AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Are you okay, Hart?”
“You’re still as smooth as velvet, just like the champagne,” she says in a quiet voice. “But I bet I can still shock you.”
I grin, relieved nothing is wrong like I first thought. “Shock me how?”
She leans on her forearms across the table, and I drop the act and meet her halfway. Reaching over, I kiss her slow and tender, holding her cheek with my hand.
“Hart, what’s going on?” I can feel something radiating off her, it’s like she’s going to burst, but I’ve no clue what it is.
She leans toward my ear and kisses the skin just below it. “Okay, I’m going off script here. But there’s obviously something I need to tell you.”
“Tell me,” I urge.
“Gray, I’m pregnant,” she whispers.
I pull back to look at her, my eyes glazing over as my head tries to catch up with my beating heart. “You’re… holy shit.” I can’t even get the words out.
Is this really happening?
We gaze at each other over the table as I comprehend her words.
She’s nodding.
“Hart?”
“Well, I’m late and I’m tender, as you know. I’ve been feeling sick the last few weeks, and I thought it was just the last of that dreaded flu, but I took a pregnancy test this afternoon.”
I know I’m staring at her like a deer caught in headlights. My heart is hammering so hard in my chest. “Pregnant?” It’s like I’m trying the words for the first time.
“Yes.” She nods again, tears springing to her eyes. I don’t even know if I can keep my emotions in check while the cogs in my head turn over.
A huge grin creeps across my face. “I can’t believe it, sweetheart. I’m going to be a father?”
“Yes, Gray. I mean, I’ll book in to see the doctor when we get back, but I took the test twice, and I’ve had all the symptoms.”
I push my chair back, rushing to her as I pull her into my arms. I can’t contain my emotions as I feel my eyes well with tears and I hold her close. I never want to let her go. “If that’s true, baby, you just made this the best meet-aversary in the world.”
She looks up at me, with tears streaming down her face. “You’re going to be a dad, Gray. I can’t tell you how happy I am and how I’ve been bursting to tell you all afternoon.” This is what was making her so nervous, I’ve no idea how she kept it in.
I wipe her tears with my hands and she reaches up to do the same to me.
I press one hand against her belly. She’s not showing, obviously, but soon enough she will be. Our child.
Her words sink in. I’m going to be a dad. I could shout it from the rooftops. I could cry a thousand rivers. My life is made with her by my side, but a child is a gift that trumps everything. And we did this.
“You’re gonna make the best Mom,” I whisper into her hair as I see Bert walking over to see what all the fuss is about. I grin as he clears his throat behind us. I turn, pride written all over me as I say, “A bottle of your best nonalcoholic champagne, please, Bert. I’m going to be a dad.”
I haven’t been able to contain the grin on my face from three days ago when our lives changed irrevocably forever.
We barely made it inside after dinner in New York. I wanted to stare at the beautiful body where my first born child is growing. Worship this woman who lit up my life and made me love again.
She saw the doctor when we first got back this morning and it’s official.
We’re going to be parents.
I’m the luckiest guy on the planet. I can’t believe this woman is mine and now we have a baby on the way. We aren’t exactly sure what happened with her contraception, because obviously we weren’t actively trying to get pregnant, but neither of us care about how. We’ve already talked about the dynamics of what this means when the baby arrives. Hartley will take maternity leave and eventually return to the practice part-time while I stay at home and look after the baby.
Her dad and Linda were over the moon when we told them straight after the doctor’s visit, they’re ecstatic about becoming grandparents. Hart already assured Jim the practice would keep on running smoothly and she would be there up until she gave birth, not that he was bothered. I’ve never seen him so happy. They sure seem to be on better terms than she told me they had been in the past. I guess he's fully aware now she’s capable of carrying on the family name in the firm and has let go.
