“You got too used to me being home? I don’t really want to leave, sis. Why would I? There’s beer in the fridge whenever I want it, and great company at home.”
“Thanks.” Toby smiles.
“Not you,” I grumble.
“Oh.”
I chuckle, and Aria’s lips form a slight smile. I nudge her playfully. “Sis, I promise I’ll call you. As much as you like or at least whenever I can, but I need you to do something for me.”
“What’s that?” she asks.
“Take care of Stephanie for me while I’m away.”
“I can do that,” she says.
“We both will,” Toby reassures me.
“Now, can you teach me how to change this baby’s nappy?” I say, looking down at Natalia.
“Sure.” She stands and wipes away her stray tears. Toby wraps his arms around her in a hug. I know she’s sobbing. She hates it when I tell her I have to leave. Laying the baby down on the changing table, I look around for some help.
Aria comes over to help with Toby supervising the situation. Our parents are definitely missed in these little moments, but I know that they will be proud of all that we’ve achieved as adults. I only hope I make half as good a dad as ours was to us.
Chapter Thirty
Stephanie
We’re sitting outside at my parents’ place, having what will be the last ever family meal in my childhood home. My parents move to a new house this week, and Jake is giving them a hand to move everything. Things between Jake and I are great; he’s been getting help from the on-base counsellor, and we’ve spent a lot of time together. I’m going to miss him when he deploys, but I have to hope he’ll come home.
We only have three weeks together before he leaves.
Jake comes over to me and sits down. He places a hand over my belly. “You okay?” he asks.
I laugh. “Baby girl is having a dance party.”
“I can feel that.”
“I think you’re going to have her early,” my mum announces.
I look at her. “What?”
I don’t want to have her early. It’ll mean that Jake will miss out on so much more than a few months of her growing.
“Sweetie, I had you early, and you’re already dropping, so I hate to say it, but I think you might have that baby in a few weeks.”
“Will she be okay?” I ask.
My mum nods. “Darling, if she’s anything like her mum and dad, she’ll be a fighter. I had you at thirty-three weeks, sweetheart, so you’ve already gone past me. You’re thirty-five weeks already. She’s going to be perfect.”
I smile and look at Jake. If I do have her early, it will mean he gets to see her be born after all. He leans over to me. “Sugar, don’t get your hopes up. This princess will come when she is ready.”
“Do you think there’s a chance?” I ask.
He nods. “I think your mum knows more than I do in this department.”
“Is everything okay between you two? You both seem to be surprised that Stephanie may have the baby sooner,” Mum says.
“I hadn’t told you guys yet, but Jake is being deployed again, and he leaves in three weeks. He won’t be here for the birth, and we’re surprised because if I do go in a few weeks, then he won’t miss it.”
My mum smiles. “Well, you might be in luck, Jake. I couldn’t imagine being away from the girls’ father when I gave birth. Have you decided who’s going to be in the room with you?”
“Jake. I just want it to be Jake and me. Sorry, Mum, I know you’re a midwife and all, but I think I just want it to be Jake and me. If I have her and he’s not here, then I definitely want you.”
“I understand, sweetheart. I love you, but I certainly don’t need to be involved in everything you do.”
“Thanks, Mum.”
“We should get going, love. We have the photoshoot tomorrow.” Jake stands and holds out a hand to me.
“Oh, yeah. I still have to pick my outfit,” I say.
He hauls me to my feet, and we hug my parents goodbye with my dad and Jake taking some extra time to chat. It’s odd, and I don’t know what it’s about, but I shrug it off.
We get into the car and head home for the evening, and I decide I need to start packing a bag for the baby and me. I don’t know why I think to do it right then, but I do. It would mean the world to me if Jake was here for the birth of our baby.
Jake
Today is the photoshoot, and Stephanie has a lot of photos she wants to get through. She spent a lot of time searching for some she really wants to be taken. Unbeknownst to her, however, I have a surprise for her. I’m standing behind Riley, watching the photoshoot unfold. Stephanie is stunning as she stands to pose for the photos.
We’ve been at this for hours, but Stephanie is a champion. She’s wrapped in an emerald green velvet piece of fabric. It covers her breasts, tucks around her back, and around her waist. I’m glad something is covering the parts of her body that I love because no one is allowed to see them apart from me. On her head, Stephanie is wearing a crown of flowers as she kneels on the ground, a hand placed over her belly as she looks down adoringly.
James comes over and places a coffee in my hand.
“How are you doing? We’ve barely seen you and Simon lately,” I ask.
“Busy with work. We’re flat out, and it doesn’t help that Simon is firing personal assistants left, right and centre. I’m pretty sure Aria might be returning to work earlier than intended because we can’t keep going the way we are.”
“Jake, can you join Steph?” Riley instructs. “Go around her so you can sit behind her.” I hand James my coffee and move behind Stephanie, kneeling on my haunches and wrap my arms around her. I move my lips to her shoulder and press a kiss to the soft skin that’s there.
We take several more photos before Riley decides that Stephanie and I are going to stand and stare into each other’s eyes. Pregnancy suits Stephanie. She’s glowing like never before. She’s going to make a wonderful, caring mum.
“I want more babies with you,” I announce.
“Oh, yeah? How many are we talking?” she asks with a smile.
“As many as you’re willing to have.” I rub my hand against her belly.
If you’d told me a year ago, I’d be in love with my sister’s best friend, I’d have laughed. Now, I wouldn’t change things for the world. Being in love is the best feeling. There’s only one more feeling that could be better than this, and it’ll be watching her walk down the aisle towards me, dressed in white as she pledges herself to be my wife.
The baby pokes what might be an elbow or foot out as if to say. ‘Don’t forget about me, Daddy.’
Looking at Stephanie, my heart swells with pride. “I love you, sugar. I love you so very much. I never thought it would be this good. You are perfect in every way. I never thought I’d ever find someone who could love me or stand by my career until you. Stephanie, I should’ve acted that night after our first kiss, and I regret not doing so. You loved me through good times and bad. So far, we’ve had many which I’m hoping now that you know everything, things might calm down.”