She gasps and they argue, but Nick sweeps Sophie up and kisses her eagerly. “Are you happy, sweetheart? Are you okay with this?”
She pauses like she didn’t even consider that. She actually thinks about it, but then Gunner picks her up, pushing her hair back. Finally, she nods. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m excited.”
“Not too fast?” Gunner asks.
“We’ve done everything too fast.” She laughs a little and looks between us. “I think our party might have to change a little. No alcohol for me and clearly a limited menu.”
“So much research to do,” Nick murmurs. “So much to plan for.”
“Dummies, you have at least six months, if not more to prepare. Let’s just enjoy the good news!” Valerie says before turning to Sophie and squealing. “You have a happy oops!”
“A happy oops!” Sophie agrees with a laugh. “A happy accident.”
SOPHIE
Valerie and Tristan retire early. I half think it's so I can share the news with my husbands and we can look at things, talk, and everything without our guests overhearing. I keep looking at my flat belly, waiting for it to balloon out or for the baby to move, anything.
“Do any of you have experiences with pregnancies or kids?” I ask, looking around.
“My cousins,” Roman says. “As kids. Nothing with pregnancies.”
Everyone else shakes their heads. Gunner hasn’t been able to shake his smile. He told me he’d never thought about kids, so I don’t know why he’s more excited than just about anyone. Although Nick keeps petting my hair and kissing me like he feels the urge to show me twice as much love.
“I guess the doctor will tell us how far along you are,” Nick says. “I’m betting no more than three months.”
“What does that mean for …” I poke my belly.
Holden pulls it up on his phone and we all look. At three months Roman rubs my knee. “Only about three inches long.”
“Holy shit, it already has fingernails?” Gunner gapes. “You’re fucking amazing, Sophie.”
“What? Why?” I look over Holden’s head to see more information. The baby is fully formed, just has to get bigger. I swallow hard as I read that it can already open and close its fists and mouth. “Ooh.”
“Do you need a bucket?” Roman asks.
I shake my head slowly. I just can’t believe there’s something literally growing inside me. “How … how big does it get?”
“It depends on the baby,” Nick assures us all. “Some are born small, others big.”
I nod again. I’m a bundled mix of nervous and excited. The whole ‘birth’ idea is terrifying, but having a baby, getting to hold it, and love on it … I hug myself and hiss a little. My boobs have been a bit more painful, but I just thought that was from wearing a bra constantly compared to in Paris.
Gunner looks over at me and gently kisses my chest. “Sore all over, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” I pout. Then I look around my guys. “I said it earlier … I can do a test to see who’s the father if it matters.”
“Not to me,” Roman says simply. “Whether it’s mine or Holden’s or Nicks … even Gunner’s, we are all the dad to me.”
The others nod and agree and at least that’s one thing off my worry list. I’m sure we’ll know at some point, but right now, seeing how happy they are to talk about it, saying that we’ll have to offer to watch Gio for a week so Massimo and Danny can have a real honeymoon and we can try out having a baby, making a bunch of plans, book lists, everything, it makes me feel like crying happy tears.
Of course, since I’ve been overly emotional for a while now, I don’t just ‘feel’ like crying, I just start. Nick cups my face between his hands and kisses my forehead. I sniff. “I’m just so happy.”
I get squished in a group hug and shake my head. “We need to eat like Val said and we should figure out how to tell my parents … and yours?”
“Yes, please.” Nick agrees.
“Let’s wait and surprise mine on Thanksgiving,” Gunner says with a wide smile. “Mom’s face will be worth it.”
“I think that depends on how far along I am,” I remind him.