Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33434 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 167(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33434 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 167(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
I bite down on my cheek to hide my grin. This isn’t the first time we’ve had this conversation since we found out she was pregnant. “I like taking care of you.” Sure, I take it to the extreme, but again, she’s doing all the heavy lifting, being pregnant. The least I can do is make sure all of her wants and needs are met.
She sighs. “I—” She stops midsentence. “Oh shit,” she says breathily.
“Lena?”
Her nails dig into my arm that’s pressing against her belly while the other rests at the small of her back. “My water just broke.”
Panic starts to set it. It’s time. We’re having a baby. My palms are sweaty and my heart feels as if it could jump out of my chest. Taking a deep breath, I try to remain calm. At least on the outside.
Sure enough, I look down to see there is indeed a small puddle on the floor beneath her that I didn’t notice. “Right. Okay. We’ve got this.” I scoop her up into my arms, and she yelps.
“Stanley Riggins. Put me down.”
“No can do, baby momma. We have a little boy to meet.”
“I can walk down the stairs,” she grumbles. “And I’m—messy.”
“You’re not telling me anything that’s changing my mind here, baby. I’ve got you. I don’t give a fuck that you’re messy. Let me be messy with you. I’m not leaving your side, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you walk.”
“You’re a lot, Stanley Riggins.” She sighs, but it’s more of a dreamy sigh than an irritated one. She knows this is who I am, at least where she’s concerned.
I grin down at her as we hit the bottom step. “I’m yours, Lena Riggins. Are you ready to meet our son?” My heart pounds in my chest. My nerves are on high alert, but I do everything I can to keep them at bay. I’m not worried about being a dad. I know that I can do anything with Lena by my side. I’m worried about my wife. I know labor isn’t exactly easy, and if I could, I would step into her place. It’s going to kill me to watch her go through this.
“I’m so ready. I’m also scared as hell. We’re about to have a tiny person who’s going to rely on us for everything.”
“You’re going to be an amazing mother, Lena. Don’t doubt that. Your heart is big, baby, and you have so much of it to give. This little man, he’s going to be smothered in love.”
She sniffs and wipes at her eyes as I fiddle with the garage door to push it open without letting her go. “Way to make me cry.” She smacks at my chest lightly. “Brat.”
“Love you.” I smile at her.
“I love you too.” She returns my smile.
We’re having a baby!
Carefully, I place her on her feet and pull open the passenger door, helping her inside.
“I should sit on a trash bag or something.” She scrunches up her nose while staring down at her lap.
“What?”
“I don’t want to ruin the seats.”
I kneel so that we’re eye to eye. “Listen to me. This car can be cleaned. It’s a material possession. I don’t want you to worry about anything but bringing our little guy into this world. Let me handle the rest.”
“But I’m a mess.”
“You’re a beautiful mess, wife.” I kiss her softly before reaching in and strapping her seat belt. I make one more mental check that I have everything before closing the door on the house and opening the garage door. Whatever I might have forgotten, we can send someone to get it for us. Right now, we need to get to the hospital.
I’m floating. At least that’s what it feels like. I was happy the day Lena agreed to be my wife. I was thrilled the day we changed her last name and today… today, I don’t have words to explain how I’m feeling.
Watching Lena deliver our baby boy was an experience I’ll never forget. I held my breath until he took his first, and I knew, without a doubt, I’d never be the same. My dad was right. This is a different kind of love—not just for our son but for Lena too.
My wife is sleeping peacefully, as she should be after the work she put in, while I hold our son against my bare chest. The nurses said it was good for him. So, that’s what I’m doing. He’s so damn tiny. He grunts around, and I know he’s getting hungry. Lena made the decision that she wanted to breastfeed. She asked my opinion, and honestly, I didn’t have one. It’s a lot on her. From the books I’ve read, I know that it can be painful at times, and that wasn’t a choice I felt like I should have a say in.