RARE (THEROCKAFELLABOYSSERIES#1)

New Life

I read back on Maeva's text message to me.

21/08/2022 10:34am

I know you're nervous to tell him, but he's going to be so excited! You've both come such a long way, hun. Hope the sickness isn't too bad today? Thank you so much for looking after my boy so well. He loves his Aunty Zoey <3 I can't wait to be home now. xxx
                                    Read 21/08/2022 11.07am

I can't believe it, but I'm pregnant. I found out just before coming back to surprise Luke at the concert and in a few days it will time for the first scan.

Everything that has been going on has made it hard to tell him and a part of me feels nervous to say anything. We never got the chance to speak about children and I'm unsure if Luke even wants them.

"Luke... there's something I need to tell you."

When he's pushed up the dishwasher hood, he spins to face me. "You all right?"

"I will be in a minute," I say, reaching my hand out to him so I can lead him towards the couch.

We sit down and he pulls me closer so our knees touch, scraping my hair away from my face to get a good look at me.

I hold my breath for a few seconds before speaking. "I'm pregnant."

The way he blinks with his mouth falling open is amusing, the big gulp he does after it making him cough. Then his grin comes out to play. A mixed bag of emotions. "I'm going to cry," he says voice failing him as he lets out a low sob.

"Oh no. Are you not happy about it?" I rush to ask, pulling him towards me.

"I'm so happy," he chokes out childishly, securing his nimble fingers around my jaw before planting the gentlest of kisses on my lips. "Are you really pregnant?"

"Yes." I laugh through the water filling my eyes. "I'm sorry it's taken this long to tell you, it's just with everything going on just lately, it made it hard."

"A baby with you? Fuck yes!" I fall forward as he tugs me into his arms, spreading kisses all over my face until he reaches my mouth where he slips his tongue inside to taste every morsel of me.

"Zoey!" Oliver's lispy call for me has me pulling away and heading to his bedroom.

Leo is finding out the sex of the baby today, so we offered to look after Oliver while he went up to the hospital. It's not something he's been keen to do, but he has to take responsibility and start looking forward as this baby will be here before he knows it.

I head towards Oliver's room, seeing him sitting up in bed when I get in there. The duvet is skewwhiff and his hair is all over the place. I tread over to him carefully, switching on his side lamp as I pull him out of bed.

"Did you sleep good, buddy?" I ask when he lays his head tiredly on my shoulder.

"Yeah," he murmurs, fingers gripping my jumper. "Snacks."

Luke jumps to action, grabbing some cake for him. They're the bear-shaped ones he likes with a strawberry filling. Oliver takes it from him, biting the ear off first.

"Shall we watch Cocomelon?" Luke asks.

I laugh, settling down on the couch with Oliver on my knee. "You like that show more than him."

The intro tune starts playing and Luke is tapping his fingers and when wheels on the bus starts playing, he's up and doing all the moves.

Oliver let's out a low chuckle, happy to watch Luke act silly. It's quite the sight, the bad boy miming a nursery rhyme.

"You coming to dance?" Luke asks him, holding his hand out when Oliver scoots off the sofa to dash towards him. "Film us, babe. You can send it to Maeva."

My cheeks ache from all the laughing, filming when Olly starts running in circles. Luke copies him, arms flapping in the air as his tall body struggles to stay upright.

"Zoey!" Olly shouts for me, shrieking when I swoop in to lift him into my arms. "Dan-ce!"

My world tilts and I'm back on the couch, watching Luke cradling our baby girl in his arms. The tips of his hair sun bleached and curly, body swapped by his five-day old pyjamas.

The soft voice he's using is heart melting as he gazes down at her with an all consuming amount of love. Arlea Holland. All eight pounds of squidgy baby perfection.

The dark brown hair gene is strong as a spraying covers her head to match the most beautiful hazel eyes. It's like looking right at her daddy.

"I love her so much," he says, eyes drifting in my direction. "It physically hurts. I never knew I could feel such peace. You gave me a true gift, sweetheart."

I smile tiredly over at him, still uncomfortable with my caesarean wound. "We made an angel."

He chuckles, switching up to shushing noises when Arlea begins to fuss. "I'm sorry, baby, are we disturbing you? I think you need your mummy, don't you?"

I welcome her into my arms, grabbing as much of her baby scent as humanly possible when I lean back for her to rest against my chest. The cotton baby grow she's wearing so soft when I run my fingers up and down her back.

Luke sinks onto the armchair across from us, unable to peel his eyes away. The heat grows in my cheeks at his gaze, always loving how he watches over me... and now our daughter.

"I regret the way I proposed to you," he says out of nowhere.

I frown. "What, why?"

The ring in his nose wiggles when he pulls a face. "It didn't feel special enough. I want to spoil you like nothing ever before and I can't help but feel it wasn't good enough."

"Are you kidding? Luke, you hired out the Louvre and wrote me a song. There was a quartet! I felt like an absolute Princess. You couldn't of done any more, honestly," I respond, wondering if we can watch it back so he sees how special it was to me.

I watched the pure delight on my face.

It felt like a dream come true.

A moment you spend your life wishing to happen and it did.

"I can't wait to marry you," he says, standing back up to stride back my way, leaning down to press a soft kiss on my lips before placing a kiss on Arlea's head. "To make you a Holland too."

My heart aches with happiness. "It's all I want."

"Me too, baby," he whispers, eyes so intense as they join onto mine. "You're my happy ending."

...

Oh, you guys! We finally reached the end of Luke and Zoey's story!

I love them so much... ahh! What an ending 😭

Also, you'll get to see pregnant Zoey and overprotective Luke in the next book as the timeline jumps back a little 😉♥️

Leo is next! 🥹♥️

Thank you for reading and I really hope to see you in the next book! xxx