Until Her (Sequel)

chapter twenty-four

"Babe? Dinner's ready!" Carter called from the kitchen.

I glided out of our bedroom, wearing a long silky dress. I weaved through boxes and wrapped furniture to get to my husband cooking my favorite dinner in our little kitchen. Well, it would be our kitchen for one more night.

"Oh my gosh, it smells amazing." I inhaled, rubbing my eight-months-pregnant belly. "Baby S loves it." I hummed out a giggle, leaning in to kiss him. He placed a hand on top of mine, and I chuckled because he tasted like the secret sauce he put on the chicken.

"When are you gonna give me the damn chicken recipe?" I said through kisses. "You know it's my favorite and it's killing me."

He smiled against me, kissing my hairline. He ran his hands over my hips, and around to squeeze my ass. He loved doing that, especially lately, because it had grown exponentially over the last month.

"Never," he whispered in my ear. I giggled, which turned into endless laughs while he spun me around our kitchen. We enjoyed dinner that night on paper plates, surrounded by candles and fully-packed boxes. With no worries of the future, we were able to enjoy every last moment of our hectic days, even in the uncertainty.

The apartment was mostly empty, after making a trip in a U-Haul up to Wilmington for my baby shower. All that was left was our coffee table, a few blankets, our bed, and a few other necessities. We ate our delicious dinner atop a fleece blanket in front of the fireplace.

"Damn, baby, this is why I fell in love with you." I joked, eating the last bite of my meal.

He chuckled, smiling at me as I rolled my eyes back in delight. "You liked me before you knew I could cook." He winked.

"True." I watched as he dug into his pocket and opened his Music app, and soon, our first dance song from our wedding floated through the speakers. I hummed along happily, watching his eyes light up. He connected the phone to a Bluetooth speaker and held his hand out in front of me.

"You always liked me because I'm wildly romantic." He grinned, and I bit my lip. I took his hand and stood with him. He spun me around and dipped me low to the ground. My hair whisked along the carpet just like it did the first time we danced. Immediately, I was brought back to the Beach Bash; my nineteen-year-old self, entangled in the arms of the mysterious cocky stranger I'd just met.

Maybe a part of me fell for him that very night. I think I fell for him without ever having noticed it. My memory brought me forward to our wedding while the song played. Our friends and family smiled at us while we floated along the dancefloor, but we were in our own world the entire dance. And now, I was pregnant with his daughter, and we were living the life we'd always dreamed of.

Neither of us really know what we'd do when we moved home, but it didn't necessarily matter. I had a hell of a story to tell, and I would make it a badass book one day. Carter had a degree in Film he could use if soccer didn't work out... but I didn't see that happening any time soon.

Can't Help Falling in Love filtered through the speakers, drowning everything else out. We had to adjust to my large middle, but we made it work. Being in each other's arms was the best cure, energizing me for the crazy life change we were about to go through.

"Are you ready for tomorrow, baby?" Carter asked.

I nodded. "More ready than I ever thought imaginable." I ran my fingers through his hair. "I thought leaving this city would be heartbreaking, but there's so much to look forward to now. Soon, we'll be parents, and we'll be home... it's just so crazy." I spoke clearly, tears stinging my eyes. I was crying all the time now, but Carter never minded it. "Usually all this change would scare me, but everything about this feels right. And I'm so happy to be doing all of it with you."