Page 134 of Whiskey and Regret
“Let’s fucking celebrate!” She pumped her fist in the air and did a cute-as-fuck little dance around the living room. “I can’t believe you guys hid this from me all damn day! I’m so getting you back for this.”
“And how would you do that?” I laughed.
“I have my ways, Evander Freeman.” She leveled me with a glare that I brushed off playfully.
“You wanna pregame? Champagne before we go to the movies?” I asked, taking her by the hand into the kitchen.
“Of course.” She pulled the flutes down and I grabbed a chilled bottle to pop open.
“I’ll give you a taste Frankie,” Xari laughed. “I see you pouting. Just please don’t tell your crazy mother.”
Crazy was a gross understatement. When Alexis found out I was marrying Xari and she’d have to share the last name Freeman, she threw a tantrum. She flattened my tires and wrote NANNY FUCKER on the side of my car. Not such a smart move on her part since she got fined for vandalism. She even tried unsuccessfully to throw herself at me when she picked up Frankie and Xari was out of town at an event.
“Yeah, I know better than that now,” Frankie said.
Xari poured two flutes of champagne and nodded her head at Frankie to have a sip. I allowed a taste or two for the occasion.
“Okay, I’d like to make a toast.”
“Xari, you can’t toast yourself,” Frankie laughed.
“Hush. Now, like I said, I’d like to make a toast to you two.”
“Us?” I frowned.
“Yup. Because you two think you’re so smart tricking me and shocking the hell out of me,” she said.
“That’s not a reason to toast, baby. That just means we’re better than you at surprises,” I said, holding my glass up.
“That’s what you think but…” She pulled out her phone and held it toward us like she was recording. Was she recording? I leaned in a little and yup…she was definitely recording. “I can’t wait to see the look on your faces when I tell you that I’m pregnant.”
My brain turned into useless mush.
Pregnant?
My wife was pregnant?
“What?!” Frankie exploded with squeals and squeaks I didn’t even know she could make. I also didn’t know she could jump that high.
I watched them hug and I stood there…stuck.
“You’re…pregnant?” We tried for a baby when we first got married but when Xari came off her birth control, her hormones were all over the place. I resigned myself to having kids when the time was right.
Clearly, the time was right.
Xari nodded her head and walked over to me slowly. “When did you find out?” I asked, my heart thumping in my chest like a wild animal.
“This morning. I was going to find you one of those you’re-a-daddy mugs and make you a cup of coffee in the morning but I had to pull out the big guns since you guys surprised me.”
“You’re pregnant?” I said again, blinking in disbelief.
“Yes, Daddy. Oh my god,” Frankie laughed.
“I think I’m in shock,” I chuckled.
“You think?” Xari smiled, bouncing up on the balls of her feet to kiss my lips.
“I don’t think I could love you any more than I do right now in this moment,” I said before nibbling on her bottom lip and squeezing her tighter.
