11. Mind the Zygote Please
Mind the Zygote Please
W e caught the pregnancy early, so at this stage we were basically dealing with a zygote. But that tiny, little fertilized egg quickly became our whole world.
This was different from the first time Hale was expecting. When Elara’s birth mother revealed she was pregnant, she wasn’t exactly on good terms with him. That led to the blowout between Hale and Remington, and then Remington had a heart attack and broke his foot. A few weeks later, I was hired and put smack dab in the middle of their dysfunction. The rest was history.
But this time, Hale was determined things would go differently.
I awoke to an enormous breakfast in bed. “ Oh, my gosh.” I scooted back to the pillows, making room for the loaded tray. “We had eggs?”
“I went to the farmer’s market. They’re organic.”
“When?” It was barely light outside.
“I’ve been up for hours. Too excited to sleep. Besides, your body needs nutritious food. I also picked up some vitamins and fruit and a variety of dairy products?—”
“And flowers!” I leaned forward and sniffed the lilies in the vase. I searched the tray for coffee but didn’t see it. “Is there coffee?”
“It’s probably a good time to start limiting your caffeine.”
“What? Who says?”
“Doctors. Even half a cup of coffee a day could impact the baby’s weight.”
“Maybe a small baby isn’t such a bad thing. Keep in mind, junior’s entering this world through a very small hole.”
“Rayne, everything you put in your body over the next fifteen months matters.”
“Fifteen? Am I gestating for an elephant?”
“Well, I figured you’d breastfeed for the first few months. That means no raw fish or fish high in mercury of any kind, no deli meats, alcohol, caffeine, or unpasteurized cheese.”
“I can’t have cheese? What the hell am I going to eat? And what about sandwiches?”
“No unpasteurized cheese.”
“That’s probably the good kind.” I crossed my arms and pouted.
“I promise to keep you well-fed and fully satisfied. We can get a chef if you want.”
A chef sounded nice. Someone I could order around to meet my every craving… Did I just graduate to a new level of bougie? “What about a maid? I should probably take it easy now that my body’s a sacred vessel creating life.”
“Whatever you want, baby. Say the word and I’ll deliver.”
“Huh. This is working out better than I expected.”
“I want to make this the healthiest, most stress-free nine months of your life.”
Well, that sounded lovely. “I should marry you.”
He leaned over the tray and kissed me. “Eat. Then let’s inform Elara that she’s going to be a big sister.”
I smiled and took a bite of the buttered toast. “Oh, I bought a doll for her. I read that it’s supposed to help young kids learn how to treat the new baby. She can practice her big sister skills with it.”
“That’s perfect. I was thinking we should give her a present so she doesn’t feel overlooked in any way.”
“Done! You gotta admit, we make a good team.”
When we got to Remington’s, Marta greeted us in the foyer and pinched Hale’s cheek. “You’re glowing like a proud poppa.”
“Daddy!” Elara raced into the foyer and sprung into Hale’s arms.
Since Daddy disappeared for several days each week, he tended to be a hotter commodity than Mommy, who was always around and, therefore, old news.
I pulled the big sister T-shirt out of my bag. “Come here, peanut. I have something for you.” I slipped the T-shirt over her nightgown and grinned. “Let’s go find Grandpa.”
Holding Elara’s hands, we walked into the den where Remington was already midway through his morning. “About time you showed up.”
“Pop-pop,” Elara crashed into Remington and climbed up his legs to get to his lap. He helped her up, and she pulled on her shirt. “Uh-oh.”
He glanced down at the pink T and read the words BIG SISTER. “Uh-oh, indeed.” He looked at us for clarification. “I imagine this was the thing you had to deal with the other day.”
I nodded and smiled. “We’re due in March. He or she will be an Aries. I know that stuff’s important to you.”
“Well.” He sat Elara down and came to shake Hale’s hand. “Congratulations to both of you.”
“Thank you.” I hated how formal Hale acted around his father. All morning he’d been elated. Now he acted like this was nothing more than a wise business merger.
Remington looked at me, smiled, and held out his arms. “You’re carrying some precious cargo, Meyers.”
I lunged at him, hugging him tightly to make up for the cold handshake he’d just shared with his son. “I’m going to demand the best maternity package you can afford.”
“Now, wait a minute. How did I know this was going to somehow cost me money?”
“Mr. Davenport.” Miles entered the room with an arm full of paperwork and stilled. “Sorry. Am I interrupting?”
Hale looked at me, and I smiled. No point in keeping it a secret. “Not at all. We were just telling Remington that I’m pregnant.”
His eyes bulged. “Pregnant? Well, congratulations!” He shook Hale’s hand. “Great news.”
Next, we told Alphonse and the other members of the household staff. Elara took a bit more explaining. We gave her the baby doll, but she threw it on the floor and went to find Meep Meep her sheep.
When we got home, we had a video call with Seraphina and Barrett, where we let them read Elara’s shirt. Then we did the same thing with our moms. By the end of the day, I was exhausted, but it was well worth it. I had everything I wanted and needed. I couldn’t ask for more.