“Well, I supported you and the way you wanted to live, but if I had to give up my double-bacon cheeseburgers, I could get real bitchy real fast,” Paula said.

“Are we tellin’ your mama tonight?” Mitzi asked. “And when are you tellin’ Selena?”

“Might as well get it over with,” Paula said. “My appointment is at four thirty and it’s only for the ultrasound, so it won’t take long. Why don’t y’all close up shop and then meet me at her place? I think I’ll call Selena and have her meet us there. That way I can kill two birds with one stone. Then we’ll celebrate.”

“Celebrate what? That we know if it’s a boy or girl or that we were there when you told your mama?” Jody asked.

“Both,” Paula replied. “Will y’all please be my birthing coaches? Classes start in a few weeks.”

“Of course,” Jody and Mitzi answered at the same time.

“What do you really want this baby to be? A boy or a girl?” Jody asked.

“I’m not saying because I’m afraid I’ll jinx it,” Paula said. “I know nothing about boys and very little about raising a child at all, so I suppose I should say the old thing about ‘as long as it’s healthy,’ but in my heart I really want . . .” She hesitated. “I can’t say it out loud. What if I say a boy and it’s a girl, and somehow she hears that I said that when she’s about fifteen and thinks I didn’t want her at all? Or if I say I want a girl, and it’s a boy and he does the same?”

“Whatever it is, we’ll learn as we go,” Mitzi said.

“Yes, we will,” Jody agreed.

Paula was the only one in the ultrasound waiting room that afternoon until Ellie Mae came in. Heat started on Paula’s neck and crept around to her cheeks. She tried not to look at Ellie Mae, but there were only so many ceiling and floor tiles that she could study.

Ellie Mae finally broke the awkward silence. “Guess we’ve both got a little secret, unless you’re here with Jody.”

“What makes you think that Jody is pregnant?” Paula asked.

“That’s the gossip around town. That Lyle left her because she’s been cheating on him and got herself pregnant,” Ellie Mae answered.

Paula lowered her chin, inhaled deeply, and let it out slowly. “Lyle left her because he was cheating and his baby mama is also practically a baby. He’s probably the one spreading that rumor to cover his own guilt.”

“Sorry bastard,” Ellie Mae muttered. “Then it must be you. When are you getting married?”

“I’m not. Is this your first ultrasound?”

Ellie Mae nodded. “Yes, and no one knows about the baby except me and Darrin. So please, please keep my secret. My mama is going to stroke out over the wedding dress. If she knew I was pregnant, she’d lay down and die from the embarrassment. So why aren’t you getting married?”

“I don’t want to marry the guy. I found out that he’s as big a bastard as Lyle,” Paula answered. “When are you due?”

“The end of October. Being a big girl does have its advantages, doesn’t it? We don’t look like we’ve swallowed a watermelon,” Ellie Mae said. “How about you?”

“First of September. I’ll keep your secret if you keep mine,” Paula said.

“You got a deal. When are you tellin’ your mama?” Ellie Mae asked.

“Tonight,” Paula answered.

Ellie Mae chuckled. “Looks like I get the best end of the deal. We’re not tellin’ anyone until we get home from the honeymoon. Honeymoon babies cook fast!”

A lady in green scrubs opened a door and said, “Paula, are you ready?”

“Yes, ma’am.” She got up and patted Ellie Mae on the shoulder. “Hope you find out that it’s what you want it to be.”

“Me, too. And thanks for keeping my secret.” Ellie Mae ducked her head as if she were embarrassed to even say that. “If you want to tell Jody and Mitzi, it’s okay. I trust them. And I’ll need the dress to expand.”

“Thank you.” Paula picked up her purse and waved over her shoulder.

“Right in here. You’ve already had this done once, so you know the drill,” the lady said. “Do you still want to know the gender?”

“Yes, I do.” Paula was so nervous that she didn’t recognize the woman until she was on the table and saw her name tag. “Hey, you did this last time, didn’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am, I did,” Rachel said. “And he or she was not very cooperative.”

Paula got onto the examination table and pulled her pants down below her belly and her shirt up to her breasts. Rachel tucked blue paper into the band of Paula’s pants and then squirted gel across her tummy. “Got a good strong heartbeat. Would you look at that?”

Paula turned her head to the monitor to find her baby lying in a position that left no doubt about the gender. Tears flooded her eyes. Finally, she was getting what she’d prayed for and wanted so badly.

“Well, there’s no doubt now, is there?” Rachel handed her a tissue. “Why are you crying? Are you disappointed? Looks like you’re going to have a healthy baby.”

“They’re tears of pure joy,” Paula said.