I pull up to Brad’s place, giving a honk to let him know I’ve arrived. His door sweeps open and I see him give Trey a blazing kiss and cock grab as he steps out. Not a bad way to say goodbye, I guess. Maybe I should have him tell Rose that for after Amelia is born.
Trey smacks Brad’s ass, a sassy grin on his face, and then he waves at me as Brad climbs in.
“So . . . new truck?”
“Well, new to me,” I admit. “I had a long-term rental for a while and then was just using Rose’s when I drove her back and forth to work. Seemed like I needed something a little more mine, if you know what I mean. Seemed like a good buy.”
Brad runs his hands along the console. “Well, it’s cute. Big, black, rugged truck seems to fit you, not one of those fancy jacked-up ones that never goes off the asphalt, but a real work truck that’ll git ‘er dun.” He laughs uproariously at his attempt at impersonating a country boy, and I grin back, hitting the gas as we roar into town.
“I appreciate your help with this, man. And more importantly, your keeping this a secret. I know that’s not really in your nature.”
Brad smirks at me, leaning back in his seat. “Definitely not, so you owe me big time. What are you thinking on the ring?”
I think back to my original plan, discarding it almost immediately as I think of Rose. “I want something different. I mean, like Rose different, unique without being way the fuck out there. Definitely not just a chunk of shiny rock on a band. Delicate, maybe, like lace made out of metal. Definitely a diamond, but maybe more than one or rows of them? I’m just saying . . . shit, I’ve got no idea, but I’ll know it when I see it.”
Brad nods, his finger tapping his lips while he thinks. “Well, I do think I have it on good authority exactly what she wants, if you’re interested.”
I look at him skeptically, glad we’re at a red light so I don’t have to worry about traffic. “How do you know ‘exactly’ what she wants?”
Brad leans over, whispering. “I happen to know her Pinterest password is FuckMeNic so I can show you her entire wedding board.”
He sits back, obviously pleased with himself. I’m left in shock, and when the light turns green it’s only the guy behind me blasting his horn that tells me I need to go. “So many things wrong here . . . you hacked her Pinterest, her password is . . . I don’t even wanna go there with you, and she has a wedding board? I don’t even know what that is.”
Brad waves a hand, like everything I said is totally obvious and totally unimportant. “And that is why I am here.”
We pull into the parking lot of the best jewelry store in town and Brad clicks on his phone for a moment, quickly pulling up what is, in fact, Rose’s Pinterest board titled ‘One and Done’. He scrolls through the pictures, and I can’t help but picture our wedding like this . . . the dresses, the flowers, the gazebos covered in flowers and greenery, a tiered white cake, and then I see it.
The ring in my head is on Rose’s board. “Stop, that’s it! That’s the ring.”
Brad stops scrolling and looks where I’m pointing. “Well done. That’s definitely her style, and she obviously loves it. There’s hope for you yet, my Padawan. Let’s go in the store and see what they have that’s similar.”
We walk inside and the salesman is instantly on alert, knowing a ring-buying man when he sees one. Probably an aura I’m giving off, or maybe just the purposeful way I stride in. Men don’t go jewelry shopping like this except for one reason. “How can I help you today, sir?”
“I need an engagement ring,” I reply, earning a hiss from Brad. He gives me a look, and I shrug. Fuck it, it’s just money, and an engagement ring is not the time to be looking for a bargain.
“Of course,” the salesman says, probably trying not to rub his hands together in glee. “Do you know what style, size, and price point you’d like to shop today?”
I gesture to Brad, who pulls out his phone, showing the ring picture to the salesman. “I want something like this. Or this ring, if you have it.”
He tips his glasses down his nose to get a clearer view and whistles lowly. “Ahh, a beautiful selection indeed. I saw that at a gem show, and I do wish there were a market for such a design in town. I have a few things that are similar . . . solitaires with halo settings and filigree, perhaps even a few with diamond bands as well. Let’s see what we can do.”
He brings us over to a case, sliding a tray out to show me a few options. But none of them are exactly what I’m looking for. I shake my head, not satisfied. “I’m sorry. I understand this might be a specialty piece, but this is a special woman.”
