Chapter 7

Five Months Pregnant

By the time you pulled into the apartment parking lot, it was nearly nine o’clock.

You were exhausted.

Your parents had spent most of the afternoon spoiling you.

Your mom had insisted you take home enough food to feed a small army.

Your dad had spent at least twenty minutes talking to your stomach and trying to convince your unborn daughter that she would eventually become a fan of his favorite sports teams.

It had been a good day.

A long day.

But a good one.

As you made your way upstairs, you noticed something strange.

The apartment was quiet.

Almost too quiet.

Usually when Paige was home, there was some sort of noise.

A basketball game on television.

Music playing.

The sound of her talking to herself while studying.

Something.

Tonight?

Nothing.

You unlocked the door and stepped inside.

“Paige?”

No answer.

You kicked off your shoes.

“Baby?”

A few seconds passed.

Then-

“In the baby’s room!”

Your eyebrows furrowed.

The baby’s room?

Paige rarely called it that.

Usually it was the nursery.

Or the spare room.

Curious, you made your way down the hallway.

Then you stopped.

Because the nursery door was open.

And the second you stepped inside, your breath caught.

“Oh my God.”

The room looked completely different.

The mountain of boxes was gone.

The crib stood assembled against the wall.

The changing table was finished.

Shelves had been mounted.

Books were neatly arranged.

Stuffed animals sat waiting in the corner.

Everything looked organized.

Finished.

Beautiful.

For a long moment, you simply stood there.

Taking it all in.

Trying to process what you were seeing.

Because this morning the room had looked like a disaster zone.

Now it looked like a nursery.

A real nursery.

For your daughter.

Your eyes immediately started watering.

“Paige…”

You finally spotted her.

She was sitting cross-legged inside the crib.

Inside.

Actually sitting inside it.

You stared.

“What are you doing?”

Paige looked up.

Completely serious.

“Testing it.”

You burst out laughing.

“Testing it?”

“Quality assurance.”

“Paige.”

“What?”

“You are twenty years old.”

“Correct.”

“And sitting in a baby’s crib.”

“I’m making sure it’s safe.”

You laughed so hard you had to lean against the doorway.

Paige grinned.

Then climbed out.

“The important thing is that it survived.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Maybe.”

She walked over to you.

Suddenly looking nervous.

A rare sight.

You immediately noticed.

“What’s wrong?”

Paige rubbed the back of her neck.

“Do you like it?”

Your heart melted.

Because suddenly everything made sense.

The assembled furniture.

The finished room.

The suspicious behavior from earlier.

All of it.

“You did this?”

Paige nodded.

“Well…”

She paused.

“The team helped.”

You laughed.

“They helped?”

“A lot.”

“How much is a lot?”

“They basically built everything.”

You smiled.

“That sounds more accurate.”

Paige pointed dramatically.

“I supervised.”

“You ordered pizza.”

“That too.”

You shook your head.

Still smiling.

Then looked around the room again.

The crib.

The shelves.

The changing table.

Everything.

Your daughter suddenly felt so much closer.

More real than ever before.

Without thinking, your hand drifted to your stomach.

Five months.

Five months pregnant.

Only a few more months until she was here.

The thought was both exciting and terrifying.

A pair of arms wrapped around your waist from behind.

Paige.

You immediately relaxed into her.

“I wanted to surprise you.”

Your eyes filled again.

“You did.”

Paige rested her chin on your shoulder.

“I know you’ve been doing all the hard work.”

You smiled softly.

“Paige-“

“No.”

Her voice was gentle.

“You are.”

One of her hands moved from your waist to your stomach.

A habit she’d developed months ago.

One she never seemed to realize she was doing.

“You’re carrying our daughter.”

The quiet awe in her voice still hadn’t disappeared.

Not even after months.

“You’ve dealt with everything.”

She kissed your temple.

“So I wanted to do something.”

You turned toward her.

Looking directly into her eyes.

“You didn’t have to.”

“I know.”

“Then why?”

Paige smiled.

The kind of smile that only appeared when she talked about you.

Or the baby.

Usually both.

“Because I love you.”

Your heart immediately squeezed.

Paige looked around the room.

Then back at you.

“And because I love her.”

You followed her gaze.

Toward the crib.

The shelves.

The stuffed animals.

The future.

For a moment neither of you spoke.

The room didn’t need words.

It already felt full.

Full of hope.

Full of dreams.

Full of love.

Paige eventually stepped forward and gently placed both hands against your stomach.

Her expression softened.

“She’s going to sleep in here.”

You smiled.

“Hopefully.”

Paige laughed.

“Good point.”

“She could hate sleep.”

“Don’t say that.”

You laughed.

“I’m serious.”

“Don’t put that into the universe.”

She immediately crouched down in front of your stomach.

You already knew what was coming.

“Listen, Maya.”

You covered your face.

Paige ignored you.

“You are going to be an excellent sleeper.”

“Paige.”

“You are going to sleep through the night.”

“Paige.”

“You are not allowed to inherit my insomnia.”

You laughed.

Paige remained completely serious.

“I mean it.”

“She’s not even born yet.”

“It’s never too early.”

You shook your head.

Then reached down and ran your fingers through her hair.

Paige immediately leaned into the touch.

Like a cat seeking attention.

For a moment everything felt perfect.

The apartment.

The nursery.

The future waiting for both of you.

And as you looked around your daughter’s room, one thought kept repeating in your mind.

She was loved.

So unbelievably loved.

And she hadn’t even been born yet.