Seeing her now, though, I’m struck with a sense of rightness, like she belongs here, in my home…my bed…my heart.
I lower myself to the edge of the mattress and run my fingers over her messy hair. “Wake up, baby. I have something for you.”
She grumbles in her sleep but doesn’t wake. “C’mon, gotta get up. Don’t you want to see what I have for you?”
Stacia stretches and mumbles, “Already seen your dick, dummy.”
I don’t even try to fight my grin. “As much as I’d love to be talking about my dick, that’s not it.”
She peels one lid open. “What?”
“French toast.”
She pulls back. “Please tell me you didn’t cook.”
I bark a laugh. Little smartass. “Nope. Swung by Benny’s.”
Her other eye pops open; I have her attention now. “Benny’s?”
“That’s right. Come eat while it’s hot.”
It takes her a second to unravel her blanket cocoon, but she manages to wriggle her way out. She tries to veer toward the bathroom, but I redirect her straight to the kitchen.
It takes her a second to see past the steaming plate of powdered sugar and syrupy goodness, but when she does, she rushes toward the island. “Did you…do this?”
“I did. I wanted you to be able to take a test first thing this morning. Everything I read online said your…fuck, what is it…your something-something-something levels are higher in the morning.”
Her eyes go weepy as she stares at me. “You researched this?”
“Of course. I want to be a part of this every step of the way. I want to be there for you, to help you, and to learn with you, so we can give our kid the best of everything.”
Stacia throws herself into my arms, almost bowling me over. “I love you,” she whispers, surprising us both.
I try to brush it off, not wanting to get my hopes up. “That’s just your hormones talking, baby mama.”
She reaches up and cups both of my cheeks, pulling my eyes to hers. “No, that’s me, speaking from the bottom of my heart. You scare me; this thing between us scares me. But even still, I love you, West Larson, and I’m willing to be brave with you by my side.”
Two halves of a whole, we both lean in at the same time. Our kiss is soft and sweet, a preview of what’s to come.
It almost pains me to pull away, but I do; nobody likes soggy French toast. “Let’s eat and then we—uh, you—can take a test or two. Does that sound good?”
Lightning quick, Stacia pecks my lips one more time before settling herself down onto the stool in front of one of the plates. “Coffee?” she asks around a mouthful.
“On it.” I whip up two cups with my Nespresso, placing the creamier of the two before her. We eat in silence, both anxious about the unassuming looking pile of boxes; the result of one of these little sticks is going to change the course of our lives forever, and honestly, I can’t fucking wait for the next leg of our journey together. You know…assuming it’s positive.
Please be positive.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Stacia
Nerves rattle around in my belly, stealing my appetite as I try and force down the French toast West so thoughtfully brought me. But every time I lift the fork to my mouth, my vision snags on the little tower of pregnancy tests.
Finally, I can’t take it any longer, and I swipe the uppermost box and hop down from my stool.
“Now?” he asks, standing as well.
I nod, clutching the package to my chest. “Yeah, now.” I turn and walk back to the master bathroom. West moves to follow me inside, but I stop him, a hand to his chest. “Let me uh…you know…and then we can read the results together?”
As I speak, it dawns on him I want privacy to pee, and he looks embarrassed. “Yeah, of course. Just let me know when I can come in.” I nod, and he drops a soft kiss to my forehead.
In the bathroom, I open the box and read the directions. Shockingly, for as long as I’ve been sexually active, this is my first time taking a pregnancy test.
I pee on the little felt pad part and recap the stick, placing it facedown on the counter. “You can come in,” I tell West once my pants are up and my hands are washed.
“What’s it say?” he asks, sounding both eager and fearful.
“It takes three minutes.”
West flips down the toilet lid and sits, pulling me down onto his lap. “No matter what that test says, I love you. You know that, right?”
I lean back into him, loving the protective feel of his strong chest at my back. “Yeah. I love you, too.”
Silence settles around us as the remaining minutes tick by.
“Ready?” he asks, checking his watch.
“Ready.” I stand and flip the test. Two bright pink lines stare back at me. “Oh my God!”