Page 106 of Back To You

Annie also isn’t the only one pregnant.

When Annie and I announced the pregnancy to our friends. Turns out, Mia and Drew werebothalso pregnant, but neither one wanted to say anything to steal Annie’s thunder.

We didn’t find out until a few weeks later that Drew was pregnant, Mia saying she was too when Drew and Emmett told us all.

Our three girls have three more boys on the way.

Just like our Sunday dinners, we switch off on who hosts the holidays every year—not that it really matters since Mia and Eddie’s house is down the street from Drew and Emmett’s, and Drew told me the one across from them just went up for sale.

I’m getting Rosie on her leash while Annie’s finishing getting ready in the bathroom, and I take a second to look at the apartment we’ve shared over these last years.

I think we’ve officially grown out of it.

“No.”

I turn to see Annie coming out of the bathroom, her brown hair is twisted back in a clip, her brown eyes and cherry lips on full display.

She crosses her arms, but it’s not as intimidating as it used to be. Not when she has to rest her forearms on her swollen belly.

I’ll never forget when Annie came home and told me she was pregnant. We weren’t actively trying because of how busy she was with her externship—we haven’t even gotten officially married yet because things arejustnow starting to slow down.

She got home from work before me that day, and I came home to her holding a little red bag.

“I have a gift for you,”she blurted out right as I walked in the door. She looked nervous, tucking her hair behind her ears as she watched me shut the door and walk towards her.

Seeing Annie nervous barely happens, not since I found her behind the bar at Lenny’s over a decade ago.

I stopped just a foot from where she was standing in the middle of the living room, no doubt having been pacing since the moment she got home.

She was still in her scrubs, and I could see the tops of her ears were bright red.

“Okay,”I slowly said, trying to fight the smile threatening to overcome my lips. Annie is usually so in control of her feelings, and it’s taken years for her to be less and less protective over them. While, for the most part, I’ve always been able to see through the defenses, I like that she doesn’t try to hide her emotions from me anymore.

“Here,”she said, pushing the bag into my chest. “No, wait. This is stupid,” she quickly added, taking the bag back.

I didn’t move a muscle, not wanting to scare her in the moment of what I can only assume was vulnerability. These types of moments come more often now, but I still have to tread carefully.

I didn’t know what she had for me or if there was something she needed to tell me, but I know my Annie girl. There are times I can push her and times I can’t.

This was a time I knew I couldn’t.

She groaned. “Whatever. Just take it,” she managed to get out through her teeth, pushing the bag back into my chest. When she held it there for a few seconds, I decided it was safe to grab.

I felt her eyes on me as I took out the few pieces of tissue paper, pulling out a black t-shirt.

“Thanks, honey,” I said, wanting her to know that I am grateful for any gift she ever wants to give me—I can never have too many T-shirts.

“You didn’t even read what it says,” she snapped, but I snuck a glance at her face to find her blushing, her lips pouted.

I put the gift bag and tissue paper on the coffee table next to us, using both hands to unfold the shirt, and held it out in front of me.

I read the white bubble letters aloud.“‘I heart hot moms’?”

Realization hit me when I said the word “moms”, and I dropped the shirt to the floor.

I stepped towards her, closing all space between us. “Are you serious?” I said in disbelief, a huge grin taking up most of my face.

I felt my eyes begin to water as Annie nodded her head. A small smile formed on her lips, and her teeth sank into her bottom lip. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into me and lifting her feet off the ground. Her legs immediately wrapped around my waist as I spun us around.

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