My eyes fly open and immediately I frown when I realize I’m alone in bed. I’ve always hated waking up alone. It goes back to those six months Bennett and I were separated. The Dark Ages, we called it. It’s been two years since then, and if possible I think our marriage is stronger than ever. We are happier than I ever thought we could be after what happened. I sit up in bed, my body still deliciously sore and naked after what Bennett did to me late last night and a smile finds my lips as I rub the chapped skin. My breasts ache slightly after all the attention they received last night and I wince when I slide a t-shirt on over my naked body.
We did move into a bigger apartment, wanting to start over fresh and new as we closed out a chapter of our lives. I tiptoe through the apartment and I can already feel my ovaries exploding as I hear my husband’s voice in the room over.
“You are the most perfect baby, you know that?” I hear our son gurgling and I cock my head to the side as I watch my half naked husband talk to our son who’s still in his crib. He’s leaning against the railing, staring down at him when I see him reach inside. “You want to go see if Mama’s awake?”
“Mama!” he cries as Bennett picks him up and cradles him against his bare chest. Fuck. I press my thighs together at the visual and when he turns around, the way he rakes his gaze from my feet to my eyes makes me even wetter.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
“You weren’t in bed when I woke up.” I bite my bottom lip and his eyes darken.
“I’m sorry baby, but our little man was talking up a storm.” He kisses his temple before smoothing his very curly sandy brown hair back.
“I’m surprised I didn’t hear him.”
“I’m not. I wore you out last night.” He leans forward, letting his lips hover over mine, “and I plan to do it again tonight.”
“Mamaaaaa.” Bennett pulls back and our son all but lunges for me.
“Well, you are full of energy this morning, aren’t you pumpkin?!” Brayden Clarke was the surprise in the second act neither of us saw coming. Our rainbow baby.
Imagine my shock when I went to the doctor only three months after Bennett and I had reconciled to find out that we were having a baby. We’d been heavily considering In-Vitro-Fertilization, but Mother Nature beat us to it. We were both scared shitless, but with a lot of research and even more trips to the Doctor, I was able to have a pretty normal pregnancy. The doctor’s told us this happened all the time, a few miscarriages can often lead to having perfectly safe and normal pregnancies. After that, it was as if everything fell into place. We were both concerned with me having the most low-risk and low-stress pregnancy, so it was as if the problems from before floated away at the promise of new life. Brayden made his entrance into the world, right on time and I’ve been on cloud nine ever since.
Here’s hoping this one will be just as easy. I giggle to myself as I think about telling Bennett, that we are pregnant again when he gives me a look.
“Care to share with the class, Mrs. Clarke?”
“I was just thinking…”
“About…” He raises an eyebrow as we walk towards our bedroom. Brayden is playing with my hair, tugging it gently. I wince, when I feel Bennett, removing it from his hand. “Now Bray, no pulling Mama’s hair. Only Dada can do that.” He gives me a devilish grin before dropping on the bed and holding his hand out for me to join him. I snuggle against him, holding our baby in my arms just as his eyes flutter closed. I grab one of his pacifiers from my nightstand and slip it into his mouth as he drifts off to sleep.
“So, you were thinking…”
“About maybe trying for another one?” I look up at him and he rubs his chin.
“Hmmm.”
Shit. Is he not ready? “No? I mean if you’re not ready or you don’t think now is a good time…” I begin to panic when I feel his knuckles drifting down my arm gently.
“No, I had just been curious how you were going to tell me you were pregnant.” He gives me a cheeky smile and I gasp.
“You knew?!”
A cocky smiles finds his lips as he side eyes me slightly. “Yes, baby. I knew.”
“How?!”
“I know when your period is, your boobs are huge, and I know your body better than I know my own. Come on, Livi.” He leans back against the bed and I lay our sleeping baby on top of his chest. I press a kiss to his forehead before turning to his father.
“Are you happy?”
“About you giving me another baby? Absolutely. I am so fucking happy.”
I glare at him, though the smile threatens to break through. “You know I’m going to kick your…you know what the first time our child says F-U-C-K.”
He rolls his eyes. “So, I was thinking of having Alyssa and Wren babysit tonight.”
“Why?”