43. Epilogue
Epilogue
Harvey
A few months later
“Morning, buttercup,” I whisper as I kiss her. Waking up beside her is the best part of my day. I hear little footsteps approaching, and a smile spreads across my face. Lifting the covers, I wait for Chad's sleepy head to crawl in before the alarm blares.
We’re still finding our new morning routine at her place.
A few minutes later, I climb out of bed, but Chad bounces out and runs straight for the kitchen.
I leave Jemima to rest a little longer while I get up to make Chad some breakfast. Brewing a coffee for Jemima, I bring it to her in bed, along with some toast. She’s already lost in a book when I walk in.
“I’m so spoiled,” she says, setting the book down beside her.
I kiss her lips and head back to the kitchen to make Chad’s school lunch. We need to drop him off before heading to work.
Chad is ready for school, but when I enter our bedroom, Jemima isn’t there. I hear a strange sound coming from the bathroom, so I walk and find her bent over the toilet. My heart races, and I quickly move to her side, placing a hand on her back.
“Are you okay?”
She dry heaves, and I wince.
“I just all of the sudden was nauseous and, oh my god, I'm late.”
“Don’t worry about work. I can take Chad, and you can rest today.”
She turns to me, a hint of a smile on her lips. “No, silly. My period is late.”
My jaw drops, and my eyes widen as the realization hits me.
“Are you sure?”
“Well, I’ll need a test.”
“I’ll go buy one,” I say, ready to head to the store after dropping Chad off.
“No, wait.” She holds out her hand. “I’ve got a box under the sink.”
I open the cabinet doors and search until I find the box. My stomach twists with nerves, as I hand it to her. She tears it open and tries to stand, but I quickly reach out to support her.
“Do you want help?”
“Can you go check on Chad? Give me a minute to pee on the stick alone.” She laughs.
“Right.” I step out, making sure everything is ready for school, then return to Jemima.
Running my hands through my hair, I pace the room. “Is it ready?”
“Almost.”
I enter the bathroom and see her standing there, looking a bit paler than usual. The timer beeps, and we exchange a look that makes my stomach drop.
What do we do now?
As if reading my mind, she takes my hand. “Come on, let’s do this together.”
I step forward and see the lines. “What does that mean?”
She suddenly bursts into tears, and my heart pounds harder.
“What’s wrong? We can try again, buttercup. Please don’t cry, it kills me.”
She sniffles. “No, I’m happy. We’re pregnant.”
“We are?”
Looking at the stick again, then back at me, she nods.
“You’re having my baby?” I whisper.
“Yes.”
“Can we tell Chad?” I ask as tears blur my vision.
“Maybe we should do it on the weekend,” she suggests. “Make it special for him.”
“Good idea.” I lean in, kissing her softly, feeling so much love and excitement for what’s to come.