Promise Me

“Stop moving,” he gasped. “I’m done. Christ, stop moving.” I did as he asked and he moved me gingerly off his body. “Damn, I’m sensitive. You make me that way.”

I curled into his body and felt my bones go liquid and weary. I just wanted to go to sleep. “I’m tired,” I told him.

“Go to sleep baby. I just want to hold you.”

Chapter 15

October seemed to come pretty quickly to Pointe Royal. The leaves changed to brilliant colors of red and gold on the trees. The football team was undefeated which made Coach Gatlin wildly happy. We were having our first of four classes. This one was preparation for childbirth. A one-day, all-day, express class. I was sitting on the sofa waiting on Skylar to finish getting ready.

We had eight weeks to go until Luke’s arrival. Coach and Aunt Codi told us to setup one of the rooms in the cabin as a nursery for him. I began online education classes at the start of fall semester. Mom and Dad paid for mine and Liam’s bachelor’s degrees. We paid for law school and medical school ourselves. I worked two years and saved enough money to pay for most of law school. Student loans paid for the minimal amount I couldn’t pay for. I was now paying those loans back. As long as Skylar and I lived simply in Coach’s cabin we could afford to provide for our small family until I completed my teaching degree. It wouldn’t take long. I had all the prerequisites out of the way with my bachelor’s degree in Economics.

Skylar was worried about Maddie LaBenito. She drove Nickolas and Maddie to the games both home and away every Friday night. Now, Dom could ride the bus to the away games. Gramps or her dad often went with her so she wasn’t alone, especially as her due date got closer. My Gramps was doing great for a guy in his eighties. We were proud of how he was handling Grams’ death. I think even the LaBenito children were helping him with his grief.

She waddled out to the living room. I would never tell her she was waddling because I thought she was adorable. “You ready?” I asked rising.

“I just have to pee.”

“I sat back down.”

A few minutes later she returned. “Now I’m ready.”

Her face was a little fuller. Her cheeks still rosy and her look just as beautiful. She only gained twenty pounds but on a woman who was only five feet nothing twenty pounds was a lot and most of it was in her belly. She didn’t have any more stretch marks but the ones she had, the six purple ones at the lower part of her belly were angry and more purple than before. I didn’t know how much more her skin could stretch. She looked really big to me but I only had her, Aine, Ryan and Sophia to gauge pregnancy by.

I guided her outside to the car. I held her hand until she slipped into the passenger seat. Then I leaned in and kissed her for good measure. She smiled at me. When we arrived at the hospital where we were going to the birthing class but she had to pee again. That was a common theme these days. I waited patiently outside the ladies’ bathroom for her then we went to the area in maternity where the classes were being held.

The instructor taught us about the delivery. What to expect. How Skylar could manage her pain. We practiced different breathing techniques. She showed us a live birth. I was in the room during the birth of Grace. I had not seen this much

of the birth though. Skylar glanced up at me.

“You know it will be different when it’s Luke coming out of me. Your excitement level will be so high you won’t notice all the gross stuff.”

I must have looked horrified. I managed a weak smile. “You think?”

“I do,” she reassured me patting my hand that was draped across her belly.

“How do women do this?” I asked her.

“We’re tough stuff.”

“Yeah, a lot tougher than me.” She laughed at me then.

After class, I was waiting once again for my little bride to go to the restroom when my pocket buzzed indicating that I had a text message.

Would you and Skylar meet me at the diner? Rhett said you were at birthing class this afternoon?

I stood there, with my back against the wall staring at my phone. Skylar laid her hand on my arm and stood on tiptoe to see who the text was from. I had nothing to hide from her. She could tell it upset me. “What do you want to do?” She asked.

“I want to meet Mom,” I answered Skylar softly. I still hadn’t looked at her unable to look away from my phone’s screen.

“Then answer your Mom and tell her yes.”

Sure Mom. We’ll meet you there. We’re leaving the hospital now. When?

Twenty minutes.

Just you? I asked her.

Just me.