“It’s amazing,” I whispered.
“The guy who did it is a local artist,” he said. “He’ll come back and add the kids into the basket.”
I stepped inside then turned to him. “Kids? You mean we’re doing this more than once?”
He came in after me and kissed my lips gently. “If I have my way, you’ll be pregnant for the next ten years straight.”
I groaned. “Please, god, no. I’ll give you four, but reserve the right to have way fewer.”
“There will be nannies,” he said. “Lots and lots of nannies.”
I touched his cheek. “Maybe five then. If you’re lucky.”
He laughed and kissed me again, then we stood there holding hands, staring at the mural on the nursery wall.
My man, my Dean, my Don. He was a ruthless killer and would soon be the father of my child. Sometimes I thought about what life would be like if I had taken him up on his offer and run away from all this. I’d be rich, but I’d be alone.
This was perfect. Right here in this room, with my man, my monster, my love, this was more than I ever dreamed of.
“Come on,” I said and kissed his cheek. “You just earned a whole lot of good will from me.”
“Oh, yeah?” he asked. “And how do I cash that in?”
“By sitting down at the pool and rubbing my feet,” I said.
He laughed and hugged me close. “Sounds like you’re getting the better end of this deal.”
“I’m carrying your baby. Less talking, more foot rubbing.”
“All right then,” he said and took my hand. “Let’s get to work, shall we?”
I took one last look at the mural and pictured my babies in that basket—and followed him back outside with a smile on my face.
* * *
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BONUS: Dean
The sound of the plane was deafening. I leaned back against the cold metal seat and strained against the belt to look out the glass window as the runway disappeared below. The plane climbed up toward the clouds above, buzzing and thumping in the choppy turbulence, surrounded by blue and cut across by sharp sunlight, my stomach a feather jostling around, my heart a stone about to tear down through my guts.
Mags looked pale but her face was stricken in a huge grin.
“You look like you’re about to scream!” I shouted over the noise, leaning closer to speak right into her ear.
Her hand scrambled for more and grabbed it. “I’m fine!”
“You’re definitely not fine.” Still yelling. Still close to my beautiful wife.
“Look, this was your idea, okay?” she said. “I’m only here because you said it would be fun. And you know what? It’s not fun!”
I laughed and squeezed her hand. “Come on, darling. We’re not even at the fun part yet.”
“Ten minutes!” the instructor shouted. He was a young guy in his twenties, scraggly beard, lean build of a long-distance runner, Adam’s apple the size of a howitzer.
“Oh, god,” Mags groaned. “I’m having some serious second thoughts.”
“We’re here,” I said, moving closer. My leg pressed against hers and the seatbelt bit into my midsection tightly. “We’ve come this far.”
“You want me to jump out of a freaking plane!” she yelled, eyes wild. “You want me to jump!”
“Damn right I do,” I said, grinning viciously.
She moaned and leaned forward, head between her knees. Her back was a massive hump, the parachute a Quasimodo lump between her shoulders. I rubbed her leg and laughed wildly and gave a thumbs-up to the instructor. He looked a little concerned, but grinned back at me.
The plane ripped through the sky and leveled off once it reached the correct height. I stared out the window at the ground below, barely a speck, more like a map spread over a table. From above, the world looked neatly bisected by fields, forests, streets and roads, and it was almost disorienting how much people had taken the wildness from the world and tamed it back to order.
Better that way though. Nature was annoying.
“Two minutes!” the instructor yelled. “Get ready!”
“I can’t do it,” Mags said, lifting her head. “I’m going to stay in the plane.”
“Nope,” I said. “We’re here. You’re jumping.”
“Dean,” she said, and looked me dead in the face. “If you make me jump, we’re getting a divorce.”
“Then I guess this is goodbye,” I said, and kissed her cheek. She pulled away glaring.