It's time to find out the baby's gender.

"Thanks Kira for bringing me." I asked Kira to take me so we can hang out and I can get her opinion on some things.

"No problem girly, do you really think Jace would miss this?" She asks me and I shrug. I have never seen Jace get mad like he did. I know he's quick to forgive but I was being rude to him and I egged him on. I tried to say things that hurt and I did.

"I know he's a better person than me but I doubt he's ready to face me after what I said." I answer honestly. Kira just smiles sadly at me. We get out the car and walk in to find Jace in the waiting area. I stand in shock. Kira nudges me to go sit next to him. I shake my head and she groans then pushes me towards him. I stumble and catch myself. He looks up at me and smiles. I just wave and sit 1 seat away from him.

"You can sit next to me." He says and I nod but make no attempt to move. Kira sits in between us and starts up a conversation with Jace. I tune them out. I have yet to figure out how I'm going to apologize to Jace. He seems fine now but I know he's quick to forgive. That hurt doesn't go away, he'll keep it with him unless it's corrected. If anything I realize how little I know about him. I know the basics. I don't know his fears, his motives, his soul or his heart. I don't know his inner person like I thought I did.

"Riele Norman ?" A voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I follow the nurse who called me. She smiles and I manage to give a small smile back.

"You're about 20 weeks right ?" She makes small talk while getting me set up and I just nod. Jace and Kira are in the corner watching me get comfortable on the little examination table thing. I finally sit and just relax.

The doctor comes in shortly and Jace talks for me, explaining that I've been a little out of it due to some bad news. Soon I'm all ready to see my baby.

"Alright well let's see the gender." My doctor practically squeals and jerks causing a little bit of discomfort. I just hiss and she blushes.

"I am so sorry." She apologizes and slowly but surely we discover my baby isn't laying in a position that makes it easy to see.

"Wow, the little tyke knew we wanted to find out the gender. This is on purpose." Jace rambles. I sigh.

"Mom can you touch your tummy ?" The doctor asks and I nudge my belly a little. The baby shifts but not enough to see. "Dad can you come help?"

Jace speedily comes over and bends down to talk to my tummy. He puts his hand on the side of my belly.
"Did ya miss me?" He speaks and this time the baby moves just enough. We all stare in anticipation. My face drops while Jace's forms the hugest smile.

"Congratulations, it appears that you're having a baby boy." The doctor says. I block out everything at that moment. A baby boy, my baby boy. I'm going to love him with everything. I'm having the son my mom never got to have and she isn't even here to see him.

"Hey baby, are you okay?" Jace asks me and I rejoin the room. Everyone is looking at me but I nod my head.

"You're crying, are you excited?" Kira double checks. I smile, a bittersweet feeling setting in, and just nod my head.

"Yeah, Jace was right." I muse. Before I know it, the doctor is giving us our sonogram photos and we're leaving.

"I'll see you girls later." Jace waves once we get to the parking lot. I watch him walk away and I tear up thinking that he doesn't want to be around me. Kira just pulls me in for a hug.

"It's hard being pregnant and going through your first marriage hiccup. Come, let's go talk this out." Kira soothes. We get to her car and she gets it running so we feel cool air.

"Well I did push him away. My sister came over and even though I really wanted to fix things I just couldn't take it anymore. She tried telling me that I don't know what real stress is. Like I've never had a single problem ever. Then when I went off on her she apologized. She did look and sound sincere but I was still very mad at her accusation because all she's ever done is act like I'm the hugest inconvenience in her and Ma's life." I pause to breathe and get ready to voice my next thoughts.

"And then Ma dies and she's still attacking me. Still fighting like we're enemies. We're sisters for Christ's sake !" Even though I've spoken about this with Ella and Lizzy it doesn't take away from how emotional I get.

" Jace though kept a level head about it all. We talked after she left and he told me what I knew was right. Instead of just listening to him I started mocking him. He told me once that for a while he didn't have real friends because everyone was picking on the rich boy. That Sean has been his boy for life and I just, I picked on him for having more money. I stupidly said that he's never had real family problems. But he shut my ass down and told me I have family drama not family problems." I finish off and look at Kira. She just wipes my eyes.

