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Guy
A Few Months Later
I carefully set my steaming brew on my desk, looking forward to starting our new project at work. Rosedale Tech had just signed a contract with the State of California to create an app to protect users against hackers and scammers. When I glanced at my watch, I noticed Ariel still hadn't come down for breakfast.
"Hmmm."
When I decided to go check, I found her asleep and couldn't help but smile — she looked so content. Although Ariel had adjusted well to moving in with me, she was still getting accustomed to security being present, and we didn't have much privacy. As usual, Rachel was posted on the second-floor hall and stopped me when I walked by. "Is Ariel okay? The past few days, she's been sleeping a lot.”
"She's fine," I whispered, leaning in so Rachel could hear me. "I think the move has just been tiring for her."
I was on my way downstairs back to my office when I got a text from Dorothy. I grinned and typed out a quick message telling her I would send the picture she was dying to see. Thanks to Meagan's help, Ariel had reconnected with her mother, and she'd visited my Casa Palacious twice since Ariel and Meagan had moved in. Dorothy was thrilled to reunite with all of us.
Unable to control my desire to admire my purchase one more time, I approached the floor safe inside a nearby storage closet. But a jolt of anxiety shocked me when I realized I had forgotten the code. I stood there motionless for a moment and focused on the safe, trying to remember the four-digit code. Although I tried relentlessly, I couldn't recall it. "Shit! I can't believe this," I muttered, palming my hair. After trying a couple of combinations, I finally remembered it was the first four digits of the home's address. Clicking noises resonated in sync with each number as I entered each one - success! Grabbing the velvet box from inside, I opened it, admiring Ariel's engagement ring again. Each facet reflected a unique fire, "It's perfect!" I took a picture and sent it to Dorothy.
Closing the safe, I decided I wanted the ring in a handier place. So, I placed the box in the top drawer of my desk. A few minutes later, I heard light footsteps enter the room. "Hey, you," Ariel said as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders from behind.
I turned in my chair and pulled her into my lap. "Good morning, beautiful."
Ariel smiled and kissed me lightly on the lips. "What are you working on?"
"Just creating a template for our new project for work."
Ariel's eyebrows furrowed in thought. "I think I'll stick with writing fiction."
I chuckled and brushed a stray hair out of her face. "Maybe, I'll try that myself. But for now, why don't you just follow me into the kitchen and let me fix you breakfast?"
Ariel nodded and laid her head on my shoulder. "I can do that."
Holding Ariel in my arms, I stood up and carried her to the kitchen. It never ceased to amaze me how perfectly she fit against my body. I placed her on the kitchen stool and began pulling things out of the fridge.
"What are you making?" Ariel asked, leaning her chin on her hand.
"Omelets," I replied, cracking eggs into a bowl.
Ariel's stomach let out a light growl, and she giggled. "I'm starving."
I snickered and added some milk to the eggs before whisking them together. Finally, I poured the mixture into a hot pan and began adding our favorite fillings: ham, cheese, and mushrooms. After folding the omelets, I slid them onto plates and brought them to the table.
Ariel's eyes lit up when she saw the food, and she dug in eagerly. "This is so good. I've been famished lately."
I raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that so? Maybe I need to feed you more often."
Ariel giggled and took another bite of her omelet. "Well.... there is a reason for it."
"Oh?" I prompted, taking a sip of my coffee.
Ariel looked up at me with a twinkle in her eye. "I'm pregnant."
I just stared at her for a moment, not quite sure I had heard her correctly. And then, it sunk in. Ariel was going to have our baby. We were going to be parents. An unfamiliar wave of emotion crashed over me, and I pulled Ariel into my arms.
"You've just made me the happiest man in the world," I whispered into her hair as I held her close. "Are you sure, though? I thought the doctor told you it would be hard..."
"But not impossible." Ariel pulled back and cupped my face in her hands. "Follow me upstairs."
I followed without hesitation. "What are we doing, sweetheart?" Ariel tugged me into the bathroom and showed me a device that looked like a digital thermometer.
"Guy, see the faint pink line?"
