A Week at the Beach (36 page)

            He pulled the covers up over us and wrapped us up in them. “I know I can.  I don’t have to be happy about it, but I will survive it.”

            “If it makes you feel any better, there may come a time in this pregnancy when I won’t be able to get enough of you,” I yawned again and nuzzled my head against him.

            “Those days cannot come soon enough,” he said with a chuckle. 

            I wanted to say something else, but my mouth wouldn’t move so the words just drifted off.  I was too tired, and too content, to keep myself from drifting off to sleep. 

Epilogue

“I’m home!” I heard Nick shout then heard the door slam behind him.  “Are you done in the bathroom?  I think I need to take a shower before dinner.”

            I stood in front of the closet, wearing nothing but my maternity bra and a pair of ridiculously huge underwear.  I’d been standing that way for the past twenty minutes.  The cute, and small, clothes that used to fit me taunted me from their hangers and shelves. 

            “Where are you?” Nick shouted to me.

            “I’m gazing longingly at the clothes that will probably never fit me again,” I said sadly in response.

            He appeared in the door to our bedroom.  “You look sexy like that.  I think you should just wear that.”

            I gave him a disapproving look.  “You’re just being nice to me.  I’m a cow and nothing fits.”

            He smiled and walked over to where I was standing.  He leaned in and kissed me on the cheek, resting a hand on my huge protruding belly.  “You are still the most beautiful woman in the world to me.  I’m sure that you have plenty of clothes in that closet that will fit you.”  He stepped away and grabbed the black maternity dress I’d purchased a week ago.  “What about this?  You just bought this.”

            I frowned, “It fits, but it makes me look like I’m even more pregnant than I am.”

            “You’re nine months pregnant, Cami.  You can’t get any more pregnant than that.” He handed me the dress and kissed me on the cheek again.  “Now put this on and finish getting ready.”

            I watched him pull his tie off and hang it on the rack.  His shirt came off next.  I turned away before he finished undressing.  I loved him, and I loved his body, but seeing how fit and toned he was only made me feel more uncomfortable with my own bloated body. 

            “I talked to my dad today,” I said as I closed the doors to the closet.  “He said you had lunch together again.”

            “We did,” he shouted from the bathroom door. 

            “That’s like the third time this week that you’ve had lunch together, isn’t it?”

            “So?”

            I smiled, “Nothing, I just think it’s odd that you spend so much time with him.”

            He stuck his head out the door, “You don’t want your husband to get along with your dad?”

            I shook my head, “I do want you two to get along.  I just don’t know that I want you to be best friends.”

            “We’re not best friends,” Nick said and walked out of the bathroom.  He had a towel wrapped around his waist.  “I told you before that he’s easy to talk to.  He’s really helped me with a lot of stuff these last few months.”

            I sighed and nodded.  I knew that the two of them had been spending some time together, and I knew that Nick trusted my dad for advice. 

            “If it makes you upset, though, I can limit our lunches to once a week.”  He sat down on the bed and waited for my answer. 

            “You don’t have to do that.”  I rolled my eyes, “I guess I’m just jealous because you get to spend so much time with him.  I feel like all I do is work and go to the doctor’s office.”

            He smiled at me, “After the baby comes, you can have lunch with me every day.”   

            I exhaled loudly and plopped down on the bed.  “I’m sorry I’m being such a grump.  I’m just tired of being pregnant.  I’m uncomfortable all the time.  I can’t sleep anymore, and I always have gas.  Now my back is hurting.”  I couldn’t hold it in anymore.  Tears started streaming down my face.  “I don’t want to be pregnant anymore.”

            Nick stood up and wrapped me in his arms.  “It’s okay.  You don’t have much longer to go.”

            I sobbed against his bare skin.  “I don’t want to be pregnant, but I’m also scared about being a mom.  What if I don’t know what to do?  What if I’m not good at it?”

            Nick squeezed me tighter, “You are going to be a great mom.”  He rubbed my back as he comforted me. 

            “Thanks,” I mumbled and pulled out of the hug.  “I’m sorry for being so needy.”

            He smiled, “Stop apologizing.  Why is your back hurting?”   His face had a worried expression on it.

            “I don’t know.  It’s been bothering me all day.”  I put my hands on my hips and tried to stretch out the pain.

            “Would you like me to give you a massage?” he asked and motioned for me to move so that he could massage my back.  As soon as his hands started moving against my back, I relaxed. 

            “Lower,” I moaned, encouraging him to get the trouble spot.  His hands moved lower and I leaned against the bed to give him better access to the pain.  He massaged my back for a minute and I felt much better. 

            “How’s that?” he asked as his hands continued to knead my skin.

            I moaned my answer and he kept working.  Suddenly he started laughing.

