The only negative in the day was when Zack and Emma had parted ways later that evening. When he had climbed into bed alone that night, he had never felt so empty. It was worse than after he and Alicia had first separated. They had been arguing so much prior to filing for divorce that Alicia’s absence had been a welcome relief. No, this was completely different. This was an ache that he felt deep in his bones, and that was when he made up his mind. Once the decision was made, Zack had fallen into a deep sleep, but now he had two hurdles to get past before he could get to the fun part.
“Gracie, I need to talk to you about something important.”
“Ok,” she replied, but she dipped her head under the table to look for Duchess.
“I need you to pay attention to Daddy for a few minutes.”
She popped her head back up and gave him her full attention, which would probably last all of two minutes.
“You know how Emma is going to have a baby?”
“Um-hmm.”
“And you know how much Daddy loves her, right?”
“And me too,” she added, not to be outdone.
Zack smiled. “Yes. So, what would you think if I asked her to live here all of the time? With us.”
“And Duchess,” Gracie corrected.
“Yes, Duchess too.”
“Ok, Daddy,” she said, and she jumped off the chair to chase after the cat, who had just darted out from under the table.
Yep, he was right. That had taken about two minutes, but the real challenge was yet to come.
“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” Alicia asked suspiciously. She had arrived that afternoon to pick up Gracie for the weekend, but Zack had asked to speak with her in private first.
They stood awkwardly in the den, behind the closed glass-paned door so that he could still keep an eye on Gracie.
“There’ve been some new developments lately, and they involve Gracie, so I wanted to tell you before she does.”
“Developments?”
He should be used to Alicia’s icy stare by now, but it still unnerved him. Still, he had to do this, so he plowed ahead. “Emma is pregnant.”
Zack saw a flicker of surprise pass over her face before it was swiftly replaced with a mask of indifference. Alicia visibly composed herself before speaking. “Are you two getting married?”
He could always count on her to come straight to the point. “I hope so.”
“I see. So how does Gracie feel about this?”
“She’s good with it, although she’s not too keen on the idea of having a brother.” Zack’s chuckle sounded hollow to his own ears, but Alicia’s lips turned up in a brief smile.
“Life is crazy isn’t it? Who would have thought six years ago that we’d be standing here today having this discussion?”
Zack was dumbfounded. It wasn’t like Alicia to wax poetic, but her honesty tugged at him. What he did next surprised them both. He pulled Alicia toward him and hugged her. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it made a stronger statement than words could.
When she stepped back, she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “I want you to be happy, Zack. I really do. And of course, it goes without saying that I want that for Gracie too.”
“Thank you,” he said with a lump in his throat.
“So, when’s the baby due?”
“We find out on Monday, which is why I asked you to keep Gracie a little bit longer. Our doctor appointment is at ten in the morning, so we should be done by noon.”
The term “we” hung in the air for a moment as they both stood there.
“Ok then. I should go.” Alicia put her hand on the doorknob, but then she turned back around. “I hope everything goes well.”
She left the room before he could respond, and they spent the next few minutes gathering Gracie’s things, including Duchess. There was no way that Gracie was going anywhere without that cat!
After they left, Zack breathed a loud sigh of relief. His talk with Alicia had gone much better than he could have hoped for. Satisfied, he rubbed his hands together and began to formulate the next part of his plan.
Chapter 46
“Are you nervous?” Zack asked while they drove to the obstetrician’s office.
“No, but I really have to pee.” Emma had consumed more water than was probably necessary to make sure that she could produce a urine sample for the doctor.
Zack and Emma had just spent the entire weekend together, minus the hours when Emma had needed to work, and she was grateful that he had taken Monday off to accompany her to the appointment.
“I brought a list of questions,” Zack said in an attempt to distract her.
“Of course you did.”
“Well, I want to make sure that we cover everything.”
“Zack, this baby is really, really tiny. How much do we need to cover?”
When they signed in at the front desk, Zack leaned way over the counter like he was about to tell the receptionist a secret.
“Can Emma give her urine sample right away? She’s really uncomfortable.”
Emma was torn between wanting to punch him and wanting to hug him. The receptionist was obviously enamored by Zack, and it was no wonder: a great-looking guy who also cared enough about his woman to want to relieve her discomfort! It didn’t get much better than that!
“Of course,” the receptionist replied. “She can go through the door to the first room on the right.” The receptionist shot them an empathetic smile and then went back to work.
Zack started to walk through the door with Emma, but she stopped him with a mild scolding. “I can pee by myself,” she whispered, well aware of the several pairs of eyes upon them.
“Oh, right,” Zack replied, and he sat down to wait.
When Emma rejoined him, she felt like a whole new person. “Thank you,” she said and leaned over to kiss Zack on the cheek.
A very pregnant woman who sat in the chair across from them watched with great interest. She looked to be similar in age to Emma, and she rested her hands proudly on her rotund belly. “Is this your first child?” she ventured.
“My first, but his second,” Emma replied, and then she wanted to kick herself. This stranger didn’t need to know about her and Zack’s situation.
