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“We have to be out of here by noon.”
I glanced behind him at the clock on the stove. It was just after six.
“Back to reality.” I drove down my disappointment.
The last couple of days hadn’t been great, but they had been better than being at home.
In a few minutes,our feet hit the sand with Blake between us, holding each of our hands. We walked along the water’s edge, lifted him every time a wave came in. That giggle was what I lived for. I tucked the memory in my soul for the times later when I was at my worst.
We built one more sandcastle until Blake fell asleep with his shovel in hand. Gently, Patrick pried it from his fingers and scooped him up. I gathered our things and followed them inside.
“He’soutout.”Patrick shed his T-shirt as he came into the bedroom.
“Which means he’ll be a live wire on the plane.”
“I see more dirty looks in my future.” He grabbed me from behind and put his chin on my shoulder. “You feel okay? Up to traveling?”
“If I said I wasn’t, could we stay?”
“You’d want to?”
“Don’t you love it here?”
“I needed this more than I realized,” he said as he steered me toward the bathroom. Once in front of the vanity, we washed our hands. In the mirror, his eyes dropped down to our hands on my stomach. “I can’t get used to it.”
He lifted the hem of my shirt, revealing the skin of my belly. He caressed around my belly button, wonder in his touch. I allowed him to explore, to get to know our gummy, even as goosebumps rose on my skin.
“She’s incredible.”
I fought a smile. “Hopefully, she’s not like either one of us.”
“I want her to be as spirited as her mother.”
I swallowed thickly. “You want to deal with two of us?”
“You don’t think I can handle it?”
“How could anybody?”
His hands splayed across my stomach. “When will you start to show?”
“At least a few more weeks.”
He appeared disappointed. “I want to be able to touch whenever I want.”
A sharp gasp escaped me. “I—”
“Don’t keep me from our gummy. I want her to know me when she gets here.”
My nose tingled. “Okay.”
“Why are you about to cry?”
“I don’t know.”
“I can’t have my girls upset.” He raised my arms over my head and stripped off my shirt.
I stood rigid in only my shorts.
