Cresswell: The Lunar Chronicles

Baby Cresswell Is A............

Cress tapped her foot against the leg of the chair, chewing the inside of her lip. She didn't know why doctors made her nervous, especially given that nothing scary ever happened. Maybe it was still some lingering worry of being a Lunar examined by an Earthen. What if whoever was assigned to her refused her service? What if she came across a doctor or nurse who held some deep seeded prejudice and did something to her or the baby?

Beside her Carswell was holding her hand and looking around.

"Excited?"

Cress nodded, managing to smile. "And nervous."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "I dunno."

"Wonder what Iko's got planned."

The thought make Cress's smile turn a little less strained. "Don't know. But for that I'm really excited."

"Sure will make thinking of names a lot easier."

Cress smirked. As soon as her name was called and she and Carswell were walked back to a room, the nerves in her stomach returned full force. Thankfully nothing scary happened, just some basic blood work and then the scan that would tell them if the baby was a boy or girl. The technician wrote it down on a folded piece of paper and handed it to Carswell who immediately stuffed it in his pocket. 

"Why do you get to hold it?"

"Because you'll peak."

Cress shot him a glare but didn't argue, knowing the temptation would be to great. Five minutes, she kept telling herself; five minutes and she would know. At least, unless Iko needed more than five minutes to prepare for her big revelation.

"Wanna stop and get lunch? Maybe see a movie or something?"

"No!" Cress broke out into a grin at seeing his teasing face, shoving his shoulder. "I wanna go home and find out if we're having a little boy or a little girl!"

Carswell slung an arm across her shoulders and squeezed her against him. His free hand rubbed her stomach. "Yeah, me too."

"You still have Wolf's guess?"

"Yep. And stars above I hope he's wrong; Scarlet wouldn't let me hear the end of it."

Cress laughed. It felt like forever but one of the nurses finally came back in and gave Cress the string of baby pictures and visit summary.

"Look, he's sucking his thumb," Cress said with a grin as she and Carswell stepped outside. Already it was way hotter than it was when they'd first arrived and a nice dip in the pool or even ocean was calling her name.

Carswell smiled over her shoulder. "'He'? Is that your official guess?"

"No, I alternating calling him or her a him or a her."

"Ah."

Cress smiled again at the picture of the baby, running her finger over the smooth paper. The grin on her face grew impossibly bigger when they reached home and she all but leapt from the hover.

"Iko! Iko?!"

"She's outside and locked us all in here," Cinder said, standing up from the sofa. She cracked the back door open and hollered for Iko, who appeared moments later.

"You haven't peaked?"

Cress shook her head and Carswell handed Iko the folded piece of paper. As Iko took it, a collective hush fell over the entire room. Iko almost squealed--no, she actually squealed--and then threw her arms around Cress.

"Okay, give me two minutes!" she said with another barely concealed giggle before darting back outside.

"Okay last call for final guesses," Carswell said, dropping down onto the sofa and casually crossing an ankle over his knee as if nothing were happening. He looked up at Cress and lightly frowned. "What?"

"How are you so calm?"

"Calm is my middle name."

"Remember when it was suave and daring? How times have changed." Cinder scoffed.

"Hey, I also said careful was my middle name. Calm and careful aren't so different."

Cinder smirked. She started to say something but Iko trotted back inside and waved them all forward.

"Okay follow me, follow me."

As everyone stepped onto the deck, Iko handed each person a long cylinder tube that had pink and blue glitter swirled around on it.

"You all stay here. Cress, Thorne, come with me."

Carswell took Cress's hand as Iko led them down onto the grass and awkwardly led them to the middle of the yard. The ocean was visibly through the foliage and trees.

"Don't move, okay?"

Cress nodded, growing mystified as Iko arranged everyone else on either side of her and Carswell, telling everyone the same thing--don't move.

"Alright, I think we're ready," Iko murmured to herself, still grinning. "Okay, everyone ready?"

"Yes!" Cress fairly shrieked, echoed by everyone else.

"On the count of three pull the little strings at the bottom and pink or blue confetti will fly out."

Cress nodded, gripping the string.

"One... two... three!"

Cress yanked, jumping at the loud POP's that filled the air as everyone around her did the same. Flashes of silver glitter filled the air and it took her a moment to realize something was off and there was no pink or blue colors anywhere. Beside her, Carswell seemed just as confused.

"Did they give me the wrong ones?" Iko asked. The grin on her face never left. "Turn around."

Cress glanced over her shoulder at the Rampion. The back panel was sporting a massive banner decked out in pink flowers and balloons with the words BABY GIRL THORNE written across it in big, beautiful letters.

A scream was ripped from Cress, followed immediately by an eruption of cheers and whoops and hollers. Everyone was hugging Cress and Carswell, Winter started crying, Scarlet looked as if she might cry, Wolf was grinning so broadly it looked painful, even Jacin looked like he might smile.

"Ugh, she's gonna be spoiled so much!" Winter said, dabbing at her eyes.

"Oof I know." Carswell didn't take his arm from around Cress but she could tell based off the mistiness in his eyes he was thrilled. She couldn't wait to talk to him about it later tonight when they were alone. He rested a hand on her stomach again. "We're gonna have a little girl," he murmured against her, kissing the side of her head.

Cress was beaming, tears leaking down the sides of her face that she brushed away. She snaked an arm around Carswell's waist and leaned into him.

"So where's my guess?" Wolf asked, his eyebrows raised.

Carswell stiffened. "Inside."

Wolf gestured to the door and Carswell released Cress so he could go inside. He came back out minutes later, fighting a grin.

"Okay so you were right, big deal."

Scarlet laughed. "So what was the other thing she smelled like that would have given it away."

"Sweet, like Cress."

Cress grinned again, resting a hand on a bump. Her baby was sweet.