62. Chapter 62

Waverly sat in her living room, surrounded by her closest friends and family. They formed a loose ring around the coffee table, which was filled with various snacks and drinks. 

Gus had baked a lovely cherry cake that was placed in the center next to a large plate of bite-sized fruits and veggies that Chrissy had prepared. Jeremy and Robin had brought various bags of vegan snacks that filled five smaller bowls spaced out on the table. Wynonna had apparently badgered Dolls into buying donuts in every shape and color available, and had claimed around a third of them for herself. Doc and Rosita had set up a little bar in the corner with colorful and delicious mocktails, where Waverly had already twice caught Wynonna spiking her own drink with a poorly hidden flask. 

The walls were decorated with green and yellow pennant banners and streamers, as well as four large cut-out letters that read ‘BABY’. There were balloons floating around on the floor, some of which had already been popped. Robin had made a playlist for the occasion that filled the room with dulcet, jazzy piano music. 

Chrissy was obviously the master planner of the evening, as she sat with the biggest smile of them all, carefully watching Waverly’s face as the evening unravelled. She was the first one to jump out, yelling “Surprise!” when Waverly, doing her best to retain a straight face, entered the house an hour ago together with Nicole. Chrissy had looked a little scared at Wynonna’s snarky “I hope that little shock doesn’t jumpstart the birth”, but she’d quickly shook it off and pointed Waverly to her seat in the middle of the ring, right in between herself and Wynonna. 

Waverly had spent some time gushing about how amazing they all were for planning a babyshower for her, and had fake-scolded Nicole for making them walk the long way home while everyone prepared for the shower. Only Dolls seemed to see right through her. 

Everyone was looking at Waverly with big, expectant smiles on their faces, eagerly nodding along with every word she spoke. It was strange being the center of attention. Waverly hadn’t really experienced a lot of birthday parties growing up and wasn’t used to the anticipating stares. But as soon the cake and food were served, the mood lightened a little and people started talking amongst themselves. 

Gus looked a little out of place in between the younger folks, but Waverly watched in awe as Nicole, bless her, carried polite conversation with her through the entire eventing. Poor Robin was pulled into a conversation between Jeremy and Rosita, who were talking about the scientific paper Rosita was currently working on. Doc and Wynonna bickered about something or other, with Dolls quietly listening in with a deep frown on his face. Chrissy remained glued to Waverly’s side, like a protective best friend wanting to serve her every need. 

When the baby started kicking shortly after gulping down one of Doc’s ice-cold virgin piña coladas, Waverly let Chrissy feel her stomach.

“Can you feel it?” Waverly asked after another kick hit right underneath Chrissy’s hand. 

Chrissy nodded proudly, watching her hand with round eyes as more kicks hammered into it. “Does it hurt?” she asked. 

“Sometimes,” Waverly admitted. 

Suddenly she noticed the silence that had fallen, and, looking around, she could see how every set of eyes had once again returned to her. A little embarrassed at first, Waverly caught Nicole’s eyes on the opposite end of the table. Her lips carried a small smile and she was glowing with love and happiness. The sight made Waverly relax, and she looked around to the rest of them. Jeremy was practically bouncing in his seat. 

“Do you wanna feel, too?” Waverly asked him. 

She’d felt kinda private about letting people touch her stomach throughout her pregnancy. The privilege had been granted to Nicole and Wynonna, and sometimes Gus and Chrissy too, but not many others. She’d heard stories about people just grabbing onto women’s pregnant bellies in stores and other public places, and Waverly had been terrified that that might happen to her. Thankfully it never had. Perhaps because she’d done her best to hide the stomach for the first two trimesters. 

But lately, her stomach didn’t really feel like it belonged to her anymore. It was so abnormally huge that it almost felt like it was something separate from her body. A home for a baby that someone had strapped onto her abdomen. So letting people put their hands on it didn’t really seem that big of a deal anymore. 

“Can I?” Jeremy asked nervously. He was one of the people who’d never had the chance before. 

Waverly nodded. “Sure. Come here.”

After that, Chrissy and Jeremy and Robin all took turns to feel Waverly’s stomach. They needed a little guidance to find the right spot, but gasped appropriately every time they felt something, and kept repeating how amazing it was. It was a little strange to have all this attention and touching towards a body part, but it gave them all so much joy that it was definitely worth it. 

