Brock nearly tripped over his feet in his eagerness to grab June’s bags. Mandy and Jaz grinned and muttered something about taking it easy and not falling on his face.
“That’s one game,” he assured June as they walked up to the door together, “that I’d be happy to lose.”
EPILOGUE
Brock
“Does this dress make me look fat?”
Brock turned, studying his wife as she walked into the bedroom. She had on a long flowing maxi dress, one hand on her very pregnant belly. “Is that a trick question?”
She scowled at him. “Of course not.”
“Honey, I don’t think pregnant women can be fat. I mean, you have a baby growing inside of you. If you look like you’re going to topple over because that belly defies gravity, no one is going to say that counts as fat.”
“You dork,” June rolled her eyes, but she cracked a smile. “You’re supposed to tell me that I’m beautiful and dreamy no matter what.”
“You are beautiful. You are sexy. You are kind funny, witty, smart, and a whole host of other amazing things. I could go on all day naming them, but then you’d be late.”
June swatted at him. “Don’t think that flattery is going to get you back into my good graces. I look like a whale and I know it.”
“A very pretty, sexy whale.” Brock set his hand on her stomach. “That’s my daughter in there and you’re growing her. I know that you were sick, that you’re uncomfortable now, that you think you’re never going to fit back into your jeans. Who cares? You’ve created a life. From nothing. It’s incredible. Your body is doing this miraculous thing and that is the most beautiful thing in the entire world.”
“Stop it.” June sniffed. “Seriously. Don’t act all empathetic and reasonable. You should have just said I was fat and let me yell at you.”
“You can yell at me if you want,” Brock chuckled. “But you should put on a smile. Your friends spent a lot of time planning this baby shower for you.”
“I know. I told them that I don’t need anything, and they know it, but they still insisted.”
“They’re doing it to make you feel special. The gifts they give you are going to worth far more than anything we could ever buy.”
“I know, I just feel bad. I don’t need things.”
He didn’t point out that was the very reason he hadn’t told her that he had money in the first place. She’d learned, over the three years they’d been together, that life wasn’t always easy, just because there was a big bank account in your name. They’d had to fight for their relationship like any other couple. They’d had their arguments and their rough patches, but they’d also learned the sheer joy of finding that person who both frustrates you and completes you. Even if he pissed her off, there were far more times when he made her smile.
After two years, they decided they weren’t going to break up, that they actually enjoyed being together and that they had a future they both definitely still wanted to work towards. He’d brought up kids, since their relationship was so solid. June thought it was a great idea. They’d both enjoyed trying. That was probably the best part of the pregnancy. After two months, June found out she was pregnant.
Brock learned the true meaning of joy and fear when she came out of the bathroom, waving that stick in the air, all smiles, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks.
“You’re going to have a great time. Jaz promised you the best cake.”
“Oh god,” June groaned. “I seriously don’t need to eat that. Look at me.”
Brock dusted a kiss on top of June’s hair. She’d curled it and it hung down in long waves over her shoulders and down her back. He swatted her playfully on the ass. “You better get going or I’m going to take that dress off of you and have my way with you and you’ll never make it there. I’d have a year’s worth of sucking up to Jaz and Mandy to do to get them to forgive me for that one.”
“Don’t tempt me. Most people wouldn’t desire their wives when they are the size of a house.”
“Then those people are fools. I’ll always desire you. You’ll always be beautiful to me. Here. Now. Tomorrow. Next year. When you’re ninety and wrinkled beyond recognition.” June swung at him, but he sidestepped the blow. “My god. Pregnancy makes you violent.”
She snorted. “When you have a living being crushing your internal organs, you might be violent too.” She laughed after, and her shoulder pressed in, admitting defeat. When she glanced back up at him, her eyes shone. “I’m so happy, Brock. Even If I think I’m fat. Even if I do worry about none of my jeans fitting again. Even if my body is changing and it’s scary and amazing all at once. Even if I’m terrified of birth. Even if I feel bad my friends went to all this trouble for me. Even if I pretend not to be. I’m so insanely happy about all of this.” She blinked hard, but a few errant tears spilled down her cheeks. He stepped in and brushed them away with the pad of his thumb.