“Okay, so Morgan—” Saying Morgan’s name made me tense up because I’d liked her, a lot, and what had happened hurt, but I cleared my throat and pressed on. “Morgan’s a girl. If her parents had one of those parties, they’d have popped a blue canister or eaten a blue cake. But she’s a girl. Those parties celebrate dicks and vag, not people.”

“We don’t say dick at the dinner table,” Mormor snapped.

“Can the language, Sara, but I get what you’re saying.” Mom looked over at Mormor. “We can respect that reasoning, right, Ma?”

“Mmm.” Mormor shook off my mother and took the dinner plates to the sink, her back to us. Her earlier good mood had evaporated all because I’d suggested she shouldn’t make cupcakes.

Screw today.

“I’m going to head upstairs,” I announced. “Unless you want my help cleaning up?”

Mormor didn’t answer me, which meant the silent treatment was back in effect. Mom rolled her eyes. She got up from the table and walked me to the stairs, and then up the stairs, tagging along behind me. When I ducked into my room, she ducked in with me and closed the door behind her.

“She’ll get over it,” she said.

“I know. She’s old and set in her ways.” I plopped on my bed and grabbed my phone from the end table. Devi had texted me, which was a relief. I’d sent her a message after school to complain about Leaf and company but she’d been busy at cheerleading practice.

“Yep, and it’s no excuse, but you’re probably not going to change her mind. You gave her a fair explanation, though. If she chooses to ignore it, that’s on her, not you, but it’d be really weird if she threw a gender-reveal party and neither baby nor Mom were there. You’ve got her by the short and curlies, kiddo.”

I was about to start texting Devi, but Mom sat on the end of my bed and plucked the phone from my hands. I didn’t want mother-daughter bonding time, not after everything I’d been through that day, but it seemed like I’d been overruled.

“Are you okay?” Mom asked. “Like, for real. Mrs. Wong called me at work convinced you were going to drop out. I told her you wouldn’t make that decision without me. I wasn’t talking out of my butt, was I?”