Page 130 of Haunted

She beams a smile at me and it fills my heart with so much love I can feel the seams stretching to accommodate it all.

I kiss her cheek and take to my feet. My eyes land on the drawing hanging above our TV. It’s the one that I had been working on when Jules came back into my life. A wisteria tree with low-hanging branches. A girl beneath them. I had to redraw it because the silhouette across from her was me. At the time, my mind wouldn’t show my face because I had no memories of her. The full vision came to me soon after they returned. I added dandelions because the field was full of them when I asked her to marry me. I remember them blowing around us like snowflakes. I realized as I was redrawing the picture that the tiny lights in my dreams were the seeds of the dandelions. The tattoo on my arm, the one of the dandelions, I got four years ago. I woke up one day with the vision in my head and an uncontrollable need to have it tattooed on me, along with the wordsl'amour est gratuit, love is free. It was what Jules said to me after I asked her to marry me. It was just another way my mind and heart wouldn’t let her go.

I look over when the floor squeaks andsee Jules standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. Her smile is vibrant and so damn beautiful.

“Hey, Mom!” Aria calls. “Come look what I did.”

Jules ambles over and looks down at the heart wrapped in ivy. Her fingers shift naturally through Aria’s hair without thought as she carefully looks over the design.

“That’s beautiful, Aria. Your lines are getting better.”

“Thanks,” she says proudly. Her eyes move to mine. “Can we do another one?”

“How about you do the next one on your own. Show me what you can do.”

“Okay.” She turns back to the table and grabs another piece of fake skin.

I turn to my wife and pull her against me. Her growing stomach prevents me from getting too close. She’s eight months pregnant, and I can’t wait to hold our baby in my arms.

As if agreeing with me, a nudge knocks my lower abdomen, followed quickly by another.

“Junior is restless,” I murmur, and run my hands along the sides of Jules’s stomach.

She smiles at me and slides her hands up my chest to my pecs, her diamond ring sparkling in the light. “He’s hungry.”

“Well, then, we better feed him.” I nip at the tip of her nose.

She groans and plants her face against my sternum. “I’m tired of eating. It seems like it’s all I do nowadays. I’m going to be as big as a house by the time he gets here.”

I chuckle at her mumbled words, then bend and scoop her into my arms. “Wouldn’t matter,” I tell her. “Hey, boo. We’re going to feed Mom and Junior. I’ll be back to check on you in a few.”

She doesn’t even indicate she heard me, her mind already focused on the new design. Aria takes after me in so many ways, one of them being her complete dedication to her art, whether itbe drawing, painting, sketching, or working with the tattoo machine.

I carry Jules to the kitchen and set her on the counter beside the fridge. When she makes a move to get down, I point my finger at her and order, “Stay.”

She pouts at me and snarks, “I can make my own food, you know? I’m not an invalid. Just pregnant.”

I open the fridge and pull out a can of sliced pineapple, a jar of mayonnaise, and a package of bacon. Yes, my wife has some bizarre-as-shit pregnancy cravings. Bacon, mayonnaise, and pineapple sandwiches. That shit turns my stomach, but if it satisfies her and Junior, that’s all that matters.

I deposit the items on the counter beside her hip and pop open the can of pineapple before wedging myself between her legs. I hook one slice of pineapple with my finger, bite away half of it so it’s not too big to fit in her mouth, then offer the rest to Jules. Her lips skim across my fingers and it sends shockwaves straight to my dick. Her moan when she chomps down on the juicy fruit doesn’t help my growing erection. Unable to help myself, I lick away the residue of juice from her lips.

“You know taking care of you is one of my favorite things to do.”

Her legs hook around my waist and her heels dig into my ass to pull me closer. “I do. It’s one of the many things I love about you.”

This pregnancy is very special for Jules and me. Neither one of us got to witness or be a part of her first one, so we’re both enjoying the experience to the fullest. Part of that for me is waiting on her hand and foot. So what if I take it a bit too far sometimes?

I grab another slice of pineapple, bite off a portion, and give her the rest.

“Are you ready for your exams?”

She blows out a breath, her fingers tracing over my shirt. She’s been taking online courses to get her degree in interior design and she’s nearly finished. I left the decision up to her on whether she wanted to attend a physical college, but she said she’d rather do it from home, where she could be with her family all the time. We’ve been working on a business plan for her to start her own company once she has her degree.

“No. Yes.” She laughs. “I don’t know.”

“You’re going to do great.” I squeeze her hip in reassurance.

Her lips twist to the side. “I’m glad you have confidence in me.”

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