“I know it’s three o’clock in the morning and I won’t keep you up too much longer, but I need to know everything that happened in these past months,” his voice thick with emotion.
I turn my body, my legs are over his and I look into his eyes and tell him everything, “I woke up in the middle of the night, as you know, and left. I was scared and a coward. Instead of staying to tell you all of the emotions I had built up, I ran away. I didn’t want to lose you as my best friend or to see if you’d be disappointed in what we had done. It would have broken my heart, so I did the one thing I shouldn’t have. I ran and made it impossible for you to find me.”
“I searched for you. There wasn’t a day that went by that I wasn’t trying to find you. I even went to your parents’ house and I gotta say, Babe, they fucking suck,” he says, with annoyance in his voice. I’m not sure if it’s at me or my parents.
“I’m not a big fan of them either,” I tell him as I push a lock of hair that’s fallen down on his forehead. I want us to be connected somehow. Even if it’s something as simple as a brush of my fingertips on his skin.
“Yeah, I can imagine. Keep going,” he coaxes.
“I landed in a small town out west, working in a diner. I stayed in a room I rented from a little old lady and went to my doctor. That’s all I did, if I wasn’t walking around kicking myself in the ass. I did what I always do, I read every pregnancy book I could get my hands on.” My hands are in the air as I explain to him what I did.
“Are you okay? When is your due date? Are we having a boy or a girl?” He hits me with rapid fire questions.
“I’m fine. I’ve had an amazingly smooth pregnancy. I’m two weeks away from my due date. Which reminds me, tomorrow I need to set up an appointment with a new obstetrician in town. I don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl. I wanted to wait until we could find out together,” I answer him.
He kisses my forehead as he says, “Thank you.”
“I’m not sure you should be thanking me. I was being entirely selfish and leaving you out of everything,” I answer with exasperation as our little one kicks me.
“We’ll deal with that later. All I care about is that you’re home and healthy,” he mumbles as he sees my stomach move with the acrobatic moves happening.
I place his hand on top of my stomach and he feels our child move.
“Wow,” his voice is filled with joy and if I did anything right, it’s this right here. It’s coming home.
Jake
When I felt Larissa move in the middle of the night, I expected the worse. I know I shouldn’t have. She’s sworn she wasn’t leaving me ever again. Yet, I’m still fucking scared that she’ll leave and not because she’s pregnant with our child. No, I’m scared shitless she’ll leave me. Period.
I watch her sleep in the early dawn hours, not wanting to wake her up. I see the dark circles under her eyes and I’m not sure if it’s from traveling or from the weariness of the past nine months. I get out of bed, pull on a pair of sweats, and make my way to the coffee pot.
I grab my phone and call my secretary, Tina, and leave a message on her work line. I let her know I won’t be back in the office until Monday and I’ll be working remotely.
My next order of business is calling Declan and letting him know the news, but that will have to wait. It’s too early and if I wake up Kendall, I’d never hear the end of it.
I go back to making a cup of coffee and look to see what’s in the refrigerator that I can make for breakfast. I see there are bagels, eggs, cheese, and bacon. I’ll make us a bagel sandwich. Then, as soon as the doctor’s office opens, I’ll see if I can get Larissa in there right away.
I know she said she went to the doctor while she was out in bum fuck Wyoming. I’d just feel better having her see one here.
Once my coffee is made, I grab my mug, snag my laptop, and make my way to the outside patio. I’m thankful it isn’t too cold out yet and I can sit outside and work.
My laptop is up and running and I’m deep into my e-mails when I hear the sliding glass door open. I look at the clock and see I’ve only been out here an hour and it’s still too early for Larissa to be up.