Bishop

“I think everybody can feel the irritation.”

“Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you and maybe I can help.”

Of course he can help, he’s Tyler.

“Am I going to be good at this?”I point to my stomach.“I’m having doubts, but I don’t want to express them to anyone because I don’t want them to think I’m incompetent to be a parent.”

“Newsflash, Harley, no one knows what they’re doing when they become a parent.You can be as prepared as you think you can be.Read all the books, have baby brothers and sisters, and none of it matters when it comes to your own kid.You’re going to second-guess yourself every step of the way.Then, one day you look around and you know this kid better than you know yourself.”

“Really?”

“Really.You’re gonna be a great mother.Just get out of your head and stop being mean to everybody.”He laughs.

“Guess I do owe people an apology.”

“I think they’ll be forgiving.”

Getting up, I bend over and give him a hug.“Thanks all knowing one.”

“You’re welcome.Liam sent me out to work my magic.He was scared.”

“He’s a traitor, but I’m thankful you’re here.”

He smiles, getting up slowly.“Always will be.Whenever you need me.”

“If you roll over one more time, you’re going to roll off this bed.”

“I can’t get comfortable,” she grumbles.“My belly’s too big.I can’t sleep and I just wanna be able to lie on my stomach.I haven’t been able to do it in months.I wish you could feel this.It’s annoying,” she complains, turning over so that she’s cuddled up against the body pillow she’s taken to sleeping with.

“Do you want me to shove a pillow under my shirt?Put a watermelon around my waist?”I think this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, but whatever it takes to put her at ease, I’ll do.

“That’s a great idea.There’s a cantaloupe in the kitchen, why don’t you go grab it?”

She’s absolutely not kidding.The tone of her voice isn’t playing around. I squeak out.“Right now?”

“Why not?If I can’t sleep, why should you?”She says with an evil laugh.

“Alright, if I’m getting up, so are you.”

“Easy buddy, I’m already awake.”

She reaches out, without words, asking me to help her up.Part of me wants to be rude and tell her she’s crazy, the other part of me wants to make it through the night.She might kill me at this point.Grasping her hand with mine, I tug her up.“Are you okay?”I ask as she grimaces.

“Just because you’re helping me get up and you’ve agreed to do this, doesn’t mean I’m happy with you.”

“Of course you’re not.”I laugh.

Slowly, we walk to the kitchen.I motion for her to have a seat at the counter.

“Mom put it in the fridge, in the back.”She tries to be helpful.

“You just sit there and look beautiful.I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”

“Ohh, look at you.”She whistles.“Trying to be my knight in shining armor.”

“I don’t have to try to be, baby.I’m always going to give you everything you need.”

Finally, I find the container she was talking about and walk it over to the counter.“You need anything else?”