Page 167 of For Wrath and Redemption
She kneels in front of me and puts her hands on my stomach.
“Hey there, Teddy girl. I know I said this yesterday, but you’re late, and we’d love it if you could stop dillydallying and grace us with your presence now.”
The baby kicks right at Mabel’s hand, and I gasp just as Mabellaughs. She lifts her eyes to mine with a smirk. “She’s going to be sassy.”
“Trouble.” Jonah bends down and kisses the top of my head. “She’s going to be trouble for sure.”
“Well, she’s got four more days to show up on her own before they’re going to induce me.” I look down at my stomach. “I’d really like to avoid that, so anytime is a good time for me.”
“That kid is going to do what she wants, when she wants,” Sav adds with a laugh. “I have a feeling our world is about to become Teddy’s world, and we’ll all just be existing in it.”
I laugh with her, and I don’t miss that she saidour.Ourworld. So loved. This baby is already so loved. I glance up at Jonah, and the way he looks at me...
I feel loved, too.
He reaches down and pulls on one of my curls before letting it spring back, then he winks and moves to one of the overstuffed chairs. Out of habit, I drop my eyes to his thumbs. They’re healed. He still picks at them, but he hasn’t done it recently, and that brings a smile to my face.
“So what kind of things are supposed to bring on a pregnancy?” I open my mouth to answer Mabel, but she’s already scrolling her phone looking for the answer. “It says here that long walks could do it.”
“I’ve taken two already today.”
“Sex.”
“Did that already, too,” Jonah adds with a smirk. Mabel rolls her eyes but keeps reading.
“Oh, what about spicy foods?”
“That’s the plan for dinner.”
“The rest of this stuff is weird.” She drops her phone back on the cushion beside her. “Fingers crossed the spicy food does the trick.”
I cross my fingers and hold them up.
Fingers crossed.
Mabel and Sav stay for a few more hours before putting their newest gift in the nursery and heading home. They’ve gone a little overboard since we found out the sex. We have a closet full of outfits, another closet full of diapers, a bookshelf teeming with books, and every developmental toy a baby could want for their first year of life.
I’ve found myself frequently hoping that Macon and Lennon have people like this around them. Friends and family who love their babies like their own. They deserve it.
Jonah makes Jamaican curry chicken for dinner, and despite ramping up the spice level, I don’t go straight into labor. We had unrealistic expectations, I know, but my false hope is fueled by my growing discomfort.
“She’s just taking her time,” Jonah muses as he washes dishes.
“Yes, well, I’ve served her an eviction notice. Her time is up.”
He spins and leans back on the sink, folding his arms against his naked chest. His tattooed biceps bulge as he shrugs, then hits me with a suggestive smirk.
“I stay inside you for as long as possible, too.”
I tip my head to the ceiling with a laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”
He crosses the floor and wraps his arms around me, then presses a soft kiss to my lips.
“I know this hasn’t been easy, and it’s come with a lot of changes that you probably never wanted, but I’m grateful every day that you’re doing it with me. I love you. I love this baby. I love the life we’re building. Thank you.”
I run my eyes over his face. His eyes are so much brighter blue than they were when we first met almost a year ago. He’s cut his hair, getting rid of the bleached blond and returning to his natural dark brown. He’s even sporting a bit of a tan thanks to our pool. Jonah Hendrix looks healthier and happier than I’ve ever seen him, and it brings me happiness in return.
“I love you,” I say honestly. “But I should be thanking you. What you’ve done...what you’ve accomplished in such a short time. I know it was hard...” I shake my head. “My brother said that the act of getting sober felt like being skinned alive. He said it was a physical, mental, and emotional pain that he thought would never end.”
