Page 122 of Rebel Heart
“I can’t believe you did this.”
It wasn’t uncommon to hear the disbelief in my wife’s tone, but there was something about it this time that had me wondering if I’d gone too far.
With our feet in the grass on the farmland where our home was, I stood beside Rhea, my fingers linked with hers. “You don’t like it?”
“It’s not that. This is… This is a lot right now. Don’t you think?”
I shrugged. “I think it’s perfect. They’ll grow up together. They’ll be best friends.”
At that precise moment, like the proof I needed to prove this was an excellent idea, Jack’s squeal of laughter floated through the air. Our son had recently celebrated his second birthday. I’d wanted to do this then, but I figured it’d be better to wait until the weather warmed a bit.
And now, Jack was being chased around by our new golden retriever puppy, loving every minute of it.
“The sentiment is nice, Wyatt. I get what you’re saying, and it’s clear he’s enjoying himself.”
“But?”
Rhea inhaled deeply and let out a long sigh. “Raising a baby is a lot of work as it is. Adding a puppy to the mix isn’t going to make life easier.”
Jack fell on his bottom before the new puppy trotted over and pounced. Our son landed on his back, giggling.
“Are you saying that hearing that doesn’t bring you immense joy?”
For the first time since we’d come outside to give the pair an opportunity to run around and play, Rhea looked away from them and focused her attention on me. “I’m not saying that. Obviously, it makes me happy to hear him happy. It’s just a huge responsibility right now.”
I nodded. “I know. But it’s a great opportunity to teach Jack, too.”
Rhea’s expression didn’t warm. In fact, her features became pinched and more strained as she returned her focus to our son and the dog I was suddenly thinking we weren’t going to be able to keep.
I’d grown accustomed to her stubborn nature, but perhaps this was one surprise I should have discussed with her ahead of time.
“Babe, if this is too much, it’s okay. I’m sorry. I should have discussed it with you first. If there’s anything I can do to help you feel better about it, just tell me.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to have a dog, Wyatt,” she said. “And Jack is clearly having a ball. I’m just worried.”
“About what? The responsibility? I’ll handle it. Everything that needs to be done to care for the dog, even the vet appointments, I’ll do it.”
Some of the tension eased out of her shoulders. “I think you’re going to have to do that. At least for a while.”
Tipping my head to the side, I eyed her profile curiously. “What does that mean?”
Rhea turned her body fully to face me. Unshed tearshad filled her eyes. The sight of those tears had me ready to kick my own ass for doing this.
“It means that I’m worried about the upcoming responsibility of raising not just Jack and taking care of a new puppy. It means that I’m terrified about adding another baby to the mix.”
“What?”
“I’m pregnant. I took the test this morning when you went out to get this surprise.”
Suddenly, Rhea’s response to the puppy made sense. At those words, my heart was pounding. “You’re pregnant?”
She nodded.
“Aw, babe.” I engulfed her in my arms and hugged her tightly. She burst into tears. “It’s okay. We’re fine. Everything is going to be perfect.”
“But it’s a lot.”
“And I’ll be there every step of the way,” I promised her.
