Page 21 of The Next Chapters

The Confrontation

AGE: 33

Riley had always been concerned with taking care of the people in her life.

When she’d been growing up, her parents used to joke that she’d come out of the womb cuddling her sister.

She hadn’t quite understood just how acute that facet of her personality would become when Gianna was pregnant with their baby until they were living it.

Starting from the very beginning, when Gianna had insisted that she’d wanted to use Riley’s egg –

“Are you against it?” Gianna had asked, concerned, when Riley had balked. She’d reached out so easily and twirled some of Riley’s hair around her finger. “If you’re nervous or you don’t want to undergo a procedure–”

Riley had quickly shaken her head to dispel that idea from her wife’s mind. “No, that’s not it; it’s not about me. I’m worried about you. And our potential baby. After all of our reading – isn’t it a little safer the less invasive we go?”

Gianna’s blue eyes had gone so soft as she’d used that same hand to gently swipe Riley’s hair behind her ear. “Yes,” she conceded before shaking her head. “But, Riley, carina… I want to have your baby.” Her eyes had searched Riley’s, only inches away, as her voice went so soft. “I want curly hair and hazel eyes. I want more of you in the world.” She’d made her eyes as big and wide as possible, as she’d implored, “You wouldn’t want to deny your soon-to-be-pregnant wife of her biggest desire, right?”

Riley’s mouth had fallen open in offense at the tactic, even as laughter had climbed out of her throat. “Oh my god, I can’t believe you would do that to me.” As she sobered seconds later, she’d wrapped her arms tightly around Gianna’s waist and – as she usually always did – succumbed.

– to when they’d found out that their first round of IVF had worked –

Riley had led Gianna out to their car, squeezing her hand as they went, feeling dazed.

They were pregnant.

Right then, at that very moment, Gianna Mäkinen Beckett was pregnant with her baby. Their baby.

She’d quickly crossed in front of Gianna to open the passenger side door for her, helping her get in.

Gianna had taken her hand and situated herself in the seat, laughing up at Riley as she did so. “How chivalrous of you.”

Her expression was so warm as she smiled up at Riley, and Riley felt it echo throughout her. She’d slid her gaze down to Gianna’s abdomen before she’d reached out and placed her hand over it.

Of course, Gianna had been several months away from showing – they didn’t know it at the time, but Gianna wouldn’t even be visibly pregnant until nearly six months – but that hadn’t mattered to her.

Riley swore it at that moment and maintained to this very day, she felt it. As she’d stroked her thumb over Gianna’s abdomen, she’d stared at her wife and promised, “I’m going to take care of you. Both of you.”

“You already do,” Gianna murmured, covering Riley’s hand with her own. “You always have.”

Riley had driven them home ten miles under the speed limit –

– and that had extended throughout Gianna’s entire pregnancy.

Gianna had pointed out, “Riley, babe. You already do all of the cooking and most of the cleaning, other than the laundry. What, are you going to start taking over every responsibility here?” When Riley had insisted on carrying Gianna’s camera tripod up the stairs for her.

“Yes,” she’d answered point-blank. “Yes, I am.”

Gianna’s pregnancy with their daughter had passed both far too quickly and had seemed to take far too long at the same time. And though her labor had been considered short, at only five hours, Riley didn’t think she could have handled a longer labor.

She meaning herself, of course, because Gianna had handled the birthing process like a queen.

It did not come as a shock to Riley that Gianna had managed through her pain like a fucking professional birth-giver. If that was a thing. But Gianna had always been the strongest person she knew, mentally and physically, even if Gianna didn’t always recognize that in herself.

Riley had no idea how expectant parents managed long labors because she’d felt like if it had gone any longer, she may have had a heart attack.

They’d been surrounded by the best doctors and nurses in the state – scratch that; in the country, at Massachusetts Memorial Hospital. And Riley had still felt like she’d been ready to climb out of her skin.

“Babe,” Gianna had said to her when she’d been obsessively studying the oxygen/blood pressure monitor Gianna was hooked up to. “Riley Jane Beckett,” Gianna had used a sterner tone to get her attention.

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