Page 54 of Loving Josy
I place my hand on the exact spot, and without hesitation, Noah places his hand there too. His warmth seeps through the fabric of my dress as his eyes search mine for confirmation. I rest my hand over his, and we wait.
Then, suddenly, it happens again, the soft, miraculous movement.
Noah gasps, his eyes wide with wonder. “Oh my gosh. Everly is moving?” His voice trembles slightly, filled with awe.
“You felt that?” I ask, my own voice barely above a whisper.
“Yes,” he breathes. “I’m feeling it right now.”
A smile spreads across his face as he leans down, bringing his lips closer to my belly. “Hi, my beautiful princess,” he murmurs softly. “Are you awake?”
As if responding to his voice, Everly moves again. Noah’s face lights up, and his eyes glisten with unshed tears. “Yes, you are. Keep moving and celebrating your mom’s birthday. I love you, princess, and I can’t wait to see you.”
His words are tender, filled with so much love that my chest tightens. I stare at him, my heart overflowing. I love this man so much, and seeing him connect with our daughter like this is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced.
When I glance around the table, I notice that everyone has gone silent. All eyes are on us. Violet dabs at a lonely tear slipping down her cheek, her expression glowing with joy. Esteban and Austin are watching with soft, uncharacteristically quiet smiles. Even Adrian looks touched, his usual playful demeanor subdued as he gazes at us.
I can’t help it. My own tears spill over, sliding down my cheeks as emotion wells up inside me.
Noah looks up at me, his face tender as he reaches out to gently wipe away my tears with his thumb.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart,” he says softly, though his voice holds a teasing edge. “You’re going to make me cry in front of these guys. And if I cry, they’llneverlet me live it down.”
I laugh through my tears, his words breaking the emotional tension in the room. “You’re right. It’s just hormones,” I reply, still smiling.
“Whatever you say,” Noah says with a wink, his hand lingering on my cheek for a moment longer before he pulls back.
The mood around the table shifts again, lightheartedness returning as Violet clears her throat and says, “Alright, enough mushy stuff. Let’s eat cake!”
Everyone cheers, and just like that, the moment transforms into something even sweeter. But as the conversation picks up again and laughter fills the room, I glance at Noah. His gaze meets mine, and the connection between us feels unbreakable.
Everly’s tiny movements and Noah’s loving words have left me more certain than ever—this is where I belong.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Noah
The house that we are working on today smells like sawdust and coffee—my two favorite things these days. Well, second favorite. Josy’s laugh tops the list now, but there’s no way I’m admitting that to Esteban. He will say that I am pussy whipped and start messing around with it all day long. Though if I am honest, I’m definitely pussy whipped but that’s not the point.
I lean back against the workbench, sipping coffee from my thermos as Esteban drags himself in, looking like he just went twelve rounds with a tornado. His shirt is streaked with sawdust and sweat, his hair defying gravity.
“You look like you’ve had a morning,” I say, biting back a grin.
“You don’t even know, man,” he groans, slumping onto a stool. “My neighbor’s kid has decided he’s the next big rock star. Drums.Drumsat six a.m. on a Monday. What kind of psychopath buys their kid drums?”
I raise an eyebrow. “What kind of psychopath lets their kid practice at six in the morning?”
He throws his hands up. “Exactly! And it’s not just mornings. It’s afternoons. Evenings. I swear, if I hear one more offbeat rendition of ‘Smoke on the Water,’ I’m going to lose it.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “Sounds like you could use a break.”
“You’re not wrong,” he mutters, rubbing his temples. “So, what’s up? You didn’t call me in here just to mock my misery.”
I hesitate, running a hand through my hair. “Actually, I wanted to talk about us taking a break. Cutting back on work.”
He narrows his eyes, his usual teasing expression replaced by something more serious. “Cutting back? You? Did Josy hit you over the head with a frying pan or something?”
“Funny,” I say dryly. “I’m serious. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. The workload’s getting out of hand, and with Everly coming soon, I want to be there for everything, you know? Not stuck on a job site.”