When it was Doc’s turn to put his large hand on the stomach, the baby unfortunately stopped kicking around. Doc’s face was a little too disappointed, and Waverly felt so sorry for him. 

“I’ll tell you next time, alright?”

“Of course,” Doc answered, trying for a casual tone, but not really succeeding. 

That was when Chrissy announced to the room, “Games! We got games. Or, uh, we have something .”

The games had apparently been Wynonna’s contribution to the evening because no one else would ever think of having ‘Put the umbilical cord on the placenta’ as a fun activity for such an occasion. Thank god for Chrissy’s excellent organizing skills, which added a small station with colored paper, pens and stickers where the guests could write letters and small notes to Waverly and the baby. The letters were all collected in a small, decorated box that Waverly could pull out and have herself a good cry over in due time. 

Jeremy had also set up a lottery where everyone entered their predictions regarding Charlie’s birth date, weight and length. There was a bit of a hustle when it turned out that no one but Waverly and Nicole really knew what the average birth weight of a baby was, but that only added to the fun. Jeremy typed everything into a spreadsheet on his tablet and announced that a prize would be delivered to the winner when the results were out. In other words, when the baby arrived.

Then it was time for gifts. Waverly was almost shocked when everyone started pulling out wrapped parcels from bags and underneath their chairs. Nicole sprinted upstairs to retrieve a gift bag from where she’d secretly stashed it. 

They started going around the circle, each of them balancing their gift in their lap while they waited patiently for their turn. Waverly could once again feel all of their eyes on her, watching her closely for her reaction as she carefully accepted the first gift from Chrissy. She was astounded to see that even the wrapping paper was baby-themed, with cute drawings of animals and soft pastel colors. It looked so adorable that she almost didn’t want to tear it off. 

“Are you crying ?” Wynonna whined impatiently from her other side. 

“ No ,” Waverly said defiantly, but she wiped at her eyes anyway. Then she finally tore the paper off to reveal what was hidden inside. 

Out of the paper came a bundle of soft fabric. Waverly tucked the gift on top of the plateau where her stomach protruded outward from her midriff, pulling out one piece of adorable baby clothing after the other. There was a forest green cardigan, an orange hat and two pairs of tiny socks in those same colors. All of the items were handknit out of wool, and probably the softest things Waverly had ever touched. 

She turned to Chrissy, who sat beaming beside her. 

“Did you make these?” Waverly asked, indicating the pieces. 

Chrissy nodded eagerly. 

“Wow, Chrissy. They’re beautiful.”

She pulled her friend into a hug, squeezing her clumsily against her side as she tried to balance the amazing gift on her knees. Again, a thrill of emotion shot through Waverly’s chest. The socks were so infinitely tiny . Tiny and perfect. In a month or so, her tiny baby son would have his tiny toes tucked deep inside the socks that Chrissy had made for him. Handknitted and perfect, just like him. The wholesome image revealed itself before her eyes in strong colors of forest green and orange. Along with it came a strange feeling of reassurance, and another drop gathered in the corner of her eye. This time she just let it be. It wasn’t the first of the day, and it would certainly not be the last. 

Jeremy was next, presenting a small parcel that turned out to be a baby blue romper and a simple wooden puzzle of a shark in four pieces. The romper had three drawings on the front, of an acute angle, a cup of tea and the symbol of pi in that order. Waverly had to think for a second before she got the pun. When she held it up for the others to see, only Rosita sniggered. 

Robin’s gift was a large stuffed panda. Waverly pressed her cheek against it, inhaling the scent of newness, and decided it was the softest, furriest thing she had ever touched. 

Gus handed Waverly an envelope, giving a clever wink as she did so. Waverly opened it with shaking fingers. The table in front of her was already filled with wonderful and thoughtful gifts, and they weren’t even halfway through the circle. The sheet of paper she pulled out had a collection of printed pictures of strollers and baby carriers in various designs. One was a folded stroller, another had a part that could be detached and used as a baby car seat.

Waverly looked up at her aunt who was sitting directly across from her between Robin and Nicole. Waverly’s face held a question. What did this mean? Had Gus bought her one of these? 

Gus, always knowing what hid behind Waverly’s eyes, nodded kindly. “I want to take you out and find a stroller. One that you like. For Charlie.” She reached out and pointed to the sheet in Waverly’s hands. “There’s a lot of different ones. Foldable ones, multifunctional ones. There’s even specific ones for jogging if that’s what you want.”

