone stand like he’s about to announce the next performance. And he does.
“We’re the final act, but I have one more performance for you. This next act will be a solo gig. I’m not the best singer, at all, but there are two pretty amazing girls in the audience I’d like to sing a special song to. She knows who she is, but Sunny, I love you.”
Ever since I called our baby a girl, he’s believed we’re having one.
“Holy shit,” Becca mumbles, in complete surprise.
The school chorus teacher takes her place behind the piano and although Rhett looks more uncomfortable than I’ve ever seen him, my heart melts into a puddle of mush when the he starts singing “You Are My Sunshine” to me and the baby.
I can feel hundreds of eyes boring into the side of my head as he sings, but I could honestly care less. The guy I’m completely, head-over-heels in love with, is singing his first nursery rhyme to our baby. Whether it’s a little girl or a little boy, it doesn’t really matter. It will be loved all the same.
Tears stream down my face, and by the time the very last syllable is sung, I’m crying so hard I can barely hold it together. He doesn’t take a bow like he did with the guys performance, he blows me a kiss, and walks off the stage like he didn’t just completely pull the most romantic move I’ve ever seen.
“Did you know about that?” I ask Becca, as I dry my eyes with my sleeve.
She shakes her head. “He told me to make sure you sat down here, but he didn’t say why. I figured he wanted you to have a front row seat for his ridiculous performance.”
The school principal leaves us with a few parting words and instructions for dismissal. We’re free to go for the day. I need to get up, but my body’s still shaking.
“Are you coming, Kins?” Becca asks, as she files into a long line of students all trying to leave the auditorium through the same four doors.
“I need a bathroom.”
Naturally, she assumes I have to throw up. Lord knows she’s been with me enough times while I did. “There’s a trash can over there.”
“I can’t pee in a trash can, Becca.”
“Oh! Crap. The hallways are all jammed up. How can we get you out of here?”
She’s right, the hallways aren’t moving, but I have to pee so bad I can’t wait any longer. “I’ll call you later,” is all I say, before I climb the stairs to the stage, and scoot out the crew exit. I’m pretty sure I pass Rhett in the darkened corner, but I can’t stop.
When I walk into the closest bathroom, all eyes are on me again. Girls whisper back and forth like I can’t hear them. Only this time, they don’t seem to be gossiping the way they usually are. In fact, they’re actually a little jealous Rhett wasn’t singing to them.
I want to thank Rhett for the song, but when I weave back through the hallways, I can’t find him anywhere. He’s not at my locker, or his. I try the lobby one more time before giving up and walking to my car.
I’VE LOOKED FOR Kinsley all over the school. She’s not at her locker or mine, and the lobby’s almost empty already. I saw her crying when I was singing to her, but I thought she liked it. I knew how much she hates the attention, but I wanted to do something special for her and the baby—something unexpected.
Maybe it was a little too unexpected.
Once I’m in my truck, I dial her number. It rings twice before she picks up, and she’s still sniffling. “Where are you?” I ask her, before she even has a chance to say hello.
“I’m in the lot at the park.”
“What are you doing at the park?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t feel like going home, I guess.”
“Will you meet me at my house?”
“You’re sure?”
She’s only been to my house once since her bed rest ended. My parents weren’t home, so she didn’t have any awkward run-ins. Mom’s been asking about Kinsley every single day—like she really cares how the mother of my child is doing. “I promise you, it’s fine.”
She sighs, giving in like I knew she would. “Okay. I’ll meet you there.”
Mom’s car is in the driveway when I get home, and I’m already a little worried about getting Kinsley inside. She pulls in beside me a few minutes later, eyeing Mom’s car the same way I did.
I hop out of my truck, anxious to make sure she’s not mad at me. “I couldn’t find you.”
Before she says a single word, she jumps into my arms, wrapping her body around mine. “What’s this for?”
“It was perfect, Rhett. All of it,” she tells me, hugging me even harder.
“I love you Sunny-girl.”
The front door opens, and Mom sticks her head out. One hand’s stuck inside a pot holder and the other’s waving a spatula in the air. “Will you two get in here, it’s freezing. Kinsley’s going to get sick.”
“You hear that? She couldn’t care less if I get pneumonia as long as you’re okay.”
She giggles, sliding down the front of my body, making me groan. “Sorry,” she says.
“I’ll forgive you because you’re cute in that coat. You look like a little marshmallow.”
“I’m so fat,” she says, as she tries to flatten her puffy, down coat.
“You’re pregnant. There’s a difference.”
We walk hand-in-hand into the living room. Mom hurries us into the kitchen and sits us at the table. She places a tray of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on the table before handing Kinsley a bag with tissue paper sticking out of the top. This is unlike her.
“Eat up. I’m making chicken for dinner. You like chicken, right, Kinsley?”
She nods her head, clearly wondering what’s gotten into my mom. “Yes,” she finally says.
“Good. Open the bag! I was shopping on my lunch break.”
Kinsley sticks her hand in and pulls the tissue paper out. She peeks inside and her eyes are wide when she pulls out a light blue box. “Tiffany’s?”
I glance at mom, and she’s watching with her hands clasped together. I can’t believe she did all this for her.
Kinsley gasps when she pulls the lid off the top of the box. Her eyes shift to my mom and then back to the gift. Her tears start to fall, and she swipes at them, like she’s embarrassed for crying in front of us. “It’s so pretty. This is really for me?”
Mom stands behind her and helps her take it out of the box. She places the necklace on her neck and fastens it for her. “It’s for you and my grandbaby.”
Now that it’s hanging around her neck, I see it’s a silver heart pendant with a tiny key dangling next to it.