She nodded. Looking into his eyes, she believed him. Yes, love is what she felt. His love, her love, all mixed in with desire, respect, affection, and many more emotions.
She kept her eyes on him as the climax took over her with such force she felt lightheaded. She heard him yell in the background, but it sounded far away.
She came to lying on her side with him spooned behind her and holding her close. His hands were on her rounded belly. Faith entwined their fingers together and she felt him squeeze them lightly. Words were not needed at this moment.
Chapter 18
Faith looked around the closed restaurant. Alana had invited her and Adam to have a private family dinner.
“It’s kind of dark in here,” she whispered to Adam, who was right behind her. He had insisted she wear the new deep purple maternity dress he had just bought her. She felt good. He had been taking such good care of her, making sure she didn’t overwork, and it showed. Her skin glowed and she couldn’t stop smiling these days. “Are you sure she is here?”
“Yes, the front door was open,” he said, keeping his arm around her waist so she wouldn’t bump into anything. “Let me turn the main light on.”
He switched a flip and people yelled out “Surprise!” This made her gasp with shock. She felt Adam’s hands on her shoulder in a calming gesture. She looked up at him and saw he was not surprised at all. Her sister and Alana and her family all clapped with happiness.
“I can’t believe this. I thought we agreed no baby shower.” Faith couldn’t keep the smile from her face.
Alana hugged her. “Holly helped, so she is an accomplice.”
Faith hugged her sister next. Holly looked so excited. Her cheeks were pink and she had a pretty yellow dress on. Her blonde hair fell in curls around her face. “Thanks, Holly.”
The door behind them opened and Faith received another shock. Her mother walked in the door with her boyfriend Ted.
“Mom? I can’t believe this.” Faith gasped with shock.
Her mom looked a little hesitant as if she wasn’t sure of her welcome yet. Beside a few hours on Thanksgiving and Christmas, she hadn’t had much contact with her mother. They spoke on the phone once a week, but they were still in the getting to re-know one another stage. After being apart from her mother for years it felt good to be able to see her again.
“I hope it’s okay. Holly invited me.” She was wearing a nice, classic navy blue dress, not the tight revealing clothes Faith was used to seeing her in. Her hair was pulled up in a fancy twist.
“Of course it’s okay. I’m glad to see you. I wanted to take a trip to Austin to see you but I have been so busy with work and doctors appointments.”
Faith looked at the tall, slim man with short gray hair. He stood quietly next to her mom. He seemed like a nice, stable man. Just what her mom needed. She shook his hand. “It’s nice to see you again, Ted.”
He smiled at Faith and handed Adam a huge wrapped box. “Rebecca has been so excited about today.”
“I am shocked. I had no idea this was going on,” Faith replied, blinking back tears. A long table filled with gifts stood by the window. A huge pink cake was the centerpiece.
Alana led Faith to a chair. “Ray and my dad made tons of food, but I can’t wait to see all these gifts being opened.”
Mrs. Garcia and Faith’s mom sat next to each other and agreed. They had excited looks on their faces.
Faith opened a present from Alicia, Alana’s younger sister. She held up a tiny pink dress complete with socks and shoes. Faith held it up as Holly and Alicia took pictures.
“I was getting my baby shower one way or another,” Alana remarked out loud. Noah laughed at his wife’s enthusiasm.
“She enjoyed shopping, that’s for sure. I hate to think about our children. Alana will spend all her time shopping,” Noah teased. “I might need a second job.”
“The sooner the better,” Mrs. Garcia told her daughter. “I’m not getting any younger.”
Alana laughed. “We’re newlyweds, Mama. Give us time.”
“I can’t wait to be an aunt,” Alicia announced. She looked at Faith. “You will have to let me babysit for you, Faith.”
Adam handed Faith another gift. He kissed Faith on the forehead as she hugged the pretty pink box. She felt overwhelmed with emotions and she knew it was more than hormones. It had been a month since she came back from her weekend with Adam. He spent all his free time with her. He had even helped Jenny at the coffee shop so she could put her swollen feet up. It had been hilarious watching him try to make sense of all the equipment until he gave up and served the baked goods instead. She felt his love and care and she was starting to believe that he had put the past behind him and was concentrating on her and their daughter. He never brought up his fears and doubts.
Faith opened up more baby gifts. In three months she would be a mother. She had moments of panic despite reading every book on motherhood ever written.
Adam wanted to get married, but she held back. She was afraid of getting hurt down the road. Now she had second thoughts. Should she marry him? Wasn’t everything in life a risk?