Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga || Oh How I Love You So

My Girls

Bradley

Every night for the last two years, our girls have prayed for a baby sister. Before Stef and I would bring them to their rooms for the night, we would say our nightly prayers, and then read a story all together until we could see their little bodies start to fall into the depths of sleep. Barefoot and wrapped in their soft, matching pink pajamas, they would kneel on the floor with their eyes tightly shut and palms clasped together. Stefani and I would sit by their sides, with our own hands together in prayer, both opening our eyes for a moment to peak because it was too difficult not to look at the sweet sight in front of us.

Every night, with Lulu taking the lead and Margot following closely behind, they would recite the same prayer.

First, they would pray for Mommy and Daddy, then for each other, their Aunties, and their grandparents, and without fail, when they were about to finish, both girls would both take a deep breath and whisper, "and please, please, please give us a baby sister."

A night would not go by that their words would not pull at my heart.

In all honesty, neither of us thought another baby was in the cards for our family. Margot was almost 4, and Lulu was already 6. Because of Stefani's fibromyalgia, pregnancy and childbirth hadn't been easy on her physically or mentally. I had watched her in agony at times, bearing the pain for the children she so desperately longed for.

We were both also at the height of our careers, in such a place that we were able to balance both of our passions in work and the family we had created together, a balance we had longed for.

Despite our said satisfaction, the innocent prayers of our daughters rang loudly in my head every night.

We loved our little family, and as all the cards were reading, the obvious answer would be that we were done.

Sometimes though, the stars don't always align with what the cards reading. Sometimes the stars are more powerful than any of us can ever understand.

"Babe? ...Babe!"

"Hmm?" I muttered with a yawn as Stefani's voice jolted me out of my daydream.

I was lying on our bed in my sweatpants, with my chest bare, and one arm cradling my head as I ran my free hand over my unshaven face.

We had finished putting the girls to bed about an hour ago, and Stef had just come out of the shower. I sat up to look at her for a moment. After all these years, she still took my breath away.

"Bradley, I'm late," Stefani stated matter-of-factly with a sigh as she leaned against the doorway of our master bathroom in her white robe. Her hair was damp, and her arms crossed as we stared at one another for a moment silently.

"What do you mean?" I asked, though knowing very well what it meant.

"My period - I'm two weeks late," she said coming to sit on our bed with me as she muted a news commentator in the background.

"But you're on birth control," I said, as I turned towards her.

"Yes, but I haven't missed my period since I've been on the pill again, and... I don't know... maybe I missed a pill? I can't remember... everything has been so busy lately... and it... something just doesn't feel right," she mumbled.

"So you think you might be pregnant...?" I asked, as I watched her eyes well, and her face fall into her hands.

"Yes... maybe... I don't know.. yes," She whispered, and started to sniffle. "This wasn't supposed to happen. We have our family. We have our careers. We are happy... so happy. We were done. This isn't what we planned."