“Ow.” Evander narrows his eyes but doesn’t magically pinch me back like we used to do when we were kids.
“Are you sure?” Tabatha asks, brown eyes widening.
“I’ve been really nauseous, tired, and emotional for a good week now,” I start. “I thought it was from stress, but then I remembered Lucas’s heart was beating. He drank water. He was coming alive yet dying at the same time.”
“I’ll say,” Naomi snickers and shakes her head.
“I took a pregnancy test just to convince myself it wasn’t possible,” I continue. “Imagine our surprise.”
No one says anything, and I can hear the grandfather clock ticking behind me.
“Do you know about how far along you are?” Abby finally asks.
“Almost six weeks. I know when I, uh, conceived. I should be due around June thirtieth. Well, if…if…” I trail off and can feel Eliza’s eyes on me. “If everything goes how we think it will.”
“What do you mean?” Abby asks.
“Callie is the first nephilim to ever become pregnant,” Lucas says, giving my hand a squeeze.
Abby sharply inhales. “You’re not human.”
“Right.” I blink rapidly, willing myself not to cry. “I don’t know how things will turn out,” I say slowly.
“The baby isn’t fully human then, either,” Abby says, trying to comfort me. “Right?”
“Right,” Julian and Lucas say at the same time.
“You’re not going to start drinking blood now, are you?” Nicole asks.
“Gross, no.” I shudder. “Sorry,” I tell Eliza and Lucas. “The only nonhuman parts it has are from me.”
Silence falls over the table again, and then Tabatha gets up. “My baby is having a baby.” She blinks back tears and gives me a tight hug. She’s not my biological mother, but Tabatha is my mom. And having her here means more to me right now than I thought it would.
She lets me go and looks at me, smiling, and then turns to Lucas. I know she—as well as my other friends—was hesitant to accept my relationship with a vampire. But they’ve learned to look at Lucas for who he is, not what he is, and I hope they see him the same way I do.
Because there is no one in the world for me but him.
“I’m sure this came as quite a shock,” she says.
“It did,” Lucas agrees and takes my hand. “It is the last thing I thought could happen, but now that it is happening…” He squeezes my hand. “I couldn’t be happier.”
Tears spring to my eyes, and I look up, blinking them away. “I told you, I’ve been sorta emotional,” I say, and my friends laugh.
“I was a sobbing mess most of my pregnancy,” Abby tells me. “I cried at a restaurant once when the waiter took my empty salad plate away because I wanted to eat the leftover dressing with a spoon.” She laughs. “You get a pass for a few months.”
“It’s so weird,” I say, letting out a slow breath. I’m still hungry, but the smell of the gravy is starting to get to me. “Like now, I’m hungry, and this looks so good, but I feel so sick.”
“How else have you been feeling?” Tabatha asks and goes back to her seat.
“Really tired. I lay down and fall asleep, which is weird for me, too. I can usually function on just a couple of hours of sleep,” I tell her.
“It’s been nearly thirty years, but I remember the exhaustion well. I can’t help you with that, my darling, but I can make a potion to rid you of the morning sickness.”
“Seriously? It’s only been a week and I can’t handle this.” I look around the table at my human friends. “I don’t know how you all put up with being sick. It’s awful.”
“You don’t get sick?” Ruby asks.
I shake my head. “No. I never really thought about it until it was pointed out. I’ve been tired and run down before, but I don’t get colds or the flu or even a sore throat.”
“Angels are immortal,” Julian states. “We don’t get sick.”
“Except for now,” I say and take a drink of water and then look at Lucas. “But it’s already worth it.”
Lucas laces our fingers and kisses the back of my hand. “It is. You are going to be an amazing mother.”
“I hope so. I’m scared,” I admit.
“I was, too,” Abby tells me. “Penny was planned, and she took nearly half a year of trying, but even then I was scared when I found out I was pregnant.”
“Most first-time mothers are,” Tabatha says gently. “And I imagine second and third and so on. Being a mother can be a terrifying thing, but it’s also the greatest gift you will ever receive.”
“I am quite awesome,” Evander says. “Should you be thanking me, Mother?”
“Oh, hush,” Tabatha tells him.
“Have you thought about names or anything yet?” Nicole asks.
“No, not yet,” I reply. “We just found out I’m pregnant. Fuck, that’s weird to say.” I close my eyes in a long blink and shake my head.