Even the Sun Sets in Paradise

The next few days dragged. I saw Layton less and less and my fear of us drifting apart began to turn into a reality. Cyrus, Rowan and Ellis could clearly see I was upset because they tried everything they could to make up for it, but it wasn’t the same. When the day of the second scan finally arrived, I was so excited; partly because I got to find out whether the baby was a boy or a girl, but also because I got to see Layton. Maci rarely let him anywhere near me now that they were back together. That hurt a lot. I was surprised she’d even let him come to the scan.
“Hey, how’s my bestie?” Layton asked, engulfing me in a warm hug. I loved this cute affectionate side to him. In front of most people, he was this intimidating no-nonsense rock star, but with me, he was the opposite. I liked it because it made me feel special. I wondered if he was like that around Maci now, and suddenly I didn’t feel so special anymore.
“I’m fine thanks, you?”
“I’m good,” he smiled, still hugging me tightly. I wished I could stay like that forever. I felt so safe and happy in his arms; I never wanted to move.
“You nervous?”
“A little,” I admitted as he pulled away from the hug, leading me into the hospital.
“Don’t be. We’re going to find out if it’s a boy or a girl,” he grinned, smiling like an excited child at Christmas. It made me smile too.
“Anyway, I need to talk to you seriously,” he said and I instantly tensed up.
“What now?” I sighed, a pleading tone in my voice. I was sick of these conversations, because they only ever meant bad news. He reached out and gripped my hand, but refused to look at me, instead staring straight ahead towards the hospital entrance.
“Your birthday,” he said simply.
“What about it?”
“Well you know how much I want to be there.” As soon as he said those words, I knew what this was about.
“But you can’t,” I finished off his sentence. He was silent for a second, before nervously speaking up.
“I don’t know for definite. I swear to you, I will do everything I can to be there, but I can’t make any promises.”
“Why not?” I begged, and I knew I sounded like a whinging child.
“Er…Maci finds it hard, you know. It’s obviously difficult for her knowing we’re going to have a child together, and she gets herself a bit paranoid. She thinks there’s something going on between us, which obviously there’s not…but she doesn’t see it like that.” There was so much I had to say back to that, but I bit my tongue because I didn’t want to seem controlling. It didn’t stop me from feeling like shit at the fact my best friend was skipping my birthday because his girlfriend didn’t like me.
“I’m sorry Jenz,” he sighed.
“It’s fine,” I lied, hoping it was convincing.
“I promise you I’ll try my best to come. You have no idea how much I want to be there.”
“I know,” I muttered, letting go of his hand and walking into the hospital.

“So, boy or girl, what do you think?” Layton asked, trying to lighten the mood as we sat in the waiting room.
“You know, I’m getting the feeling it’s gonna be a girl,” I smiled genuinely, because I knew sulking would only make me feel worse.
“Really?” Layton asked, his eyes widening, “I always thought it would be a boy.” I shook my head in disagreement.
“Tell you what, if I’m right, you owe me one of those crème brulees you make,” he decided, and I laughed because I knew how much he loved them.
“And if I’m right?”
“Then…I owe you dinner.” I frowned, weighing up the options.
“Deal,” I decided, reaching out to shake his hand.
“Jenna Sullivan?” the midwife called as she poked her head into the waiting room. I smiled, taking Layton’s hand as he helped me up and into the corridor.

I grimaced as the midwife squirted the cold gel onto my stomach, and Layton smiled, apparently amused by my discomfort.
“So you’re twenty weeks now?” the midwife checked, running the transducer over my stomach.
“Yeah, half way already,” I grinned.
“Okay, there it is,” she explained as an image began to appear on screen. Layton’s face lit up as he wrapped his arm tightly round my shoulders and stared intently at the screen.
“It’s beautiful,” Layton gasped. I didn’t know what to say. I was in shock because I was still struggling to take in the fact that I was having a baby.
“Would you like to know what you’re having?” the midwife asked softly, and we both nodded.
“Okay,” she smiled, moving the transducer over my stomach, “It looks to me as though you’re having a girl.” Layton and I both smiled as he leant down and engulfed me in another hug.

“Thank you for coming today,” I smiled as Layton drove me home.
“You don’t have to thank me,” he laughed. His laugh was adorable, and it made me want to hug him so much. I wasn’t even sure why but it seemed like I was becoming more and more attached to him. Pretty much every time I saw him, the urge to hug him became stronger. I figured it was maybe because I was so afraid to lose him.
“So a girl, huh?”
“Yeah,” I squealed. To be honest, I’d been hoping all along it would be a girl. I loved the idea of dressing her up in cute outfits and doing her hair and painting her nails.
“I’m glad it’s a girl,” I told him.
“So am I,” he agreed.
“Really?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” he frowned as he parked up outside the house.
“Err…you lost the bet,” I laughed, kissing him on the cheek before getting out the car.
“Fuck you,” he cried, shaking his head in disapproval, a smirk on his face.
“You owe me dinner shit-face,” I grinned, as I unlocked the front door and disappeared into the house.