Page 110 of Tempted To Be Mine

The doctor continued with her explanations. Prenatal vitamins. Foods to avoid. Warning signs to watch for. The importance of staying hydrated and getting enough rest. She talked about morning sickness remedies and the changes Lucy’s body would go through over the coming months.

I tried to absorb it all, but my head spun. There was so much I didn’t know. So much I’d never even thought about. How was I supposed to remember all of this? What if I forgot something important? I kept looking at Lucy and tried to imagine what she must be feeling. The things the doctor said boggled my mind and it wasn’t even my body.

“Do you have any questions?” Dr. Kelly asked when she’d finished her information dump.

Yes!

But I couldn’t articulate a single one. I just sat there, overwhelmed, trying to process everything I’d just learned. My brothers had gone through this. I had a whole lot of new respect for them. And my sisters-in-law.

Holy shit.

“I think we’re good for now,” Lucy said, saving me. “We’ll probably think of questions later.”

“That’s perfectly normal. Write them down when you think of them, and we’ll address them at your next appointment. Do not get on Dr. Google. Talk to me.” Dr. Kelly handed Lucy a folder full of pamphlets and information sheets. “Congratulations to both of you. This is an exciting journey you’re embarking on.”

Exciting was one word for it. Terrifying was another.

We walked out of the office into the bright California sunshine. I was still holding Lucy’s hand, unwilling to let go even for a second. Now that I had her back, I wasn’t taking any chances.

“You okay?” she asked, looking up at me with concern. “You got pretty quiet in there.”

“I’m fine. Just processing.” I shook my head. “There’s so much I don’t know, Lucy. I don’t know anything about babies. I don’t know about pregnancy or labor or any of it. What if I mess this up?”

She stopped walking and turned to face me, her hands coming up to rest on my chest. “Hey. Look at me.”

I met her eyes.

“We’ll figure it out,” she said. “I mean, I know the basics. I’ve read articles and watched friends go through it. But I’ve never done this before either. We’re going to have to learn together.”

“I kind of feel like I’m on the sidelines. You’re the one that woke up and discovered you were an incubator.”

She laughed. “Charming. We’ll figure it out as we go. We make mistakes. We learn. We do better. And we’ll start a savings account for the kid’s therapy bills.”

I pulled her into my arms and held her tight. “I love you,” I said into her hair. “You amaze me.”

“I love you too, you ridiculous man.”

“Come to my place,” I said.

“Okay.”

She followed me home. Our home, I hoped. She hadn’t agreed to that yet, but she would. I’d make sure of it.

We walked inside. My suitcase still sat in the foyer. “There’s something I want to show you.”

She raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. I led her upstairs, past my bedroom, to the room at the end of the hall. It was currently being used as a guest room, but I’d been thinking about it differently ever since I’d realized Lucy might be pregnant.

“This room,” I said, pushing open the door. “I was thinking this could be the nursery.”

Lucy stepped inside, looking around. The room had big windows that let in plenty of natural light. It faced east, so it got the morning sun. The walls were currently a boring beige, but I could already imagine them painted in soft colors. A crib against one wall. A rocking chair in the corner. Soft lighting.

“It’s perfect,” Lucy said softly. “The light is beautiful.”

“And it’s close to the master bedroom, so we’d hear the baby if they cried at night.”

She turned to look at me, a strange expression on her face. “Jeremy, is this your way of asking me to move in with you?”

I grinned. “I’m not letting you out of my sight while you grow our child. So yes. Move in with me. Live here. Wake up next to me every morning and fall asleep beside me every night. Let me take care of you.”