Page 32 of You Again
Epilogue
Henley – (Six Months Later)~
Ihadn’t seen my husband in two days.
It wasn’t the first time he’s disappeared on me, but it was the first time he’s missed an appointment with me. Most women would have been upset and offended to be sitting in the doctor’s office alone, but I knew not to take Dash’s absences personally. Weston Technologies had just landed a software account with one of the top security firms in the nation and the ink hadn’t even been dried on the contracts before Dash had rushed off into his computer laboratory to never be seen again.
I did feel him often, though.
We had an ironclad rule that might as well have been part of our wedding vows, and it was that, no matter the time of night, when Dash made it home, he was to wake me up and let me know he was home. He usually woke me up with his face between my thighs, but I wasn’t complaining. I’d forego sleep in favor of sex with my husband every night.
“Mrs. Weston?”
I looked up and smiled at the nurse. Around me, I was surrounded with women rounded in various stages of pregnancy. I was only four months along, and barely showing, but I wore my momma-to-be smile proudly on my face.
There were also a few men sitting with some of the women, and I thought that was sweet. None of them looked put out to be here. That warmed my heart, but made it ache at the same time for the women who were here alone because they had no choice.
I placed the magazine I was skimming through on the table in front of me, grabbed my purse, and stood up to follow the nurse to the examining rooms beyond. Just as I reached her, the front door flew open hard enough to bounce off the metal frame.
Everyone looked towards the lunatic rushing through the door, shouting, “I’m here!” My lips rolled between my teeth and I did my damnedest not to laugh. Bright grey eyes scanned the room and his entire body deflated when his eyes landed on me.“Oh, thank God.”
“I would have understood,” I told him as he made his way towards me, apologizing and excusing himself to the other people in the room.
He scoffed. “Maybe, you would have, but this isn’t about you. Not this time,” he said, not caring about our rapt audience. “I might forget our anniversary. I might forget to show up for dinner. I might forget to pick up milk on my way home. I might even forget to shower for three days. But that’s who you married, Henley. That’s what you signed up for when I dragged you kicking and screaming to the church.”
I laughed.
He didn’t drag me kicking and screaming to the church. He did rush our wedding, though. We’d gotten married after only a month of dating, so it had been a small affair. But I hadn’t cared. I had cared about marrying Dash, not having a wedding.
Dash placed his hand on my stomach and rubbed it in small circles. “But this little guy?” he continued. “He doesn’t know what he’s getting into with me for a father. He didn’t request a father who might forget his baseball games and I’m not going out like that.” My eyes watered and I wasn’t sure if it was pregnancy hormones or Dash being Dash.
“He or she will understand that their father is just doing what he has to in order to provide for us, you know,” I said, trying to soften his self-criticism.
Dash reached out and pulled me to his. “You’re already provided for,” he pointed out. “This is about providing for myself. I’m nothing if I’m not a good husband and father.”
“Oh. My. God,” a soft voice vibrated through the room. “Is he for real?”
“I’m sitting right here, you know,” said a male voice.
The entire room started laughing, and Dash smirked. “Come on, Momma,” he said. “Let’s go check on our peanut.”
He put his arm around me, and I sniffed. “Whenwasthe last time you showered?”
“Hmmmm…today’s Thursday?” I nodded. “Tuesday, maybe?”
As the nurse escorted us back, I said, “You’re taking the rest of the day off after this.”
“I’m taking the rest of the day off after this,” he agreed.
Our fingers linked and it didn’t get any better than this.
The End.
