Best Friends Don't Kiss

My heart races in anticipation, and I rub my hand over my small, rounded belly hiding beneath my jacket.

Any minute, baby, I think to myself. Any minute, your daddy will be here.

Two months ago, I found out I was pregnant.

And for the last two months, I’ve wavered on telling Luke and not telling Luke, and well, needless to say, he doesn’t know yet.

But now that I’m standing here, definitely pregnant, and waiting for him to arrive, I’m seriously starting to second-guess that decision.

Maybe I should’ve told him. But all I know is that every time I almost did, it didn’t feel right not to deliver this news in person. To tell him before he was safely back home.

It’s almost like I took a page out of his book when it took him so long to tell me about his NASA acceptance all those years ago.

Well, let’s hope his reaction isn’t as insane as yours was back then.

Internally, I cringe at that thought.

But my focus quickly changes when I look toward the hangar and see the doors starting to slide open.

Then I see him—my Luke. My husband is right there, looking so insanely handsome in his NASA uniform and walking toward the group. His eyes search the crowd for me.

My heart pounds like a kickdrum inside my chest, and before I know it, my feet are quickly walking toward him.

“Miss! Wait!” a male voice calls behind me, but I ignore it. I know the security guys instructed us to wait right here, but I don’t care.

It’s been six freaking months since I’ve seen my husband.

Luke’s eyes lock with mine, and the biggest smile I’ve ever seen consumes his face.

It only makes my feet move faster.

I don’t stop walking toward him until I’m wrapping my arms around his neck and letting him lift me into his arms. I wrap my legs around his hips and hug his neck so tight.

“Ava. My Ava,” he breathes into my ear. “God, I’ve missed you.”

Tears fall down my cheeks unchecked. “I’m so happy you’re home.”

But when he goes to hug me tight, something makes him loosen his grip and look down toward my jacket-covered stomach.

“Ava?” he questions, placing one hand on my stomach, and it’s more than apparent that he can tell there isn’t just a little extra weight beneath my jacket.

Oh boy, here goes everything…

“So, uh, I have something to tell you,” I say, and he leans back to meet my eyes. “Remember the last night before you left?”

He nods and searches my eyes.

“Well…we kind of sort of maybe created a baby that night.”

“You’re pregnant?” His jaw drops, and I nod, tears still streaming down my cheeks.

“I’m about six months along now.”

“You’re six months pregnant?” he exclaims, and I’m not sure if he’s angry or excited or what.

“I found out two months ago,” I whisper, and all the worry and anxiety and guilt that have built up for the past two months urge tears to stream down my cheeks. “I wanted to tell you. I tried to tell you, but every time I started to—”

“You just couldn’t get the words out?” he supplies for me, an understanding smile on his lips, and a shocked laugh jumps from my lungs.

“It just didn’t feel right to do it during our short phone chats or through messages,” I answer honestly. “I’m sorry I didn’t—”

“Baby,” he whispers and puts one index finger gently against my mouth. “You don’t have to apologize for anything. I was gone for six months, and I fucking know that wasn’t easy on you. You did what you had to do,” he says and presses a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “Thank you for keeping yourself and our baby safe while I was gone.”

“Thank you for coming home safe.”

“I love you,” he says, and his heart is right there, inside his eyes and only fixated on me.

“I love you too,” I whisper back. “So much.”

“Ace, I am so fucking happy right now, it’s insane,” he exclaims, twirling us around and making me giggle. “You’re in my arms, and we’re having a baby. Goddamn, I’m the luckiest bastard in the universe.”

I giggle again. “And guess what?”

“What?”

“In about twenty-four hours, you get to head to Vermont with me and spend Christmas with the Lucie family again.”

Luke grins. “Bring on the hot chocolate. Bring on the decorations. Bring on that fucking itinerary. As long as I’ve got you, I’ve got everything.”

Yeah, husband of mine. My thoughts exactly.THE END