“Look at me,” he commanded.
My heart sank, and I didn't want to look up. Eventually, I lifted my eyes slowly. What I saw on his face melted my heart. He had tears welling up in his eyes as well.
“I couldn't be happier to add my first monster to my Monsterpedia.”
I laughed. Naturally he'd find a way to turn this moment goofy. But that was why I loved him.
“And, hopefully, we'll add many more.”
I nodded, unable to find the words that I wanted to say. There weren't really words to express the absolute joy in my heart.
“Maybe not one hundred and fifty, though. I'm not a Monster Go Master yet.”
I finally laughed, tears flowing freely now. He leaned in and kissed me, right in the middle of the park for everyone to see. He kissed me like he meant it, like it was the first and last kiss of his life. He kissed me like I was the only thing worth living for and the only thing he'd ever wanted.
And I knew in that moment he was going to kiss me like that for the rest of my life.
Epilogue
“Are you sure?” Jacob frowned, holding up two nearly identical baby onesies.
“Yes, I'm sure. We only need one,” I told him. “Babies grow fast. He'll be out of them before he's worn them twice.”
“I don't know,” Jacob said, shaking his head slowly. “We can't be too prepared.”
I chuckled. “We already have fifteen of them at home. Maybe we could let my mom buy a couple of things for the baby, too?”
“I'm getting both,” Jacob announced, putting both items in the basket.
I sighed. It was a good thing that Jacob was a billionaire. I was fairly sure that he'd already spent several million on this kid already.
A sharp pain started in my stomach and radiated around to my back. It wasn't awful, but it was enough to make me stop and gasp. Luckily, it didn't last long.
“Are you okay?” Jacob asked, coming to my side quickly. His blue eyes were big with concern. “Is it starting? Do we need to go to the hospital? I can leave all this stuff here, or I can have someone come buy it and meet us there or--”
“I'm fine,” I interrupted him. “I think we're close. The doctor did say any day now, but I'm not going to pop this kid out right in the middle of the baby store.”
“We should get you to the hospital anyway,” Jacob informed me, taking my hand and abandoning his cart full of baby clothes and the size three diapers we apparently need right this minute.
I gently shook him off. “The contractions are still over ten minutes apart. I don't want to go to the hospital and get poked and pinched until we're actually sure they'll let us stay.”
“They'll let us stay,” Jacob assured me. “I made sure of that.”
I rolled my eyes at him and laughed. Of course he did. He was more excited about meeting our baby boy than I could have imagined. It was all he talked about. Well, that and our business.
“Let's pay for our things and head home,” I told him. “I'd like to shower in my own shower and get a couple more things put together. Then, when we're at the doctor recommended contraction level, we will head to the hospital.”
Jacob frowned. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” I crossed my arms and glared at him.
He grabbed the cart and we quickly paid. Only one more contraction happened in the store, but I knew that it was starting.
We were going to have a baby in the next twenty-four hours.
I still couldn't believe it was happening.
The last eight months had flown by, yet they were the happiest eight months of my life. They were also the busiest of my life, getting ready for this baby to come.