"Ri, I don't know much about Jace's life. In fact, I don't have to because Jace wears his arm on his sleeve. He shows us who he is and he doesn't let his past define him. I know it's bad but I don't know to what extent. I honestly don't want to know because I don't want to feel like I don't know him when I do. Jace has been in the same boat you have. Everyone comes to me like I'm the mother Hen. There is no couple out of all of us who know each other as well you guys do. Don't blind yourself to the fact. You don't know his entire past but he's given you bits and pieces which is more than he's given anyone besides Sean who lived it with him. They depended on each other for a while. Talk to Sean about it. Otherwise I see the doubt swirling in your eyes. Don't doubt your relationship or your judgement." Kira wisely spouts out information. I feel a bit better now. It's like she put on glasses I didn't know I needed to see.

"Thank you so much." I say and Kira just cheeses.

"Now, do you want to go see your niece?" She asks and I nod.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ;) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I get home to see Jace's car isn't in the driveway. It's been a week now since he's been home. I just sigh and enter my house to see Sean sitting on the couch.

" Hey Sean." I call and he hums back a response.

"We need to talk." He gets up and walks to kitchen. I think I'm supposed to follow. So of course I do.

"Jace told me what happened and I just want to say that you deserve to know something he'll never tell you outright." Sean starts. My face twists into confusion. Why wouldn't he tell me something?

"Jace is my boy and you know that but for a time he was so worried about what people thought about him that he got really bad social anxiety. He'd feel his chest get heavy and his heart would skip a beat. He grew out of it but that wasn't until our freshman year of college." Sean reveals. There's so much I don't know. Before I know it, I'm balling my eyes out. Tears are everywhere. Screw what Kira said, I really don't know my husband. I got married to a guy I don't know. Oh god, mom told me not to be irrational and I did it anyways. Fuck !

I cry harder. Sean immediately swoops over and engulfs me in a hug. He pats my head and just lets me cry into his arm.

" Ri, calm down. I'm not done. He's not at that point. There are very few things that scares him. Losing you is one but talking about everything he went through is the biggest. He's literally been in something almost every day of his life. He doesn't talk about it and I only know because I was there. Nothing made him more anxious than talking out his feelings which is why he doesn't. However with you, he doesn't notice that he does it so easily. He's let numerous things about his past slip out or come up around you without getting anxious of what you might think. He trusts you. If you want to get him back, show him that he's already opened up to you. Show him that he's been letting you in already. Stop him from being reserved." Sean advises. He's moved from patting my head to rubbing my back. I slowly stop crying and let his words resonate. I nod and Sean kisses my forehead.

"You got this sis. He's been staying at his parents house but he's been working more. So he'll be a little on edge but you got that." Sean speaks and I just listen. Of course he doesn't let go of me until I am absolutely fine. Once we do break apart I laugh.

"This damn baby has me crying over everything." I say and Sean rolls his eyes at me but smiles nonetheless.

"It sure does, so what am I having ? I don't wanna call it an it anymore." Sean gets really eager. I put a frown on my face because I know he wants a nephew.

"Well I know you really wanted me to have a boy," I start off monotone and Sean's face drops. He gets ready to be fake happy for me. " and you were right !" I scream and Sean blinks taken aback. He smiles widely.

" A nephew ?!" He screams and I nod.

"OH MY YES!" He yells and he picks me up in a hug. "I gotta tell Ella. Now I get the kitty for sure !" He scurries off to his room. Did they bet on my baby's gender with sex ? I don't even want to know.

"Okay gross, can you drop me off to Jace ?" I ask and Sean nods eagerly.

"But I can't bring you back because I'll be buying stuff for my cat." Sean starts.

"You know Ella is allergic to cats." I start slowly. I think she set him up. Sean stops celebrating to connect the dots.

"So win or lose, we were going to get a puppy. Fuck, she's so sneaky. I'm gonna have to punish her kitty for real." Sean grumbles while walking to get his keys.

"Let's go" he sighs and I try not to laugh too hard.