Second Chance Baby

“I thought we could get some air.”

We went out into the back parking lot, and he immediately spun me into his arms for a kiss. I laughed. “I thought we were out here for air.”

“Your kisses are like my oxygen.”

I rolled my eyes and gagged. “Wow. That was really bad.”

“Was it?” he asked, tickling me and nuzzling his face into the curve of my neck. “Was it?”

I giggled and squealed, trying to pull away from him at the same time I held myself against him for more.

“This was fun,” I said. “Maybe we should have little competitions like this more often. If people like it, of course.”

“They’re having a blast,” Mason said. “I was listening in on people talking about the drinks and comparing them. It was awesome. I think you’re going to win.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Miranda is a really amazing bartender. I think at best it’s going to be a tie. I don’t even know what her drink tastes like!”

“I do. I’ve tried them both, and I can tell you that I think yours is the best,” he said.

“Thank you,” I said, hugging him close again. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. Come on. Let’s go back inside. The votes are probably just about tallied,” Mason said.

We went inside, and a few moments later, Matt came out of the back to announce the results.

“And the winner of tonight’s Battle of the Bartenders is… Ava!”

The bar erupted in cheers, and Miranda gathered me up in a hug. “Congratulations!”

“Thank you,” I said. “But I’m sure your cocktail was delicious. And I want to try one just as soon as I can.”

“Absolutely,” Miranda said. She lifted her voice a little to add a bit more show for the customers. “And I’m going to get you at the next one.”

I smiled at her. “Bring it on.”36MasonEveryone was still buzzing about the theme night several days later. It had been enough of a success that we were already planning to do it again sometime soon. But for that night, we were going for something a bit calmer with another trivia night. I knew Ava loved trivia nights not just because she happened to be a fan of trivia, but also because it was a slower, quieter pace than the usual nights, and definitely calmer than the theme night.

I was having a blast with the special events, and I was so amazed to see how much the bar was growing and succeeding on normal nights. But continuing to work as hard as she did while also getting through this pregnancy was harder on Ava than she seemed to expect it to be. That night, she was feeling particularly worn-out. I walked her up to the small stage we’d constructed at the front of the bar and sat her down on the recliner I brought in after last trivia night.

I’d brought it in as a joke, but Ava was all about it. Running a trivia night just meant asking questions and keeping track of who gave the right answer. That didn’t require her to be any more active and engaged than sitting in the recliner and enjoying some downtime. If the crowd was particularly low, she could even recruit one of the us to be the score keeper so all she needed to do was read and pay enough attention to determine if whoever answered was right.

Ava let out a deep sigh as she sank into the recliner. Resting her head back, she closed her eyes and seemed to be focusing on breathing.

Worry jumped up inside me. This was not an unfamiliar sensation. In fact, it had become an almost daily experience. Every time I saw Ava look tired or like something was bothering her, I was immediately in a near panic. That was how I learned the interesting lesson at that you could be both over the moon excited about something, and completely terrified of it at the same time.

I hurried back over to the recliner and crouched down beside her. I ran my hand over her head and leaned down for a kiss.

“Are you doing okay?” I asked. “Do you need anything?”

“I’m fine,” she said. “I’m just tired. But I will be doing much better tonight since I will be able to run trivia night right here from my throne.”

She waved her hands over the chair, and I laughed.

“Well, you do look positively regal,” I said. “Maybe we should get you a trivia night princess crown as well.”

“I would not object to that,” she said.

“Let me get you a drink to have up here with you,” I said. “It’s important that you stay hydrated.”

“I know,” she said. “I was there at the doctor, too. I heard everything she told you.”

“I’m just reminding you,” I said.

I went behind the bar and filled one glass with iced tea and the other with ice water. I brought them over to her and sat them on a stool beside her.