The woman didn’t even flinch. “This is my second. I’m hoping for a boy this time.”
“It looks like you’re about to pop at any second,” Zack said rather loudly. The other women who sat nearby snickered.
“I’m due in two weeks,” she said, unfazed by his childlike terminology.
A nurse poked her head out the door and called Emma’s name. “Good luck,” the woman said.
Once Zack and Emma were seated in an exam room and Emma had changed into a paper gown, she said, “Why did that woman say ‘good luck’? That just made me think of all the things that could go wrong.”
“Em, it’s just a saying. What should she have said instead?”
“I don’t know. Maybe something like, ‘Having a child is the best thing ever!’”
Zack chuckled and threw his arms around her. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she replied and basked in the comfort of his arms.
A few minutes later, a petite female doctor walked in looking like the model of efficiency, holding a clipboard and with a stethoscope slung around her neck. Suddenly, Emma felt very nervous, and the room started to spin. She gripped the sides of the exam table and prayed for it to pass.
Zack stepped forward immediately and put his arm around her. “She’s had a few dizzy spells recently. Is that normal?”
The doctor stepped closer and checked Emma’s pulse. “It can be. There are a lot of hormonal changes that accompany pregnancy, so anything is possible.”
“I’m ok now,” Emma assured Zack, and then he reluctantly took the seat in the corner of the room.
The doctor did the routine checks, asking numerous questions along the way, and then she helped Emma back up to a seated position
. “We’ll need to draw some blood, but everything looks good. I’d estimate your due date to be around the middle of August, but we can narrow it down once you get closer. Do you have any questions for me?”
Emma raised her eyebrows at Zack and waited for him to whip out his list, but he just sat there, hands clasped tightly in his lap. “No, I don’t think so,” Emma answered, disconcerted by Zack’s silence.
“The most important thing is for you to take good care of yourself. Eat regularly, drink lots of water, and take prenatal vitamins. I’ll leave a prescription at the check-out desk. Other than that, I’ll see you back here in four weeks.” The doctor gave them both a reassuring smile and slipped out the door.
“Zack? What’s wrong?” Emma asked as soon as they were alone.
“It’s real, Emma. We’re going to have a baby.”
“Yes, silly. That’s why we’re here!” She hopped off the table and went over to him. She knelt down in front of him and placed her hands over his. “You’re happy about this, right?”
“Yes, of course. I don’t know what happened. Once the doctor started talking, the reality of it hit me, and I froze. Damn, now I didn’t get my questions answered!”
Emma giggled. “I happen to have access to hundreds of books on this topic. I’m sure we can find the answers to all of your questions.”
All except one, Zack thought.
After the appointment, Zack dropped her off at the bookstore.
“Don’t forget to eat lunch, and I’ll pick you up at five,” he reminded her when she hopped out of the car.
“If I forget, I’m sure your ten text messages will remind me,” she teased, and she blew him a kiss.
Emma felt buoyant when she entered the store, and Kelly bombarded her right away.
“How did it go? Tell me everything,” Kelly demanded.
Emma relayed the details while Kelly listened intently.
“I’m glad everything went well, because now we can start to plan a kick-ass baby shower!”
“Kell, you know you’re going to have to curb your language when this baby arrives, right?” Emma admonished her friend while trying to hide her smile.
“Pfft… piece of cake!” Kelly said.
“You’ll have to go shopping with me for maternity clothes soon. Zack gave me a really generous gift card for Christmas to that swanky maternity store at Somerset Mall.”
“I’m in! Maternity clothes can be sexy, you know, and your boobs will be bigger, so you can really show them off.”
“Kell, we’re talking about me, not you. I don’t see myself buying provocative maternity wear.”
“But I bet Zack would love it.” Kelly wiggled her eyebrows.
Which reminded Emma of the other Christmas gift he had given her in private. Zack had bought her an extremely sheer white baby-doll lingerie set from a high-end lingerie catalog. She recalled his words: “Not that I don’t love your ‘I woke up like this’ nightshirt, but I wanted to see you in something like this.” Emma had worn it for him over the weekend and had been amply rewarded! He’d reciprocated by wearing the Superman pajama pants that she had bought for him and nothing else.
“Em, are you still with me?”
“Oh, yeah, sorry. I have a lot on my mind.”
“I’m sure you do,” Kelly said knowingly. “Probably the same things that are on my mind about Damian.”
“So you two are still hot and heavy?”
“Emphasis on the hot!” Kelly replied.
Emma didn’t want to burst her friend’s bubble by reminding her that Damian was flying back to California on New Year’s Day. She assumed that Kelly already knew but didn’t want to acknowledge it. It was too bad, really, because Emma would have liked it if Damian stuck around, not just for Kelly, but for all of them. Gracie was especially fond of him, and it would be difficult when the time came to say goodbye.
Emma and Kelly’s discussion was halted when Mrs. Simmons walked in, leaning on a cane for support.
“What can we help you with today?” Emma asked sweetly.
“I finished that Fifty Shades series, so now I need a new romance novel,” she stated.
