He wasnât sure if it hadnât be apparent but heâd never attended one of these events. Surely, heâd received invitations from friends and clients but never actually care enough to be in attendance. But now ignorantly unaware of the proper etiquette, Asher couldnât help but kick himself in the ass for not opting to go to at least one instead of sending a balloon bouquet or a card in place of his presence. Because nothing could have prepared him for the scattered zoo animals and fancy charcuterie. What the hell did animals have to do with babies anyways? Xylaâs compliment made him smile, quickly fading away with her next comment about the color. If he hadnât been sweating before, he could now feel the fabric sticking to the small of his back tauntingly. âGreat. Now I look like Iâm pushing my patriarchal agenda in hoping my first born is a male to carry on my name.â He shook his head as he blurted out what heâd said. With every word Xyla said, Asherâs nervousness spiked. If this was how she was viewing him, was everyone else thinking the same thing? âToo much? I always wear this much product. Is it always too much? If thatâs the case your parents definitely think Iâm a douche, I definitely overcompensated with product when we went to Chicago,â He stammered while his eyes looked over at her parents. Her father standing ominous and menacingly in the corner, cradling a rocks glass filled with nothing but whisky. God, Asher could have used a drink in this moment to ease the anxious feeling that tricked him into thinking he was going to be sick at a momentâs notice. His hazel eyes then shot over to her mother who looked stunning, taking pictures of distant family members all huddled closely together before looking back down at Xy.Â
âAlready? I look like a dad already? I havenât even started balding yet.. have I?â Asher reached out and put his hand on her waist as he shut his eyes gently. He needed to get a grip and for a moment holding her, no matter how minuscule the touch, seemed to be the only thing that would ease his scattered mind. âYouâre welcome. It took me forever to find them yesterday. I had to go all the way to Jersey to this little florist because they seemed to be the only place that had purple flowers that werenât roses. Jersey.â He shuttered at the mere word as he recalled his long, assistant-less journey to find this very bouquet. Asher wasnât saying it to impress her, simply to distract from how his hand trembled and the sweat on his palms clung to her dress.Â
As Xyla assured him that she wanted him up on the small platform with her popping the balloon, he released a breath heâd been holding as her sisterâs eyes were glued to him. âXy,â He finally said in an attempt to ease her own rambling. She was nervous, too, he could easily read. Even in front of her own friends and family, Xyla was secretly terrified of the event at hand. Truthfully there was only one thing that could have evoked this anxiety around the event as a whole and that him. His presence, the questions that surrounded it, everything about Asherâs existence in that moment. âIf you want me up there, Iâm there. Okay?â He assured her upon forcing their eyes to meet. His lips were softly frowning at her telling him he could leave and so forth. Did Asher want to be there, vultures circling and waiting to strike and defile his existence like an animalâs corpse? No. But did he want to be to prove that he could be everything Xyla wanted, what she deserved? Yes. Even it meant the possibility of the question that preceded. âIâll even⌠stay and meet everyone.. one by one, if thatâll make today right. Perfect even.â Asher offered sweetly, wishing he could take it back as soon as it left his head though it was the right thing to say in the moment. But, it was a step in the right direction, even if he was stepping into the lionâs den. âYou just say the word.â
The walk to the stage seemed to be the walk of shame to his execution. He was waiting to be pelted with tomatoes or perhaps splattered with pigâs blood like a seventies prom film. But Asher followed Xyla sheepishly nevertheless and took his spot on the side of the balloon opposite her. He tucked his moist hands into his pockets, shoulders hunched on his six-foot-three frame. It was no secret that he just wanted to shrink in this moment, be anything less than what he was. But Asher wasnât anything more than a red flag, waving precariously in the wind to be stared at by everyone who viewed him as such. A nervous laugh surpassed his lips as Xyla began talking to the room, his eyes glued to her. She looked stunning, the light from the windows hitting her in the perfect way and illuminating her growing figure. For a moment, he could feel a tear tickle his eye â that was until she introduced him to the room. âHaha, yup. Thatâs me. I did it. Guilty.â Asher said awkwardly before holding up his hands with innocence as though the police had just instructed him to do so. Only pity laughs fell over the crowd, and no change in expressions from her judgmental family. Though his joke hadnât necessarily gone over well, nor had he anticipated its delivery, he continued in the same way he rehearsed in the mirror the night before. âAnyways. Iâm really happy to be here with all of you today. I know this was pretty unexpected but I really am humbled and ecstatic to bring a child into this world knowing it has so many people to care for and love it endlessly and unconditionally.â He sighed softly before looking over at Xyla, a smile seamlessly tugging on his lips. âAnd Xy â youâre a devoted business woman, caring friend and over all kick-ass female. Weâre both really lucky to have you. Truly.â Asher nodded. The last part hadnât exactly been apart of his script but as he looked at the smile on her face, he couldnât help but give her the recognition she deserved.Â
Asher then picked up the two pins that sat with the intention to pop the large balloon that lingered between the two of them. He handed Xyla one, smiling at her as he did so. âReady?â He asked as he cocked his eyebrows. Stomach churning and smiles staring up at them, Asher took one final breath before the countdown. Five. He looked at the balloon that stood between them. Once it popped, celebration would ensue. But shouldnât they have been celebrating all along? Four. Time seemed to slow as he looked out at the sea of chanting mouths, phone camera pointed in their direction. Were they making their best effort to crop him out of their photos and videos? Were they all dedicated to making him feel as disposable as he already felt? Three. Asher looked at Butters who was scooped in some second cousin or co-workers arms, a nameless face to him. Was it normal to dress a dog in a onesie for these type of things? Why hadnât he done more research? Why had he always scrolled past the gender reveal videos online? Two. Asher stared down at his hands, surprised that the pin was still present in his grasp considering the sweat that threatened its departure. For someone as social of he was, heâd never felt so outcasted than he did in that moment even when we was the center on attention. One. Asherâs hazel eyes flickered up to Xyla who wore a large smile on her pink lips. All of his prior thoughts quickly melted away as looked to her. All the worries washed away as he remember her admission from a few nights before. She loved him. Asher let the pin tug at the balloon, a chorus of happy screams flooding the room in conjunction with the sound of the balloon popping.Â
It was pink. The pink confetti showered over the floor, even leaving a few straggling piece in the coupleâs hair. It took Asher a second to process the entirety of the euphoric moment, jaw agape with joy he hadnât been anticipating. It was a girl. Asher hadnât entertained their babyâs gender up until this point, just thinking of their child as a future certainty rather than a being in its own right. But suddenly with knowledge of the confetti sparkling rosĂŠ against the toes of his expensive shoes, it was all coming together. They were going to have a little girl that would one day blossom to reflect the independent woman that Xyla was. It took him a few seconds to react but his first move was to gasp before pulling Xyla into his embrace, having no words beyond a joyous laugh as he squeezed her softly in his arms. âWeâre having a girl!â Asher finally gawked, laughing softly in her ear before kissing her cheek. Suddenly the problems leading up to now hadnât mattered, at least in his mind. He then pulled back, looking down at her as camera flashes poured over their complexions. In that moment he wanted to just tell her how he felt, that he loved her, but he wanted to let her have today be right.
