Chapter Thirty-Five
ADRIAN
Boston
Isobel’s clammy hand shook in mine while we waited for the ultrasound tech to join us, and I hated I couldn’t do more to calm her fears about everything. This pregnancy had been much harder than either of us had anticipated, but I wouldn’t change a second of it because it’d brought us so much closer.
“Let’s take a peek at this little one, shall we?” The tech that joined us a few moments later was very upbeat, and it seemed to help settle Isobel’s nerves a bit as she tucked a towel into the top of her skirt and squirted the gel onto her exposed stomach. “Have we talked about whether we’d like to know the gender today? Since you’re twenty-one weeks along, we should be able to tell if the baby cooperates.”
Even though I wanted to know, I’d follow Is’s lead on this one. What I’d told her was the truth. I didn’t have a preference either way. My brother loved being a girl dad, and I was a little terrified to end up with a boy who’d be as much of a shit as I was growing up, but either would be good. Because it’d be a physical manifestation of my feelings for their mother.
“I’d like to know,” Isobel said quietly, squeezing my hand.
We’d heard the heartbeat a few times, but there was something entirely different about seeing that little flutter on the screen. Seeing physical proof your child was alive and growing was more intense than I’d expected .
“Wow,” Isobel breathed while the tech moved the wand around, taking pictures and measurements as she went, narrating the entire time. I was more focused on watching Isobel’s reactions, my heart swelling as every bit of awe I felt played out across her face as well.
We’d spent months dancing around it, but I loved her so much it physically hurt to watch her struggle. And this brief reprieve from the hard parts had my confession on the tip of my tongue.
“Looks like our little one isn’t shy. Are you ready for the big reveal?”
My heart pounded as I glanced between the screen and Isobel, nodding because I was too choked up to answer.
“While the baby is measuring a little on the large side for your date of conception.” I fought with the urge to hurry her along, impatient to find out what our baby was so we could start talking about names. “She looks perfectly healthy. Congratulations, you’re having a girl.”
Isobel’s eyes watered as she nodded, her lip quivering as she absorbed the news that we were going to have a little girl in a few short months. Blinking back tears, I leaned over, wrapping my arm around her back and kissing the side of her head.
“I’m going to print out some pictures for you to take home and then give you some privacy. I’ll forward the images along to your OB for your next appointment.”
Isobel clung to my arm as the tech let herself out of the room, tears streaming down her cheeks as soon as the door clicked shut.
“A girl,” she whispered, her hand settling on her gently rounded stomach that seemed to grow every day at this point. “We’re having a girl.”
“We are,” I whispered, kissing her cheek and letting my lips linger against her warm skin. “And I hope she grows up to be as fierce and gorgeous as her mama.”
She reached up, threading her fingers through my hair to hold my head to her cheek while her chest shook, and I hoped these were happy tears. Her emotions had been up and down the last few weeks, and I hated she was away for most of it. It had to be isolating for her to be traveling while she was like this, but I’d been so busy I couldn’t go with her even if I wanted to.
“Adrian, I…” Her voice cracked as it trailed off, and I knew I needed to be brave enough for both of us to confess how I felt about her.
“I love you, Is,” I whispered against her cheek, my hand joining hers, my thumb sweeping across her skin. I hadn’t been able to feel the baby kick yet, but I was looking forward to it. Being able to witness my baby girl moving and growing inside her.
Isobel whimpered, turning toward me, and staring into my eyes as her breath caught. I knew it was scary for her to confess her feelings for me, but I knew she felt the same way. “I love you too, Ad. So much it hurts sometimes.”
Nodding, I cupped her cheek, kissing her softly until she melted into my embrace. She never had to worry about how I felt. I’d been hers for longer than she realized.
“Dude, where have you been lately?” Hutch grumbled, settling onto the barstool next to me. Pops was in the back room of the bar with his usual poker buddies. Hutch had been keeping a closer eye on him recently, so I’d made the trip out to keep him company since Isobel had flown out for work again this morning.
“Trying to recuperate.”
He frowned, turning his stool to face me, wincing when his knee brushed against the bar. “What are you recuperating from? Being a fuckin’ cake eater who sits in his office with a view all day? ”
“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up.” Placing my elbows on the bar, I let my face drop into my palms, squeezing my eyes shut.
“Seriously? Are you okay?”
“I’m fuckin’ exhausted. Why didn’t you tell me it was like this?”
