Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 94106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
He wiped it away with his thumb. “Don’t cry, baby. Everything is going to be okay. We don’t have to do this if you’re not ready.”
Oh my God, no. That’s what he thought? I couldn’t pull my head together enough to explain, so instead, I just blurted, “I’m pregnant.”
He froze. “What?”
I nodded. “When I went to put on my lipstick, a wave of nausea came over me from the smell of it. I still haven’t gotten my period, and I just got a funny feeling. The test I bought last week had two tests, so I did the second one. It was positive. I’m pregnant. We’re pregnant.”
Ford’s head dropped. “Jesus Christ, Val. I thought you were having cold feet. You scared the shit out of me.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
He lifted me up off my feet into the air. “You’re really freaking pregnant? We’re going to have a kid?”
I laughed. “We are.”
He spun me around twice and yelled louder, “We’re going to have a baby! We’re going to have a baby!”
“Ummm…Ford, if you keep spinning me like that, you’re going to be getting married with puke all over your shoulder. I’ve been queasy ever since I tried to put on the lipstick. I thought it was just my nerves, but apparently not.”
“Oh shit. Sorry.” He set me down and wrapped me in his arms—so tight, I could barely breathe. “I didn’t think…” He shook his head. “I just didn’t think it would happen. And I would’ve been fine with that. But now…holy shit, I guess I really wanted this.”
I smiled and sniffled back tears. “Me, too. I didn’t actually realize how much so until I saw that plus sign a few minutes ago. I couldn’t even wait until after the ceremony to tell you.”
Ford took my cheeks into his hands and spoke with his lips pressed to mine. “My wife is going to have my baby.”
“Well, technically, I’m not your wife yet. We do have to go outside and get that part over with. There are fifty or so people out there that we’re keeping from a clambake.”
He kissed me hard. “Let ’em wait.”
After a long, emotional kiss, Ford leaned his forehead against mine. “You know what I just thought of?”
“That I can’t seem to get married before getting pregnant?”
He chuckled. “No. But that is pretty funny.”
“What did you just think of then?”
“Do you remember when we first met, I told you Mrs. Peabody had a dream that I’d met my future wife?”
I nodded. “I do.”
“Do you remember what else she said?”
I thought back. He’d said something about her throwing up. “She got sick after the premonition, right?”
“She woke up and smelled cinnamon buns cooking in the oven, and then threw up. Bun in the oven.”
I covered my mouth. “Oh wow. That’s crazy.”
“Well, that’s not the half of it. This morning she called and asked me if I had two little girls in our wedding party. I said no. She said she’d dreamed twin girls were at our wedding.”
I got goosebumps down my arms, and my eyes widened. “Oh my God. You don’t think…”
Ford shook his head and his smile fell. “Fuck me. Two girls.”
I laughed. “We don’t know that’s true.”
“Yes, I do. We’re having twin girls. And I’m gonna need a shotgun if they look anything like their mother.” He kissed me again. “Come on, I need to go marry my baby momma so I can at least qualify for some conjugal visits while I’m in prison.”
We laughed and walked out onto the back deck together. Down below were all of our friends and family, casually milling around, waiting for the ceremony to start. We stopped at the railing to take it all in. Two big, white party tents were set up right on the beach, and a wooden walkway led from the bottom of the stairs of both houses, down to a flower-filled archway. White chairs had been set up on both sides of the wooden path. This little summer town held so many old memories for both of us. And now, we would make new ones of our own as a family.
I looked around at all of the people waiting to share our day. It was pretty amazing, really. We go through life picking up puzzle pieces, and we never really know where they’ll fit or how they’ll come together to form the big picture. I’d spent years trying to fit pieces into places they didn’t belong, but never really felt complete. Until today. All of my puzzle pieces finally clicked into place, and I could see the beautiful picture.
I took a deep breath and seared the moment into my memory before turning around in Ford’s arms. “You ready to marry me, Mr. Donovan?”
He brushed his lips with mine. “I’ve been waiting my whole life to marry you, Mrs. Donovan. Let’s do this.”