The salesman nods, sliding the rings back into the display case. “Well, I do have one other, very similar to the picture, but it’s rather pricey. I hesitate to show it because if you fall in love with it, it is difficult to be happy with lesser. ‘Tis the first rule of weddings—don’t look at things that are out of budget.”
He tilts his head at me, silently asking if I want to see the ring. What a stupid question. I do. I definitely do. “Without a doubt. Let’s see it.”
The salesman dips his chin once, and I swear I see the dollar signs flash in his eyes for a second. Motherfucker is probably counting his monthly bonus as he waddles over to the safe. After all, I’m a pro at this. I know a sales tactic when I see it, and while it’s not my favorite, he just played me like a fiddle. I don’t care. If it’s the ring for Rose, it’s going to be her ring, no matter the price.
Brad raises one eyebrow at me, silently asking if I’m sure. I shrug back, leaning in to whisper to him. “VP of Sales with no real responsibilities has helped me become a little . . . flush, if you will. I know babies are expensive, but I’ve been smart with my money, and this is a one-time thing. I want it to be all Rose has dreamed of. I’ll do anything for Rose and Amelia.”
He smiles, rubbing his hands together like a little kid about to get a cupcake. “You know, you’re supposed to get a gift for the maid of honor too.”
“Yeah, well,” I joke, “I’ll find out what Ana, Devon, or McKayla likes, whomever Rose chooses.”
As the salesman returns, Brad smirks and I know he’s going to get me back for that one. “Bring on the ice, my good man. He’s buying!”
The salesman is unflappable and sets the box down on the countertop, opening it with a good amount of theatrics to create a sense of mystery and value without taking too damn long. The black velvet parts and I see the ring. Rose’s ring, without a doubt. I pick it up, turning it this way and that, watching the light reflect off the large center stone and the glittering surrounding ones. The shining platinum swirls along the band do look just like filigree lace, giving the ring a feminine vintage feel.
It’s precious, perfect, just like she is.
“I’ll take it.”
Brad lets out a whoop of celebration, patting me on the back so hard I damn near drop the ring back to the velvet, but I hang on tight. Laughing, I turn and taunt him a little. “Watch it, man. You’re getting a little stronger than you realize.”
He blushes a little, flexing his bicep as he pats the impressive swell. “Yeah, Trey keeps me right, making me work out and eat well. I’d say he keeps me on the straight and narrow, but there ain’t a thing straight or narrow about either of us.”
I chuckle, then turn to the salesman. “Got anything to celebrate a little girl’s birth? Like a necklace or something?”
“I believe I might have just what you’re looking for.”
Rose
The night is just like all the rest over the last few weeks, tossing and turning. Well, more like squirming and wiggling with the weight of my belly in an attempt to find a comfortable position in a not-that-soft hospital bed surrounded by my nest of pillows.
I glance outside, but all I can tell is that the moon’s down, the arc sodium lights from the parking lot eliminating any trace of the stars from my vantage point. Nic is sprawled out on the pull-out chair next to me, where he’s been every night for weeks, unwilling to leave my si
de lest something happen overnight and I need him. It can’t be comfortable, and I know that Ana’s pleaded with him to at least let her ‘reassign’ a bed or gurney to my room, but he refuses. God knows how he’s able to keep his body working at all, but Trey told me he sees Nic at the gym on a regular basis so he’s keeping it up somehow.
My bladder’s giving me fits, but I don’t think I need to pee just yet. Instead, I pick up my phone off the nightstand, blinking at the bright light showing me that it’s four in the morning, hours before the nurses change shifts and come in to wake me for a vitals check.
I know what my problem is, really. I’m restless, physically and mentally ready to get this show on the road since I’m technically full-term now. Dr. Stevens told us yesterday that while he’d like the baby to bake a little longer, I’m officially thirty-six weeks so if I go into labor, they’ll run with it.
The latest sonogram shows that the small separation hasn’t changed. Woohoo for bedrest. Still, I hate being able to do nothing but waddle up and down a hallway for no more than twenty minutes a day and go to the toilet. But as long as everything goes well during labor, I shouldn’t need a C-section, although Dr. Stevens warned me to never rule it out.
