Page 26 of Capturing Hearts

Chapter Nineteen

Brendan

Watching her get dressed lately is kind of hilarious.

“This is absurd. These hardly fit anymore!” Annie cries out, laying on our bed to pull up her black pregnancy jeans, the elastic ballooned waist stretched as far as it will go. “And look at my belly! It usually flattens out a little like this. I mean, not flattens, really. More like spreads out.”

“While you have those off…” I call over, leaning against the wall by the door with my arms patiently crossed.

She throws me a look. “They’re not off. They’re just not on.”

“Men see that as the same thing, my love.”

She laughs and exclaims, “Oh! There they go! Yay!” She pushes herself up with her elbows, then her hands to sit on the edge of the bed with a grunt.

“Yay to you, bummer to me.”

Rolling her eyes on a smile, she waves me over. “Help me with my shoes?”

Sighing, I walk over. “Baby, don’t go in.” I kneel down in front of her and slide her flat, black boots on. “Look at this. I’m putting on your clothes. They warned me this would happen after I got married.”

Chuckling, she argues. “I have to go in. Manny would be all by himself. And I really want us to stop arguing about this. You said you’d leave it alone.”

“I lied,” I smile.

“You’ve been doing that a lot lately. I think I’m a bad influence on you,” she teases me, her bright blue eyes dancing.

Laying my hands on her knees, I cock my head to the side. “What? I never lie.”

“That tree is sold.”

“You made me do that!”

“It was Annie’s idea to pick up the check.”

Laughing, I shrug. “Margaret was being Margaret.”

Annie’s fingers play with mine. Her eyelashes fall to look at our hands. “I wonder if he’s going to have your hands. I hope he looks like you.”

A warm sensation spreads out in my chest. “It’s going to be weird, watching him grow. Finding out who he becomes. I don’t know about you, but it’s giving me more respect for my parents.”

Annie nods, looking into the past. “I was such an asshole in high school. I hope he doesn’t give me paybacks for that.”

“He will.” I pull her up and walk with her to the door. “Have everything you need?”

“Yep. It’s been so busy!” Her eyes light up, but still I’m not feeling supportive.

“That’s great.”

She glances to me. Walking to the coat rack together, she inhales and closes her eyes. “That tree smells so good. The whole penthouse has a crisp, outdoorsy smell to it now.”

I breathe it in. “I feel like we should roast marshmallows and have a campfire.”

She closes her eyes, breathing it in again. “Mmmm. Marshmallows.”

It’s now habit since the weather got colder that I help her put on her coat whenever I see her off to work, and we do this tonight without thinking about it. As she slides her arms in, her mind is on something else. “Brendan?”

“Yeah?”

---