Page 143 of Ex's Accidental Baby

“Come on, we have to see if Madame Bouvier is still working here! She’ll be closing soon, and we need to get there.”

Leah sleeps on the ride to the fortune teller’s hut, but she’s wide awake and crawling around in my arms like I’m a jungle gym when we arrive.

“Dada, Mama,beach!” She points at some seashells on the door of the hut.

“That’s right, baby. Beach. We’re going there tomorrow. Now Mama wants to talk to the nice lady.”

She gets easily distracted as I show her other colorful things around.

I just want Meredith to have a good experience.

“I remember you, lady. With the flower-named baby.”

“That’s me. That’s her with my husband, see? Her name is Rosa.”

“Beautiful name.”

I wave awkwardly, and she smiles at me, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

“I see you still have your man.”

“Going strong and steady.” Meredith smiles brightly.

“There will be another.”

My shoulders stiffen. “What’s that now?”

Meredith is staring into the fortune teller’s eyes.

“Oh.”

“He will be your truest love, more than any other man.”

What?

“Hey, lady, wait a minute?—”

The fortune teller just chuckles and points at Meredith’s belly.

“Baby.” Rosa points too, and I go pale.

“You’re pregnant?”

“I had my suspicions, but…yeah. I think I am.”

I cry out and scoop her up into my arms with Leah, juggling them both around until they whine and wiggle away.

My daughter gets down on the ground and immediately starts touching the crystals, so Meredith picks her up again.

We pay Madame Bouvier triple what she asks for and make our way back to the hotel.

When our baby’s finally down on her cot and sleeping peacefully, Meredith sidles up next to me in bed.

“Are you really pregnant? You really think she can see that?”

“I’ve had all the symptoms. Remember that ‘stomach virus’ I had a couple of weeks ago? And I haven’t had my period in nearly two months.”

“Maybe it was just a lucky guess.”

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