Chapter 1: The Day She Shoulder-Checked a Pregnant Woman at Her Own Party
My MIL knocked me sideways at my gender reveal to hug her son first — Instead of screaming, I opened my arms and taught her a lesson that kjlled her smile for the rest of the night
My mother-in-law put her shoulder into my ribs at my own gender reveal so she could get to her son first.
Six years.
Bl00d draws, medication schedules, procedures, mornings I could not walk past the baby aisle in the grocery store without turning the cart around.
And six years of Evelyn.
She never said it in front of Owen.
At Thanksgiving she placed her hand over mine and said, "Some women are simply more suited to motherhood than others."
At a birthday dinner: "Owen always wanted children.
It must be so hard for him."
"It's hard for both of us," I said.
"Of course, Katie.
That's what I meant."
Once he stepped outside to take a call and she leaned in close.
"Have you considered that holding on to him might be selfish?"
When we finally told her I was pregnant, she screamed into the phone so loud I had to hold it away from my ear.
Then she took over.
Decorations.
A photographer.
Relatives I'd never met.
At Sunday dinner she placed her hand on my stomach without asking and announced, "I hope it's a boy.
This family needs an heir."
His sister Tessa looked up.
"This isn't a medieval kingdom."
"It's about the bloodline," Evelyn said.
The morning of the party I stood in front of the mirror in a white dress and made Owen promise me one thing: if his mother made it about herself, he'd stop her.
Thirty people in the backyard.
Two cameras.
Evelyn wore pale blue.
The countdown started and Owen took my hand.
The cannon went off.
Blue everywhere.
I turned to put my arms around my husband and something h*t my ribs hard enough to knock me sideways.
I steadied myself with one hand on my stomach.
Evelyn had both arms around Owen, sobbing into his shoulder.
"My boy is having a boy!
My son's heir!
The sacred family legacy lives on!"
Everyone cheered.
The cameras kept rolling.
And over his shoulder, standing in the falling confetti in my own yard, I watched her look straight at me and smirk.
She let go of him and came toward me with that look still on.
"There she is.
Come here, Katie.
We're family."
I could have said it loud.
The cameras were right there.
Instead I put a smile on and opened my arms, and the guests started clapping, because they thought they were watching us make peace.
I put my arms around her shoulders and leaned into her ear — Four words.
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What did Katie whisper that wiped the smirk right off Evelyn's face?
Comment **"NEXT"** if you want Part 2.
