Page 56 of Baby Me

“I miss Lola.” She wiggled her tinynose.

“I’m sure she misses us too.” Brook replied, but when I heard doubt linger on his voice, I wondered what was happening with him and my bestfriend.

“Daddy, a domesticated animal instead of a wild one makes muchmore sense, doesn’t it? I also think we should visit Silvia more often. Boo is growing up toofast.”

She was adorable. If fate had it right, she’d one day be my niece aswell.

I reached for the pot of coffee standing at the side counter and poured myself acup.

“For the love of God, why can’t you just go and have an herbal tea like a normal pregnantwoman?”

“Maybe because I’m not pregnant,” I laughed, but Cameron’s mouth didn’t eventwitch.

“Cameron? I’m not pregnant. I told you, my cycle is fine, and unless you planted something inside me last night, I’m still willing to continue trying to getpregnant.”

“No, you don’t get it, Kate. I was going to do this whole thing where I gifted you small baby booties and some baby food in a jar and the fresh buns that I was going to bake in the oven so that you would guess the baby gift theme. What I’m trying to tell you is that yes, you are pregnant. I asked Charlie to bring by an ultrasound machine so that we could show thefamily.”

“Is this some kind of a family tradition? Are you pranking me, Cam? I mean, obviously I would know if I were pregnant, and I’mnot.”

“No, Kate. This is real. I checked your urine last night. Unless this pregnancy test I got from Silvia is wrong, you’repregnant.”

“You checked my urine?” It sort of made me angry, but at the same time, proud of how clever hewas.

Wait, am Ipregnant?

“I shut off the toiletvalve.”

“But how could I bepregnant?”

“Hasn’t anyone ever told you about the birds and the bees?” Mary looked up from her tablet, reached for her glass of whiskey and took an indulgent sip. I realized that since the moment Cameron had joined us in the dinette, I’d barely registered that she was eventhere.

“Of course, I know about the birds and the bees, but Cameron’s been in a coma and we haven’t been intimate until lastnight.”

“It had to have happened on Thanksgiving eve,” Cameron stated matter-of-factly. He looked different. Proud. “Otherwise the tests wouldn’t have worked. I knew you were pregnant from the moment I saw your glowing face when I woke up. You will see, Charlie will confirmit.”

“I had my period,” I said as the sounds in the room began blending intoone.

“So did I during the first trimester of each of my pregnancies,” Mary replied, and we both turned our heads towardher.

“Icouldbe pregnant?” I asked, poking my fork through the scrambled eggs Cameron had served me. I moved them from one side to the other until he touched my hand, stoppingme.

“You. Are. Pregnant. Kate. I was going to surprise you with the news later, but this has been the hardest secret I’ve ever had to keep. I had a cake planned out and everything. There was supposed to be a game, and diapers and bottles made up of sweets, and other party favors, and now almost everything’s beenruined.”

“Aww, Cameron, are you feeling a little hormonal?” Jax, who must have overheard our conversation, teased his brother. Then he came up to me, lifted me up in the air, and spun me around, screaming. “I’m going to be anuncle!”

“Yo, set her down right now. Don’t you dare hurt her,” Cameronwarned.

“Relax, bro. I wouldn’t harm a piece of hair on this woman.” Jax finally stopped the spinning and set me down on the ground. My hands slid to my belly, gently touchingit.

“You’re telling me that I have a baby inside of me? Your baby. And that you found out before Idid?”

“Yeah, Iam.”

Could it be possible? Was I getting so much more than a simple Christmas miracle? Was I getting ababy?

“Is there any way you can call Charlie over earlier?” I asked, and watched as Cameron’s mouth curved up into asmile.

“I’ll call him right now.” He then knelt in front of me, lifted my shirt, and kissed my stomach before resting his cheek there and closing his eyes. I felt my stomachgrumble.

---