Page 158 of If You Love Me

She nods. “Pregnant.”

Time moves again, the air suddenly electric with emotion.

“This is so exciting!” Peggy hugs Hollis’s arm.

Callie’s mouth drops open.

Fee claps gleefully.

“When did you find out?”

“Like ten minutes ago,” Fee offers helpfully.

“I’ve been feeling…not myself. Tired. And I’ve had an upset stomach, so I took a test and fell asleep waiting for the results. Fee woke me up and surprise!” She does jazz hands.

I push my chair back and pull her to her feet. I take her face in my hands, my smile so wide it feels like it could split my cheeks. “We’re having a baby.” I kiss her, then hug her, then run my palms up and down her arms. I don’t know what to do withmyself. “We need to get you to the doctor. How far along are you? We’re having a baby!”

She laughs. “We are having a baby.”

“Are you ready for a baby?” I ask, although that question is rather pointless since it’s already happening.

Her eyes shine with happiness. “We’ve got this.”

I press my lips to hers again, then skim her cheek until I reach her ear. “We’re having a private celebration tonight after everyone else goes to bed.”

“Of course we are. If I can stay awake.”

There’s a flurry of hugs and laughter and tears, all happy ones. I’m over the fucking moon. Dinner is full of buoyant chatter. Callie’s already excited about being a big sister. Peggy is all smiles, and Fee is clearly thrilled because she found out before anyone else. She needs that closeness with Lexi.

After dinner, we gather in the living room. “I feel like we need a family meeting,” Fee declares.

“I think that’s a great idea.” I stretch my arm across the back of the couch, and Lexi snuggles into my side.

Peggy makes a move to stand, but Fee grabs her hand. “I want you to stay. We’re all family.”

“You’re sure?”

“We want you to be part of this.” Fee rubs her hands up and down her thighs. “So, Callie and I have been talking?—”

“—about our last name!” Callie finishes.

“Ours is different than Lexi’s and yours, and now that we’re a family and we’re going to have a little sister or brother, we thought maybe we could all have a last name that matches.”

“I love this.” Peggy rests her cheek against Hollis’s arm.

“You can have the same last name too!” Callie says.

“Thank you, Callie, but eventually I’ll be a Hendrix. Although, I’m all for designing a family crest to unite us.”

“That would be so cool! Fee can draw it!”

Lexi kisses the back of my hand. “I love all of this.”

“Should we make a list of last names we like? I can grab a pen and piece of paper from the kitchen,” I suggest.

“Or we can use my iPad.” Fee gets it from the table, along with the art pen. “Seriously, Roman, sometimes it’s like you’re already in your grandpa era.”

“He likes paper lists.”

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