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It took a second, but then realization showed in his eyes. "You're okay with the fact that I come with a teenage son? A teenage son who, by the way, thinks you’re cool. Oh, and who knew we were an item before we did."
I laughed. "I'm glad that Dean is here. I want us to be a family."
He closed his eyes as if he were savoring my words. "That's what I want too, baby. You and me and Dean and this little guy."
"That little guy might be a girl."
"Boy, girl, either way, I'm happy."
Then he kissed me, and I kissed him back, for the first time, really understanding what it meant to love. And what it felt like to be loved.
One of theadvantages of living in Las Vegas was how quickly a marriage can take place. Not that we rushed from bed down to the nearest chapel of love, but we did plan and execute a wedding within two weeks.
I walked down the aisle toward Todd. The love shining in his eyes made me feel like the center of the universe. Next to him stood Dean as his best man, and my heart was filled to capacity to think we were about to be a family.
All our friends were here, Analyn, Ruby, and Naomi along with their husbands, and Todd's best friend, Levi. I really enjoyed Levi. He came off a bit like a playboy, but I could tell that he cared for Todd a great deal. He was to Todd like Analyn was to me.
After the ceremony, we had a small reception, and then Todd whisked me away to a beach in Mexico, leaving Dean behind with Levi. Todd worried a little bit about what Levi might expose Dean to while we were gone, but I assured him that Dean was a smart kid. He’d keep Levi in line.
The second morning of our honeymoon, I felt the baby move for the first time. I reached across the bed for Todd's hand, placing it on my stomach.
He looked up at me with awe in his eyes. "It feels like you've got an athlete in there."
I nodded.
"Maybe he'll play for the family hockey team."
I smirked. "It could be a girl."
He grinned. "Don't you know, baby? I'm all for women in hockey. I'm the one who hired a woman to coach a men's hockey team. I have no problem with putting a woman on the team."
I laughed and pulled him to me for a kiss. "Anything for publicity, right?"
He rolled over me, settling his hips between my thighs. "Here's a press release for you." He thrust inside me, and all words were gone for the next hour.
When we returned from our honeymoon, ship with the boss, I didn't care. Besides, Todd wasn't going to be my boss much longer. His first priority when we returned was planning the charity hockey game with Dean. It was determined that the event would take place at the end of the season and after the playoffs.
The second order of business was to prepare for his retirement. The baby was due in five months, so March was his goal to find a new CEO and fully transition out and retire.
When we weren't at work, we were at home. Our life might've seemed quite ordinary to the outside world, but to me, it was perfection. In the morning, I woke up next to the man I loved and the child we made kicking inside me. We had breakfast as a family. After school and work, we were home together. Dean sometimes taught Todd how to cook. Other times, Todd was taking Dean out to drive. Dean had just started private driving lessons with the goal to have his license by Thanksgiving.
Sometimes, we played games, although not Catan. I think they both got tired of losing all the time. On the weekends, Dean was out with friends or with his new girlfriend. I mentioned to Todd that perhaps he needed to have a talk with Dean about the birds and the bees. Todd laughed and told me how when he had explained to Dean that I was pregnant, Dean was the one who said that perhaps Todd needed the lesson.
By late February, we were nearly ready to enter the next phase of our lives. I was large and sometimes wondered if maybe there was more than one baby inside me. My doctor was adamant that there was only one. Todd and I decided that we would wait until the birth to know whether it was a boy or girl, so the nursery was made up in neutral colors.
It was a regular Saturday. Todd had gone into the office to do some work. Since the beginning of the year, he had spent more weekends at the office, but I knew it was only so that we could meet our deadline for his retirement when the baby came. Today, he was down in Henderson, dealing with hockey business while Dean and I remained at home.
Dean was watching a livestream in his room while I was sitting and relaxing, having a cup of tea. But I was having a difficult time getting comfortable.
I rose from the couch and went into the kitchen to re-warm my tea when I felt a sudden wetness between my legs. For a moment, I stood in the middle of the kitchen looking down. Had I just wet my pants? And then I realized ...No. My water broke.
I put my cup in the sink, and as I turned away, the lower part of my belly tightened hard, making me catch my breath.
"Dean?” I gripped the edge of the counter.
"Yeah?" he bellowed from his room.
"Can you come here, please?"
