Page 66 of Our Unexpected Beginning
“Because I should be here. Not for only two weeks at a time.”
“Are you off partying somewhere?”
“No. You’re the only one I want to party with.” Graham shrugged and kissed her nose.
“If I wouldn’t get my badass girl card taken from me, I’d pack up my projects and go hang out in your camp while you were on-site. That is how much I hate the distance.” He wouldn’t object one bit. He’d pack her stuff up and bring her in two seconds if it was feasible and wouldn’t put more stress on her and their baby.
“Listen. Is it easy all the time? No. Does the distance bother me some days? Yeah, it really does. But I understand what you’re doing.”
“Would it be strange to say that I’m proud of you, kitten?”
Julia blushed under his gaze.
“I am. You are one of the most independently driven women I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. It takes growth and strength to know you can lean on someone when you need it.”
“Mel and I have been that way for years.” She shrugged, grabbing her hair brush to pull out the tangles.
Graham’s eyes met hers with all seriousness. “Six months ago you wouldn’t confide in anyone but Mel.”
“Yeah well I kinda have a big ape shaped hole that broke my armor.”
“Oh, I can fill your ho-”
“Oh my God!” she laughed loudly and tipped her headback. “Sir, you are horrible!”
Julia batted him away with the hairbrush. “I’m going to get dressed, you still have paint on your neck.” She giggled, blew him a kiss, and hurried out of the room leaving him to shower.
Graham watched her disappear through the doorway, her laughter still echoing in the room. The shower hissed to life, steam beginning to fill the small space for the second time. He tilted his head, examining the blue paint splatter on his neck in the mirror. Evidence of their impromptu painting session for the nursery.
As warm water cascaded over his shoulders, Graham’s thoughts drifted. Six months. Six months since Julia had let him past those carefully constructed walls. Sometimes he still couldn’t believe it—that this fierce, brilliant woman was carrying his child, that she’d chosen him to build a life with.
The universe chose her to be his and it wasn’t something he would let slip through his fingers.
The water washed away the paint but not his thoughts. He’d meant what he said about being proud of her. Julia’s fierce independence had been what attracted him initially, but watching her slowly lower her walls, allowing herself to be vulnerable with him—that was something else entirely.
Graham stepped out of the shower, drying off quickly and wrapping a towel around his waist. He grabbed his phone from the nightstand and checked his messages as he made his way out of the bedroom.
A few missed calls from work, nothing urgent. Two from the reporter that won’t quit asking about his fathers estate. But there was a text from Julia’s best friend, Melody.
Melody:
Hey! How’s my favorite expecting couple? Any baby updates?
Graham smiled at Mel’s enthusiasm. It was nice to have someone else outside of their relationship who was just as excited about the baby as they were. He wondered when Wes was going to pop the question, he hadn’t heard anything since the day they went to pick one out.
Graham:
All’s good. She’ll be yours again when I leave Tuesday. I’ve been kicked out of her art project for today though *laughing faces*
Melody:
You’re lucky she let you in it at all, mister!
Melody:
No word from the other side?
Graham:
