Chapter 65 Nora
NORA
The Lakehouse Grill looks more like a baby shop than a steakhouse.
Pink and blue balloons hang from the ceiling beams, ribbons catching my head as I walk by. A giant banner we printed at work reading “Boy or Girl” stretches across the back wall where people are writing their guesses on a chart.
Poppy stands by the cake table, as if she’s a contestant on Bake Off. The cake, perfectly smooth with white icing and tiny sugar footprints across the top. Inside, it holds the answer everyone came here for.
Dom dips his finger and scoops up a blob of icing from the side.
Poppy swats him away. “No one touches it. If anyone touches it, I will personally remove their hands.”
Dom sucks the icing from his finger, a smile curling his lips. “You’re terrifying when you’re pregnant.”
I laugh, though my hands are trembling slightly around the glass of lemonade Nate just handed me. “You’ve done an amazing job, Poppy.” I take in the scene, the room filling up with all our friends and family. I hadn’t realised there were so many people who cared about us, but one person’s missing.
Cal’s daughter Beth plays the viola on the small stage, the music floating through the room, giving the place a classy ambiance. Cal and Steph watch from nearby with champagne flutes in hand, pride written all over their faces.
The rugby lads are impossible to miss. Glen’s wife, Cara, holds their new baby in her arms, rocking gently as if trying to get him to sleep.
The room fills with laughter, drinks, and chatter. Colleagues from the studio. Nate’s parents. But my eyes keep drifting to the door.
I check my phone again.
“He’ll come,” Nate says quietly beside me, but he doesn’t sound convincing.
“If I know Evan at all, he’ll probably stay away, thinking he’s gonna ruin it. Half the studio already think you two fell out because we had an affair.”
“He said he’ll come. Plus his mum was meant to be here.”
I nod, forcing a smile. We’ve got used to him not being around unless we’re at work or there’s a scan. And he came to my antenatal appointment last week. Work’s been easier. He and Nate are back to sharing the office again, laughing and talking like old times.
Dom nudges Cal’s elbow. “Ten quid says it’s a boy.”
“Ten quid says you lose,” Cal replies.
My lips curve. If Ev were here, he’d probably just agree with whatever Dom says.
Across the restaurant, Beth finishes her piece, and the room fills with applause. She bows slightly, cheeks pink, before lifting the viola again for the next song.
Guests gather around the cake table in the centre of the room.
“Come on, Nate,” one of the rugby lads shouts. “Cut the cake.”
“Now,” Jenny calls, bouncing her baby in her arms. “We need to know.”
I clutch Nate’s arm. “I don’t want to do this without Ev.”
Margaret looks at her watch. “He’s half an hour late. Maybe he’s not coming, dear.”
Nate clenches his jaw. “I’ll call him.”
A gust of wind blows in through the double doors.
Ev’s mum whirls in, unwinding her silky scarf from her neck, a large gift bag in her hand.
“Hello, darling, sorry we’re late. It’s my fault.
I had a client go into a full core meltdown.
” She air-kisses my cheek then hands me the gift bag.
“Just a few things I picked up. Couldn’t help myself. ”
“Thank you.”
Ev mouths “sorry” from behind her.
Nate gives Ev’s Mum a kiss on the cheek. “Nice to see you again, Mrs. Jones.”
She waves her scarf in his face. “Call me Lynn. We’re family.” She turns to speak to Nate’s parents, ignoring the way Margaret is a little standoffish.
Nate lifts the knife from the table. “Right. You ready to cut this cake now?”
Poppy claps. “Yay!”
Ev places his hand on Nate’s, lowering the knife. “There’s just something I gotta do first.”
Before either of us can react, he strides towards the small stage.
Beth stops playing mid-note, blinking in surprise as Evan takes the microphone from the stand.
A ripple of murmurs spreads through the room. One of the printers from work says, “Oh, fuck. What’s he doing?”
“Was he invited?” another member of staff says.
“Well, it is his kid, right?” Lou whispers.
My stomach clenches and I place my hands over my belly, remembering how some people still think I’ve had an affair.
Ev regards me from the stage and pushes his glasses up, the mic trembling in his grip, his knuckles turning white.
My heart races and my palms sweat as if I’m feeling everything he is, standing on a stage in front of fifty people.
“Did you have something to do with this?” I tilt my face to Nate.
He shakes his head, his brow creased as he stares at Ev, his hand sliding around my waist and squeezing my hip.
Ev taps the microphone. The room quiets.
My heart thuds so loudly I’m sure everyone in the room can hear it.
Nate’s fingers dig into the flesh on my hip, his body tense behind me.
Evan clears his throat. He glances down at the floor for a second, pushing his glasses up his nose out of habit. I’ve seen him present design concepts to clients without breaking a sweat. Right now he looks like he might throw up.
