Page 12 of A Very Montgomery Christmas

Marcus just shook his head. “I realize that you didn’t get pregnant all by yourself, and I had some help in that, but you look gorgeous, so don’t growl at me.”

“Ixnay on the growlingay,” Ethan whispered as he held Kingston to him, trying to get the little tyke to calm down. He was screaming, the colic a little too much for my nephew. And then my brother-in-law Lincoln took Kingston from his husband’s arms, and the baby quieted down. My brother narrowed his eyes at his husband, and Lincoln just grinned before leaving the living room.

“I’m pretty sure he did that on purpose,” Holland said, staring at her husbands and baby. “This week is all about Lincoln, but I think if we’re true to form, next week Kingston will stop screaming while he’s in my arms.”

I blinked and looked over at my sister-in-law. “That’s a thing? They take their turns?”

“Kingston seems to. And we’re going to pretend that that’s normal,” Holland said, before she yawned so wide I swore I could see her tonsils. “Sorry,” she mumbled and leaned against the soft cushion. “I think I’ve had around eight minutes of sleep this week.”

“That bad?” I asked, anxiety filling me. I put my hands on my stomach, felt a kick, and patted the little baby’s foot. “I really like sleep.”

“And you do a lot of it,” Marcus teased, rubbing my ankles.

“You’re lucky I love you, and you’re lucky that you’re rubbing my feet right now, or I would kick you. I just really want you to keep rubbing.”

“Anything you say, wife of mine.”

“That’s the way,” Aaron said, laughing as he handed his wife Madison a glass of water. “See? We need to follow Marcus’s advice. He knows what he needs to do as a husband.”

“Do whatever she says,” I agreed, and Marcus just rolled his eyes at me. “Sure, honey, whatever you say.”

“See,” I said, raising a hand, and then I groaned, with the baby kicking at my bladder. “I’ll have to get up soon to pee. This baby keeps kicking and rolling in certain places.”

“Are you dilated at all?” Holland asked, and Ethan shuddered.

“Please stop talking about my sister and dilation. There were a lot of things I learned during the childbirth process, things that will never leave my mind again, but I don’t need to associate them with my sister.”

“Amen,” Aaron said, and I flipped them both off, grateful that Lake, the only one of my nieces and nephews who were old enough to understand the gesture, wasn’t in the room at the moment.

“Grace and elegance, that is Bristol,” Liam muttered, and I growled.

“I am past due on this baby, the size of a beached whale, and still retaining so much water at this point, I feel like I could float. Or maybe I’ll sink like a stone because I’m so heavy. Don’t make fun of me.”

“Ah, the joys of pregnancy,” Holland said, laughing. “Just wait, Madison, this will be you.”

My newly pregnant sister-in-law turned impossibly green. “I think I’m going to be sick.” She scrambled off the couch and ran towards the bathroom, Aaron, on her tail.

“I’m trying not to take that as an insult, but it’s pretty difficult not to,” I said dryly, and everyone laughed.

“You know, the one good thing about adopting is that I don’t have to deal with whatever pregnancy brain you have. However, a new baby brain, even if the child you adopt is ten years old, is something.”

“Oh, I know,” I said, shaking my head at Arden. “Plus, I hear you’re getting a new puppy. There’s got to be puppy brain.”

“Oh yes, I had a lot more energy when Jasper was a puppy, but thankfully I have Liam to push around. And Lake will be there to help with training and picking up poop. See, that’s why you have kids. To help you with chores,” Arden said.

And my mom came into the room, laughing. “This is why I had the four of you. It helped me keep the house clean.” She paused, looked at all of us, and burst out laughing.

“I think she’s making fun of us,” I said, looking at my husband. “But, I’m too tired to piece together how.”

“I’ll explain it later.”

“I know you guys are talking about the next baby coming,” Holland began, looking at Arden. “Do you have a preference for an infant? Are you going with an older child again like Lake?” she asked, and I leaned forward as much as I could over the bump that was my stomach and looked at Arden.

“No preference,” Arden said. “Older children are usually harder to place, so we made sure that they knew that we were happy with either. As much as I had always thought about having children and being pregnant when I was little, and losing that part of that plan when I got sick might’ve hurt, I’m okay. Honestly. You don’t need to step on eggshells when it comes to being pregnant and everything, okay?”

I swallowed hard and met Arden’s gaze. “Are you sure?” I asked.

“I’m sure. I get to experience the joys and not joys of pregnancy between the three of you and between all of our friends because you guys never hesitate to share everything,” she said with a wink, and I laughed.

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