Chapter 93

Thomas stood stiffly among his friends, determination blazing behind his confident grin. He would not, he absolutely would not, collapse in a dramatic, sissy-like faint over the most momentous news of his life. Yet, as the pastel confetti drifted down and the host announced, “It’s a girl!” Thomas felt his knees threaten mutiny. He staggered, breath catching in his throat. A daughter—his very own little princess—brought every feeling he had to the surface, raw and wild. Victory! Terror! Joy! Heartache! “A princess,” his mind chanted. I’ll have a sweet, cuddly girl! Fuck! He wanted to leap into the air, arms flung wide. But with his buddies surrounding him, he forced himself to stay calm, to wear that mask of composure. Instead of jumping, he simply eased around the table and folded his arms around Cassandra. He hugged her as though that steady contact might anchor him to reality.

Cassandra lifted her head, puzzled. She’d expected an eruption—tears, cheers, laughter, maybe even