Page 18 of Working For A Billionaire

"I don't want it to be just blue and I'm not a big fan of pastel green. What about a light yellow with blue accents?"

"I think it will look great," I assure her.

She smiles in response and her face seems to glow. I've never seen her look more beautiful. We continue discussing colors and I realize I’m only partly in this conversation. I’m drinking in the sight of her. There is something different about her. I never believed in that pregnancy glow, but maybe there’s something to it.

I try to banish the thought, but it’s hard. Almost as hard as believing that I’m going to be a father.

Chapter Seven

Riley

Now that the morning sickness has passed, I am finally able to relax. I can have a meal without running to the bathroom halfway through it and the smell of Harrison's aftershave no longer turns my stomach. Though now that I am better, I have been reflecting on everything that happened in the past few months.

I stand up from the couch and make my way to Harrison's study. I need to talk to him about something that's been bothering me for the last week. When I get there, he looks up from his desk and sees me.

I tell him, "I need to talk to you about something."

He sets down his keys and says, "What is it?"

I take a deep breath and explain my thoughts.

Harrison's expression shifts from shock to surprise as he takes in my words. "But why here?" he questions, the idea lingering between us. "Hospitals are the best place to have a baby, the doctors make sure everything is safe and healthy, why take the risk?"

"Midwives can do the same thing," I try to explain in the best way possible. "Having a baby in a hospital isn't the only way. In fact, I think it's a more natural process to have a baby at home."

Harrison stares at me incredulously. "You can't be serious," he says shaking his head. "This is a huge risk. What if something goes wrong? We need to be sure that the baby is safe."

I take a deep breath and look him in the eye. "I understand your concern, but I'm confident that we can do this. Midwives are well trained and experienced, and we can make sure everything is done properly. We can create a safe and loving environment for the baby to be born into."

"You're crazy!" He exclaims, "What if there is an emergency?"

I stand up and walk over to him, placing my hands on his shoulders. Looking into his eyes, I say softly, "I'm not crazy. I just think this is the best way for us to welcome him into our lives."

"Him?" he asks, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion, and this is where I remember that I haven’t told him yet.

"Yes, him. I found out a few days ago. I wanted to tell you, but I haven't had the chance." I admit, although the truth is, I was afraid to tell him. I don’t know why. I guess there is still this fear in me that all this is a dream and that he will just come up to me one day to tell me that he wants nothing to do with either me or the baby. Neither of us has called it our baby yet, and this is what’s adding to my fear of being rejected.

A slow smile spreads across his face. "We're going to have a son?" he asks, his voice full of wonder and joy. I smile back.

"Yes, a son,” I nod, waiting for it to settle in.

Harrison stands silently for a minute, making it hard to gauge his reaction, then a smile spreads across his face as he says, "I knew it was going to be a boy."

I ask, surprised, "Really?"

He replies with excitement in his voice, "Yeah, when we were coming up with names, I had a feeling we would have to agree on a boy name."

The happiness in his voice brings a smile to my face, and it is the happiest I have seen him since we met. I jokingly comment, "That's why you insisted that I would name the girl and you would name the boy? I thought that was because you wanted to end the conversation."

"No," Harrison responds, shaking his head. "Well... Maybe a little, but it was also because I knew we would have a boy. Can I see the ultrasound?"

His question catches me off guard. I smile and go grab the picture from my purse, handing it to him. Harrison smiles softly as he looks at the ultrasound and then sets it down on the desk. His eyes are filled with joy, but also a hint of sadness. I can tell that he is thinking about his father, wishing he could be here to see this moment. I put my hand on his shoulder and say, “It's okay. We will name him Anthony and he'll always know who his grandfather was.”

Harrison smiles and nods, taking the ultrasound in his hands and looking at it once more. He then hands it back to me.

"I am glad it turned out well," he says, returning to his usual businesslike tone. It’s obvious that he’s trying to keep away from all of this. I guess I understand. But that still doesn’t make it alright.

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