Page 168 of Stay With Me
“Yeah. Can’t sleep.”
“Me neither.” She steps in and stares at the sunflower tattoo on my chest. “I’m too anxious.”
Same. “You wanna lie with me for a bit?”
She plays with the hem on my T-shirt that she wears every night. It slides up her bare legs, revealing her white panties and little baby bump. I don’t think she even realizes she’s doing it, but I’ve noticed it’s one of her nervous habits.
“Would that be too weird for you?” she asks.
I scoot over, pulling the blankets back. “Nope, get in here.”
She smiles and crawls in next to me, lying on her side away from me. Once she’s situated, I cover us up and snuggle in next to her.
“Do you wanna talk about it?” I ask. “Maybe it’ll help you feel better.”
“Not really.”
“Okay. Lemme know if you change your mind.” I stay on my back, but we’re close enough to share each other’s body heat.
Fifteen minutes of silence pass between us before her breath hitches and she gasps. “Oh my gosh, the baby kicked really hard. Gimme your hand.”
Rolling toward her, I circle my arm around her waist, and she puts it on her stomach. “Hold on. She’s really active at night.”
“She?” I ask.
Her shoulder lifts. “It feels like a girl.”
I smile at that. A moment later, a little nudge pushes against my palm.
“Did you?—”
“Yep. Wow, that’s incredible. A little boxer in your belly.”
She giggles. “No kiddin’. I’ve felt little flutters all week, but this is the first big one.”
Instead of releasing my hold on her, I lean up on my elbow and stay put.
And she doesn’t take her hand off mine either.
“Do you remember that girl name you suggested a while ago before I even knew I was pregnant?” she asks after a few minutes of silence.
“Belladonna?” I tease.
She elbows my chest with a laugh. “Willow. If it’s a girl, that’s what I think I’m gonna name her.”
“It’s a beautiful name.”
“And if it’s a boy, Finn.”
My mouth dips to her shoulder, and I instinctively press a kiss there. “After your dad. He’ll be so honored.”
“Yeah, I think so too.”
“But now you know what that means? If you do have a girl, you’ll have to try for a boy so you use that name.”
“You think I’m poppin’ out more than one of these? My vagina’s already been violated by the wand mammoth, and once the baby comes out, it’ll never be the same.”
“I don’t think that’s true,” I argue. “Want me to check?”
