Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 95307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“Everything okay?” Winnie asks when I’m back in the truck.
“Yeah, everything’s fine,” I say, then decide not to hold back. “Never again” is a promise I made. “Gina grates on my last nerve.”
“How about some lunch?” she suggests. I know she’s trying to turn my bad mood around, and it works. My focus is no longer on Gina or the gym; it’s all her and our little girl.
“You change your mind?”
“She did.” She rubs her belly with a small smile.
“What sounds good to you?”
“Anything.”
“How about Twist of Lime?”
“Sure. Let’s call it in and take it home,” she suggests, already swiping the screen of her phone. “What do you want?”
“Grilled chicken salad, and some breadsticks.”
“I love their breadsticks,” she says, moaning. I listen as she orders us both a grilled chicken salad and extra breadsticks. “Ten minutes,” she says, ending the call.
I start the truck and head that way.
Looking up from my laptop, I scan the room, searching for Winnie. I don’t see her anywhere. Glancing at the time, I see I’ve been at this for a couple of hours so I gather the contracts and place them back in the folder. Grabbing the water bottle I’ve barely touched, I chug it back, spilling some all over my shirt. I finish off the bottle, and then pull my shirt over my head, wiping my mouth with it. Tossing the bottle in the trash and the shirt in the laundry room, I go in search of my wife.
I find her in our room, sitting on the bench at the foot of the bed. She’s staring into space with her hands wrapped protectively around her baby bump. “Hey,” I say softly.
She smiles, turning to face me. “Hey, you all done?”
“Yeah.” I enter the room, taking a seat on the floor in front of her. “You okay?” I place my hand on her belly.
“I am.”
“You sure?”
“Definitely. She was kicking up a storm, so I stopped to enjoy it. That sounds crazy, but I love this. I love being pregnant. If you say something, she’ll kick. She loves the sound of your voice.”
“No crazier than the fact I can’t seem to keep my hands off your belly, or the fact that she knows my voice,” I say, lifting her tank top to expose her to me. Winnie scoots to the edge of the bench, moving closer. I place my hands on either side of her belly and wait for a kick. Baby girl doesn’t disappoint as she thumps against my hand. “Does it hurt?” I’m fascinated that my daughter is growing inside Winnie and kicking at the sound of my voice.
“No. Well, that didn’t. Sometimes it’s painful.”
“Hey, baby girl, it’s Daddy.” Another strong kick.
“Told you.”
“Maybe she’ll be a soccer player.”
She laughs. “Maybe. She can be anything she wants to be.”
“Definitely, but she’s not dating until she’s thirty.”
“Yeah, right. She’s going to have you wrapped around her little finger.”
“Maybe, but I’m not budging on the dating thing.”
“We’ll see.” She laughs softly.
“Have you thought about names?”
“Yeah, but nothing has come to me that stands out. What about you?”
“I’ve thought about it, but like you, nothing that stands out to me. I mean, this is a big deal. She’s stuck with her name for the rest of her life.”
“Well, until she gets married. Then her last name changes.”
“He can change his,” I grumble, making her laugh.
“I changed mine.”
“Damn right, you did.” I think back to the day I met her, and I knew then that she was going to be important to me. I could never have imagined how much. I didn’t realize how much she would bring to my life. And now, she’s giving me a daughter. I have so much love bursting inside me for both of them. I don’t know how to handle not being able to make it better.
“I love her.” I rest my forehead against Winnie’s belly, and she runs her fingers through my hair. “I love both of you. I know the doctor said that it was okay, that lots of women get gestational diabetes. I heard her say the words, but that doesn’t quell the worry that consumes me. It doesn’t diminish this demand for me to protect both of you. The only problem is I don’t know how to do that. I don’t know what to do to help you, and it’s making me crazy.”
“It’s common. I just have to eat right and take care of us.”
“What can I do, Winnie? I hate feeling helpless. You’re going through all of this to bring our daughter into the world, and I’m just sitting by idle.”
“You support me, Harrison. Every day you’re here. You pushed yourself back into my life. You knew that what I needed was you. You’ve never once shied away from me or this baby. You love us unconditionally, and that’s what I need from you. I need to know that you’re here. That even though I’m carrying her, I’m not in this alone. I know I can lean on you and I’m sorry that I didn’t. I don’t want us to lose this, this newfound connection that we have. I love the life we’re rebuilding, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Sure, it’s unorthodox, but it’s only ever been you, Harrison Drake. You are the love of my life. You are the man who stands tall next to me, no matter what. The man who drills my doctor with questions for concern for me and our unborn child. That man is doing everything he can to take care of his family.”