Page 60 of Ruthless Roses
It takes a few seconds before I understand the question. “Phi… what…?”
“I don’t know for sure,” she says quickly. “But… I’ve been pregnant once. I remember this feeling. I’m… I’m having it again.”
“Feeling… you’re… what?” I babble like a dumb fuck. My brain’s short-circuiting.
She reaches up and cups my jaw. “Morning nausea. Sore breasts. A funny cramp feeling. Some bloat. Just a… an awareness of something different about my body.”
My gaze immediately drops to her stomach. The shock’s still locking me up. I blink several times and then my eyes flit back up to hers.
“We can take a test,” she says softly, in that gentle and nurturing way only Delphine pulls off. “If I am, Jon, it’s all your fault. You and your insatiable appetite.”
I go from frozen to overdrive in a split second. I leap out of bed and stride over to where my phone’s on the bedroom dresser, butt-naked, without a care. Delphine pops up into a sit, confused and caught off guard.
“What are you doing?”
“Texting Stitches. Telling him to run out to the drugstore in town to grab some pregnancy tests.”
“Jon—”
“Anything else you need? Any cravings? Want him to pick you up your favorite ice cream?”
She lets out a small laugh. “I’m okay. I didn’t mean we have to take a test right now…”
“I can call our physician. He can make an emergency house visit—”
“Jon!” she exclaims. “It’s okay. I don’t know for sure.”
“That’s why we find out right now. If you’re pregnant again… Phi, that’s amazing!”
It hits me like news we’ve won the lottery. I return to the bed in a blur to wrap her up in my arms and deliver a deep, celebratory kiss.
An hour and a half later, I await Delphine’s results. She doesn’t even need to say a word when she emerges from the bathroom. Another husky, thrilled laugh leaves me as she holds up the white stick and says, “Positive. All three I’ve taken.”
My arms wrap around her, and I pick her up for a full spin.
“I don’t miss! My boys can swim!”
Delphine shoves at my chest with a laugh that tumbles out of her. “This is exactly why I should have gone back on the pill. Dom’s barely a year old and look!”
“I’m building a whole crew, Phi. Prepare to spend the next five to six years pregnant.”
She knows I’m joking, but that doesn’t stop her from rolling her eyes with a laugh breaking free. I set her down on her feet feeling like I’ve received an injection of adrenaline. Somehow, learning she’s pregnant has left me wanting to celebrate in the same way we’ve wound up in this situation—in bed.
Instead, we settle for overjoyed talk about the new baby on the way, and when Dominic wakes from his nap, we take him to the beach like we planned. We celebrate not only his first birthday but the news that soon he’ll have a baby brother or sister.
16
delphine
“Any baby names yet?”Medjine asks. We’re strolling in the park on a breezy afternoon. I’m pushing Dominic in a stroller while Sasha’s clutching Bryce’s hand as he walks with us. Medjine’s on my other side fiddling with her phone.
“Are you kidding? It feels like we just found out. We’re not even sure what we’re having yet.”
“It never hurts to be prepared,” Medjine says, looking up from her phone screen.
“Most parents don’t start talking baby names for a whole ‘nother trimester.” Sasha pauses to give Bryce a chance to point out the ladybug crawling on a flower.
“Did I say what most parents do?” Medjine snaps. “I was askingDelphine.”