Chapter Twenty-Five
Melonie
I wake up on the couch, my phone still in my hand. I check the time and it’s two thirty a.m. Rolling to my side, I see Linc asleep in the chair next to me, feet on the coffee table, neck at an odd angle. He doesn’t look comfortable at all.
I get up, use the restroom, and go to the kitchen for water. When I return to the couch, I just sit and stare at him. He shocked me when I told him the news. When I saw the first positive test, I was so scared of what his reaction would be. When I think of Linc, I don’t necessarily think of the word “daddy.” But he was so calm, reassuring, and almost more certain about things than I am. I sent up a prayer of thanks when he said he was okay with me keeping it. At my age, I’m not going to pass up the opportunity to become a mother. I don’t know how many more chances I might be granted.
I almost didn’t ask him to stay, but I didn’t want to be alone. I hate to dump all of my emotions on him, but until we tell everyone, he’s all I’ve got.
Linc stirs in the chair, slowly opening his eyes.
“You okay, Mel?”
“Yeah, just needed water.”
“What time is it?”
“Two thirty. Let’s go lay in bed. That chair isn’t meant to be slept in.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, come on.”
I grab my duvet, and he grabs the pillows. After we make the bed, Linc kicks his shoes off, keeping his clothes on. We both get under the sheets. I feel his hand move to touch me, but he freezes.
“Can I hold you?”
“Yeah.”
I roll to my side, and he pulls me to him. When he wraps his arm around me, he rests his hand on my lower stomach. My chest feels so tight. It’s not from sadness or frustration. It’s comfort; it’s fear; it’s safety; it’s a touch of regret. He won’t be here every night like this. He’s holding the baby, not me. I hear his breaths calm and become steady, so I close my eyes and fall back asleep.
When I wake up again, I have to force my eyes open. They’re so irritated from yesterday. I ended up on my side, facing Linc, at some point in my sleep. When my eyes adjust, I see him wide awake, looking at me.
“Were you staring at me?”
“Sorry, but yeah, I was.”
“Was I snoring?”
“No, I think you were too tired to snore last night.”
“Then why were you staring?”
“Don’t freak out, but you’re like the mother of my child now.”
“Are you getting sappy?” I roll onto my back and stretch.
“Maybe. But think of how cute our baby is going to be. You’re beautiful, and then there’s me.” His eyes are bright. I’m happy to have fun Linc back. Yesterday was heavy, and I think we both need a bit of comic relief.
“You’re crazy.”
“And they’ll be successful. They’ll get your brain and my charm. Our baby is going to be awesome.”
“You’ve been thinking about this.”
“Hard not to.”
“I hope today I can get on your level. The past couple of days, I’ve only been thinking about not puking at my desk and how my mom will react.”
“Is the morning sickness bad?”
“It’s what made me take a test. Mainly, it’s smells that set me off. Like the shrimp last night or the cologne that a guy at work wears. And they lie when they call it morning sickness. I can get sick at the drop of a hat.”
“So, no shellfish and no cologne. Got it.”
I smile at him. “I really want coffee. Ugh, this is going to suck.”
“You can have a small cup, I think. I downloaded an app and I think I saw it on there.”
“You downloaded an app? How long have you been up?”
“Since six.”
“Okay, you’re not crazy. You’re insane.” I pull back the sheets to get up. “If you want coffee or anything, it’s in the kitchen.”
“Want me to make you something?”
“Make me half a cup of coffee?”
“On it, Mama.”
He practically jumps out of bed to go to the kitchen. Guess I have another new nickname.