The One (Coming Home To The Grove 3)

She’s staring at me, and I can see the hope flare in her eyes. For an instant, I know she feels it too. She still loves me. She can’t hide it even if she tries. And I lean in, about to kiss her when she covers her hand with her mouth and takes off running down the hallway.

I follow after her and hear her retching in the toilet. I push the door open and drop to my knees beside her. I pull her hair back and hold it to let her finish.

She’s resting her arms on the toilet seat, and she looks tired with bloodshot eyes. “What’s wrong, Rose? Have you been sick?” I ask her.

She averts her eyes and gets up to brush her teeth. I watch her in the mirror, and I can tell she’s hiding something. She pulls at her oversized shirt, and when she finishes brushing she turns to me. “I’m not feeling well. I think I might be coming down with something. Do you care if I lie down for a little while?”

Questions are stirring in my head, and I feel that I need to grab on to the counter to stay upright. What am I missing?

“Of course, do you need anything?”

She shakes her head, and I follow her to her room but stop in the doorway. Instead of pulling off her clothes like she normally would, she pulls back the covers and slides into the bed fully dressed. She’s pale, and she looks so tired.

Her eyes are closed, and I can’t help but think she must really be sick.

My first instinct is to call her mother, but she’s not too happy with me. I watch Rose until I know she’s completely asleep, and then I go back into the living room, sit down on the couch, and think back to the night’s events. She seemed perfectly fine earlier.

I decide to tour her little house, and in one of the closets I find a fuzzy soft yellow baby blanket with a congratulations card from one of her girlfriends.

She’s pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.

I clutch the soft yellow material in my hands and hold it to my chest. I can’t believe we’re having a baby. Pride and excitement swell in my chest, but almost instantly it disappears.

I really must have lost her if she’s telling her friends she’s pregnant and not me. This is my fault. I’ve messed this up, and I haven’t been there for her like she’s been there for me.

I’m excited. I’m so over the moon that we are going to have a baby that I can’t sleep the rest of the night. Rose said she was going to rest for a little while, but instead she slept through the night. I make breakfast and even go to the store and buy a variety of foods in case she wants something else because of her morning sickness.

I set up the breakfast praying that she’ll give me another chance.13RoseI wake to the smell of bacon, and my stomach rumbles instead of pitching. Only, as soon as I stand up, I’m overwhelmed with the need to throw up.

I shower and brush my teeth before leaving the master bedroom.

Brody kept the food warm, and he looks so happy to see me.

“What’s all this?” I ask.

Brody surprises me by getting on his knees and hugging me, kissing my stomach. “I know I messed up. Not just by agreeing to go out with Kaden but because I asked you to put your life on hold, and you deserve better than that.”

I start to speak, but he stops me. His arms are wrapped around my middle, and he’s still on his knees, looking up at me. “I don’t blame you for not telling me about the baby, but I need you to give me another chance. I promise if you do, I’ll make sure you never regret it.” He kisses my belly again and then stands up and frames my face in his hands.

“Everything is going to be okay. I promise you that we are going to work this out. I love you. I love this baby. I’m going to finish out the season and then we’ll go from there.”

“You’re not quitting baseball,” I tell him. “We’ll work this out, Brody. I want your dreams to come true too. All of them.”

“But you’re my dream. You’re all I want,” he assures me, pressing his lips to mine. I could melt into the kiss and stay like this forever, but my mind won’t stop racing.

“Brody, promise me. Promise you won’t quit. You’ll resent me, and that’s not good for either of us. We can make this work. And with my business, I can travel some. We’ll still see each other.”

But he shakes his head. “I don’t want you traveling in your condition.”