“Fucking right. This kid is going to be the luckiest kid the world because you’re his mama.” I take his lips with mine. The bacon long forgotten, we feed our other hunger first.
One day later…
Whooshing sounds fill the room, the little black dot blinking on the screen as the nurse moves the ultrasound dongle over my belly.
“You’re really pregnant.” Gabe laughs in shock.
“Sixteen weeks,” the nurse confirms.
“Would you like some pictures?”
“Yes,” we both say in unison, our happiness glowing in our eyes as we watch our baby wriggle around on the monitor.
“What happens now?” Gabe asks, the cogs turning in his head.
“Well, your wife will have an appointment again at twenty weeks with her OBGYN. Try not to worry. Everything looks great.”
Wrapping his arms around me, his lips murmur against my ear, “You’ve made me happier than I ever thought possible. I fucking love you so much, baby.” My chest blooms with pride. It’s me who’s the happiest girl in the world, and it’s all because of him.
“I love you too.” I close my eyes to prevent tears from leaking free.
Twenty-Nine
Gabe
Fear is something I didn’t know I could be consumed with until I saw my kid on the monitor at the ultrasound. Terror and joy fight for dominance inside my head. I’m powerless. All I can do is be an overbearing asshole, making sure Willa has everything she needs. I didn’t have parents when I was growing up. My childhood was chaotic and unpredictable. I don’t want that for my kid. Being a good father is a priority to me, but how the fuck do I be one? I have no clue about kids—about being a dad.
“Gabe,” Willa calls my name, pulling me from my head.
“What do you need, baby? I jump up from the bed, ready to get her whatever the fuck she needs. I’d pry the moon from the sky and hang it in our room if that’s what she wanted.
“I need you to relax. You’ve been a wreck since the doctors.” She groans, holding her arms up, summoning me to her. Collapsing back on the bed beside her, I pull her into me.
“I’m fine, baby.”
“I’m calling Jameson. You need a beer and your best friend,” she coos against my chest.
“You’re my best friend,” I tell her, then wince when she pinches my nipple.
“Don’t lie. I’m okay with being your everything else. Go talk to Jameson, clear your head, tell him he’s going to be a godfather.” She sighs, sleep lacing her words.
“Have I told you I love you today?”
“I’m not opposed to hearing it again.”
Fuck, I love this woman.
He’s standing at the door when I arrive, line wrinkling his brow, hand on his hips. “Why the fuck is Willa calling me telling me you need me?”
“Hello to you too, asshole.”
“What’s going on?”
Pushing past him, I go straight to his fridge, grab myself a beer, twist the top off, and gulp down half the bottle. “Willa’s pregnant.” I wipe my lips with my forearm, watching Jameson’s face go through a mix of emotions before settling on a wide grin. “Well…shit, you’re going to be a daddy.” He beams. “It is yours, right?”
“Prick,” I growl, rubbing a hand over the scruff on my jaw.
“Why the fuck do you look terrified?” he asks, folding his arms and resting his ass against the counter opposite me.
“What do I know about being a father?” I scoff. Shit, can I do this?
Shaking his head, he reaches out, clasping my head in his large palms. “You’re the best fucking man I know. Any kid would be lucky to have you as their father.” Releasing me, he pulls a couple more beers out of the fridge, hands me one, and clicks his against it. “If there were anyone I’d want raising my kids if something happened to me, it would be you. You’re selfless, protective, caring.”
“You want to suck my cock?” I raise a brow, breaking the tension in my own head.
“Willa not doing that for you? She was eager to gobble mine down.”
“Over the line, dickhead,” I seethe.
Winking, he swigs his beer, smacking his lips together. “A baby…shit, we’re getting old,” he muses.
“Fuck off. You were born old.” I look through his cupboard for something to eat, knowing I’m going to find plenty of snacks. Jameson walked this earth before, an old soul who was everything he claimed I was. With him as a guide and Willa as my kid’s mama, I’m going to be fine. She was right. I just needed my best friend to reassure my stupid ass.
Thirty
Gabe
One month later…
Holding up a baby onesie with the words Cute like Mama emblazoned across the front, Willa sticks her bottom lip out. “How adorable!”
“Real fucking adorable—you, not the shirt.” I slap her ass, hesitating to leave her, though I need to hit the road. “You sure you’re going to be okay? It’s one night, and I’ll be back before dawn. It’s really hours, not even a full day.”