Page 132 of The One I Hate
I laugh, which is the wrong choice.
“Shit!”
“What? Are you okay?”
I shake my head. “I peed a little.”
I drop my head into my hands in embarrassment, though Simon’s slight chuckles make me want to laugh again. I feel him wrap his arms around me as he stands behind me, resting his cheek on my back.
“Can I take a nap right here?” I mumble, suddenly realizing how tired I am.
“You could, but then I’ll have to give you a massage later to get the kink out of your neck. Which will lead to sex. So that, my darling, is up to you.”
I groan as I sit up, Simon moving next to me. “Honestly I’m so tired I don’t know if I even have the energy to spread my legs.”
“I’d like it to be noted for the record that I could have made a joke about not needing you to move for sex, but I didn’t.”
“Thank you,” I groan, falling into his arms. “This might have been the hardest day yet.”
He brushes my hair back and kisses the top of my head. “Want to talk about it?”
“Today was a shit show,” I say. “My back has been killing me all week, so I was trying to take it easy at the diner. Which didn’t happen, because the ice machine stopped working, there was a leak in the ceiling, and both servers got sick and had to call off. Oh, and the fucking mushroom guy is still just delivering my orders whenever he wants to.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“What were you going to do? Fix an ice machine? Go pick up my order from the mushroom guy?”
“No. I have guys.”
“I know you do. But it’s not your responsibility to fix my problems. Or get my mushrooms,” I say. “Plus, I called Emmett, and he came in to help with the leak.”
I feel Simon tense against me, which is weird. Then again, everything feels weird these days so I don’t think much of it.
“Anyway. All of that happened on top of the baby deciding today would be a great day to make her audition tape for America’s Next Karate Kid. I can’t stop peeing, and I just want this day to be over.”
I hate complaining, especially because I know that even on this bad day, I’m blessed to have help and support and love.
But also fuck this day.
“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.” Simon gently moves me up so he can stand, guiding me up with him and leading us away from the kitchen to our bedroom. “You’re going to go take off those greasy smelling work clothes and go take a shower. After that, put on that fluffy robe you love so much. And then, come back here for a delicious meal of burgers, fries, and the mozzarella sticks you love so much.”
I stand up, but not before giving him a deserving kiss. “It’s days like this where I really love you.”
“Who knew all I needed to win your heart was to order you fried cheese?”
I smile for the first time today as I walk down the hall to the master bedroom. I’m still in awe of how big this space is. I’m pretty sure just this room is bigger than my first apartment. Hell, just the walk-in closet rivals it.
Then there’s this bathroom. White tiles. Gold fixtures. A bathtub with jets and a heat setting I can’t wait to use the second this kid is out. But for now, the shower will have to do.
However many minutes of scrubbing and soaking later, I pop out, wrap my hair in a towel and pat myself dry before grabbing the robe that is calling my name. I slip it over my shoulders, butdon’t close it right away, instead taking a second to look at my bump in the full-length bathroom mirror.
I don’t do this often—take in my bump that is. I know it’s there. I peek at it every day. Simon makes sure to rub it multiple times a day, including when he applies the belly butter that he insists is his job. But I rarely stand in front of the mirror and really just look at the baby I’m making.
I’m making a baby.
That’s still baffling, even as I enter my third trimester. In just a few months I’m going to be holding her in my arms. She’s going to be nursing from me. She’s going to be smiling and giggling and crying and all the things babies do.
I’m going to be a mom.
