Ensconce

Jesus Christ

Chapter One

Jaycee

Peaches?

"I'm okay," I say into my phone the moment I'm settled into my bunk.

You're going to be the death of me, you know that?

From the uneven tone of his voice, I can tell he's doing his best to stay calm. "Haha."

So, you fainted?

And now there's disbelief laced in with the unevenness. "Yeah... Happy caught me, I'm fine."

Happy? The growling pit bull, or the Scot?

"The first one. The doctor said sudden grief can cause fainting spells," I say before barely choking out, "Jax is"... I can barely choke out now that I've had a few moments alone.

I know, baby. I'm sorry.

I clear my throat, refusing to get myself worked up. "I'm staying in Charming for the time being. Shit has been crazy and chaotic but the war is over now. I need to mourn with my family."

Donny stays but I agree. With the way your pit bull grilled me earlier, I know that nothing is getting past him. You're in good hands.

"Yeah, he can be scary but when it comes to his family he'd die." I mean, he even has it tattooed. "Me and the kid won't have a moment to ourselves until you get home."

And even then I'll be so far up your ass- 

I love the thought of finally having someone come home to me. Come home and stay home. "I can't wait. How long again?"

Just under two months. Should be out probably the week before Christmas. 

Rubbing my bump, I feel a surge of excitement and repeat, "I can't wait."

Good. Now rest up and never scare me like that again.

Yes, rest. It's all I'll be doing for the next five months around these guys. "We're going to be fine, Ronald. I'm going to do a check-up with my OBGYN in a few days but it should be nothing to worry about."

Okay, Peaches. I'll talk to you in a few days. I got some one-on-one time with our man today so I'll let him know what's going on.

"Tell him we're fine. Don't let him worry too much. Not in there when he needs to be focused."

I promise. Now go on and take a nap or something. 

One Month Later

Today's the day. The moment I'll finally learn the gender of the little one growing within me. I woke up with a flutter of anticipation in my stomach. It's been a journey, but I've allowed myself to embrace happiness fully and savor this pregnancy. With everything out in the open now and our lives beginning to rebuild, I can finally let hope back in after keeping it at arm's length for so long.

"Ready, darling?" Tig's voice comes from the doorway, his expression a mix of excitement and anticipation.

Slipping on my jacket and grabbing my bag, I meet his gaze with a smile. "Absolutely. Let's go, Tigger."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come along?" Donny asks, reluctance evident in his voice. He's not keen on the idea of me being out of his sight.

He nearly had a fit when I insisted he take the day off. I had to reassure him calmly that Tig would sooner face any danger himself than let anything happen to us. Plus, things have been quieter in town lately than they have been in the past twenty years. It's a welcome change after the tumult of the last five.

Placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, I give him a knowing look. "I'll be fine, Don. You've been by my side constantly for weeks. Go find a girl and have some fun."

...

"It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is just two days away. It feels like summer began just yesterday," I remark as we wait to be called in.

Tig reaches out to gently rub my bump, a fond smile on his face. "Yeah, and this year, amidst our ongoing grief around the holidays, we also have something to be thankful for. Much more than we did last year."

"I think what I'm most grateful for is that Nero and Wendy are bringing the boys for dinner," I say, feeling a surge of happiness at the thought of seeing their little faces. "It just wouldn't feel right without them."

A woman in a white coat emerges from the back, holding a clipboard. "Jaycee?"

...

Tig waits outside as I change into the hospital gown. When he returns, the doctor follows closely behind.

"Hello, Jaycee," Dr. Marissa greets me, glancing at my chart. "How have you been?"

I shrug. "Pretty good. The heartburn's been better now that I've adjusted my diet."

"That's good to hear," she says with a smile. "Ready to check on the baby's progress?"

I nod eagerly. This is it. If the baby's in the right position, we'll finally discover the gender, and we can stop referring to them as just "the baby."

Tig stays by my side as Dr. Taylor conducts her examination. "Alright," she says, studying the screen. "Baby looks healthy. Have you been feeling any quickening or flutters in your tummy?"

"Occasionally, yes. Though, I barely notice most of the time," I reply, recalling the butterflies from earlier in the day.

Nodding, she adjusts the equipment and asks, "Do you want to know the gender?"

"Yes, please!" I answer eagerly. "The father isn't in town right now, but he's just as excited to find out."

"See here?" She points to the screen. "No doubt about it. Congratulations, it's a girl."

Tig's response is deadpan.  " Jesus Christ. "