“I like going down on you,” she giggled. “I like when you lose control.”
“I see that,” I chuckled.
She sighed. “Have you thought of names?”
“No, not really.” We’d decided at Kandy’s 20-week appointment that we didn’t want to find out the gender. We figured whether it was a boy or a girl, we would love him or her regardless. Of course, we shopped for unisex colors, like yellows and greens, and Kandy and Lora had even started decorating one of the extra bedrooms, setting it up as the nursery. We were excited for the baby, and even happier that this miracle was happening right in front of our very eyes.
“I think I’ll leave the name-picking up to you. I’m not really good with names,” I murmured.
“I’ve been Googling some, searching on Pinterest, but there are so many. What about Leo for a boy?”
“Meh. I know a Leo, and he’s an asshole. What else you got?”
“Okay…what about Valerie for a girl?”
“Hmm…I kind of like that. Put it on the list. Any others?”
She sat up, pressing down on the bed with a flat hand. “Okay…this one is going to sound weird…but what about Chance, for a boy?”
“Chance? Like take a chance?”
“Yes!” She broke out in a laugh.
“Isn’t there a rapper with that name?”
“Yes, but that’s not why I want to use that name. The way I see it, this baby is our fighting chance, and if someone ever asked, I’d have no problem explaining how.”
I raised a brow. “Wow. Now that you explain it, it makes sense.” I looked into her eyes. “I like that.”
“So Valerie for a girl, and Chance for a boy?”
He smirked. “I can get down with those.”
“Good.” She climbed on my lap, and her belly settled between us. I felt a kick in my abdomen and smiled. The baby was moving. My baby. “I love you so much,” she said to me, her arms laced around my neck.
“And I love you, little one.” I kissed her upper lip. “So much.”
I’ll be honest, I never thought there would be a day when I was excited to have a baby on the way. My life had been so chaotic and busy that I deemed it impossible, yet on my lap was a pregnant beauty, five and a half months along, and in her womb was my child. Mine. I’d planted that seed, and we were watching it grow.
I never knew such happiness existed, but now that it was happening, I never wanted to let go of it.
Chapter 16
CANE
3 1/2 Months Later
Remember when I said if there was too much peace in my life, a storm would always come rolling by? Well, I could feel it coming, and for the first time in my life, I knew this was a storm that was going to make me suffer. I’d drown in its treacherous waters with no one to save me. Because sometimes, we couldn’t be saved. Sometimes we got swept away with no one to help us.
My phone buzzed on my desk, and I saw it was a text from Kandy. I remembered the day she texted me. March 20th.
Kandy: Not feeling well today.
Can’t tell if I’m having really bad Braxton-Hicks or actual contractions.
Me: Need me to come get you?
Take you to see Dr. Maxine?
Kandy: No. I think I just need to lie down. Tired. Text me when you’re on the way home.
Me: I will. Get some rest.
If you need anything, ask my mom or Lora. They’re there to help.
Kandy: I will
I’d told Cora I couldn’t fly out of town for three months straight. The work was going to have to come to me since Kandy had just hit the eight and a half month mark and the baby was due at any time. Not only that, but the Braxton-Hicks contractions were getting stronger.
Her doctor suggested that I remain close, and also mentioned that since Kandy was such high risk, that the baby could come way before forty weeks. Her induction was scheduled in two more weeks, so yeah…this was happening, and the whole pregnancy felt like it had flown by. Kandy was currently at thirty-four weeks, her belly growing rapidly. She thought she looked awful, but to me she was a goddess.
While l worked on writing up emails, my phone buzzed on the desk again. A call from Lora.
“Q!” Lora yelled into the phone. I could hear the worry in her voice, so intense it was almost like I could feel it. I jerked to my feet.
“Lora? What’s going on?” I asked.
“You need to get to the hospital right now! I’m taking Kandy there. She had a few bad cramps this morning and took a nap, but when she woke up, there was blood on the bed. We’re on the way now but she’s in a lot of pain.”
I didn’t have to hear her completely before I was charging out of the office. “I’m coming.”