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Then she’d taken off the smock to reveal her baby bump. She was pregnant. And the baby she was carrying was Patrick’s. Patrick’s child. Patrick’s daughter.
Though he’d never thought much about children, the time he’d spent with Emma last fall had made him wonder if a family wouldn’t be such a bad thing. And now that it was happening…
“Patrick?” Emma’s voice sounded worried and uncertain. Her eyes were shiny with unshed tears once again.
He couldn’t let another moment go by. Patrick reached for her hands and felt the way that their palms fit perfectly together, like pieces of a puzzle.
“Emma. This can only be good news.”
“I think so, but I wasn’t sure if you’d see it the same way.” She bit her lip. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you, but?—”
“Emma.” Patrick chuckled a little. “I told you already to stop apologizing. I understand the difficult position you must have been in, and I think you were incredibly brave. Of course, I wish we could have had these last months together, too, but I won’t let that stop me from being happy that we might get another chance now. And being excited about our family.” His gaze dropped to her stomach. “May I…”
“Yes, of course.” Emma guided Patrick’s hand to her stomach. He ran his hand along the curve and felt the warmth of her skin beneath the thin top. Then he felt something else — a light tapping against his palm.
“Do you feel that?” Emma asked.
“Is that… is that the baby?”
“She’s saying hello to her dad.”
They smiled at each other for a long moment before Patrick spoke again.
“You didn’t answer my question, Emma. Are you interested in trying our relationship again?”
This time she didn’t hesitate, not even for a fraction of a second.
“Yes. Absolutely yes. If you’re sure that the baby doesn’t change anything. I want you to know that I don’t expect anything from you. You can choose how involved you want to be, whether that’s?—”
“Emma.” Patrick cut her off. “If you want to take things slow, that’s okay with me. But I want you to know that I’m all in — on our relationship and our little family. I won’t say that the pregnancy didn’t come as a surprise, but it’s a good one.”
Emma smiled, and it was like the sun had just come out from behind the clouds to illuminate the classroom.
“I think so, too.”
Patrick didn’t want to hold back anymore. Slowly, giving her plenty of time to pull away if she wanted to, he leaned forward. Their lips inched closer and closer until he could feel the heat of Emma’s skin. And then the last inches between them disappeared and they were kissing.
It was everything he had dreamed of for the last long months without her. Their first kisses had felt warm, exciting, passionate, and full of both affection and potential. This kiss topped them all. It felt like coming home.
He pulled Emma closer with an arm around her lower back and she leaned into him, kissing him back with as much intensity as he kissed her. As they pressed together, Patrick felt her bump brush his stomach and he smiled against her lips.
If someone had told him a year ago that he’d be deeply in love with a woman — a woman who had stolen his most prized piece of art, at that — and that she was expecting his baby, he would have laughed them out of the room. Now, though, nothing could feel more right or more meant to be.
They kissed for what felt like hours. Patrick never wanted to stop holding Emma in his arms or tasting the sweetness of her lips. He felt like the whole world had stopped spinning just for them.
Then she pulled away, a shy smile on those soft pink lips.
“I don’t want to stop, but there’s something I need to show you.”
“Let me guess,” Patrick said, a gentle teasing in his voice. “It’s twins?”
Emma laughed. “No, no. Your toddler is waiting at home.”
Patrick’s eyes widened, and then he burst into laughter alongside her and hugged her tighter.
“All right, my love. What do you want to show me?”
A flicker of emotion crossed Emma’s face at the words “my love,” but she didn’t comment.
