Page 81 of Wish You Would

“Congratulations you two,” his mom says with her hand on her heart. She gives me a quick hug and then hands me my phone. “Here’s your mom, honey.”

“Hi guys,” I say, looking at my mom and my brother on the screen through tears in my eyes. “Did you see it all?”

“We did, sweetheart. Thank you for including us. We would have been devastated to miss that.” My mom beams, dabbing tears from her eyes with a tissue. “I couldn’t be happier. Why don’t we talk tomorrow so you can get back to your friends?”

“Okay, Mom. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

It’s not the same as having her here with me, but I’m happy my mom could share such a big, life-changing moment with me. I was so young when my dad left, but my mom is front and center in every childhood memory I have. She was there for us in every way that she could be,and she always made sure we knew we were loved. I hope I can be half the mother to my little boy that my mom was to me.

Daisy throws her arms around me, bringing me back to the present moment. “You two are going to have the cutest little boy.”

“I just hope I can do this. It’s scary to think I’ll be responsible for a tiny human being in just a few months.”

“Of course you can,” she says, running her hand up and down my arm. “There isn’t a doubt in my mind that you will make the best mom, and Holden seems to be really excited.”

“He is, Daisy,” I sigh. “He’s been amazing. He won’t let me do anything on my own because he thinks I’m going to hurt myself or the baby and I’m pretty positive he knows more about what’s going on with my body than I do thanks to all the research he’s done.”

“He’s sweet, Briar. I’ve always known that about him. He watched re-runs of theGilmore Girlswith me, for Pete’s sake. I couldn’t even getyouto do that.”

I laugh. I’m not sure I realized how lonely I was until Holden came into my life. The thought of being without him every day makes my chest tighten. I can’t imagine not seeing his shoes and his gym bag by the door when I come home. I can’t imagine not seeing his truck next to my car in his driveway. I can’t imagine not sharing every dinner with him. But my apartment will be ready soon and he hasn’t once asked me to stay. A few more weeks, maybe less, and I’ll be moving out.

As if on cue, Holden is at my side, slipping his arm around my waist. He smiles down at me, but behind that smile I can see the desire to take me home.

He pulls me into his chest. “You must be tired. You’ve been on your feet for hours. How about we take off?”

For the first time in my life, I’m ready to leave a party if it means I get to be home alone with him.

“Only if you rub my feet when we get there,” I smirk. It’s a running joke, knowing how he feels about feet.

He arches one brow. “Or I could run you a bath?”

“A foot massage would be ideal.” I give him my most innocent, wide-eyed look, one hand moving back and forth across my bump.

He laughs, shaking his head. “You don’t play fair. I will massage your feet. Then I will massage—”

“Holden, don’t you dare. Your parents are right over there.”

“Can you believe it?” he asks. “Slugger’s a boy.”

“I can’t.” I lean my head against his shoulder. “I guess we need to talk about a name.”

“I’ve got ideas.”

“Why does that make me nervous?”

“What’s wrong with Slugger?” he asks with one delicious brow raised.

“Absolutely not.” I shake my head. “But it makes the perfect nickname, I’ll give you that.”

“We are so agreeable.”

“Let’s go home, Holden. You look tired too.” I brush the back of my knuckles down his cheek.

“Maybe if you weren’t so pretty, I would have slept last night.”

My lips tip, my pulse already racing.

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