“Morning, ma’am,” he murmured in a scratchy, sleepy voice.
“Morning, sir,” I said, turning to see his face and catch his wandering lips with mine. His eyes were tired, his chin a little rough from a light stubble coming in, and his smile was warm and adoring. We shared a long, languid kiss, drowsy but contented, and I turned to face him, cuddling into his chest.
It was bliss. I was head over heels in love with the man of my dreams, we were devoted to each other and to our baby, and I couldn’t have been happier.
Nathaniel placed a kiss on my forehead, rubbing my back gently.
“How did you sleep?”
“Better than I have in a while,” I replied, grateful to be able to say so. After sleepless nights of stress and anxiety about our relationship, I had finally gotten some decent rest.
“How are you feeling?” He brought a hand to my hip and his eyes darted down to my belly.
“You mean with the baby?” I teased.
“Yeah,” he said, laughing softly. “Our baby.”
Hearing him say that made my heart flutter. “I’m feeling OK. Better than the past couple of weeks. The morning sickness seems to be getting better.”
“Good,” he said, brushing a stray hair away from my eyes. “Will you have your first doctor’s appointment soon? Or does that come later? I don’t really know about these things.”
I nodded, agreeing. “It’s all pretty new to me, too, honestly. I haven’t scheduled the first appointment yet. But I will. I should be able to get an appointment in the next couple of weeks.”
He paused, blinking, then asked, “Can I come with you?”
A warm feeling filled my chest; a rush, yet not one of thrill or lust. A rush of love.
“Of course you can.” I curled in closer to him, threading my fingers through his hair and kissing the spot under the corner of his eye. “I want you to be there.”
He smiled, hugging me tight.
It was tempting to lie there all morning in Nathaniel’s arms, but I knew my sister and Trudy were stirring. I could hear cupboards opening and shutting from the kitchen through my bedroom door.
“Sounds like we’ve got company,” he said, eyebrows raising at the noise.
“No,you’rethe company here,” I joked, winking. He chuckled. “Do you want some coffee?” I asked, realizing that going to the kitchen together would be the first time we would be open about our relationship.
“Yes,” he said, his grin growing wider. “I’d love some.”
We got decent and freshened up a bit in the bathroom, then opened the door to walk down the hallway, sharing a little kiss before reaching the kitchen. I poked my head around the corner, and Nathaniel held my hand, standing close.
Larissa and Trudy were both there, starting their day. When Trudy saw us, she froze, a look of surprise registering on her face before busying herself with cracking eggs.
Larissa turned around from the refrigerator and her jaw dropped. She must have been stunned at having our father’s best friend emerge from my bedroom. Even though she knew about our relationship, and she supported me, it still had to be startling to see us together as a couple for the first time.
“Morning,” I said quietly.
“Morning!” Trudy sang brightly, whisking cream into a bowl.
“Uh, hi! Hey, Nathaniel,” Larissa stammered, snapping herself out of her shock and trying to act friendly.
“Hi Larissa,” he said, smiling warmly.
“Are you two ready for coffee?” Larissa picked up two mugs and held them up, twisting her wrists in offering.
“I’m sure they’re gonna need it,” Trudy drawled, smirking, a glint in her eyes.
“Trudy!” I protested, giggling as I sat down on a chair Nathaniel had pulled out for me. He took a seat next to me and chuckled softly.