Free Baby Cakes by Sheryl Berk & Carrie Berk Page B

would enjoy seeing her prance around the stage. She wiggled her tail; she tapped her hooves; she even climbed up on the pen fence and walked across it like a balance beam. When the number was done, she landed in a split and confetti showered down all over the audience.
    The crowd went wild. “Great job, Delaney!” Ms. Kutchen told her. “Hang in there!”
    The final scene of the show was the saddest: Charlotte was dead, and Wilbur was all alone, waiting for her spider eggs to hatch.
    â€œWait! Come back!” Delaney cried as the baby spiders blew away in the wind. Then she noticed three little spiders hanging from the barn door.
    â€œSalutations!” came a small voice over the loudspeaker. “We like you…and we like this place. Can we stay?”
    Delaney faced the audience and took a deep breath. She knew she was supposed to be Wilbur speaking to Charlotte’s babies. But it felt like she was speaking to her own soon-to-be baby brother and sister. “I will love you dearly, forever and ever.”
    The music swelled, and the entire cast of characters appeared onstage. It was the grand finale that Delaney and Sophie had written!
    â€œIt’s not every day you find a friend who’s with you ’til the very end…” the chorus sang.
    Sophie once again swung across the stage, spinning her silver web.
    â€œI’ll never forget you,” Delaney called to her. “It’s not often that someone comes along who’s a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both…”
    With that, the audience sprang to their feet, giving the musical a standing ovation. Milly was standing on her seat, waving and clapping.
    Normally Delaney loved the applause and would have come back for several curtain calls. But this time, all she allowed herself was a quick bow before she grabbed Sophie’s hand. “Gotta go! Tell your parents we have to get to the hospital! I’m not missing my baby brother and sister being born!”

Delaney paced the floor of the waiting room anxiously. It had been over three hours since her mother went into labor. Where were those babies, and what was taking them so long?
    â€œYou’re going to wear a hole in the carpet,” Sophie’s mom Lisa cautioned her. “Don’t you want to sit down, Delaney? I can get you a snack from the cafeteria.”
    â€œThanks, but I’m too nervous to eat anything,” she replied.
    â€œEven cupcakes?” said a voice from down the hall. It was Kylie, with Jenna, Sadie, and Lexi—and they were carrying a box with them.
    â€œWe were saving these to give you after the show,” Kylie explained. “But you ran off before we could even say congrats.”
    Lexi opened the lid. Inside were dark chocolate cupcakes topped with a cream cheese frosting—Delaney’s favorite type of cupcake. On top, Lexi had drizzled a chocolate spiderweb.
    â€œThat is so cool!” Sophie exclaimed. “If she won’t eat one, I will.”
    â€œSave me one for later,” Delaney said. She was too distracted. “I just wish I knew what was happening.”
    Finally, a doctor in blue scrubs came to find them. “Hmm, I was told to talk to the pig…” she said.
    Delaney’s hand shot up. “That’s me!”
    The doctor chuckled. “Yes, I can see that. The ears gave you away. My name is Dr. Hayem, and I’m your mom’s doctor. Would you like to go meet your baby brother and sister?”
    Delaney could barely contain her excitement. “You mean they’re here?”
    Dr. Hayem nodded. “Yes, and I think they’re very eager to meet you.”
    Delaney practically skipped down the hall of the maternity wing and into her mother’s room. There, swaddled in one blue and one pink blanket, were her new siblings.
    â€œOh, my gosh! They’re so pretty!” she said. “And perfect!”
    â€œYour brother, Tristan, prefers