Gage (Men of Honor 1)

“Let’s stop in the bookstore baby.” He pointed with the half eaten ice cream cone to what must be the only brick and mortar bookstore left standing in the whole state. I didn’t question his sudden need for reading material just tagged along since he seemed more equipped to deal with the day than I was.

Half an hour later I was wondering if he’d lost his mind or at the very least gone into some kind of shock. “Gage, we don’t need all of those, what in the world…” His hands were filled with at least one of every book on pregnancy and impending fatherhood that were on the shelves.

“What do you mean? I need all the resources I can get so I can do this right.” I looked at one of the many titles in his hands. “What to expect when you’re expecting? Why do you have two?” I couldn’t help but grin.

“One for me and one for you. I need to know what’s going on in there.” He looked down at my tummy with what I can only term a smug look of satisfaction.

I gave up when he dragged me to the kid’s store a few doors down where we looked at things for a nursery but I did wonder if I should reel him in a bit. It was too soon I’m sure for all this, but I didn’t want to dampen his mood. And besides, I was getting a kick out of all this. I hadn’t felt that gnawing fear and uncertainty since we left his office.

Gage

* * *

I’m going to be a daddy! I always thought I was ready for this, never gave any thought to how I would feel or react when the time came. It’s something I’ve been prepared for, something I’ve looked forward to since I started actively trying to get her pregnant.

But nothing could’ve prepared me for this, the absolute joy I feel at knowing that my woman is carrying my seed. All day from the ice cream parlor to the bookstore and then to the kiddie store where we looked at all the neat little things that every child needs, which as it turns out is a lot, my feet never touched the ground.

Now we’re on our way to mom’s to share the good news. There’s only one thing that could make this day better, if I could hold my kid this very minute. Boy or girl, I don’t care, I just want to see that little one, a mixture of me and its mother right here right now.

I know how my girl is; that this was freaking her out even though she knew all along that this was a possibility, we’ve been trying for damn near a year after all. But she doesn’t do well with new things and something as big as this would usually send her into orbit, but so far she’s been hanging in there.

“We’re going to be great parents baby, we’ve got this.” She was pouring over the books that she’d argued we didn’t need as I drove us towards my childhood home. Mom is going to freak; she’s finally getting the grandbaby she’s been begging me for since I left university.

I was so psyched I didn’t even give a moment’s thought to the widow, something I’d been doing a lot of lately. In the week since she’d left my office all butt hurt she hadn’t put in an appearance anywhere of note, but I was still keeping my eyes on her so to speak.

I knew from Holly that she hadn’t seen her and in her innocence she might believe that it was over and done, but I’m not so sure. Lucille has been keeping me posted on her movements and I’m positive that she’s in no way done with making my life miserable.

But out of deference to my unborn child and his mother I chose to put my misgivings aside for one day and focus on this amazing turn of events. Tomorrow I’ll think about what to do about her once and for all. Now that my wife is pregnant there’s no way I’m about to let anyone or anything upset her in anyway.

“Mom!” I opened the door with the key my parents insist on me having and walked in with my wife’s hand in mine.

“I’m up here honey.”

“Sounds like she’s in the craft room.” I squeezed her hand and we headed up the stairs to find her exactly where I thought she was.

“Hey, what are you two doing here in the middle of the day?” I looked at Holly because we hadn’t discussed how we were going to do this. Sure she’s my mom, but Holly might want to be the one to tell her since she’s the one carrying the kid.

“You want to tell her or should I?” I forgot who we were dealing with because her response took the decision out of our hands. “What, tell me what?” She put her hands to her mouth as her eyes widened and then they fell on Holly’s flat stomach. “You’re pregnant.”