“That’s awesome! I’m glad things are going so well for her. But don’t tell her I asked. If she thinks I’m interested, work is all she’ll talk about when she comes over.”
“My lips are sealed, gorgeous.”
“Can you set the table? The food’s almost ready.”
“One set table coming right up.”
Things with Hailey seemed effortless now. We were back from her European tour and settling into home nicely. Her skin was glowing from all the sun, her body stood taller than ever, and the tour had boosted her public profile in ways she couldn’t have imagined. Random people on the streets recognized her and wanted pictures and autographs. Even people at home wanted her signing their paintings they had already purchased. Ramon had sent us off with wonderful connections we had made in every country we touched down in, and he’d told us if we ever needed anything to give him a call.
He was ready to set up another tour for the books, but I told him to give us some time to settle in and have the baby.
I set the table as Hailey waddled between the fridge and the stove. I pulled out some drinks as she put the food on the table, watching her every move. I couldn’t take my eyes off her and how beautiful she looked carrying my child, the way her bosom had swelled and the way her thighs had thickened. It called to me in ways I couldn’t describe. Sometimes I would lie down beside her at night and dream about all the ways I could take her. She was the most beautiful woman in the world to me, and she was round with the life I had placed within her.
“Down boy. I recognize that look,” Hailey said.
“Maybe for dessert then,” I said with a wink.
“I think I’m going to have to hire someone else to run the gallery after I have this baby,” she said.
“What happened with the girl you hired while we were on tour?” I asked.
“She’s graduating, and she’s not staying in the area. Which is understandable. But that means I’ll have to hire someone else full-time, and that can be hard when you’re dealing with a student.”
“So, don’t deal with a student,” I said.
“I actually thought about asking one of the women who frequently showcases her paintings in the gallery. You know, the one who paints on her back porch for fun.”
“You think she’d do it?” I asked.
“If she won’t, I’ve got plenty of candidates from the first time I did this. I could call them up and see if they still want to set up an interview. I’m hoping to hire someone on in the next five weeks because once I hit thirty-seven weeks, labor won’t be stopped if it starts.”
“I bet your profile being raised in Europe will help with hiring, too,” I said.
“I want to start with the pool of people who applied before all that happened. Hiring someone because they’re a fan can run things into the ground sometimes. I want someone to care about the gallery and what I’ve done with it. I don’t want to hire someone who wants the job just because it’s me.”
“Ah, the struggles of the rich and famous.”
“I’m hardly rich,” she said, giggling.
“But you are famous.”
I leaned over to kiss Hailey, and the hairs on my neck stood on end. The sun was setting behind the trees, casting a warm glow all over the house. Her tan from her time in the sun was glowing, her face was radiant, and her body was fluid. I hated when she called herself things like “beached whale” and “bloated.” I knew part of it was a reinforcement by my mother, but I also knew part of her really believed it. She really looked in the mirror and believed she looked terrible. Her body was doing something mine never would, and that was a beautiful thing. She was giving me the greatest gift anyone could possibly give me, yet all she could see was what it was doing to her outside.
“You are the most intoxicating woman, Hailey,” I said.
“You’re just saying that so you can have dessert later,” she said, grinning.
I cupped her cheeks with my hands and forced her eyes to look at me.
“Your body is growing life. You’re growing another human being. And in a few weeks, I will watch that human being slide from the confines of your body. What is happening to you is magnificent. What is happening to you is something artists and authors have documented in paintings and books. I didn’t think it was possible for you to be any more beautiful to me until I watched your body swell with life.”
“I love it when you say things like that to me,” she said breathlessly.
“I don’t say them because you love them. I say them because they’re true.”
She brought her lips to mine, and our bodies melded together. I could feel our child pressing into my abdomen as my arms wrapped around her body. I could hardly contain myself. Talking about building the baby’s nursery furniture almost blew the surprise. I was grinning into her lips as she pulled back, and her eyes grew quizzical as I tried to bury it.
“What’s got you all smiling?” Hailey asked.