Waverly nodded, her eyes now properly filled up with tears. Her quivering lips were pressed tight to prohibit a sob from escaping, but she was also smiling. A painful endeavor almost, but it was all she could muster. 

“We can go on Monday, maybe,” Gus suggested, her own voice now a little rougher than normal. “Or another day, whatever works.”

“Thank you,” Waverly managed. 

Her aunt didn’t have to do this, they both knew that. It was a very expensive gift, one of the more pricey things she needed for the baby, and one that she had purposefully postponed exactly for that reason. She’d been looking on different websites and apps for second-hand strollers and car seats, but nothing had come up that was both in the vicinity and in the right price-range. She hadn’t anticipated her aunt stepping in and buying it for her. 

Gus gave her another nod, accompanied by a little smile. She didn’t show a lot of emotion, but Waverly could see it clearly, the love they had for each other. The family they formed. In many ways Waverly was Gus’ daughter, and Gus was her mother and guardian. And now she would be a grandma. 

Wynonna burped loudly just then, and Gus turned to give her a scowl. 

“ Wynonna ,” Nicole said in an exasperated voice. 

“Whatever,” Wynonna answered, popping another vegan cheddar stick in her mouth. “Your turn, Haught stuff.”

Nicole gave her a long scowl before turning to the task at hand. She reached behind her and pulled forth the gift bag she had cleverly been hidden by the pouf she was perched on. The bag went from Nicole to Gus and was passed on by Robin, Jeremy and Chrissy before it finally landed in Waverly’s hands. 

Waverly looked up, catching the nervous but also excited look on her girlfriend’s face, before peeking down into the bag. There were several items in there, accompanied by a folded card. On the front of the card was a drawing of a large elephant cuddling a smaller one, like a mother and her child. Waverly swallowed and opened the card to where Nicole’s familiar handwriting was scribbled. She read quietly,

Waverly, 

I can’t wait to meet Charlie and watch you fall in love with him, like I have fallen in love with you. I know you are going to be an amazing mom. 

- N

There was a tiny heart drawn next to the capital letter. 

Waverly could feel Chrissy reading over her shoulder, but she didn’t say a word, pulling an innocent face when Waverly turned to look. Waverly held the card sacredly in her hands, softly rubbing her thumb over the mama elephant and the baby. She looked up, catching Nicole’s apprehensive eyes. Waverly smiled softly and gave the tiniest nod, trying with all her might to convey how much Nicole meant to her without having to say the words out loud in this room full of people. Everybody probably saw, anyway. Waverly could see out of the corner of her eye how Doc wiped the back of his hand over his eyes, clearing his throat in a very suspicious way.

She turned her gaze back to the open bag and reached her hand inside to pull out the first item. It was a neatly folded, purple baby wrap made out of a sturdy, elastic fabric. The label on the front told her it was a mixture of organic bamboo and cotton that was entirely washable and could be used in various ways to tie her baby to her chest or back. Instructions on how to do so where detailed in a small brochure that was tucked into the folded wrap. 

The next gift was a photo album with a soft, faux leather cover and the words ‘Baby’s first year’. The album had pouches to hold 200 photos, and there were strategically placed spaces to write small notes. Waverly tucked it against her chest and held it there for a second with her eyes closed. This would hold memories that would forever be near and dear to her heart. 

The final gift was another, smaller gift bag. She pulled it out with a curious mind, partly wondering what it could be and partly thinking, How did I deserve all this?

There was a label attached to the small bag. Waverly read ‘Mama’s Survival Kit. She grinned at the words. Of course Nicole would also get her something that wasn’t for the baby, but purely for her . The small bag contained a number of things, including bath salts, a small bottle of Apricot Massage Oil and a tube of organic nipple cream - “ For nursing nipples ”. Wynonna waggled her eyebrows playfully when Waverly unpacked it all, but a stern look from Gus thankfully shut her right up. 

“Thank you,” Waverly said coyly, her eyes not quite landing on Nicole’s slightly tinged face. She would give her thanks later. 

