Page 88 of Choosing My Happiness
The look on his face was priceless. He looked down at his vomit-covered chest in horror.
“What the fuck, Daiz?” He finally looked at me. “What’s going on?”
I looked over his shoulder at Jim storming up, flanked by Bull and Bear, Jim’s hands clenched by his sides.
Here goes nothing. “I’m pregnant,” I blurted out the announcement. Jim’s face stiffened in shock, and my heart dropped, feeling like it was turning into lead. Then his eyes started to crinkle at the edges, and they softened. His lips curled up slightly as his mouth opened, and his whole face started to glow. I watched his mouth form words as he glanced at the ground, and then back to me, his eyes reflecting the hope that I was clinging onto.
“Daisy!” Blaze grabbed my arm. “Are you listening to me?”
I shook my head slightly and turned my attention to him.
“What?” I asked weakly.
He huffed and dropped his hand, then took a step away from me, rubbing his hair in frustration.
“Fuck, Fuck!” He glared at me. “This is payback, isn’t it? I had a kid with someone else, so you’re going to do the same!”
“Blaze,” Bull’s voice rumbled in warning. My eyes kept returning to Jim and his soft smile. His eyes were twinkling now. Blaze’s voice was ranting in the background.
I leaned myself against the doorframe and held Jim’s gaze. His smile grew. I smiled back. He grinned.
“What the fuck are you smiling about? You think it’s funny bringing an illegitimate child into our marriage?” Blaze erupted.
My eyes snapped to him. “What marriage? I’ve filed for divorce. Our hearing is in two weeks. Didn’t you get the summons?” I couldn’t believe he was still in denial, but he was.“We’re getting divorced,” I stated. It was inevitable. He couldn’t stop it, no matter what he did, or even didn’t do.
“Then why the hell did you come and tell me you were pregnant?” Blaze roared.
I looked at him and laughed. “I didn’t. I came to tell Jim…Midwife.”
Blaze frowned, stunned into stopping his tantrum. “Why?” he breathed the word that looked to be on everyone’s lips.
Jim whooped and jumped forward to grab me. His lips met mine in a fierce, triumphant kiss. Then he held my head as he asked the question he wanted to know.
“Really?”
I nodded, my eyes welling up with happy tears. His grin lit up his face. He burst into laughter and rushed to pick me up, holding me tight to his chest.
“Oh, My Queen.” Jim was ecstatic. I don’t know why I was so worried. He wanted the baby. “I’m going to be a Dad!” he roared, taking steps away from the door, and then spinning me around. I laughed as well, feeding off his excitement.
There was a wall of noise surrounding us. Cheers, and hoots. It was happily overwhelming. Jim stopped spinning and let my feet touch the floor. He still kept a firm grip on me, and bent over to rest his forehead on mine, creating a little vibe of serenity in the chaos.
“How are you feeling?” he purred.
“Better, much better now that I’m with you.” I realized as I said the words that they were absolutely true. I didn’t feel nauseous anymore. I just felt elated.
“Stay down!” Bull roared at someone. “You had your chance with her, and you fucked it up. She’s chosen him.”
“How long have you known?” Jim asked me, his breath brushing over my chin. I closed my eyes and tilted my head up to meet his lips.
“Yesterday,” I murmured. “I came straight down.” I felt his lips curve into another smile.
His body shook from a clap on his back. He steadied with the movement, not letting it knock him or me off our feet.
“A Toast!!” Crackers’ voice cut through the roar. Jim lifted his head and tucked me under his arm as he looked to where the old chef was standing on his bar counter. Crackers held a beer high, his crazy eyes gleaming.
“To Daisy and Midwife. Welcome back, and congratulations! At least this Fucker doesn’t fuck around.” The silence that followed his first words ended in a wall of sound. Jim bent down to kiss me again.
Crackers climbed down from his bar and walked his way over to put an arm around my shoulders. “I’m proud of you, little girl. You done good.” He paused, then hesitantly asked, “You coming back for good?”