“He looks terrified.” I hold Nate’s hand over mine on my hip. “Shall we go to him?”
“Nah, I wanna see what he has to say.” Nate slides his other arm around me as if holding me in place.
Ev’s fingers wrap around the microphone. “Uh… hi.”
Someone in the rugby group whistles.
“Nate, is your boy all right?” Dom says loud enough for half the room to hear in the deafening silence.
Poppy elbows him in the ribs.
A few people laugh.
Evan rubs the back of his neck as if already regretting this. “I didn’t write a speech.” He huffs. “Probably wouldn’t have been able to read it if I had.” His voice cracks, and he clears his throat again. “But apparently I’m doing one, anyway.”
Behind me, Nate stills.
Everyone waits patiently, holding their breath.
Ev glances towards us. Then looks away quickly like it’s too much. As if he’s standing on the edge of a cliff about to jump off headfirst.
My chest aches and I just want to go to him. Let him know that I’ll catch him if he falls.
He blows out a shuddering breath. “I know most of you are here to find out whether this kid is a boy or a girl.”
Dom calls out, “Boy.”
Poppy elbows him in the ribs again.
“And most of you are probably wondering if this kid is mine or Nate’s.” Ev huffs a laugh along with a few others, but it’s more of a nervous laugh, as if biding some time. “I nearly didn’t come today.” Evan exhales slowly. “I thought staying away might make things easier.”
The room goes quiet.
My heart sinks. I interlace my fingers with Nate’s.
Ev’s eyes flick to mine again. “But it turns out I’ve been doing that a lot lately.”
A few people exchange confused glances.
Nate squeezes my hand harder.
Evan swallows. His fingers tighten on the microphone. “I know a lot of you have heard the rumour that Nora and I had an affair and the baby’s mine.”
“Oh, good Lord.” Margaret makes the sign of the cross in front of her face, her skin pale.
“Well,” he huffs a small laugh, “we didn’t have an affair, but the baby is mine.” His eyes lock with Nate’s behind me. “And Nate’s, and Nora’s. We’re going to raise this baby together.”
My vision blurs as my eyes swirl with moisture.
“I thought the best thing I could do was step back and let them have their family.” He looks up again. “But the truth is…” His voice wavers. “They are my family.”
The room falls completely silent.
The mic trembles in his hand. “I love Nora.” He swallows. “I love Nate.” He laughs nervously. “And I love our baby already more than anything.” He runs a shaky hand through his hair. “I can’t walk away anymore. I’m done hiding.”
Margaret rises from her chair and tugs on Nate’s arm. “What’s he saying?”
Nate sniffles, his eyes red, jaw clenched, holding back all the emotion I feel in his arms, his gaze locked on Ev as if giving him the strength he needs.
“I’m all in…” Evan looks between me and Nate. “All of it. The mess. The gossip. The weird explanations at school pickup one day.” He wipes his eye under his glasses. “That’s if you’ll both still have me.” Evan wipes his other eye with a sniffle. “See… this is why I don’t do speeches.”
Cal shouts, “Mate, you’re smashing it.”
Tears drip onto my cheeks as a sob escapes. I’ve done so much crying, my hormones are all over the place, but these are happy tears.
“So I guess what I’m asking is…” Ev lowers the microphone slightly. “Is there still room for me in this family?”
My lungs forget how to work, but I nod.
Before I register, Nate’s untangled himself from my fingers and is already halfway across the room. He jumps up onto the stage and takes Ev’s face between his palms. They gaze into each other’s eyes, my vision blurry as I make my way to them.
Nate presses his lips to Ev’s in a slow, lingering kiss. “I love you,” he says, then kisses him again.
The entire room is silent. Cal is the first to give a whoop, then others clap and shout.
I peer up at my men on the stage, my heart so full I think it might burst.
Nate wraps his fingers around Ev’s neck. “Let’s go get our girl and cut this cake.” He holds Ev’s hand and leads him off the stage, meeting me at the bottom, and the three of us hug.
Ev’s shaking so hard he’s practically vibrating.
We hold each other, the room and crowd blurring into nothing when my whole world is in my arms.
“I love you both so much,” Ev says with a sniffle, his lips meeting mine in a chaste kiss
“I love you.”
Beth plays the viola behind me, and the usual chatter resumes around us as we amble back towards the cake table.
Margaret gapes at the three of us.
Lynn, Ev’s mum, gives the three of us a group hug. “I’m so proud of you, honey.”
Margaret’s eyes widen. “You mean you approve of this?”
Lynn turns around and furrows her brow. “Why wouldn’t I?”
Margaret stutters. “What even is this, Nate?”