Page 54 of Moving to Love
“Jeremiah…we…I…no.” Joci shook her head.
He squeezed her and turned to wrap his arms around her.
“Joci, don’t get scared. I want to have a baby with you. It’ll be different this time. We’ll both be able to enjoy the whole process, including raising a beautiful little girl or boy. We’ll do it together.”
She shook her head. She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her go. No, she couldn’t go there. She didn’t know what would happen in the future, but she couldn’t think about babies when they had only been with each other for a couple of months. No, she didn’t want to do that unless she was married. She didn’t want to be a single mom again.
Joci’s body tightened, and she could feel her pulse thrumming through her body. Her head still ached from last night, and now he wanted to have babies.
Jeremiah tightened his arms around her. He rocked her back and forth for a little while.
He took a deep breath. “Don’t be nervous; I won’t push. I just can’t help myself. When I look at you, think about you…I just want the whole package.”
She trembled. Of course, not feeling well didn’t help things at all, but this wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have. She decided to change the subject.
“Are you hungry, Jeremiah? I can throw something together for us to eat.”
She wasn’t even sure she could still have babies. But if she were ever going to have another baby, it would certainly be with him.
Jeremiah squeezed her a little. “I don’t want you to have to do that. Why don’t we order a pizza?”
“Mmm, that sounds awesome.”
He kissed the top of her head and pulled out his phone. Joci began digging through boxes. She had to work tomorrow, and she wanted to get her office set up so she could get right to it. The photographer from the Veteran’s Ride had sent her all the pictures from the day, and she wanted to start working on the video. She didn’t tell Jeremiah because she wanted to surprise him with it.
Joci had gotten a few boxes unpacked when the pizza delivery person knocked at the door, announcing supper. Jeremiah paid the guy and brought the pizza into the living room. Joci washed her hands and grabbed them each a bottle of water from the refrigerator. They sat on the sofa to eat and watch the news.
Jeremiah looked over at Joci. He took a deep breath and said, “I didn’t mean to scare you before. I’m sorry.”
She caught his gaze and saw the love in his eyes. She leaned forward and grabbed his hand. “I know, baby. I’m sorry I got weird. Being hungover doesn’t help. I don’t want to be a single mom again, Jeremiah. It’s important to me. I don’t want to bring another child into the world without both parents being right there for him or her.”
“I’m here, Joci. You’re here. We’re together, and I’m not gonna let anything change that. I won’t push you. Well, I’ll try not to push you. But I’m committed to being with you forever.”
She nodded her head. What more could she say? For now, he wouldn’t push, and she could see how things worked out between them.
Around nine p.m., Joci and Jeremiah crawled into bed, exhausted. Drinking sure takes its toll on a person.
The next morning, as Jeremiah was getting ready to leave for work, his phone rang.
As he answered, he looked at Joci with a smile and mouthed, “My mom.”
She smiled. They had eaten dinner with his parents last week. She enjoyed spending time with them. Emily had a great sense of humor and teased her husband and Jeremiah endlessly. She seemed to have a very comfortable relationship with all her men.
Jeremiah hung up the phone and looked at Joci. “Why do you have that little smirk on your face?”
“I was just thinking about your mom teasing you and your dad last week at dinner. She’s funny.”
Jeremiah smirked too. “Always has been. Anyway, she called because Thursday is Eli’s graduation. She wanted to make sure you and Gunnar would be there also.”
Joci nodded. “Absolutely. Can you remind the boys at work today?”
“Yeah, I’ll make sure they all remember. I would love it if you asked the rest of the Golden Girls to go out with us the Saturday after we get together with my Marine buddies. I want to hear you sing, Joci.”
She groaned. He just didn’t let anything go, did he? She didn’t respond right away. Jeremiah stood back a little and looked down at her.
“Hey. Don’t you want to sing for me?”
Joci smiled. “I’m really not that good, Jeremiah. After a couple of drinks, I just think I’m good. There’s a difference.”