On Nicole’s other side sat Rosita, who Waverly honestly didn’t really know that well. So she was really surprised when she reached down to the floor and produced a large, round plate with a monstrous cake on it. Except it wasn’t a cake, because the contents were diapers. Diapers upon diapers, rolled up and stacked tight into the shape of a two-layer cake. A broad, turquoise ribbon held each layer in place. On the very top sat a small stuffed lamb with floppy ears. 

“It’s from Dolls, too,” Rosita said with an unsure smile. The two of them slid the large plate to the center of the table so that everyone could see. 

Waverly was absolutely stunned and her mouth was probably all the way on the floor as she spent a good few minutes studying the magnificent thing from all angles. When looking closer, she could see small items tucked in between the diapers - a pacifier, a bib, a tiny toothbrush. It was a magnificent gift and a masterpiece.

She looked to Rosita, who still had that unsure smile on her face, as if this might be too much when they barely even knew each other. 

“Thank you,” Waverly said, with emphasis. Right there and then, she vowed to herself to get to know Rosita better, because this woman was clearly devoted and a good friend to keep. 

She turned to Dolls as well, granting her deepest thanks to the terse man. He gave her a shy nod, but remained silent. His large, muscular form and stoic demeanor looked greatly out of place in the current state of her living room, with the backdrop of soft baby colors from the banners and the neatly decorated diaper cake in front of him. Waverly could picture him adjusting the ribbon until it was just perfect . She smiled at the thought. The tiny bib that came along with the cake was probably the size of Dolls’ thumb. 

“Wow,” Nicole said, plucking a little at one of the diapers. “This is like a month's supply of diapers or something. I dunno, how much does a baby poop?”

A few people snickered a little at Nicole’s question, but somehow, no one seemed to know the answer except, “A lot”.

Next was Doc, who sat empty-handed, but with a sly smirk on his face that made his moustache twitch and that goddamn hat still on his head. 

“Will you join me upstairs?” he said in his familiar drawl. 

Waverly raised her eyebrows in surprise. Upstairs? Why? To the nursery?

But she stood up and followed him silently, with the rest of the group following behind her, forming a long tail up the stairs to the second floor.

Doc came to a halt outside the nursery and spread his arms. 

“Waverly. I know you will be an excellent mother, we all know that.” 

He gestured around to everyone else. Jeremy nodded eagerly.

“All of this is, of course, due to the exquisite planning of one Chrissy Nedley.” He nodded to her. “But I would like to elaborate. You are a wonderful person, Waverly Earp, and the world would be poorer without you. You deserve all the best, and so does your child.” 

He took a small step forward, taking off his hat and holding it proudly against his chest. His eyes twinkled with excitement. 

Doc lowered his voice a notch for emphasis. “I would like to tell you that we are all in.”

Luckily Nicole was right next to her, holding her hand and squeezing hard. It was the only thing that prevented Waverly from caving into herself in uncontrollable sobs. 

Doc held out his hand and Waverly grabbed it. With the steady support of Nicole behind her and Doc’s hand in her own, she stepped forward. Doc opened the door and swung it open to reveal the nursery. 

She saw it immediately. 

There, in the corner beneath the window, was a beautiful, gorgeous , handcrafted crib. It was made out of pine wood and had a dark, rustic finish that paired perfectly with the earthy green walls. The crib had vertical slats for the baby to peek through, and there were hearts carved out in the top of each short side. 

Waverly stepped closer and trailed her hand over the wooden side. Behind her she could hear Nicole saying, “Doc, this is incredible.”

The crib was already equipped with a mattress. A pile of sheets and bedding lay in the center, still in the original packaging. Waverly reached down and picked up a tiny rolled-up romper that lay on top of the pile. Holding it out, the image of a unicorn swinging it’s lumpy body around a stripper pole surrounded by a rainbow and glitter appeared. The text underneath read, “My aunt is cooler than your aunt”. 

Waverly twirled around, immediately catching Wynonna’s grin. 

“Wynonna provided the bedding,” Doc explained, as if that wasn’t obvious. 

“You guys!” 

Waverly burst forward and hugged the two of them. 

It was the most incredible gift, from the most incredible people.

After a long hug she stepped back, looking at all the people she loved so much. Doc and Wynonna at the front, together with Nicole a tiny step behind them. The rest of them were all straining their necks, trying their best to look through the doorway and over the obscuring heads to catch a glimpse of Doc’s gift. 

“I love you guys,” Waverly said, to all of them. “So much. Thank you for this. It means… It means the world.”