Trying to be quiet so I don’t wake Nic up, I rearrange myself, rolling to my back and propping the bed up higher to get some pressure off my achy lower back. Even in the bed, my belly weighs my body down, the days of a cute basketball effect long gone. As soon as I’m out of here and have Amelia safe in my arms, I’m getting to work with Trey. He can help me lose the bits of Jell-O I’m rocking now, because while a little extra badonkadonk is one thing, postpartum Jell-O isn’t. I moan, the ache in my back intensifying. Maybe he knows a chiropractor who can help get my sore back in working condition too. This bed is so awful and not doing my poor body any favors.
Halfway through my roll, a contraction shoots like a bolt of lightning across my belly, taking my breath away and obliterating all thoughts of my jiggly ass. It’s not a slow-rolling squeeze like the few I’ve had before, gradually tightening. This is instantly tight and painful.
As it subsides, I whisper to Nic, trying to wake him gently so he doesn’t freak out. “Nic . . . Nic, wake up.”
He jolts despite my gentleness, instantly on his feet and by my side. “What? What’s wrong?”
God, I love this man. A whisper, and he’s here for me. “I just had a contraction. A pretty good one. I’m gonna call the nurse, see if she thinks we should time them or something.”
Nic smiles in the dim light, leaning down and kissing my forehead. “Relax. I’ll get her.”
In a flash, he’s out the door, jogging, I bet, down the hallway to the duty nurse’s station to get someone’s attention. They’re back quickly, the nurse full of smiles and energy considering the hour. “Having some good ones?”
She flits around a bit, checking my vitals, which are all fine, and as another contraction comes on, she lays a light hand on my belly, feeling the hard tightness. “We’ll watch you for a little while, and if you get into a regular pattern, it might be baby day. But it’s still too early to tell for sure. I’ll call Dr. Stevens to let him know the update, and I’ll make sure the on-call docs are ready if you do decide to pop quickly.”
She gives Nic a piece of paper and a pen with instructions to write down the times when I have contractions and to call her immediately if we need anything. I sort of find it silly. I mean, who’s going to go ‘hey, I’m having a contraction! Is it eight fifty-seven or eight fifty-eight now?’ but I guess I’ve got enough on my mind. The nurse hurries back out, and I look at Nic, whose hands are shaking.
“Oh, my God, it might be today!” I say excitedly, and deep in my heart, there’s a well bubbling and I feel like it’s going to burst with love and joy at any second. Nic smiles back at me, but there’s a flash of uncertainty in his eyes. “Nic, you okay, honey?”
He nods, taking my hand and patting it absently, but still, I can see that his mind’s running a thousand miles a minute, everywhere but here. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I’m just . . .”
He takes a big breath, his eyes rolling up to the ceiling, and my heart stutters. Is he bailing on me? I’d been ready to be a single mother, but that was a long time ago, and we’ve been resolute in our relationship and our parenting for months. We’re in love and supposed to be a happy family now, together. But he definitely looks like he’s looking for a way out right now as his eyes keep darting to the door. My voice wavers, and I know this is the last thing I should be asking, but I can’t help it. “Nic? Talk to me.”
He drops his chin down to meet my eyes, a blankness on his face, and my worry becomes absolute terror. “Rose, I’m . . . terrified. I’m freaking out here. I don’t . . . what are we gonna . . .” He’s rambling, and he stands to run his fingers through his hair.
I’m breaking apart inside, and my worst fears are confirmed. He’s leaving, and at the worst possible time. Considering how this all started, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I knew who he was from the beginning. He’s been in Great Falls, with me, longer than he’s ever stayed in one place, and I guess I should be grateful for that, but right now, I just feel disappointed and hurt.
I should be pissed, ready to throw the TV remote next to me at him. But I have a higher priority right now, this little girl inside me who’s almost ready to come out and tackle this big world. And I’m gonna show her that she can do anything she sets her mind to, all on her own, if need be. I’ll role model that for her the best I can. I find strength from somewhere deep inside and give him a sad smile. “It’s fine, Nic. I understand. And I can do this.”
