Page 57 of The Last to Know

The coming weeks had been busy. Both had returned to work, and Grace was on cloud nine now that they’d undertaken their second attempt. Everything was going smoothly. All they had to do was wait and then, hopefully, enjoy the outcome.

A healthy child was all either of them wanted. They’d used a different donor this time; it felt more prudent. This was not a cheap process, and Caz had been somewhat concerned that using a tried and tested, and failed, model probably wasn’t the best way to go this time around.

Grace had arranged desk duties only at work for the next week and Caz was running around like her own personal butler at home, making sure she didn’t lift a finger.

“Put that down,” she’d ordered when she’d come back from the shops and found Grace attempting to dust the unit in the living room.

Waving the yellow cloth at her, Grace tutted, “It’s hardly going to—”

“You heard what the doctor said,” Caz reminded her, moving quickly to take the cloth from her hand and guide her back to the couch. “Sit. Lay. Sprawl, but no unnecessary movement.”

“I don’t think he meant that I couldn’t—” Grace stopped speaking and smiled at the way Caz was glaring at her. “Okay, fine, I will do as I’m told.” She sat herself down.

“Thank you. Now, do you want spag bol or a stir-fry for dinner?”

“Whatever is easiest,” Grace said, before noticing the raised brow. “Stir-fry would be lovely, thank you.” She slid down the cushion and brought her feet up.

“Great, I’ll get cooking then.”

“Can I at least come and sit in the kitchen with you?” Grace batted her eyelashes theatrically.

“Come on then.” Caz added an even more dramatic eyeroll to the scene. Then she smiled. “If you’re a good girl, I’ll even let you chop some veg.”

“Ooh, promises, promises.” Grace laughed, as she stood up and almost skipped out of the room. “You know, when the baby comes—”

“If,” Caz reminded her, keeping both their feet on the ground. They were due to do a pregnancy test the next day, but there were no guarantees at this stage. Despite both of them being excited to find out, it was Caz who was holding them both firmly rooted to the ground.

Grace ignored her. “I don’t want you doing everything. We’re in this together.”

“Yeah, and that means you do nine months and hard labour, and I’ll do my share.”

“Uh, can we please not put ‘hard labour’ out into the universe, thank you. Calm, easy, and gentle labour are my preferences.”

Caz laughed. “Alright, princess.” She pulled a chair out from under the table. “Sit.”

“Caz?” Grace said, sitting down as she was told.

“Yeah?” Caz answered. She’d turned away and was lifting the shopping bag up onto the counter to empty it out.

“I…while you were out, I…” Grace stopped talking. The sound of something plastic and light tapped against the tabletop.

Caz turned slowly to see what she was not talking about and recognised the familiar object.

“I couldn’t wait, and I thought, if I just find out then…either way, I could be prepared and—”

Putting the bag of onions down, Caz wiped her hands down her thighs, her eyes flicking back and forth between the woman she was married to and the pregnancy test lying flat on the table.

“I’m pregnant,” Grace whispered, and then her mouth contorted and what should have been a smile, became something else.

“What…why…why are you crying?” Caz rushed towards her and fell to her knees in front of Grace.

“I’m just…I dunno…relieved, happy, but…I didn’t think it would happen, and now it has, and…” Now Grace laughed, wiping her eyes, before she reached for Caz and pulled her close, kissing her cheek. “We’re having a baby.”

“We’re having a baby?” Caz asked, and then as the words settled, she grew more confident. “We’re having a baby!” She jumped up, hopping around the room like an idiot, whooping as Grace laughed at her. Finally, she stopped and returned back to her spot, kneeling on the floor. “We’re having a baby.”

“We are. We’re going to be parents,” Grace said, taking Caz’s hand and bringing it to her stomach. “In here, is our baby.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

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