Falling into Place - Forbidden Heart Series

10| In Retrospect

I've heard that pregnancy craving can be a little out there, so I tried not to cringe whenever Danielle ate weird combinations of food. But as I mixed together my wife's latest request -- cottage cheese mixed with Hershey's chocolate and pepperoni -- I couldn't hold back the cringe this time.

I loved my wife; but this newest cravings was taking the cake on Most Likely to Make Me Gag.

But who was I to talk? Even as I stood here, stirring this disgusting meal, I couldn't help but smile.

We were pregnant.

Our son or daughter was going to be here in roughly four-and-a-half months. Man, I couldn't fucking wait. The guys have been teasing me about being a dad since they found out Danielle and I were expecting. Nate would make smartass comments about me needing to take up golf or to start leaning lame dad jokes. Ayden wasn't so much of an ass about it, actually. He tried not so subtly to warn me about the sleepless nights and toxic diaper changes that were coming my way. I wasn't too oblivious to those, though. I changed little Nate's diaper more than a dozen times.

I was looking forward to it all -- even learning the lame dad jokes. But I drew the line with taking up golf. The sport was just too damn boring. If I had a son, maybe he would be interested in football, soccer, or even baseball. If it was a girl. . . well, shit. I was most likely going to have to start attending tea parties. Or she could be a tomboy. Maybe my future daughter will want to play sports.

Honestly, it didn't matter to me if it was a boy or a girl, or what they wanted to pursue. I just wanted him or he to be healthy.

Ding -- ding.

I grabbed my cellphone off the counter. One unread message.

Jackson: Morning turned to shit. You and D will probably be fending for yourselves today.

Translation: Jackson did something to piss Harper off. He was probably going to spend the day groveling and trying to get out of the doghouse.

No problem. Gwen?

Jackson: She said she was doing her own thing today.

Translation: Gwen was staying in her room today to chat up her newest beau. Great. I promised Danielle and Harper that I would give Gwen's new boyfriend a chance, but it wasn't easy.

Got it. Good luck, brother.

He was going to need it. I don't know what he did, but when Harper got pissed off, it was hard to get back in her good graces. It made sense that he was going to need the whole damn day.

Once I finished making Danielle's so called breakfast, I made her some herbal tea with honey. I set both the plate and the mug on a breakfast tray next to a flower. I picked from the garden on the hotel terrace.

Danielle had been sleeping later than she usually did lately. I assumed it was all part of her being pregnant. In the beginning, it was the opposite. Danielle would be up for all hours of the night. So I was glad that she was finally getting some rest.

I padded quietly into the room and set the tray on the small table next to her side of the bed. I just stood there for a second and looked at her. She was laying on her side with her left hand cradling her baby bump. The blankets were kicked to the end of the bed. She'd been getting hot at night lately, even with the AC set to a low temp.

When I sat next to her on the soft mattress, she mumbled my name before turning on her back. I reached down to brush her hair back, and her eyes fluttered open.

I smiled warmly at her. "Good morning, baby."

She returned my smile before covering a yawn with her hand. "Good morning."