Page 49 of Power Play
Chapter twenty-seven
Lacey
I'm eleven weeks along and the babies are the size of figs. At least, that's according to the pregnancy app Ben downloaded. My belly's just starting to show, and Ben and Scott can't get enough of touching it, kissing it, talking to our babies. It's sweet and a wonderful reminder that they will be loved no matter what.
I've bought bigger scrubs and can still hide my baby bump from Tracey.
The Titan's management team knows about the pregnancy but we're keeping it from the team and everyone else as long as possible. I don't care about the team knowing, but I'm terrified of what Tracey will do. I have no idea what to expect when it comes to her and honestly, it keeps me up at night.
We're cuddled up on the couch. Ben, Garrett and I are watching some conspiracy theory documentary while Scott reads a book. Ben's on the couch next to me, but I'm reclined against Scott's chest. Scott's arm rests above me on the back of the couch, his fingers drawing lazy circles on my bare shoulder. My feet are in Ben's lap, under a blanket.
But I'm not paying attention to the documentary.
I'm thinking about the moment. I'm in a gorgeous home, surrounded by the three best men I've ever met. Three men who have vowed to take care of me and these babies. I rest my hand on my swollen stomach. I think about how I've gone from being alone in this world, to instantly surrounded by family. Maybe it doesn't look like any family I'd have thought for myself. But it's family, nonetheless. And Ihave friends - the boys on the team and the rest of the staff. We make easy small talk when I work on them. They tease me for falling asleep on Ben's shoulder on the plane. I tease Gabe about his winning personality. Everyone teases Garrett for settling down. It feels good to belong.
I'm so incredibly grateful for my life that my chest aches and warm tears flood my eyes. My nose pinches with the need to cry. I know I've been overly emotional with my hormones, but I don't even try to fight these tears. They're grateful tears.
But Scott misses nothing. He grips my chin and turns my face to his. I expect him to ask 'what's wrong' or kiss me and tell me everything will be okay. But he stands, and I slump back ungracefully against the couch.
"Power play, boys," he says. And in an instant, all three of my men are up. Ben pauses the documentary. I'm confused, and slightly irritated at the lack of warmth we shared a moment ago. Garrett goes to the kitchen and stops himself, before looking back at me, and pacing, seemingly unsure of himself. Scott microwaves something, and Ben disappears into his bedroom.
I'm tempted to fold my arms across my chest and pout, but then Ben comes back out, holding a pair of fuzzy socks. I quirk an eyebrow at him, and he simply grins in return. He sits again, pulling my feet into his lap again. He kisses the tops of each of my feet before pulling the socks on and starting to massage each one. I'm on my feet all day at work, so his thumbs pressing into the bottoms of my feet feels amazing.
"What...?" I ask, but suddenly warmth spreads across my shoulders. Scott places a microwaveable heating pad across my shoulders, and Imelt at how good it feels. I close my eyes and groan. My arms and shoulders always kind of hurt with how much I have to massage the guys after games and practices. Between Ben and Scott, the stiffness I didn't know I was holding fades away. Scott reclaims his spot behind me, but instead of reading, he pulls my scrunchy out of my messy bun and runs his thick fingers through my hair. His nails scratch my scalp gently and it gives me head to toe goosebumps.
My eyes close and I moan, feeling more relaxed than I have in a long time. So, I'm equally confused when something hard is sat in my lap. I look up to find a wooden eating tray filled with a bowl of rocky road ice cream, a bowl of cut limes, a tiny bowl of ketchup, and a warm cup of tea.
I look up to see Garrett, looking sheepish.
"What's this?"
He shifts uncomfortably on his feet. "I've been trying to pay attention to your cravings. I don't know which one you're having today so I brought them all?"
My heart bursts open and the tears come back earnestly. They spill over my lids and down my cheeks. My bottom lip quivers. God, this man is precious.
I can't speak because I know I'll lose it.
But Scott speaks instead. "The boys and I got together to come up with a plan for how to take care of you. Ben gets the outside of you, Garrett takes care of the inside of you, and I take care of your brain. I don't know what got you crying earlier, but I wanted to put it to the test." His hand is still running through my hair, touching me so tenderly, so worshipping. He kisses my temple. "Seems like it mightnot have worked, though." He wipes my wet cheek with one of his thumbs.
Oh my God.
That feeling of overwhelming gratitude I felt earlier? I feel crushed under the weight of it now. I breathe in through my nose, trying to calm my emotions. Three sets of eyes watch me closely.
"I..." My voice breaks on that one syllable, so I take a moment to swallow and breathe. "I'm just so grateful for all of you... for the situation... the house... the care..." I know I'm rambling, but I can't control it. I want them...no, I need them to know how grateful I am for them. Through a shaky voice, I continue. "You all are so wonderful to me. I've never... I can't..." I take another steadying breath. "You three, and what you do, mean so much to me. I don't know how to ever repay you. But I'm so, so, so incredibly grateful you're all here...and they're all...you..."
Three sets of eyes soften on me. I know it wasn't elegant, but I hope I explained what I am feeling.
Ben squeezes my foot. "Do you know how many cells you're creating right now?"
I simply stare at him, and his big, beautiful smile. "During the first trimester, you're creating millions of cells per minute. Now, multiply that by two babies, and you're making billions of new cells every day." I don't know where he's going with this, but I can't do anything but watch him. "Over the course of one pregnancy, a woman will burn up to eighty-thousand additional calories, making the baby. Again, multiplied by two."
He squeezes my foot again.
"Your hips will widen. Your feet will widen. Your body will never be the same after you have these babies. Your life will never be the same. Breast feeding, late nights, doctor's appointments." Scott squeezes the back of my neck. "You're taking four tiny cells and turning them into two entire-ass human beings. So let us take care of you. If that means rubbing your feet and bringing you limes? Honestly, it feels like the least we could do."
Another tear streaks down my face. The way these men see me is mind-boggling. They don't see a burden; they see a blessing.
I don't feel like a blessing, but maybe if I let them treat me as such for long enough, I might start to believe them.
