Love doesn't have to be hard

Chapter 25: Almost Time

Three months later:

Tessa is now four weeks away from her due date. She is so miserable, and it's killing me to see her so uncomfortable. 

I come home from work, shower, and go to the living room. I soak her feet, then rub her feet, legs, back, neck, and shoulders. 

I have been painting her toenails since she was five months pregnant, and I have been shaving her legs and her private area since about the same time. 

She hates me doing that, but as I told her, it is my job as her husband to make sure she is taken care of. I cook and clean since she can barely move around. 

Her boobs have been leaking milk, so I bought these pads for her to stick in her bra, and she hates it. She is excited to meet the baby, but she is just so miserable. 

Kimberly had a baby shower for us last week, and some ladies from Tessa's office came; the office manager from the repair shop where I work came, her mother came, my mom and sister flew in, Karen came, and a few friends she had made at school.

No one was expecting the surprise that walked through the door while we were out back on the patio under the heat lamps. Hardin stopped by and just walked on in. 

He stepped outside and saw me and Tessa sitting there. "What the fuck is this? What are they doing here?"

"Hardin, I thought you were in London," Kimberly said, shocked.

"I just got back and came by to speak to Christian after the thousand texts and voicemails he sent me. So, everyone is just acting happy and excited that a twenty and twenty-three-year-old is married and having a baby. Yes, let's just shout from the roof that it's perfectly fine to knock girls up, then you just marry them."

"Hardin, stop it. You are embarrassing my wife and yourself. Today is for Tessa and our baby; don't ruin this for her."

"Oh, lookie there, Zed wants to act like such a man. He's stepping up to protect your honor, Tessa. You two should have been more careful, then you rush off and get married. Where was my invitation? I am the reason you two ended up together. Zed won the bet, and he got the girl."

"Hardin, stop it, shut up and get out. I have had it with you ruining everything. You are so miserable that you want to make everyone around you miserable. Even if Zed and I hadn't gotten together, I sure as hell wouldn't have gotten with you. Kim is my friend, and she threw our baby shower for us. Just leave and stop trying to interfere with our lives."  Zed wrapped his arms around her.  

"You need to leave and stop upsetting her, man. Enough is enough."

"Fuck you, fuck all of you. You want me to leave, fine, make me. I already beat your ass once, and I will do it again." 

"Babe, I am going to step out front to get him to leave. I want you to stay here. I will be back. I love you."

"No, Zed, please don't go."

"I have to, baby. I will be back, I promise. Kimberly, don't let her follow me. Let's go, Hardin. If you wanna fight, we can, but out front, not here with my wife who is pregnant."

Hardin smiled his evil smirk as they walked through the house and into the front. "I guess you are so happy every time you fuck her knowing you won. You took my girl from me. How could you knock her up?"

"I don't even think about that bet anymore, Hardin. I am happy when I make love to my wife. Yes, of course I am; she is perfect. I didn't take her from you; she was never yours. You couldn't stop being a douche long enough to win her heart. We were already engaged before she got pregnant, and it wasn't planned. She was on birth control, so we stopped using condoms; the birth control just didn't work for her. We were both shocked at first, but we are happy and excited for our baby."