26Five months later“I’m fat, Abe.”
He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her growing belly, laying his hands over their child. It took a second, but then he felt the tiny kicks against his palm and smiled. “You’re beautiful.”
“The baby always kicks when you put your hands on my belly. It’s like Peanut knows when you’re near.”
Abe turned her around and cupped her cheeks in his hands. He stared into her eyes before dipping down and dragging his lips across hers. They started calling the baby Peanut, because he had talked Kid into not finding out what the sex was. He knew she didn’t like surprises, but she had done it for him.
“I love you, Sophia.” He dropped another kiss to her lips and then sank to his knees. Gripping her shirt, he dragged it up until her swelling stomach came into view. He pressed his lips to her belly button. Sophia’s hands sifted through his hair, and he lifted his eyes to hers. She was smiling down at him, and he couldn’t help but return the gesture.
It had been five months since they reconciled, and things were going great. He’d moved up in Red’s and was now a lead mechanic, which meant more pay, so he could better provide for Sophia and their baby. He tried to get Kid to quit her job, explaining that he made more than enough to support her. Since they moved in together—she moved into his home with him—they didn’t have the extra expenses of rent and such, but she was a stubborn woman and demanded she keep her independence.
He didn’t argue with her over that, not much, but when little Peanut was born, he wanted that to change. She might not like being told what to do, but he knew once their baby was in her arms, she would want to stay home. At least, he hoped.
He also wanted her to go to college, since he knew that had always been one of her dreams. His subtle hints about it hadn’t gone unnoticed by her, especially when he brought home pamphlets from a community college.
“Are you excited about today?”
He gave one last kiss to her belly, placed her shirt back over it, and stood. Taking her in his arms, he rested his cheek on the top of her head. “Yeah.” He leaned back and looked down at her. “I can’t wait to haul in heavy baby furniture and spend hours putting it together,” he teased. She lightly smacked him on the chest and pushed away. Right before she got too far away, he snagged her hand and brought her back. “Have I told you that I love you today?”
“Yeah, like five times, but you know what?” She rose on her toes and brushed her nose against his. “I never get tired of hearing it.”
It was just the two of them, but in a few short months, it would be three, and Abe didn’t want to stop there. He wanted everything with Sophia. He wanted to give her that little white picket fence surrounding their home, two-point-five kids, and a little collie. She deserved a perfect life, and he was going to give it to her.27The delivery“Just breathe, baby.”
Abe was by her side, and although he was being supportive and loving, she wanted to pop him in the balls. The pain was excruciating, so much that she couldn’t breathe.
“Okay, sweets, here comes another contraction.”
Sophia gritted her teeth, and after a very long minute, she breathed out. Narrowing her eyes and glaring at Abe, she said, “Please don’t tell me when I’m having another contraction. I know when the hell I’m having a contraction, okay?”
He smiled sheepishly and apologized right before another wave of pain hit. When it was over, she sagged against the bed.
“Okay, Sophia, on the next contraction, I want you to push.” The doctor situated herself between Sophia’s splayed thighs.
“This is it, baby.” Abe leaned down and kissed her forehead. Grabbing her hand, he gave her a little squeeze. “It won’t be long now, and we’ll get to meet little Noah or Abigail.”
It had been a very long nine months, especially when she couldn’t plan for a boy or girl, but she was so ready to hold her little one. A contraction came, and the doctor told her to push. Supportive comments filtered around her, and she breathed out and rested her head on the pillow when the agony passed.
Abe lifted her hand and kissed the ring on her left hand. They were engaged with a wedding date set in December. A white wedding was something Sophia had always wanted, and Abe was giving it to her. They could have gotten married last December, but who wanted to try to squeeze into a gown with a pregnant belly? Not her. Besides, she had her entire life to become Mrs. Rochester. Yeah, that had a very nice ring to it.