Emma had to suppress a giggle while Kelly quickly stepped in. “I’m your resource for romance, Mrs. Simmons. Follow me!”
As they walked away, Emma thought, Good for her! I hope I’m still that spry at her age.
Three rapid pings of Emma’s phone interrupted her musings.
Did you eat yet?
I hope so, because Zeus needs his nourishment.
Plus, you need to keep your energy up for tonight. Hint. Hint.
Emma thought for a moment and then typed her response:
If I keep having to answer your texts, I won’t have any energy left over for tonight. Hint. Hint.
There, that should hold him off for a while!
She’d underestimated him, because, a second later, her phone pinged again.
Nice try! Eat. xoxo
She rolled her eyes and went to her office in search of a carry-out menu.
Zack and Gracie pulled up in front of the bookstore at exactly five o’clock. Emma had just opened the car door to get in when Gracie shouted, “We have a surprise for you!”
“Gracie,” Zack warned, and he shot her a scolding look.
“You do? But Christmas is over,” Emma said.
Gracie could barely contain her excitement, but Zack shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “First, you need to eat dinner, and then we’ll give you the surprise,” he said without his usual humor.
Emma was curious, but she could tell that the topic was closed, so she let it go.
When they arrived at Zack’s house, Gracie raced inside, presumably in search of Duchess.
“So, what can I feed you?” Zack asked, leading her into the kitchen.
“I’m not hungry yet. Kelly and I ate a big lunch.”
Zack’s mouth was still set in a rigid line, which was unusual for him, so she had to ask. “Zack, what’s bothering you?”
Just then, Gracie came bounding down the stairs with a wrapped package in her hands, and Duchess pranced along behind her.
“See, Emma. This is your present, and I helped wrap it,” Gracie said proudly.
“Gracie, I told you we were going to wait until after dinner,” Zack snapped. He then turned his attention to Emma and said, “You want to know what’s wrong? This is what’s wrong. This is not how things were supposed to go.”
“What things?” Emma was truly confused. She put a hand on Zack’s arm. “What’s going on?”
Zack took a deep breath and composed himself. “Ok, Gracie. We’ll give Emma our present now. Let’s go into the living room.”
Once they were seated on the couch, with Zack on one side of her and Gracie on the other, Gracie handed Emma the package.
Truth be told, Emma loved presents. She felt just as excited to open it as Gracie was to give it to her. She flashed Zack a big, goofy smile, and he visibly softened.
“Go ahead and open it,” he urged.
Gracie bounced up and down while Emma tore open the paper to reveal a musical jewelry box decorated with pink hearts. “It’s for my baby sister,” Gracie said, which caused tears to spring into Emma’s eyes.
“Gracie picked it out herself,” Zack explained.
“Daddy said if I get a brother instead, I get to keep the jewelry box!”
Emma giggled and swiped a tear away. She was just about to open the lid of the jewelry box when Zack placed his hand on her arm. “The second gift is from me,” he said gruffly.
“What? What… second… gift?”
“Open the lid.”
Gracie had suddenly gone quiet. She had picked Duchess up and was busy petting her when Emma opened the jewelry box. Inside was another smaller box, which looked like it had been professionally wrapped, with crisp corners and a neatly tied white bow.
Oh my God. It can’t be. Could it be?
Zack took out the smaller box and handed the jewelry b
ox to Gracie, which was just as well because Emma’s hands were shaking and tears clouded her vision.
“Emma,” Zack began.
Oh my God. I think it is.
“First of all, I want you to know how much I love you…”
“I do too, Daddy!”
“How much we love you,” he corrected.
Oh my God. I’m going to pass out. No, don’t!
“Second, we want you to know how much we’re going to love this baby—whether it’s a girl or a boy, right Gracie?” he asked pointedly, but his smile was warm and wide.
Just as Zack had found his stride, Emma fell apart. Her face was a crumpled-up, teary mess, and she was sure she sported lovely racoon eyes by now.
“So, I was wondering… well, we were wondering…”
“Will you marry us?” Gracie finished, springing off the couch to stand in front of Emma.
Emma’s hands flew up to her tear-stained cheeks while Zack unwrapped the box and opened the lid.
She launched into full-fledged sobs then. Her vision was so blurry that she couldn’t see the details on the sparkling diamond ring, but she knew it had to be extraordinary because it had come from them. Her family. Zack and Gracie.
Gracie had run out of the room, and now she returned with a tissue box.
“Thank you, sweetie,” Emma somehow managed to say while she hurriedly wiped her eyes.
“Um, Em? We’re still waiting for your answer,” Zack said with a mixture of impatience and hopefulness.
Finally, her vision cleared, and she could actually see him, and the ring, and Gracie in vivid detail. Her heart was bursting with love and joy, and she prayed that she wouldn’t pass out before she gave them her answer.
“Yes,” Emma said, and she would have said more, but she was suddenly enveloped in a tight, three-person hug, and the wind had been knocked out of her.
This is love, she thought. This is family.
Epilogue – 8 months later
“Be careful with her head,” Alex instructed, peering over Gracie’s shoulder at her new granddaughter.
A New Chapter Page 23