Page 100 of Chapel Bend

“I’mgoingtohaveababy.”

The words rush out in a quick string. She flings herself back in the chair, and then she covers her face with her hands.

My mouth opens, but no sound comes out.

She’s going to have ababy.

“Are you going to ask if it’s yours?” The question is muffled, but I’m out of my seat and falling to my knees in front of her.

Gently, I wrap my fingers around her wrists and tug her hands down.

“Come here.”

I pull her toward me and rest my forehead against hers.

“If it’s not mine, it was an immaculate conception.”

This makes her lips twitch. “I mean, some men—”

“This isme.This is us, baby.”

“Yeah.” She drags her fingertips down my cheeks. “You don’t look mad.”

“Is this why you wouldn’t talk to me for the past week?”

“I was trying to get my head on straight. It really knocked me for a loop, you know? When Luna and Sarah came to see me because I was throwing up so much, they made me pee on a stick—”

“Hold up. The girls know?”

She bites her lip and cringes. “Well, yeah. They were with me when I took the test. If it makes you feel any better, they arereallymad at me for wanting to wait to tell you.”

“I don’t know that it makes me feel any better.”

“Are you mad?”

“I’m…wow, I don’t know what I am, Juniper. In the future, you willnotwait to tell me big news.”

“I don’t think it gets any bigger than this, so I can agree to that. If you don’t want to be a part of this, I understand.”

Now, I pick her up, sit her in my lap, and kiss her senseless before hooking her hair behind her ear.

“I’m not going anywhere, babe. Well, I might move into the chapel with you because it’ssweet.”

“Isn’t it so pretty? I’m kind of obsessed with it. I have to say, you’re taking this really well. After the way you reacted the first time you forgot a condom, I thought for sure you’d be upset.”

I kiss her hand and then press it against my chest. “I didn’t want something like this to happen without it being your choice.Maybe that’s a really naïve thing to think, but—”

“No, I get it, and it’s a really sweet thing to say, but sometimes things happen, even when you try to prevent it. I didn’t think I wanted kids at all, to be honest. I just assumed that I’d be the fun aunt to Sarah’s and Luna’s kids, and I was content with that. I’m not convinced that I’ll be a great mom, Apollo.”

“Why would you think that?”

“I’m not naturally nurturing. I’m not the touchy-feely type, and I think kids should have a mom who wants hugs and kisses and all the mushy things that I just didn’t have as a kid.”

“You do those things with me,” I reply, and her brows furrow into a frown. “Youdo.I mean, you always say we aren’t snuggling, but we are, and you don’t pull away. Even now, I’m holding you in my lap, and you’re not running. You may not be used to showing a lot of affection because you didn’t have a lot of it in your household growing up, but that doesn’t mean you don’t know how to show love to people. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that when this baby gets here, you’re going to be anexcellentmother.”

“How do you know?” It’s said in the sweetest whisper I’ve ever heard.

“Because you love so completely, sopowerfully, that loving our baby is going to be second nature for you. I’ll be there, too. God knows that I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing, so we’ll just muddle our way through it together.”

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