Light pink for me and the girls, light blue for Wesley.
And a tiny blue onesie tucked away where he’d never find it.
Then I invited Mike to come along.
I thought it would be a nice moment for them to share, something that could bring them closer.
I bought the outfits the next day.
“News like this is meant to be shared,” I told myself.
I imagined the photographer capturing the exact second Wesley understood.
For weeks I replayed that moment in my head until it felt real, until it felt perfect.
“You’re humming again,” Wesley said as he left for bed that night.
“Am I?”
“You’ve been strange for days.” He studied me with a curious smile. “What are you up to?”
“News like this is meant to be shared,”
“You’ll find out Saturday,” I promised.
I finalized the details for the perfect surprise, oblivious to the fact that it would trigger a family crisis.
***
The park glowed golden that afternoon, the light soft and warm through the trees.
I had chosen the spot myself, imagining it framed in every photo we would hang on our walls.
The girls twirled in their pink dresses.
It would trigger a family crisis.
Wesley adjusted his light blue shirt, looking handsome and relaxed.
He’d worn his father’s watch for the occasion.
Mike sat on a bench near the photographer’s equipment, arms crossed, watching everything with that unreadable expression he always wore.
But when he looked from our three girls in pink to Wesley in blue, something in his expression changed.
He’d worn his father’s watch for the occasion.
“Alright, let’s get everyone together,” the photographer called. “Parents in the middle, girls in front.”
We arranged ourselves the way I had pictured for weeks.
My heart raced with the secret I had carried so long.
In just a few minutes, I would pull out the box and give it to Wesley.
“You’ve been very mysterious about today,” Wesley whispered to me.
“I have my reasons,” I said, unable to hide my smile.
My heart raced with the secret I had carried so long.
He laughed and kissed my temple. “You always do.”
That was the last moment all afternoon when Wesley looked completely happy.
The photographer clicked through several shots.
The girls giggled between poses.
Everything felt perfect, exactly as I had dreamed it.