He stops his pacing, looking at me like I’m crazy, confusion written all over his face, that handsome face that I’ve loved for months now . . . and probably always will, even if he’s traipsing all over the globe and leaving me here alone with our daughter.
“Of course you can. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. But I’m fucking terrified. My mind keeps running a swirling list of what ifs. What if something goes wrong? What if we lose Amelia? What if I lose you? God, what if I lose both of you? I can’t handle that, Rose. God, I was so scared when I was rushing back from Oregon, more scared than I’d ever been before. But this tops that by a landslide. You’re about to do this amazing, wondrous thing, and I’m just standing here, unable to help or make it better, writing down numbers on a piece of paper. I just want to ease this for you somehow.”
It takes me a moment to process the babbling rush of words, but as they soak through my ears and into my brain, I realize what he’s trying to say. “You’re not leaving? Not running?”
Nic blinks for a moment before rushing over and grabbing both of my hands, staring deep in my eyes. “Leaving? What the hell are you talking about?” he asks before his mind rewinds what he’s been saying, and he smiles, leaning down and kissing the tip of my nose. “Babe, I’m not going anywhere unless you are. I love you, Rose. And I love our baby. Right now, I couldn’t be happier. I just wish I could do something. Anything.”
I feel tears trickling out the corners of my eyes, and I reach up, kissing him firmly on the lips. “Oh, my God, I love you too. And you are doing something. You’re here with me, experiencing this together, the birth of our family.”
He leans forward to kiss me again, his lips soft and sweet against mine. I feel the commitment, the promise of our lives together in the kiss, our breaths merging into one as he strokes my cheek with his fingertips, wiping away my tears. He presses his forehead to mine again, his eyes twinkling. “Guess what?”
“What?”
“We’re having a baby.”
We’ve known that for a while now, obviously, but as another contraction hits, the reality of the coming baby somehow seems quite a bit more real, and I smile through the pain. Breathing as Nic coaches me, gliding gentle hands across my belly to ease the discomfort, I want every moment to be like this, this mix of comfort, joy, and love, with just a hint of pain to make sure this is
reality and not heaven . . . yet.
I squeeze Nic’s hand hard as my contraction reaches its peak, and I feel a gush between my legs. My mouth rounds in surprise as I gasp. “Oh, boy.”
Nic pulls back, still holding my hand but looking around again, confused. “What? What’s wrong?”
I smile back, exhaling slowly as the contraction passes. “It’s definitely baby day. My water just broke.”
He pauses for a split second, what I said sinking in before he jumps up and runs for the door, calling for the nurse before he even gets it open.
The nurse hustles back in, looking half amused because she’s probably seen this a thousand times before. No wonder they make fathers wait outside or go boil some water or something just to distract them in the movies. “I hear you think your water broke?”
I glare at her, a little annoyed. Honestly, I either had my water break or I pissed the bed, and I haven’t pissed the bed in twenty-five years. “I know it did. I felt it, big gush. Huge. Definitely broke.”
My words are stilted as I try to breathe. These contractions are totally not cool. It’s like trying to run a wind sprint with your nose pinched shut. The nurse is a pro, ignoring my wisecrack as she moves to my bedside and lifts the sheet up after donning gloves.
As soon as she lifts my hospital-issue gown, her whole demeanor changes and she presses some light-up buttons on the wall behind me. Still, there’s tension in her voice the next time she speaks, the tired humor gone to be replaced with a crisp professionalism that’s almost terrifying.
“Okay, Rose. It is definitely baby day. I’m not sure about your water breaking yet, but you are having a bit of bleeding. Dr. Stevens is already in the hospital, actually, so you’re in good hands. We’re going to head into the OR and get you ready for a C-section.”
Neither Nic nor I have time to react or to question because three other people run in, their pink and blue scrubs decorated in ducks and bunnies. Somehow, that’s the most terrifying part. Ducks and bunnies? Do these people even know what they’re doing? This is my baby we’re talking about here!
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