Xyla nervously chewed on the inside of the cheek as Asher started to speak, addressing her friends and family as if he didnât have a target on his back or warrant his head. As if they werenât still on dangerously thin ice. She hadnât expected him to do more than stand up front with her, holding a pin and popping the latex balloon releasing pink or blue coloured confetti. But she was thoroughly impressed that, despite all odds stacked against him, Asher had managed to thank everyone for the roles theyâd play in their unborn childâs life, as well as sing her praises without skipping a beat, stuttering or faltering in any way. In the months apart, Xy had forgotten how well Asher pulled himself together under pressure or how he effortlessly commanded the attention of everyone in the room. But despite knowing his years of practice, Xyla felt tears prick her eyes at his words, her emotions taking reign and allowing her facade to soften.
Following his lead, Xyla held the tiny metal pin between her perfectly manicured fingers and nodded once. Around her, she could hear her friends and family excitedly counting down. She felt their curious eyes darting between their faces, trying to grasp what his sudden re-appearance meant for them and their baby. Surely, they were the same questions that had set up shop in her brain as of late, but at that moment, she didnât care what they thought, or how hard theyâd have to fight for some sense of normalcy among the chaos. All she could focus on was his bright smile looking down at her, his hand poised and ready to pop the balloon just like hers, with excitement plastered clear across his face. She didnât favour one outcome over the other. She didnât care if they were going to spend the next couple years learning and mastering intricate hairstyles, or teaching their kid how to hit a baseball. All that mattered was that they, herself, Asher and their little dumpling, were happy and together.
The pointed tip of the pin pressed against the latex balloon and sent baby pink confetti and glitter flying through the air, landing on every possible surface. Pink! They were having a baby girl! Xyla beamed as pieces of paper fluttered through the air around her, her friends and family erupting in cheers. She thought she heard her sisters screaming proud, âI knew it!âs at each other, and watched her parents embrace each other at the news of another granddaughter whom theyâd spoil the second she took her first breath. Tears quickly filled Xylaâs eyes as the realization that sheâd have a little girl to raise into a bright, strong and fiercely independent woman set in. But before she could lift her hands to her eyes, Asher pulled him towards her, and she wrapped her arms around his torso, holding him close. âNo way,â she repeated, her voice thick with emotions ranging from disbelief to pure joy. âWeâre gonna have a daughter. I canât believe it!â Despite all the chaos leading up to that moment, standing up there with him, finding out the gender of their unborn baby and watching the excitement on his face made it all worth it. Asherâs blue button-up shirt was littered with pink confetti, which clung to the fabric. He had glittery pieces stuck in his hair, and some perched proudly on his shoulders, but it looked right. It felt right. It was everything sheâd hoped for and more.
Hours past since the news of the bouncing baby girl goring in her belly had come to fruition. Theyâd spend that time mingling with everyone in attendance, introducing Asher to those he hadnât already met, and awkwardly re-introducing him to those he had. It was a delicate dance and while most were polite, congratulating them on their pregnancy and keeping the questions geared towards the future, there had been others who poked and prodded for more. Her family and Lousia being the main interrogators. Despite her embarrassment, Xyla had told her sisters, other and Louisa everything, needing them to listen as she cried, screamed and yelled until her anger dissipated. Her father received a stripped down version, skipping over finding him with a girl glued to his cock in the comforts of his studio. But surely, Mr. Villanueva didnât need the explicit details to gather an understanding of what had gone down. But still, they made their rounds. They held conversations and answered their questions, regardless of how intimate or intense they were.
At this point int he night, everyone had left for the evening. Her family had invited them to go out for dinner to celebrate the news, by Xyla opted out claiming sheâd been too tired from a day of interacting to do much more than curl up in bed and look through baby catalogues. But thankfully, Asher had stuck around with her.
âSo, when is she allowed to start dating? I think 15,â Xy teased, as she settled down on her couch and stretched her tired legs and swollen feet out towards the coffee table.