He hoped his sweet wife was ready for all the attention that the entire Cunningham family, his parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, would lavish on her – just because Mary made him happier than he’d ever been in his entire life.
“I hope the next three months pass fast…”
* * *
The next morning,Jax went directly to the phones so he could call Mary before it got to be too late back home. Dialing the number, he heard her answer right away and couldn’t help the smile that touched his face as he realized she was waiting for him.
“Hey sweetheart,” he breathed, hoping he got this ten minutes to himself without any interruptions. “How’s the visit going?”
“Oh Jax, I’m so glad you called…” she sounded breathless and… teary-eyed?
“Are you okay?” he asked openly, feeling concerned.
“Your mother was showing me the photo albums and you are so adorable…”
“Never mind,” he grimaced, blushing immediately. If they ever had kids, he was never going to subject them to this sort of torture, taking pictures of them bathing or doing stupid things when they were little.
“Hey, do you have a few minutes alone? I need to talk to you about something…” Mary began.
“I hope so, if not? I might actually maim Sparky or Ricochet for always deciding to come use the computers or phones when I’m in here. I swear they are jealous…”
“Jax,” Mary interrupted.
“Sorry, distracted and just filling the space between us, because you make my brain stop functioning when I hear your voice. I swear I love talking to you, my precious bride. I can’t wait to see you in a few months.”
“About that…”
“Oh,” Jax uttered, collapsing into the plastic chair closest to him. “Is something wrong? Should I cancel my leave? Are you okay? What’s going on?”
“Jax…” Mary began – and he heard her start crying. Not just little tears either. Monstrous sobs that broke his heart.
Something was seriously wrong!he realized, and was glad he was sitting, because his legs would have collapsed at the idea that Mary was miserable or regretting this between them.
Did she not want him to come back?
Oh my gosh, this had to be the worst let down he’d ever experienced – even worse than that girl’s comment that ‘maybe her mom would like him’…
He might actually throw up.
Jax drug a trashcan out from under the computer desk he was sitting by – just in case.
“Mary, what’s going on? Baby, why are you…oh my gosh…”
Jax froze the second that he called his wife the term of endearment, realizing there was only one precious thing that would completely dismantle his gentle wife emotionally.
Mary had told him repeatedly that she desperately wanted children, and never imagined she would ever have one. They didn’t even try to use birth control, because Jax swore up and down he would give her whatever she wanted – including children, a home, and his heart, just so long as she was happy with him.
“Mary?”
“Yeah,” she wept. “Oh Jax, sweetheart, I’m pregnant. You are going to be a daddy…”
Jax could hear his mother screaming with joy in the background and his father laughing triumphantly as Mary chuckled tearfully.
He couldn’t help the proud smile that touched his face in that moment, nor the relief he felt in knowing they were okay. He probably would never be over that deep-rooted fear, because Mary was so much more than he ever anticipated ever having in his life as a partner or spouse.
She was incredible.
“I think your parents are excited.”