Chapter 19
CHAPTER
NINETEEN
Prophet
Stretching, I pull Rebel in for a man hug. This past month during Phoebe’s travel assignment has been good, but I’m glad to be back home.
“We’ve got everything ready for the wedding,” he says. “Holly and Marnie are going to take Phoebe shopping tomorrow for a dress.”
“That’ll give me time to stop by the shop and the gym to check on things,” I reply.
“How’s she feeling?” he asks. Because of the old ladies, he’s well aware that Phoebe has been struggling with constant, persistent nausea. It’s one of the reasons we came home sooner than planned.
“Better now that Thelma figured out it was hyperemesis gravidum,” I say.
“Unfortunately, it’s not actually conducive to trying to work.
She kept getting dehydrated and after the third IV of fluids, Thelma put her foot down and sent us home.
I suspect it would’ve been sooner, but my woman is stubborn and she hid how she was feeling a lot of the time.
The fact that she’d lost weight, something else she didn’t share, means it took a few weeks longer to figure it out. ”
It wasn’t until Thelma bluntly told her that she was not only putting her life but that of our unborn child’s life at risk that she finally acquiesced about coming home.
Even with our pending wedding, we’re adjusting some things to ensure that Phoebe will be okay.
Hell, I’m back to taking things into my own hands so to speak and while I know my woman is upset about that fact, especially since her hormones are all over the place, I told her we were taking no chances.
He sighs while running a hand down his face. “Holly looked it up and that’s some scary shit, brother.”
“You’re telling me,” I reply. “What’s even more insane to me is despite the fact that she’s lost weight, she looks like she swallowed a beach ball. Her face is gaunt, her wrist bones are showing, and I worry every time she takes a step without me there to help her, yet she’s all baby.”
“Come in and see what we’ve set up for this weekend,” he says.
Thank fuck I’ve got my brothers around to help keep me from spiraling too much.
While I’m glad I’ve been able to be there every step of the way for this pregnancy, my fear for Phoebe has outweighed some of the excitement over the impending birth.
If it wouldn’t break her heart, since she wants a house full of kids, I’d tell her this was it, we were only having one.
We head into the clubhouse, and I grin when I see Ella, who’s holding onto a sleeping Cami, going toe to toe with Data.
Phoebe still doesn’t really know what happened, but from the intense look I see on my brother’s face, whatever occurred marked him.
I hope like hell they get it sorted out, though, because I know Ella’s going to be a part of Phoebe’s life, and I won’t let it become uncomfortable for her best friend to visit us.
“She’s going to love it,” Ella says as she reaches our side.
Because she’s not as steady as normal, my brothers built a heart-shaped loveseat so that we could sit during our actual vows.
Is it conventional? Fuck no, but Phoebe wants to be married before the baby arrives and this is something I can give her, although the ring tattoo will have to wait until she’s had our child.
“You didn’t go shopping with the girls?” I ask, turning to look at her. I see her eyes look red and swollen and figure I need to have a talk with Data. Enough is enough as far as I’m concerned, and I can’t have him upsetting Ella so much that she’s crying over him.
“No, I’m on babysitting duty,” she replies. When I look around, she grins and says, “Right now, Esther is in the kitchen, and the kids are helping her make treats for the reception.”
“What kind of treats?” Rebel asks. At my look, he shrugs. “Holly’s been following some people on TikTok, so I’m wondering if that’s what they’re making.”
“Cake pops, chocolate covered strawberries, dipped pretzels,” Ella replies. “Oh, and Esther is making cheesecake shooters from scratch.”
Rebel pats his stomach then grins at me. “Swear to Christ, if I didn’t work out so much, I’d weigh fifty pounds more than I already do. Both Holly and her grandmother can cook, that’s for damn sure.”
“You probably wouldn’t, Rebel,” Ella says. “Because both of them mostly cook from scratch using fresh, natural ingredients. There’s not a lot of extra crap like there is in processed foods, that’s for sure.”
“No, I’m pretty sure I would, because one plate isn’t enough half the time,” Rebel asserts.
I look around again and say, “I think Phoebe’s going to like this.”
“I do as well,” Ella adds.
When I see my daughter, sitting in her highchair, completely demolishing the plate of cut up strawberries, I start laughing. She’s got smudges of the melted chocolate on her cheeks, her arms and even in her hair. “Looks like I need to give someone a bath,” I tease.
“Dada, Dada, Dada!” she screeches, hitting the top of her highchair and splattering stuff everywhere.
“You go ahead and get that done, Prophet,” Esther instructs. “I’ve got this taken care of.”
“I’ll help, Esther,” Ella says. “Come on, girls, let’s go wash up so we can help your granny get the kitchen cleaned.”
While we could’ve stayed at our house, I’m glad we’re at the clubhouse. I have extra hands ready and willing to help with the cat as well as Cami, while also making sure that Phoebe doesn’t do too much.
Ella leans in and whispers, “Don’t freak out, but Holly and Marnie are on their way back with Phoebe. She fainted while they were shopping, so they called me, I called Thelma, and she’s on her way with an IV.”
“She could’ve just worn something she already had,” I grumble, fear clutching at my heart. “New plan, can you take Cami? I need to be out front when they get here.”
“Go, we’ve got this,” she says.
I’m at the passenger door once Holly parks her SUV, opening it and getting Phoebe unbuckled before she has it shut off.
“I’m okay, Eli, I promise,” she slurs out. “It just took a little more out of me than I expected.”
“If Thelma wasn’t on her way here, I’d be taking your ass to the hospital,” I reply as I stride back into the clubhouse then up to our suite of rooms.
“Eli,” she whimpers. When I look down at her, I can see how pale she is, but when she says, “I’m sorry,” I nearly lose my composure completely.
