“I’ll talk to Coach too,” he went on. “He knows where I can get a good home security system.”
“Honey, we’re not raising a child in a prison,” I pointed out.
“Of course not, but they gotta be safe,” he replied. “My cousin Laurie, you remember her—when she had her first, she camedamn close to wrapping her entire home in bubble wrap. It’s not a bad idea.”
“It’s aterribleidea,” I laughed. “And I’m pretty sure it was her husband who wanted to wrap their house in bubble wrap.”
He shrugged and brought out his phone. “As for security—it’s gotta be top-of-the-line. If you don’t agree, ask your old man.”
“Why would I ask him? He’d probably agree with you.”
“That’s why. What time is it?”
For the love of God!
I looked at my phone, and my heart thudded a little harder.
Shit. It was time.
“It’s time to look,” I admitted. Dammit, now I was as nervous as James looked, and it was nuts! I was a nurse, for crying out loud. I was used to calming down family members who freaked out at nothing.
I opened the door to the bathroom, where two tests waited on the sink. James had bought one regular—two pink lines meant pregnant—and one digital that flat out said pregnant or not on the display.
I swallowed hard, and my stomach felt tight with nerves and unease. Would he be super disappointed?—
I had to know right away, so I spun around and planted a hand on James’s chest, surprising him.
“If I’m not?—”
“Then you’re not.” He got with the program in a heartbeat and dipped down to kiss me. “We haven’t even started trying, hellcat. These things can take time. Which you obviously already know, but I’m aware too. Okay?”
A breath gusted out of me, and I nodded once. He squeezed me tight, and I let the relief flow through me.
“Let’s look,” I whispered.
He released me and nudged me around, but he kept me close and hugged me loosely from behind. It was as if he knew I needed him nearby—or maybe he needed it too.
I took a breath and leaned toward the sink, almost afraid to take another step, and there it was. Just like that, my heart was pounding.
Two pink lines.
Pregnant.
A grin took over my face, and a rush of emotions swept through me, causing my eyes to well up. I covered my mouth with my hand as James squeezed me tighter and pressed his lips to my neck. He’d seen it too.
Some eight months ago, I’d been scared for my life. I’d been scared I wasn’t going to have a future at all. Barely a tomorrow. And that fear had almost snuffed out the big hope I’d left the US with—that this journey to Afghanistan would be my last for a long time because I’d wanted to be a mom.
“It looks like we’re gonna be parents, baby,” he murmured against my neck.
I nodded and turned around, quick to throw my arms around him, and I screwed my eyes shut.
Holy crap.
We were gonna be parents.
EPILOGUE 2
May 26th, 2026
