Page 3 of A Trident Christmas Baby

The foundation was her passion, and stepping back in recent weeks had been difficult. After three years of managing all the day-to-day operations, it was like letting someone else into her world and trusting them to care for her “other baby.”

She was also pretty much in charge of the upkeep of their house. She didn’t mind, and Ace would always help out when he could. After their wedding, Ace had wanted her to hire a housekeeper to come in and do a lot of the cleaning, at least until she had the baby. But Alex wasn’t thrilled with the idea.

Then there was Christmas, which was only four days away. She and Ace had agreed to continue their tradition of hosting Christmas. Alex loved the idea of their home filled with the warmth and laughter of good friends, family, twinkling lights, and an enormous Christmas tree decked out in ornaments she and Ace had collected over the years. Okay, they were mostly hers. But every ornament on the tree had a story to tell.

The last few days, she had spent doing some last-minute shopping, wrapping gifts, buying food for Christmas dinner, and making sure everything was just right. Every detail felt significant as if she was nesting with double the energy this year.

And speaking of nesting, she was in full domestic overdrive mode. She had cleaned out and reorganized every closet in the house, except for Ace’s side of their walk-in closet. After the closets, she moved on to the kitchen cabinets. That lasted until Ace walked in the front door after work one night and found her standing on a ladder. Needless to say, he wasn’t too happy, and she got an earful from him. However, it all worked out in the end, as he finished organizing the upper cabinets under her supervision.

She looked at her watch and smiled. Speaking of Ace, he should be walking through the front door soon. She took one last look around the nursery, making sure everything was in its place before walking over and flipping off the light switch.

Stepping out of the room, she placed her hand on her belly and gave it a little rub. “You are already so spoiled,” she said to the growing baby inside her belly. She couldn’t wait to meet their little bundle of joy. Overall, her pregnancy has been good.However, when she entered the third trimester, her doctor had to remind her to slow down and take it easy. She had tried really hard, but she was a workaholic and had to always keep herself busy. She was like that when she did work for the government. It was like her mind would never shut off.

She headed toward the staircase. The stairs were one obstacle in the house that she hated maneuvering while being pregnant—more so going down them. She sometimes tended to rush, and going down the stairs with a huge belly made her a little top-heavy. She had a few close calls where gravity had won out, and she almost found herself tumbling down them. Because of that, she always made sure to hold on to the banister.

Once she was downstairs, she grabbed two presents she had wrapped earlier off the couch and walked over to the huge Christmas tree that sat in front of the big bay window in the living room.

As she bent over to place the gifts under the tree, she felt a small twinge shoot through her lower back.It made her pause, one hand drifting to her belly. But as quickly as it came, it was gone. Just a muscle spasm, she figured. It was another reminder to slow down a little.

She stood up straight and rubbed her lower back as she walked into the kitchen to set the table for dinner. Ace loved Italian, so she’d decided to make his favorite—homemade lasagna with layers of rich homemade sauce and creamy cheese.

“Well, little one,” she murmured, rubbing her hand over the round curve of her belly, “tonight, we’re spoiling your dad a little. But I know that you like lasagna just as much as your daddy.” She smiled, feeling a tiny flutter inside, and it filled her with even more joy.

Alex walked over to the oven and opened it. The aroma of spices hit her nose, and her belly rumbled, making her laugh. Lately, she was always hungry. She pulled the pan of lasagna outof the oven, placed it on top of the stove, and then placed the pan with the garlic bread in the oven.

She picked up the plates and silverware and was placing them down on the table when she heard the front door open and close. A familiar warmth spread through her chest. There was something comforting about that sound, especially after all the nights Ace had been away. Thankfully, things in the world had been quiet, meaning the team hadn’t been called up much.

She could hear Zuma, their energetic chocolate lab’s nails tapping against the hardwood floor, as he greeted Ace by the door. She grinned when she heard Ace asking Zuma if he’d been a good boy, and Zuma let out a little snarl.

As Ace stepped into the kitchen, Alex’s smile grew, and she closed the distance, wrapping her arms around him and pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

“Welcome home,” she said. Her voice was a gentle whisper, and her promise to greet him this way every night was fulfilled once again.

Ace held her close and kissed her back before flashing her that sexy grin of his. “Hey, sweetheart. How was your day?” His voice was low but deep.

She ran her hands up his chest. “It was good for the most part. Baby and I did a little paperwork for the foundation. We ate. Then we wrapped a few presents while watching Christmas movies. We also made a list of some last-minute things I need to pick up at the grocery store. Then we ate again,” she said laughingly.

In the last few weeks, the baby has had a bit of a sweet tooth. The baby seemed to likeLittle Debbie Christmas Cakes.

“How are you feeling?” he asked as his blue eyes looked straight into hers.

“I feel okay. But I’ll admit that I’m starting to feel a little anxious and a little sore.”

Ace’s eyebrows scrunched together. “Sore?”

Alex smiled. Of course, he’d picked up on that. “It seems this little one,” she smiled and pointed to her belly, “might be the next soccer star in the family. Their feet keep drilling me in the ribs.”

Ace grinned as his hands slid down to her belly, and he gave it a playful rub. He then leaned down to talk to their baby. “Hey there, little one,” he said, a soft grin on his face. “You need to keep your kicking to a minimum. You’re hurting your mommy.”

Alex laughed as Ace stood back up and pecked her on the lips. He then lifted his nose in the air and sniffed.

“Is that lasagna I smell?”

She smiled. “It is,” she said, stepping away and heading toward the oven to take the bread out.

While she sliced the bread, Ace walked over to the sink and washed his hands. When he was finished, he grabbed the pan of lasagna off the stove and carried it over to the table.

“Would you mind grabbing the salad out of the fridge?” she asked as she set the bread on the table.

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