“I would expect nothing less.” I chuckle, wanting to lighten the mood. “Now, will you get over here and kiss me already?”
His gaze softens, a faint smile tugging on his lips as he leans over the bed and does just that.
Everything will be okay.
I just have to remember that, and make sure Graham knows that.
I can’t let myself go down a rabbit hole of what ifs.
Please let me be okay.
26
Graham
Stepping into the hallway after getting dressed, I’m met with Charley’s bubbly laughter coming from the bathroom. The door is partially open, letting me see her reflection in the mirror, while some upbeat pop song I’m pretty sure I’ve heard before drifts into the hallway, mixing with her infectious giggles. I can’t see what’s making her laugh, but I have a pretty good guess.
“Get it, girl!” she boasts, and that’s when I hear a second set of laughter—Ellie Mae.
Before I even reach the doorway and peek inside, I’m already smiling. Inching the door open, I rest my shoulder against the jamb and cross my arms over my chest, taking in the scene before me. Charley meets my gaze in the mirror, her bright blue eyes lit up and squinty from the wide grin she’s wearing. She’s in a pair of my sweats and a sports bra, and her hair is pinned back while she does her makeup. On the counter beside her is my sweet little girl, except instead of sitting, like she normally does, she’s dancing while watching herself in the mirror, a greenbubble-style headband on her head. Then there’s Biggie Smalls, lying on the bathmat in front of the tub, watching his two favorite girls.
My favorite girls too.
“Seems I missed the invite to the dance party,” I drawl, pulling Ellie Mae’s attention away from her own reflection. Walking into the bathroom behind Charley, my hands come to her hips as I meet her gaze in the mirror. I press my lips to the side of her neck before saying, “Hey, Sunny.”
“Hey.” Turning her head to the side, Charley kisses me. “You look nice.”
“So do you,” I murmur.
“I’m not dressed yet.” She chuckles.
My hands slide around, coming to her stomach. “Always beautiful.”
Huffing a laugh, she says, “If you say so.” A smile ticks up on her lips as she gets back to doing her makeup. “I’m almost done, then I just gotta throw my hair up and get dressed.”
“Sounds good.” I scoop Ellie Mae into my arms, throwing her playfully in the air a few times as she gives me a great, big belly laugh. “It’s time for you to get dressed too, Dancing Queen.”
This afternoon, we’re driving to a baby store just outside of town to do some shopping. With Charley finishing school and starting her new job, we haven’t set aside much time to get anything as far as our peanut is concerned, and with us only ten weeks out, I figure it’s probably time to kick it into gear. It’s been three days since the trip to the hospital, and thankfully, her blood pressure has been closer to a normal level. It’s still a little high, but not like it was the other day. I tried to hide it because I knew Charley was already anxious, but getting that call from her rattled me. I’ve consistently been on high alert ever since while also trying not to hover.
About twenty minutes later, we’re all buckled in the car and on our way. There’s a restaurant I’ve been dying to try close to the store we’re going to, so assuming Charley is up for it and Ellie Mae isn’t cranky, I plan to take them there for dinner when we’re done. It’s right on the lake, the patio seating overlooking it, and I can only imagine how beautiful it’ll look when the sun sets. Not to mention, I’ve heard nothing but raving reviews about the food.
“You excited?” I ask Charley, reaching over and threading my fingers through hers.
“Yes! Are you?”
“Hell yeah, I am.” Bringing our hands to my mouth, I kiss the back of hers before letting them settle in her lap the rest of the drive. “Have you found any nursery themes you like yet?”
“I’ve narrowed it down to a few,” she says. With us choosing not to find out the sex, we have to go with a more gender-neutral theme. Charley’s been trying to figure out a theme for a few weeks now. “But I want your help deciding.”
“I’m happy with whatever makes you happy, Sunny.”
She squeezes my hand a few times. “That’s sweet, but not very helpful, Graham.”
I chuckle at the slight annoyance in her tone. “Okay, you’re right. I’m sorry. I want to be as helpful as possible, so what are the options?”
Charley shimmies excitedly in her seat as she unlocks her phone. She shows me a couple of options, and they’re both nice and would work, yet somehow, I know she’s saving her favorite for last. “Don’t laugh at this next one,” she says before flipping her phone around to show me.
My stomach does a flip as I lift my gaze to meet hers before returning to the road. “Why would I laugh? I couldn’t think of anything more perfect for our child than a sunflower-themed nursery.”
