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“Come in, sweetheart,” Imogen said, trying to sound normal. “Get those wet things off.”

Katie kicked off her boots, sending them flying in opposite directions. “We built the biggest snow fort ever! It has three rooms and a tunnel and everything! Can I go back out after lunch?”

“We’ll see,” Imogen said automatically. “Come sit down. We want to talk to you about something.”

Katie’s eyes widened slightly, and Imogen saw a flicker of worry cross her daughter’s face. “Am I in trouble?”

“No, baby. Not at all.” Imogen held out her hand. “Come on. Let’s sit at the table.”

They settled around the kitchen table, where they’d shared countless meals, where Katie did her homework, where they’d played board games and had family meetings. Imogen sat on one side, Lincoln on the other, and Katie between them, and Lincoln handed Katie a cup of hot chocolate.

“Um, what’s going on?” Katie asked, looking worriedly between the two of them.

“Katie,” Imogen began, then paused, trying to find the right words. All the speeches she’d rehearsed in her head seemed to have evaporated. “You know how much I love you, right?”

Katie nodded, looking confused. “Yeah, Mom. I know.”

“And you know how blessed we are to be a family? The three of us?”

“Yeah.” Katie glanced between Imogen and Lincoln, her confusion deepening. “Is something wrong?”

“No, sweetheart. Nothing’s wrong.” Imogen reached across the table to take Katie’s hand. “I just want you to know that being your mom has been the greatest joy of my life. From the moment you were born, you’ve been my whole world.”

“I love you too, Mom,” Katie said, her face still scrunched with confusion. “And I love having Lincoln as a dad. Are you two getting a divorce already? Sarah at school’s parents are getting a divorce, but she’s kinda happy because it means she gets two Christmases. I’m fine with one though,” Katie said quickly. “I don’t want you to get a divorce!”

Lincoln snorted, his mouth twitching with laughter, and Imogen’s eyes widened.

“What… no! No. It’s just… we love our family too,” Imogen said quickly, realizing she needed to get to the point. “So much. And that’s what we want to talk to you about. Our family is… it’s going to get a little bigger.”

Katie tilted her head, her brow furrowing. “Bigger? Are we getting a dog?”

Despite her nerves, Imogen felt a laugh bubble up. “No, honey. Not a dog. We’re—” She took a breath, squeezed Katie’s hand. “You’re going to be a big sister. I’m going to have a baby.”

For a moment, Katie just stared at her, her eyes wide and unblinking. Imogen’s heart hammered in her chest as she waited for her daughter’s reaction, every worst-case scenario flashing through her mind.

Then Katie’s face split into the biggest smile Imogen had ever seen.

“Really?” Katie’s voice came out as a squeal. “Really, really? I’m going to have a baby brother or sister?”

“Really, really,” Lincoln confirmed, his own smile matching Katie’s.

“Oh my gosh!” Katie launched herself out of her chair, nearly knocking over her hot chocolate in her enthusiasm. She threw her arms around Imogen first, hugging her so tightly that Imogen could barely breathe. “This is the best news ever! When? When is the baby coming? Is it a boy or a girl? Can I help pick out names? Can I⁠—”

“Slow down, sweetheart,” Imogen said, but she was laughing now, tears streaming down her face—happy tears this time, out of pure relief and joy. “The baby will be here in the summer. We don’t know yet if it’s a boy or a girl. And yes, you can absolutely help with names.”

Katie pulled back just long enough to look at Imogen’s face, her own expression suddenly serious. “Are you crying? Are you sad?”

“No, baby. I’m happy. So, so happy.” Imogen cupped Katie’s face in her hands. “I was worried you might feel—I don’t know, left out, or like things would change too much.”

“Change?” Katie looked genuinely baffled by the idea. “Mom, this is amazing! I’ve always wanted to be a big sister! Remember when Emma got her baby brother and I was so jealous? And now I get to have one too!” She turned to Lincoln, throwing her arms around him next. “This is the best Christmas present ever!”

Lincoln caught Imogen’s eye over Katie’s head, and the look he gave her was full of warmth and love, with a little bit of a gentle I-told-you-so. Imogen felt something in her chest loosen, all the anxiety and worry of the past few days finally releasing.

Katie was still talking, the words tumbling out faster than Imogen could keep track of. “I can teach the baby everything! Like how to build snow forts and how to make friendship bracelets and all the best hiding spots in the house! And I’ll help change diapers—well, maybe not the really icky ones—and I can read stories and—oh! We’ll need a nursery! Can we paint it yellow? I think yellow is good for babies. Or green! Green is nice too. Unless it’s a girl, then maybe pink? But girls can like any color, really. I like purple and⁠—”

“Katie, breathe,” Lincoln said, laughing.

But Katie was on a roll now, bouncing on her toes with excitement. “Can I tell Emma? And Annie? They’re going to be so excited!”