Pregnant.
My mouth opens to say something but closes when nothing comes out. I try again, but nothing.
“I know we haven’t been together very long, and you’re going through that mess with Elena. I don’t know how it happened because we’ve been safe and—”
I press my lips against hers to silence her. She keeps her mouth closed, which I’m thankful for because . . . well, she’s been sick. When I pull away, I wipe her fallen tears. “I should’ve told you the second I realized this. I’m in love with you, Autumn. I love you so damn much. I planned to ask you to move in once my divorce is final, but I don’t want to wait anymore.” I move closer to her and take her hand in mine. “Autumn, will you move into this place and help me make a home?”
She nods and pulls me into her arms.
“Now, it seems like we had a little mishap with protection. Do you think I should sue the condom company?”
Autumn chokes out a laugh and shakes her head.
“So, tell me about this baby of mine growing in your tummy.” I pull the blankets back and lift her shirt. “Hey there, baby. I’m going to be your dad.” I kiss her belly a couple of times. “If you can do me a favor and not make your mommy sick, I would really appreciate it. I don’t like to see your mommy hurting.”
Autumn’s hand goes through my hair, and I look at her. “I thought you’d be upset.”
I maneuver until I’m lying next to her. “This isn’t ideal, but it’s not a dealbreaker. You’re the one I want to be with no matter what. So, what if we’re doing things a little backward. No one says we must follow their rules. We’ll make our own.”
Her hand cups my cheek. “I love you, Julius Cunningham.”
“I love you, Weather Girl.”
Epilogue
Reggie, Roxy, and I make our way into the stadium. The atmosphere is surreal, and according to Reggie, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Every seat has a fan of football sitting in it. Every luxury box has a corporate sponsor, a celebrity, or some big shot, something or other. As a family, we chose to sit in the stands to be near the action. Because like Reggie says, we may only experience the Super Bowl once.
There are a few things in my life that I’m thankful for right now. One being, Reggie and I get along very well. For the first couple of weeks, after his mom left, he shut down. He reminded me that I’m not his mother and never will be. He would get angry with Julius if he invited me to dinner. Or when Reggie would wake up, and I was in the kitchen. The adjustment has been challenging for both of us, but I never stopped trying to be his friend. I never set out to replace his mother. Not then and not now. Elena is doing a stand-up job of separating herself from her children without any help. It took a picture of Elena on vacation, which she posted on social media, for Reggie to start seeing his mom in a new light. An unfortunate situation all around.
I’m also incredibly thankful for my job, for Leon, and the staff I work with. If someone told me six months ago, I was going to move to a vast city, fall in love with a professional athlete, and get pregnant, I would’ve died of laughter right in front of them. None of this was in my life plan—not that I had one to begin with. Thinking back, I feel as if I didn’t have any direction. If it weren’t for Leon, I wouldn’t be here right now, which made my decision to stay in Portland ten times easier. Of course, Julius was a significant part of this. I knew from the start he was going to be someone special in my life.
I’m beyond appreciative of this life I live. I love my job, friends, family, and this little family unit I’m in with Julius and his children. Even though Roxy isn’t mine, she’s becoming my mini-me more and more each day. She’s started doing her own weather reports in the living room each morning. Even though Julius still employs Miss Meghan, I take Roxy to the park each morning before heading to work. Meghan is there to take care of Roxy when neither Julius nor I are home, and she picks Reggie up from school. We plan to keep her when the new baby comes because I’m not ready to give up my career.
This baby growing inside of me is one of the best things to happen to me. At first, I didn’t think I was ready. My career is just starting to take off. Julius and I haven’t been together that long and the fact that when I told him about being pregnant, he was still married. The day his divorce became final was one of the happiest days of our new lives together. It’s also the day I officially moved in. Once I told him about the pregnancy, he wanted me to treat his apartment as if it were mine. He gave me a key and full reign to redesign anything I wanted. His office will be the nursery, and we’ll start on that once we tell people we’re having a baby. It’s still early, and I’d like to keep it a secret a bit longer. If it weren’t for Julius, people would probably know already. My morning sickness kept me sidelined for the first week or so until he gave me the bracelet I wear constantly. He said it was given to him by a psychic and that he had no idea it was for me until I kept getting sick. Of course, once he said the word psychic, we had to have a long talk on why he went to one.
An usher shows us to our seats. All around us are Pioneer fans. Reggie has his foam finger, and we are wearing our Cunningham jerseys. As soon as Roxy sees Betty Paige Westbury, she begs to sit with her. Peyton’s mom sits down next to me and hands over baby Oliver. Mrs. James is trying to rub baby fever on any unsuspecting wife and girlfriend on the team. Her reasoning is she’s ready for grandchildren and figures if Peyton’s friends are pregnant, she’ll want to be as well. Oliver wears a Noah Westbury jersey, and it’s the cutest thing I have ever seen. I only get to hold him for a few minutes because Elle shows up and takes him.
Nola sits down next to me, and I ask, “How are wedding plans?”
She lets out a huge sigh. “There are times when I think I want to elope or have a destination wedding, but then I think about my nieces and nephews in the wedding, and I want that too. I’m so torn. I just want to marry Quinn and start a family.”
“I think Quinn’s mother will be delighted with the last part.”
Nola’s eyes go wide. “You’re telling me. She has baby fever worse than any of us.”
Julius’s parents and mine show up and take their seats. Reggie sits between my father and his grandfather, chatting about the game and the Pioneers’ odds. All I know is that Julius is a ball of nerves. When they won their conference championship on a Hail Mary throw by Noah into Julius’s arms, he said he almost crapped his pants on the field. I, for one, am happy he didn’t do that.
I look out to the field and see the team warming up. My gut twists with excitement and nerves. I know once Liam Page starts singing the National Anthem, I’m going to start crying. It’s pretty amazing that the NFL asked Noah’s dad to sing. It’s going to be an emotional day for the Westbury family.
Speaking of the Westburys, Noah’s elderly grandmother is coming up the stairs, with Mack escorting her. She takes a seat right at the railing. I’ve seen her at a couple of games, and let me tell you, the mouth on her would make a sailor blush.
“Who else is sitting with Noah’s grandma?” I ask Nola. At our last playoff game, I had the chance to meet Mack. He came over with Noah and Peyton after the game, and it was then that Peyton told me about him and his connection with her family.