Page 120 of Devoted Enough

Dropping down to look my daughter in her eyes, I asked, “Yes, darling?”

“Are you and Mommy going to have more babies?”

Walker cried out, “I hope not!”

I peeked up to see Haven smiling down at us. I winked and focused on my daughter. “As a matter of fact, we are going to have one more baby.”

Her eyes lit up. “You are? When?”

Haven and I hadn’t talked about when we were going to tell the kids about our happy little accident, but she was out of the first trimester now, and we would be telling our family sooner rather than later.

“Well, can you keep a secret?”

She nodded as Walker said, “I can! I can keep a secret, Daddy!”

I ruffled his hair. “I’m glad to hear that. Since you’re both the best secret keepers ever, we can tell you that Mommy has a baby growing in her tummy now.”

Walker’s mouth dropped open as Emma jumped for joy.

“Shhh,” I said as I put my finger to my lips. “It’s a secret!”

“Does this mean I won’t be the baby anymore?” Walker asked, tears filling his eyes.

Dropping down, Haven pulled him against her. “You’ll always be my baby, and so will Emma. We’ll just have a younger baby now.”

“Do I still get to do Sunday snuggle day?” Walker asked.

Haven smiled at him, and he smiled back. Walker had inherited his dimples from Haven. “Of course we will. Nothing will ever stop Sunday snuggle day.”

Walker looked relieved. “Oh, good. Then I’m glad about the baby. I think Bear will be too.”

Haven stood along with me. “I think he will be as well.”

“Are we ready to go in? We’re probably the last ones to arrive,” I said as I rang the doorbell.

Two seconds later, the door opened, and Grams stood there with a broad smile. “The last of my great grandkids has finally arrived.” She held her arms open as Emma and Walker ran to her and hugged her.

“Easy, Emma and Walker,” I said, motioning for Haven to walk in first.

“Oh, hush. I’m not that old, Nathan Shaw.”

“You’re not young either, Grams,” Walker stated with a solemn expression on his face.

Grams laughed. “Out of the mouth of babes.”

“Come on, Walker,” Emma said, grabbing her brother’s hand. “We need to tell everyone that Mommy is growing a baby!”

My mouth fell open as Haven started to laugh, and Grams let out a little yelp of excitement.

“You’re pregnant?” Grams asked as she took Haven’s hand.

“I am.”

“It was a bit of a surprisesince, you know, I’m not supposed to be able to shoot bullets anymore.”

Grams laughed. “Well, sometimes the snip-snip doesn’t work.”

“Sometimes,” I said with a roll of my eyes before smiling at Haven.

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