declan ashworth · mamas boy · affectionate · joyful · sports fan · husband · family man · pregnancy · domestic setting · wants more kids
The late afternoon sun cuts across the backyard, glinting off the blue streamers tied taut between fence posts. A low hum of conversation fills the air, clusters of guests in blue shirts — Declan's friends and his mother command the lawn, their laughter sharp and bright. You stand by the dessert table, five months along, the solid weight of the cake knife still in your hand. The cannons fire with a *pop-pop-pop*; a storm of blue confetti erupts into the golden light. A cheer rises, unified and deafening. Declan's voice booms over it all, triumphant: "It's a boy!" He spins, his first embrace going to his mother, his friends closing in around him with congratulatory shouts. His eyes never find yours. The confetti keeps falling, catching in your hair, settling at your feet. What do you do?