“I’m totally lost here.” He placed his hand on my shoulder, and I turned my head to face him.
“I know it’s been a while, but was Lena a little bit unhinged during her second trimester?”
A look of relief crossed his face and was replaced with a naughty grin. “Those hormones giving you a run for your money?”
“Fuck, man. She’s still puking her guts out every morning, but then she brushes her teeth, and she practically mauls me. I don’t know if I can keep up.” My brother’s shoulders shook as he tried to hold back a laugh. “I think I’m chafed down there. There’s nothing left. My dick lets out a poof of smoke whenever I come. Pretty sure if she was still in town a little flag would pop out of the end saying bang like in those old kids shows Pops used to make us watch with the fucked-up clowns.”
Hutch wasn’t even trying to hold back, clutching his stomach as he let out a bellow of a laugh. A few of the regulars looked over at us, but quickly returned to the basketball game on the television. “Pretty sure those flags weren’t coming out of a clown’s dick during those shows.”
“It’s not funny.”
“It’s pretty fuckin’ funny,” he chuckled. “Not that I’m picturing your dick right now, but the imagery of a little flag popping out the end with you passed out in the middle of the bed is killin’ me.”
“She’s gonna kill me. My little girl is going to grow up without a father because he’s going to be fucked to death before she’s even born. I didn’t know a pregnant woman could be this horny. I look in her direction and suddenly she’s sending me naughty text messages and pictures of her cleavage. I seriously don’t know what to do right now.”
“I do.” He squeezed my shoulder. “You get as much as you can handle right now. Because after that baby is born, the memories of the next few months are gonna have to tide you over when the only thing you’re fuckin’ is your own damn hand.”
“She took four vibrators with her on her trip. Four. I watched her put four fucking goddamn vibrators in her carry-on. She had more vibrators than pairs of shoes.”
“Get her to FaceTime you. That’d be pretty hot.”
Smacking him, I sighed before I reached for my beer. I’d only have one since I’d need to drive him and Pops back to Ma’s before I drove home later. But I needed a fuckin’ drink.
“When is she planning to use them? She even took a tiny one that fits inside her panties. What’s she gonna do, use it at work?”
“Again… Convince her to FaceTime you. And if you don’t do that, I’ll text her and she can FaceTime me.”
“Fuck you, asshole. You are not going to watch my pregnant girlfriend get herself off with the four fucking vibrators she took with her.”
“Wonder if she can use all four at the same time,” he mused, clearly enjoying my misery. “What kinds did she take?”
“Oh, my God. I don’t even know why I’m talking to you about this.”
“You’re the one who brought it up.”
“Maybe once she gets back, she’ll let you use the toys on her if your dick needs a break.”
“I already have,” I sighed, knowing that things had gotten a little spicier than normal before she packed for her trip. “And somehow, when I was fucking her last night, I ended up with a vibrator in my ass.”
Hutch lost it, doubling over and slapping his hand on the bar top while I shook my head. If it was happening to anyone else, I would have been laughing, too. But I was too fuckin’ tired .
“And? How’d that go?”
“You really want to know if I enjoyed having a little purple vibrator up my ass? Isn’t that like too much information or something?”
“Since when have we had clear boundaries with each other about this kinda stuff? You know I like to fuck people’s wives with them watching. This is a little bit tamer than that.”
“Shh,” I tried to quiet him, so he didn’t broadcast that to the entire bar, but when I looked around, no one was paying any attention to us. “I’m pretty sure I blacked out and came to with her on top of me, playing with her tits.”
“Sounds like a fun night to me,” he laughed.
“At least I have the next three days to rest before she’s back in Boston.”
“Electrolytes, my brother. Go stock up on electrolytes so Is doesn’t come looking for the better-looking twin to take care of her when you can’t.”
“I hate you.”
“Yeah, I get that a lot. Doesn’t sound as convincing coming from you as it does from my teenager.” His face sobered as he looked at me. “How wild is that? Penny is going to have two genetic half-siblings born within a few months of each other.”
“Yeah, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell your daughter that my daughter is her sibling. That’s not something we need her repeating around the neighborhood. You’ve got the gossips following your every move as it is. And I doubt a twelve-year-old would understand the nuances of twin genetics.”
“The offer still stands if you’d like me to step in and take over as Bel’s Daddy.”
My middle finger was the only response I could muster as my head fell to the surface of the bar, the cool lacquered wood doing nothing to help my fatigue.