Page 73 of Resilient Rhythms
It’s followed by pure fucking joy.
I grin at Mckenna. “We’re having a baby?”
Tears streak down her cheeks as she nods.
“Holy shit, beauty. That’s the best fucking news I’ve ever heard.” I reach for her, wrapping her in my arms, and kiss the top of her head. “We’re having a baby.”
“You’re really not…mad?”
“Mad?” I pull back to stare at her. “Do you have any idea how incredibly fortunate I feel to have a baby with you, Mckenna? Maybe even luckier than our kid.” I place my hand on her abdomen, stretching out my fingers. I keep the pressure light as I know her ribs are still bruised but—fuck. Our baby is growing right under my palm.
She closes her eyes as a sob escapes. She drops her hand over mine and presses my fingers against her skin.
“Why are you crying, beauty?”
“I’m just so…relieved,” she admits.
I nod, feeling my emotions swell to the surface. “Me too.”
“You are?”
“Yes. This is the best news you could have told me after saying we need to talk,” I admit. “And honestly, the only thing I didn’t see coming.”
She chuckles. “But you said you weren’t ready for kids.”
I shrug. “It wasn’t something I considered because it wasn’t a position I’ve ever been in. But I promise you, I couldn’t be happier, or prouder, or love you or our baby more.”
“But do you think we’re…confusing things?” she asks, scrunching her nose.
I shift our weight so I can read her expression. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, if I wasn’t pregnant or we weren’t facing this situation with Bran…”
“Don’t say his name,” I beg.
“Sorry.” She shakes her head. “Things between us are always so big, Mav. So intense and…serious. If this wasn’t the situation we were in, would you still be happy?”
“Yes. One hundred percent. And you’re right, things between us always seem big and intense and complicated. Even messy. But goddamn, Mckenna, it’s also beautiful. There is no woman for me but you. I don’t give a fuck if we do it in a different orderthan most or if the timing is always off. Because it’s me and you. I love our story because it’s ours. And that’s all that matters.”
She presses her forehead against mine, closing her eyes. “Oh, Mav, I never knew I could feel so whole even while my world seems to be falling apart. It’s the most insane thing and yet, from the second I learned the truth, I’ve been ecstatic. Everything changed, my entire perspective, in the space of a heartbeat. I’m going to be a mom, Mav.”
“The best mom.”
“You’re going to be a wonderful dad.”
“We’re a family, Mckenna. No matter what, we’re a family,” I say, before dropping my lips to hers.
And she’s right. In the matter of a heartbeat, my entire perspective has shifted. The world has changed in a fundamental way.
And I’ve never been fucking happier to feel so goddamn terrified.
TWENTY
MCKENNA
Maverickand I decide to keep our news a secret until we’ve had some time to process it before it blows up on social media and in the press.
“How are you feeling?” Mav asks, pressing a kiss to my temple as he collapses next to me on the couch.