This woman has me, heart and soul, and it’s killing me that her first experience being pregnant has been so miserable. “There’s nothing to be sorry for,” I tell her, gently laying her on our bed before I slip her shoes off. “Let’s get you into something more comfortable.”
“If it helps any, I did find a dress,” she murmurs.
“Sweetheart, you could wear a potato sack, and I wouldn’t give that first fuck,” I growl out. “I just want you to feel better and I suspect, based on what happened today, that we’re looking at bedrest.”
Tears start to trickle from her eyes as she nods. “What am I supposed to do with myself all day every day?”
“Study, do those practice tests from the book that Thelma gave you, and grow our baby,” I instruct as I ease her shirt over her head. “Bra on or off?”
“Off, please. I kind of wish I could take a shower, I feel gross since I ended up on the floor.”
“Give me a minute and I’ll make that happen,” I reply.
By the time I’m done bathing her, she’s almost asleep and I don’t know if it’s because she fainted earlier, she’s weak from the HG, or it’s just her normal nap time.
Not willing to take any chances, I waste no time getting us out of the shower, drying her off, and putting comfortable lounge clothes on her before I tuck her into bed.
Hearing my phone chime, I grab it from the nightstand and say, “Thelma’s here, sweetheart.
Let me go get her so she can get you hooked up to the good stuff. ”
She smiles even though her eyes are closed and says, “You’re too good to me, Eli.”
I swear whatever is in the IV is a miracle drug, because Phoebe’s alert and laughing as we sit in the common room and talk about tomorrow’s wedding. She looks at me and teases, “It’s almost too late to back out, Eli.”
“Babe, you’re stuck with me,” I reply, leaning in to kiss her. “Now, I know you’re feeling better, but to ease my mind, I think you need to head up to bed. Tomorrow’s going to be busy enough as it is, sweetheart.”
“Spoilsport,” she grumbles, grinning up at me as I lean down and scoop her into my arms. “I can walk, you know.”
“Not happening,” I reply as everyone tells us good night.
“Isn’t it bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding?” she asks as we head to our room.
“We make our own luck, and I’m not leaving you for a second, until it’s time for Ella to help you get ready,” I announce as I breach our doorway and move to our room. I start to put her down, but she shakes her head and points to the bathroom.
“Stupid fluids make me have to go,” she grumbles, causing me to laugh. “Plus, I need to brush my teeth.”
“Holler out when you’re done and I’ll come in to keep an eye on you.”
“So bossy,” she teases as I set her down in front of the toilet and turn to leave.
“You’re absolutely correct, especially when it comes to making sure you’re okay,” I reply.
Despite my secret fears based on how she’s been feeling, the wedding itself went off without a hitch.
It might not have been conventional by most peoples’ standards, but it was us and we had our family surrounding us as we pledged our lives to one another.
Right now, she’s getting checked over by Thelma to make sure she doesn’t need another bag of fluids, but we’ve all watched her like a hawk today and haven’t let her do too much.
I walk into the bedroom to see another IV bag hooked up while she argues with Thelma. “Don’t give a shit that it’s your wedding night, Fee,” Thelma states. “And I suspect your husband isn’t the kind of man to push the issue considering what you’re dealing with.”
“You’d be correct,” I reply as I sit down next to my wife. Taking her hand in mind, I bring it up to my lips and kiss her ring finger. “Phoebe, we’re taking no chances on your health or that of our bean.”
With everything going on with her, we decided against knowing our baby’s gender. At this point, I just want my wife and baby to survive the birth, although her obstetrician has assured me that we’re doing everything possible to ensure both will be okay.
“Fine,” she grumbles. “But once I’ve had this baby and waited the prescribed number of weeks, you owe me at least a week in bed, mister!”
Thelma and I both start laughing because the look on Phoebe’s face is a combination of frustration and anger.
I understand completely, since I feel the same.
Not about having to wait to have sex again, that would make me a complete asshole, but about the situation as a whole.
She’s had to put everything on hold just to carry the baby to term, and being put on bedrest in the hospital is still not off the table.
“We’ll make it two and call it good,” I finally say once I’ve stopped laughing.
Turning serious once again, I tell her, “It’s highly likely that you’re going to end up on bedrest at the hospital, Phoebe, but as long as we’re able to avoid that, it’s all good.
This is just a blip in our journey, sweetheart.
You’ll be able to get back on track once our little one arrives. ”
She rolls her eyes at me and sasses, “Yeah, that’ll be possible with a toddler and an infant.”
“We’ve got family that are more than willing to help us, remember?”
“I know, I’m just disappointed, Eli. This isn’t how I saw any of this going.”
“You’re in a minority, that’s for sure,” Thelma states as she starts cleaning up the trash from putting in the IV.
“But you’re not far off from being able to take your exam, so keep your eye on the two prizes ahead of you.
” At Phoebe’s puzzled look, she adds, “The baby and getting your NP. The baby is the bigger prize, of course.”
She leaves me alone with my wife and I maneuver us so that she’s comfortable, cuddled against me. “I love you, Phoebe Cortez Benson. You’ve brought me so much peace and joy and I don’t have adequate words to tell you how I feel.”
“I love you, too. I never anticipated this outcome the day I walked into the clubhouse and handed Cami over to you,” she replies.
“Now, we may not be able to have a ‘normal’ wedding night, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make out a little bit,” I tease. “At least until you fall asleep on me.”
“Bring it on, biker man. I’ve got extra juices flowing in me right now,” she replies, grinning at me.
As many IVs as she’s had by now, I’m more than proficient at removing them, so while we wait for the bag to finish, we cuddle against each other and talk about our future.
From my perspective, it’s pretty fucking bright.