Chapter 47

"Everything looks good," the ultrasound tech said to Parker.

"And the sex?" Kelly asked.

"I can tell you that if you want to know."

"Please-"

"-NO!" Parker yelled.

"Park, you promised," Kelly reminded gently.

"I never promised. I said you could know. I want to be surprised."

"It's different this time around," Kelly reminded.

He was referring to when she was pregnant with Philip. He had shown up uninvited for the ultrasound. At the time, Parker was still planning on giving the baby up for adoption.

"I realize that, Kelly, but I really want to be surprised. Can't they just write it down for you like they did the last time?"

"How come you don't want to know?"

"Because maybe I'm a bit retro. Nobody knew back in the old days. Technology is not always a good thing."

The tech handed Kelly a piece of paper. He looked at it, smiled, and put it in his pocket.

"Ok," he agreed, smoothing her hair. "You don't have to know."

"Kelly, this one is all yours. I promised you that you could name him or her because you let me have Philip."

"It's okay," he soothed. "The doctor's going to come and look, and we'll be out of here soon.

He helped her into a sitting position.

"Thank you," she said. "I can't move a lot."

"Of course not, you're pregnant."

"Ok, Parker, you can use the bathroom. Just come back when you're done," the tech told her.

Kelly helped her off of the table. She gave his cheek a kiss and looked at him for a few seconds.

"No, I don't need your help with that."

He chuckled. "Just go pee."

Parker made her way to the restroom. Kelly pulled the paper out of his pocket and dialed a number.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey yourself. Did you find out?"

"I did. Park doesn't want to know. Do you?"

"Of course I do."

"OK, but we have to keep it quiet because she doesn't want to know. She's doing this technology isn't always a good thing bullshit."

"She just wants to be surprised. Nothing wrong with that. We never knew till the baby got here just what we were having. Of course, that was back in my day."

"I don't understand why she doesn't want to know."

"Who knows with Parker? She does her own thing."

"That's true," he agreed. "So, you're going to be the Great Grandma of…"

Mary Alice heard the news and smiled. "Everything okay otherwise?"

"Everything's fine. Well, not officially. We're waiting for Park to get out of the bathroom, then the doctor will come and talk to us."

"Make sure you ask the questions I gave you," she reminded.

"I will Mary Alice. I'd better go. See you soon."

"Ok, Kelly. Love you."

"Love you more."

He shut off the phone and slipped it in his pocket.

Parker opened the door and walked back inside the ultrasound room. She made her way over to the empty chair beside Kelly and sat down.

"I suppose you called my Grandmother."

"I suppose you're right. How did you know that?"

"Because you know the sex and you can't keep your mouth shut. You had to tell someone, so you called Mary Alice because she wanted to know as badly, if not more than you did."

"This is true," Kelly admitted.

Parker gave his cheek a kiss. "You two and your secrets."

"Hey, you can know at any time," he defended.

"Kelly, I didn't mean it that way. I meant that you two are close."

"Yeah. Yeah, we are. She's special."

"All Grandmas are."

"Yes they are," he agreed. "Especially Mary Alice."

"Yes, especially Mary Alice."