“We really are,” I replied firmly. “And I want you to be as excited about it as I am.”
“I am,” she promised me finally. “I know I … it’s just a shock, that’s all. I didn’t have any idea this was happening.”
She let her hand rest on her stomach, and she looked down at her belly intently as though she could sense the kid in there already.
“I think there’s more grilled cheese than baby in there right now,” I reminded her gently. She shook her head, laughing, and then took my hand and put it on her stomach.
“I don’t care,” she replied softly. “I just want you to feel it.”
I held my hand there for a long moment, and the two of us sat in silence. The most profound happiness I could ever remember in my entire life settled over me. It just felt right. All of this did. She was carrying my child. We were going to be married, and we were going to be a proper little family. I closed my eyes and leaned forward to plant a kiss on her belly, and she absentmindedly ran her fingers through my hair and wriggled beneath me.
“Mmm.” She sighed, and I glanced up at her. She was looking down at me with a flirty expression, and I knew what was going on in her head. I slithered up the bed till I was level with her, moving all our leftovers and eating utensils as I did so, and laid one hand on her belly and the other on the back of her neck as I guided her toward me. Our mouths met, and she sighed softly against my lips as though this was what she’d been waiting for all day. We kissed for a moment, her fingers stroking the nape of my neck, and then she pulled back.
“You still going to love me when I’m super pregnant and fat?” She grinned. I nodded.
“Especially then,” I promised her, and we kissed once more. And I knew whatever happened in these next few days, few months, few years, everything was going to be all right. As long as she was here with me, I could take on the entire world.
We made love that night, and she fell asleep in my arms. I cradled her, watching the rise and fall of her chest, and felt such a wave of protectiveness. I had always wanted to keep her safe, but this was more intense than before. I wanted to keep them safe now, my wife and my child.
I fell asleep shortly after she did, completely at ease and at peace until I woke a few hours later and found her gone from the bed. The sound of her throwing up in the room next to me made me wince. I didn’t like to hear her in any state of discomfort, but there wasn’t much I could do about the morning sickness apart from coaxing her through it and help where I could. I got up and headed to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and a cool towel, and I hovered outside the door, waiting for her to finish up.
She emerged a few minutes later, and she ran her hands through her slightly sweaty hair and smiled when she saw me.
“Hey, sorry. Did I wake you up?” She made a face. “I didn’t mean to. It’s just hard. I guess now my body knows I’m pregnant, and it’s going full-tilt, you know?”
“No, it’s fine.” I handed her the water and the towel, and she took a grateful sip and dabbed herself down. She slipped back into bed and pulled the covers up over herself. She had work in a few hours, and I wanted to tell her to just stay in bed and call in sick again, but there was no way in hell she was going to let me get away with that. I slid into bed next to her and wrapped my arms around her.
“Is there anything else I can do?” I asked, and she shook her head and snuggled back into the sheets.
“No.” She yawned. “I’m all good.”
I smiled as I watched her drift back off to sleep, knowing that she really was good at last.