“Graham wants us to work together. And he’s governor now. He doesn’t have an engineering degree.”
“But he owns businesses. You could work together in a way that incorporates both of your strengths—”
“Evie …” Lila smiled, easing her head side to side. “I appreciate where you’re trying to go with this. It’s why we’re best friends. But I’m okay with changing directions in my life. Graham won’t be governor forever. This is where our lives have taken us right now. I don’t think it’s wrong of me to seize the opportunity to use my new position to make a difference.”
She made it sound so right. I just wasn’t sure if those words were truly hers or regurgitated from Graham’s mouth.
“Then I support your decision … unless the next thing you’re going to tell me is that you won’t have time for me or to be an aunt to this little baby boy in my belly.”
“Don’t be saying stupid shit like that. You know I’m going to take every opportunity to spoil my nephew.”
“But are you going to give your nephew a cousin?” I tilted my head to the side.
Lila’s brow tensed a bit, just for a second, but I didn’t miss it. “Eventually.” She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I think Graham would die if I got pregnant now.”
“Why would you say that? He’s ecstatic about this little guy coming soon.” I rubbed my belly.
Lila’s gaze shifted to my hand. “Because that little guy won’t wake him up in the middle of the night or demand my attention. Graham likes things a certain way right now.” She laughed. It was an odd laugh. Maybe a sad laugh? Definitely a dark sarcasm. “If I’m honest, I might be quitting my job just to take care of him.”
“He can wipe his own ass like a big boy. Don’t be ridiculous. Do I need to have a talk with him? It’s been a while since I put him in his place. Sometimes, Graham needs a kick in the teeth to bring him back in balance and remind him that he’s not the center of the universe no matter what sort of entitlement his parents bestowed upon him.”
“He’s done a lot for you. I’m not sure kicking a gift horse in the teeth is a good idea.” Lila lifted a single eyebrow.
My parents … I would never be free from everything Graham did to help my parents through their health issues. My dad had a working kidney, and my mom was cancer free with her eyes focused on remission. But that wasn’t everything. Graham owned the building where I had my business. Not because it was a great investment on his part; he did it to keep Clean Art in its spot, to prevent the original owner from tearing down the building.
“So …” I blew out a long breath. “Governor’s wife. Ambassador to all things great for the state of Colorado. You must be so excited.”
A grin crawled up her face, finally reaching her eyes. “Yes. I’m going to change the world. Or at least do good for 5.6 million people in the world. Anyway, I have to get back. Graham wants me showered and ready for bed by seven tonight since he doesn’t have any meetings.”
“Showered and ready for bed? Seriously? Is that his way of scheduling sex with his wife?”
Lila pulled on her white wool coat. It screamed expensive. It made her look rich and very important—even if beneath it she wore leggings and an old sweatshirt. “He’s busy all the time. If something’s not on his schedule, then it doesn’t exist. I’m fine with it. At least it’s …” She rubbed her lips together as if she had said too much. Her gaze focused on her leather handbag and her phone that she dug out of the side pocket.
“It’s what?”
“Nothing. The plane is ready. My driver is out front. I have to run.” She kissed me on the cheek while resting a hand on my belly. “Give Ronin a big hug for me.”
“Elbow Graham in the ribs for me,” I shouted after she was already halfway to the door.
Two weeks later, we made our way to the hospital’s birth center at three in the morning after a sleepless night of contractions. My midwife told me to relax at home. There was no need to labor at the birth center any more than absolutely necessary. Still … this was our first child. We were a little nervous and a lot anxious. I’d heard too many stories about not making it to the hospital in time. And while I loved Ronin and trusted him with my life, it was early March in Colorado, and I didn’t want to have our baby in the back of a car.
“Call my mom and Lila.” I tugged on Ronin’s sleeve as he helped me follow the nurse to our room. My contractions were less than four minutes apart and lasting close to a minute. And they hurt. A LOT!
“I already did. They’re on their way.”
“We should have called them earlier. They’re going to miss it.”
“Maybe. But we won’t miss it. At least I’m not going to miss it. I don’t know what your plans are.”
The nurse giggled at Ronin’s remark.
To say we called it close was an understatement. By the time we made it to the room, my contractions were a minute apart, and I had a strong urge to push.
“Push whenever your body feels ready.” My midwife pulled on a pair of gloves as the nurse and Ronin helped me out of my clothes and into the soft birthing gown Lila bought me.
I cringed after a contraction that left me doubled over in Ronin’s arms. “I can’t push. It hurts too much.”
The midwife chuckled as Ronin helped me into the bed. The nurse suggested I relax in the tub a bit, but I just wanted to lie down as soon as possible.
“Look at me.” Ronin brushed my hair away from my face after I grimaced through another contraction.
I saw it … that look. He was going to say it.
“No. Don’t you dare say it.” I grabbed his shirt to hold him close to me, stressing my point.
He loved me. Why wouldn’t I just let him say it? Well, we’d gone over two years without saying the actual words. We said it with a look and a hundred other words strung together. But mostly we said it with a touch. Our bodies said it for us when he lost himself inside of me and when I found shelter in his arms.
It wasn’t our rainy day. Not yet.
The fact that it had been two years made it even more special, like an aging wine. One day, we would open that bottle, and it would be something very special to be savored.
“I wasn’t going to say it.” He grinned. “I was going to tell you that you have to push. I want to meet our son. He’s mine too. You’ve kept him to yourself long enough. It’s my turn. Give me my turn.”
Only Ronin could make me laugh during such physical pain. “Franz will be a mama’s boy. You know this, right?”
He kissed my lips, and as I started to moan with pain, he moved his mouth to my cheek while stroking my hair. Then he brushed his lips against my ear. “I love Franz with my entire being, as I do his mother.”
Sneaky … he snuck that in there without pointing the words directly at me. Real sneaky.
“It hurts!”
The midwife remained in chill mode with a smile on her face and her soothing voice repeatedly reminding me to “open up.” It’s not like I was trying to close my vagina. It didn’t have an actual door with hinges. It was like trying to put a toddler’s sock on an adult’s foot. Sure … it could possibly stretch that far, but probably not without tearing it. And the sock would never be the same.