"B abe," Cole mumbles against my neck as he nibbles the sensitive flesh. I was sleeping until he woke me up, his hard erection pressing against my back .
"So tired." I manage as he rolls me to my back and inspects me .
"You okay?" He presses his hand to my forehead, checking for a temperature .
I curl into a ball, my entire body aching. "Everything aches ."
He gently massages my neck for a minute. "Let me go run a bath for you and then I'll make coffee and breakfast. We'll just relax today and watch some movies in bed." He kisses my forehead and slides out of bed .
Suddenly, my stomach flips and nausea hits me. I inhale sharply, drawing a deep breath into my lungs. I mentally tick off every symptom as I recall them. Nausea, check. Exhaustion, check. Tender breasts…check .
We've been unsuccessful in getting pregnant the last three months and I was beginning to worry. With a hopeful smile, I push myself up from the bed, careful to steady myself as my head spins from the nausea. Hearing the bath water running, I slowly make my way to the bathroom .
Cole is sitting on the edge of the tub, pouring bubble bath into the running water when he catches me come in. "Get in," he says as he stands up and places the bubble bath on the bathroom counter. “I'll bring you some coffee and toast ."
"Tea," I tell him .
He nods. "You got it, babe. Tea and toast, coming right up!" He takes off for the kitchen and I grab a pregnancy test from my drawer .
I stockpiled these from the pharmacy last month right before my period arrived. I was three days late and was so hopeful that I'd be pregnant, only to be disappointed by my monthly visitor .
With a bit of nerves, I slide the test from the box and tear open the foil packaging. My hands are trembling with anticipation of what I already know. Needing privacy, I close the door to the private toilet room and sit down on the toilet. Following the directions on the box, I place the test in my stream and wait .
It takes less than fifteen seconds for the test to display a giant plus sign and my heart leaps in my chest. A baby. Ours .
Tears prick the back of my eyes as relief washes over me. I know people wait much longer than we have to get pregnant, but after it happening so unexpectedly for us so many years ago, it was becoming worrisome that it might not happen again .
Cole has reassured me that, regardless of what happens, we'll be fine. That we'll always be fine as long as we're together. I agree with him, but now we don’t even have to worry about it .
Hiding a grin, I tuck the test under the towel on the bathroom counter and slip into the hot bath that Cole drew for me. Bubbles surround me and my body begins to relax in the hot water .
I rest my head against the back of the tub and close my eyes, my hands running over my lower stomach under the water. We're going to have a baby…So many emotions hit me all at once—happiness, relief, and a tinge of sadness that it wasn't like this with my last pregnancy, the feelings of happiness and relief .
"Tea and toast, madam," Cole says, pushing through the bathroom door with a large wood serving tray with tea and a plate of wheat toast. He's wearing nothing but his boxer briefs and every defined muscle in his abs and arms are on full display. Pushing the towel with the pregnancy test under it aside, he makes room for the tray, and my heart leaps in hopes that he doesn't see the test yet .
"Sip," he says, handing me the small porcelain tea glass. "It's hot, though ."
I nod and pull the glass to my lips, drawing in the hot Earl Grey tea .
"Mmmmm…" I hum as the tea makes its way down my throat and into my belly. "Thank you for taking care of me." I look up, my eyes meeting Cole's .
He leans against the bathroom counter, his arms crossed against his chest .
"Always, Frankie. I'll always take care of you ."
I hand him the tea glass and sit up, getting nervous. "Can you hand me that towel ?"
I watch him set the tea glass down and reach for the large towel. Unplugging the drain, I stand up, the bath water whirling around my legs. When he lifts up the towel, he notices the test stick on the counter, then hands me the towel without even looking at me. His eyes are fixed on the giant plus sign staring him down .
I wrap the towel tightly around me, tucking the edge so that it stays put. Cole's shaky hand reaches for the test stick and he picks it up before turning to me. My eyes fill with tears, happy tears, when Cole lunges at me and scoops me out of the tub, spinning me around .
My arms wrap tightly around his neck, and he hugs me tighter than he's ever hugged me before .
"We're having a baby?" he asks, his mouth pressed against my neck. I can feel his heart racing against my chest as his entire body quakes in excitement .
"We are," I answer as he sets me down .
"Is that why you've been so tired ?"
I nod and readjust the towel as it starts to slip off of me. Cole stops me, flicking the edge of the towel and watching it fall to a pile on the floor .
With a grin, he lifts me into his arms, carrying me back to our bedroom and setting me carefully in the middle of our bed. He pushes his boxers off and kicks them aside before nudging his way between my thighs .
His hand trails a soft line from my hip up to my ribs, finally stopping as he cups my breast, giving it a gentle squeeze. My breasts are sensitive, but Cole handles them with care, pulling a nipple into his mouth and gently sucking, causing my core to instantly react .
His cock probes my entrance before sliding right in, accepting him fully. I gasp at the outburst of emotions my body is feeling right now. All of my senses are heightened and Cole knows how to expertly work every single one .
I wrap one of my legs around Cole's lower back, allowing my other leg to fall open as I pull him further into me. I'll never have enough of him. Our lovemaking is slow this morning, attentive and emotional. So many unspoken emotions and words pass between us, but mostly love .
A single tear falls from the corner of my eye as Cole brings me to release. This is what we always dreamed of, and while we took a long, bumpy road to get here, we made it. This is what home will always be to me, Cole and our baby—and Libby someday. But no matter where we're at, with him and our family by my side, I have everything in the world .