Gender Reveal.

Gender Reveal.
Alina
It’s been a few weeks since we found out Bean is a boy, and the excitement is through the roof. I think we would have been just as happy with a girl, but a boy just feels right for us. I don’t think any of us are soft enough for a girl, we’d probably end up making a violent little thing out of her. I wonder what kind of boy we’ll raise… probably still a wild child, but a very well-loved wild child.
Kaiden and Hunter have been dying to tell their family, but they wanted to make it a special occasion. We’ve been holding off as long as possible, though Ariana has been relentless in trying to pry it out of us. Kaiden says his parents are going to be the most overbearing grandparents imaginable, especially since this is the first Donatello heir who can carry on the name. And honestly? I’m all for it. The amount of love that pours from that family is overwhelming in the best way. They’re all a little broken in their own ways, but that doesn’t stop them from loving the darkest, strangest parts of one another. It’s… healing, really.

I’ve developed quite the waddle now, which the boys find endlessly amusing. My wardrobe has had to be updated, again, and unfortunately for me, flowy dresses are the only things that feel remotely comfortable. Isla took pity on me and gifted me her entire pregnancy collection, and I’ll admit the woman has taste. She told me Mia helped her pick most of it out, which somehow makes every piece feel like a little blessing.
“Lina! Are you almost ready? Mum said the guests are already arriving!” Kaiden’s voice carries up the stairs, warm but impatient.
“I’m trying,” I yell back, exasperated. “These damn boots are out to get me!”
I’m halfway bent over on the edge of the bed, trying to pull on my dressy boots, a lost cause, honestly. My stomach is in the way, my feet are swollen, and my patience is hanging by a thread.
Hunter’s laughter filters through the doorway before I even see him. He’s leaning there, arms crossed, that infuriating smirk tugging at his mouth. “Need a hand, Kitten?”
“Need new shoes,” I grumble, but he crosses the room anyway and kneels in front of me.
“Let me help,” he says gently, taking the boot from my hand. His fingers brush my ankle, warm and steady, and I can’t help but melt a little. He slides the boot on with a patience I don’t have, then looks up at me with that soft, proud smile that makes my chest feel too full.
“There,” he murmurs, smoothing the hem of my dress over my knee. “Perfect.”
“Liar,” I tease, but he only grins wider.
Kaiden’s voice floats up again from downstairs, louder this time. “If we’re late, Mum’s gonna have our heads!”
Hunter stands, offering me his hand. “Come on, Bean’s first big family party awaits.”
I sigh, bracing a hand on my bump as I stand. “God help us all.”
And just like that, the three of us are heading out the door—one waddle, one smirk, and one proud grin—ready to face whatever chaos the Donatellos have in store.

By the time we pull up to the Donatello estate, my jaw practically hits the floor. Ariana has clearly gone all out. The entire front lawn is dressed in blue and pink balloons, streamers, banners—there’s even a massive arch over the driveway that reads Boy or Girl? in glittery gold letters. Cars line the street, every expensive brand imaginable, but it’s not the kind of flashy rich-people thing I expected. There’s laughter spilling from the windows, music playing somewhere inside, and it feels… warm. Like home, just louder and shinier...And bigger. Much bigger. Apparently, when a Donatello says “family,” they don’t just mean blood. It’s loyalty, respect, history, the people who’ve fought beside them, worked for them, stood by them through chaos and triumph. And honestly? I like that. It’s real.
Isla’s the first one we see, standing near the front steps with a champagne flute in one hand and a look of relief on her face when she spots us. “Oh, thank god you’re here,” she sighs dramatically. “Mum was about to lose her shit.”
Before I can respond, she swoops in, rubs my belly, and singsongs, “Hello, little niece or nephew,” before hooking her arm through mine and dragging me toward the front door. “Come on, before she starts throwing confetti grenades again.”
The smell hits me the second we step inside. Garlic, roasted meat, sweet pastries, something cheesy, it’s heaven. Tables are lined wall to wall with food, and my stomach growls instantly. I make a beeline for a platter of something fried and golden, but a familiar hand swats mine away mid-reach.
“Not that one, Kitten,” Hunter scolds lightly behind me.
“Why not?” I huff, glaring over my shoulder.
“Too oily,” he says, already guiding me toward another table. “That one. Veggie skewers.”
“Veggie skewers?” I mutter under my breath. “I’m growing a baby, not training for a marathon.”
Kaiden chuckles beside him. “She’s gonna sneak the fried stuff later anyway, man.”
He’s right, of course. I fully plan to.

We move through the house, exchanging hellos with people who all seem to know exactly who I am. Everyone smiles, congratulates me, and it’s… weird, but nice. I’ve never been in a crowd this big where I didn’t feel like an outsider. Then we step into the back garden, and my breath catches. It’s even more decked out than the front, with streamers hanging from trees, pink and blue lanterns floating in the pool, and a massive table covered in gifts and cakes.
“Holy crap,” I whisper. “Did she… hire a party planner?”
“Knowing Mum?” Kaiden smirks. “She is the party planner.”
Ariana spots us before we can move another inch. She’s across the garden in seconds, moving with the kind of energy only an excited nonna-to-be can have. She kisses both boys on the cheeks, then pulls me into a hug that’s warm and tight and smells faintly of vanilla perfume.
“Thank god you’re here,” she says, almost exactly the way Isla did. “You have no idea how hard it’s been to keep these two from blabbing the news early!”
I laugh softly, rubbing the back of my neck. “Honestly, I’m surprised they didn’t cave.”
Hunter grins, sliding an arm around my shoulders. “It was close.”
“Come on,” Ariana beams, looping her arm through mine. “Everyone’s dying to see you and Bean!”
And as she leads us deeper into the crowd of laughter, music, and family, I can’t help but think, maybe chaos like this is exactly what I was meant to find.