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"Afraid?"
Hope nodded.
"Of course I am," Drew admitted. "But I doubt we're afraid of all the same things. Or, at least, I imagine the level of our fear varies significantly."
Her eyes narrowed. "How so?"
"The difference in our family dynamics and the impact that has on our lives, for one." Drew shook his head. "Not that one is any better than the other, but how we're raised affects us. Our outlook. Our perceptions. The paths we choose. The decisions we make. Pretty much everything."
Taking her hand, Drew led Hope back to the sofa. "Tell me what scares you the most."
"In general, or with the pregnancy?"
"The pregnancy."
"Motherhood.” She exhaled slowly. “Being responsible for another human being. Will I know what to do? What if I don't? What if it's too much? What if I can't handle it?" By the time she paused to take a breath, her voice trembled and tears filled her eyes, deepening the amber color.
Drew wrapped his arm around Hope's shoulder and tucked her against his side. "Don't you think most people are scared shitless when they find out they're going to be parents, Hope? Especially for the first time?"
"Does the thought of becoming a father scare you?"
"Hell, yes. Just not to the point that I'm on the verge of a panic attack about it."
"But I am."
Nodding, Drew pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Your level of fear does appear to be much higher than mine."
Hope raked her teeth across her bottom lip. "And I assume you attribute this to the difference in our family dynamics. That, since I come from a broken home because my mother walked away without looking back when I was five, and you come from a close-knit extended family, that makes me more afraid of becoming a good parent than you. Not to mention that you still have that extended family to support you, and I'm now essentially an orphan."
"You don't think it makes a difference?"
She averted her gaze. "Of course it does."
"Different doesn't mean one is superior to the other." Drew curled his forefinger beneath her chin, forcing her to look at him. "These last few months have been pure hell for you, Hope. Having never lost a parent, I can't begin to imagine what that even feels like. But I can try to understand how everything you've been through makes facing this pregnancy so much different for you than it is for me."
Drew laid his hand on the gentle swell of Hope's belly. "What I want you to know more than anything else right now is that you're not alone. We're in this together, Hope. No matter what."
Hope covered his hand with hers. "You do realize what a hot mess I am, right?"
Relief loosened the tight bands of tension holding his body hostage. "Well, you're in luck then, because hot messes are my specialty."
A smile tugged at her lips. "Good to know."
With gentle strokes, Drew caressed Hope's belly. "This time next year, he or she will be here." He was still in absolute awe that a part of him grew inside Hope's womb.
“Do you have a preference whether it’s a girl or boy?” she asked.
"Not really. How about you?" Although he'd already envisioned teaching a son to mount a horse, catch and throw a ball, bait a hook, and ride a two-wheeler, Drew would be just as enamored with a daughter, who, if she was anything like her mother, would also enjoy riding horses, going fishing, and playing ball.
"I just want him or her to be healthy."
"And happy."
"Of course." She traced several circles on the back of his hand. "Do you want to find out whether it's a boy or girl?"
Drew placed a kiss on her temple. "I want whatever you want," he replied and meant every word.
Bracing her left hand on the arm of the sofa behind him, Hope shifted to face Drew. "Are you sure about that?" A sexy gleam sparkled in her big brown eyes, and heat curled through him, settling in his groin.
