Four months later...

"Nate..."

I grunt in response.

"I want ice cream."

I frown and open an eye to glance at the time. 1:34.

"Sweetheart, can't this wait 'til the sun's up?"

"I can't sleep. I need it."

"I don't think anyone needs ice cream."

"Nate, please?"

"Sweetie..."

"Please, please, please? I'll love you forever if you do."

"You don't already love me forever?"

"Of course I do. I'm just desperate."

She runs her hands over my chest when I don't say anything. She really knows how to work me. "Okay, fine." I toss my legs over the edge of the bed and stretch before standing.

"Nate?" she calls as I reach the door.

"Yeah?"

She rubs her distended stomach. "The baby wants Ben and Jerry's."

The next day...

"And this is the master..." our realtor says, leading us through what seems like the ten thousandth house. Elena's very picky. Sometimes, we'd take one step inside, she'd shake her head no, and we'd move on to the next one. At this rate, we'll still be in the apartment when the baby comes.

Elena stands in the middle of the empty sun room, eyes looking over every nook and cranny. "Do you like it?" our tour guide asks.

"Do I like it...?" She pauses, one hand on her hip, one over her stomach. "No."

"Elena, this is getting ridiculous!" I explode, suddenly very fed up with this whole ordeal. "You've said no to every single house."

"Because I don't like any of them! I can't see myself raising my child here."

"Why not? It's got four bedrooms, a finished basement, and lots of space."

"That's just it, Nate. I don't want a bunch of space. I grew up in a huge house all by myself. It was so lonely and echo-y. I want a nice, cozy home so we can always feel close together."

I blink, slowly processing the information Elena just shared with me. I didn't know any of that. "Okay. Cute and cozy it is," I shrug.

We look over to the realtor expectantly. She shifts her feet looking through her folder. "Well, there's one down the street that's smaller, but it's a bit further from the school..."

"That's fine," Elena says, looping her arm through mine. "She'll live."

I shake my head, following the realtor through the hallways of the empty house. "Why are you so sure it's a girl?"

"I just know. Mother's intuition, I guess."

"We could make it more interesting and put money on it."

"You'd put money on the gender of your child?"

"Why not? It's not like it'll change the outcome."

"$20?"

"Yeah, $20 sounds good. I'll spend it on a nice book for Nate Jr."

"For the last time, we're not naming him Nate Jr."

"Ha, you said him. Deep down, you know it's gonna be a boy."

"Shut up and get the door for me."