We say our goodbyes, and it’s just the two of us. “Harrison,” Winnie whispers my name into the quiet of the room.
“I love you.” I pause, letting my words sink in. “I love you more than my job, and I need you to tell me that you know that.”
“I do.” She nods, tears again filling her eyes.
“Good.” I go to her and wrap my arms around her. She buries her face in my neck and lets the tears fall. I don’t say anything. I just tighten my hold on her, and let her work it out of her system.
“We should go.” She pulls away.
“Yeah, you hungry?” I ask her.
“Not really.”
“Okay. Well, I want to stop by the gym and pick up some contracts that I need to go over, then we can head home.”
“You’re not going to work?”
“No.”
“Harrison.”
“Gwendolyn,” I counter. “I’m not going into the gym today. I need to be with you. I can’t explain it, but I can’t leave you right now. Please don’t fight me on this.”
“Okay.”
I offer her my hand, and she takes it. I help her off the exam table and usher her out of the room. We stop at the desk and make our next appointment, then make our way to my truck. The drive to the gym is quiet. “I’ll just be a few minutes. You coming in?” I ask her.
“No. Not right now. I’ll just wait here.”
Leaning over the console, I kiss her cheek. “I’ll be right back.” Climbing out of the truck, I jog into the building.
“Harrison,” Gina calls out for me. “I didn’t think you’d ever get here. We have a new client that wants you to train—” I hold up my hand cutting her off.
“No. I’ve told you I’m not taking on any more clients right now. Not with the baby coming.”
“But—”
This time it’s Chase who stops her. “He said no.” He stops to stand next to her. “You good, man?” he asks. He knows me too well.
“I’m working from home today. Just stopped to pick up a few things.”
“Anything I can do?” he asks.
“Nah, just got some news today. It’s not terrible, but Gwen might have gestational diabetes. I’m going to look over the contracts, and then work on an exercise program for her.”
“What, is she getting too fat for you?” Gina spits out.
“Enough!” I bellow. My feet carry me to her. We’re standing toe-to-toe. “When it comes to my wife, you have nothing to say. Do you understand me? I don’t have to defend my actions to you or anyone else. You know what, I’m done—” I stop when Chase’s hand lands on my shoulder.
“Go get what you need. I’ve got this.”
The words “you’re fired” are on the tip of my tongue. I’ve had enough of her, but even I know that I’m on edge from the appointment. I nod once and turn my back to them, heading toward my office. I trust Chase to handle her. I shouldn’t be making any kind of decisions with my emotions all over the place. Even if she’s been on thin ice since the day she walked through the doors. Grabbing what I need, I don’t bother saying goodbye as I walk out the front door.
“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.”