            “What’s so funny?” I asked without looking at him.

            “This is kind of hot,” he said playfully.

            “Hot?  This is turning you on?” I asked in disbelief.

            “Well, let’s see.  You have your butt up in the air, I’m standing behind you, and you’re moaning.  If memory serves me correctly, this is one of the positions that got us into this situation.”  Nick laughed and gave my butt a quick smack.

            “Pervert,” I said half-heartedly. 

            He laughed. 

            I turned my head and looked at him. “Is this really turning you on?”

            He nodded and smiled at me.

            “They say that sex can sometimes stimulate labor.”  I gave him a coy look.

            He smiled, “Are you trying to seduce me, Mrs. Fletcher?”  He held out his hand to help me up.  “I’ve got to get in the shower.  We’re supposed to meet Darren at seven and we’ll never make it if we get distracted with sex.”

            I made a face, “Do we have to go?  Can’t Darren just come over here and eat?”

            “Cami,” he said sternly, “Darren is only in town for a few days and he wants to take us to dinner to celebrate our wedding and this baby.  Now stop trying to get out of it and put on that dress.” 

            “Are you going to be one of those bossy dads?” I stuck my tongue out at him.

            “Don’t argue with me!  Just do it!” he pointed at me and walked into the bathroom.

            I laughed and picked up the dress.  I pulled it on and adjusted it.  The sound of water running, and of Nick singing along with it, floated out of the bathroom.  I smiled at the sound.  Singing in the shower was just one of the many things I’d come to learn about Nick since we moved in together and got married.  He was also a neat freak, something that I was used to after sharing a room with Tori for so many years.  We’d had a few arguments as we adjusted to our new life, but overall things had gone smoothly. 

            I left the room and headed to the nursery.  We’d finished the room over a month ago, but I still added things when I found something I thought would make it even better.  Since it was my last day at school, the school secretary had given me a blanket she’d knitted for me.  It matched the colors of the beach-themed room perfectly.  I folded it and set it on the shelf between the little beach figurines Nick and I had painted.  As I did, I knocked a stuffed bear off the dresser.  I let out a groan as I bent over to pick it up.  When I stood up again, a pain shot through me.  One hand went to my back and the other gripped the dresser, making me drop the bear again.

            “Nick,” I said through the pain.  I knew I hadn’t said it loud enough for him to hear me.  When I thought I could move, I walked slowly back towards our bedroom.  Nick was still in the shower and still singing.  “Nick!” I called out again.

            As I stepped into the bedroom, I felt something trickling down my leg.  “Oh no!” I groaned, realizing what was happening.  A puddle started to form underneath me.  I stood there watching, as the puddle grew larger. 

            The shower shut off and I heard the shower door slide open.

            “Nick!” I said and felt another sharp pain shoot through me.

            “What?” he shouted back at me.

            “I don’t think we’re going to make it to dinner.”

            He laughed and said, “Cami, we’re not cancelling.  Trust me when I say that you look amazing.  You are the most beautiful pregnant woman ever to walk this earth.  Please just put on that dress and smile.”

            “No, it’s not that,” I said through the pain. 

            “What then?” he said and appeared in the door completely naked.

            “My water just broke and I think I’m having contractions.”

            “Nice try.  We’re not cancelling,” he said dryly.

            “Look down,” I groaned and gripped the handle of the door tightly. 

            He looked down at the floor underneath me and gasped, “Oh, shit!  You weren’t kidding!”

            I shook my head.

            “What do we do?  Who do we call? What do we need to get? Where’s my cell? Where’s the bag?  Should we call your doctor?” he spit out a whole list of frantic questions.  “I need to call your dad!” He threw his hands in the air and ran past me looking for his phone.

            I grabbed his arm as he moved past me.  “Focus,” I said and looked into his eyes.  I waited until he’d calmed down then continued.  “The bag is packed and by the door.  Your cell phone is on the table where it always is when you’re home.  I’ll call for the car while you clean up the floor.  We can call the doctor on the way to the hospital.”

            He nodded, “Right.”

            I let go of his arm and took a deep breath.  “I’m going to put some dry clothes on then head to the living room.”

            “Okay,” he said with a dazed expression.  “What am I supposed to do again?”

            He managed to pull himself together while I got dressed.  I headed to the living room and called for a car.  I stood by the door, waiting for him to join me.  When he finally arrived in the living room, I smiled and watched him shake nervously as he reached for his keys.

            “Ready?” he asked with a panicked voice.

            Grinning, I said, “Did you forget something?”

            He shook his head, “I cleaned up the floor.  You called for the car, and I’ve got the bag,” he lifted the bag up to prove his point.  “I think we’ve got it all.  We’ll call the doctor while we’re in the car.”