Something New

Chapter 25

Fred

I watch as my darling dances in our bedroom happily. She does a spin in her nightgown as she moves around our room and as I watch her I realize something. But I keep it to myself until I feel like I know it for sure.

Kemi comes over to my side, looking good as always. If we hadn't already spent much needed time together, I'd tug her back into bed for a bit more time. Kemi peppers my face with kisses, looking like a doll in her little piece. I almost reach out to tease her, but she escapes, giving me a wink as she knows what's on my mind.

"Not today, sir," she gently pokes my nose with a finger and I reach for it but she pulls it back with a laugh. It's then and there that I know for sure, with her extra glow, and how her feet seem to get her floating as she moves about, that my darling is pregnant.

Mercy.

I wonder how to tell her. I know what she's been through in the past and I know how she's never mentioned wanting children again, out of fear due to her previous miscarriages. But I also know how she'd love for us to grow our family. She's never said it, but I know it deep in my bones. I know it the way I know her.

Maybe I'll just give it time. Once she misses her period next month then I'll tell her.

Then again...would she like that? It's like withholding information from her. I don't really like that.

Then again, a test or two is in order. This is my gut feeling and although that's never wrong, she might want more than just a gut feeling.

Or maybe I should ask Joe about how he and Grace came to know—

"I feel like we're missing someone, Fred," Kemi suddenly says. She stands in front of our bed, no longer twirling as her expression fixes into a frown. "It's weird, but I've had the feeling for the past few days like there's someone missing...or rather, a few someone's."

"...Pardon?" I question, trying to keep up, but not understanding. "Like a missing person?"

"No...like in our family."

Well glory be to God. I guess I don't have to wait then.

"You're pregnant." I suppose, in retrospect, I could have worded it better. Maybe packaged it with frills or something. But I said it the way I'd say anything else. And my darling, she knows me so she knows the feelings behind my dry-sounding words.

Kemi stares and her eyes tear up. I immediately stand, moving to her.

"You mean that? You're not just saying it, are you?"

"I don't make it a habit to just say things, darlin'. You know me."

Kemi nods and tears brim. They're tears of joy, but also of nervousness and a bit of fear. We don't want that.

"Hey, hold on now." I take her face in my hands and rub circles into her cheeks. "Don't go looking like that," I say gently.

"I'm trying," she says and her mouth quivers as tears get to rolling over and spilling out. Oh my heart. I wipe them and kiss her trembling mouth before putting my forehead against hers.

"Kemi. Let's not worry. I know it's hard, but we can't do anything. That's difficult to come to terms with, but let's also rejoice in that. We have a God who can do all things. And He does exceedingly and above more than we ask for." She nods, but the fear is still there.

"We live in a fallen world so there is still misfortune...but the Lord is still our comfort and one day we'll rest eternally in that comfort and realize the depths of what that means. For now though...we can pray for Him to show us even a fraction of what we'll one day, as Christians, eternally know."