“She’s away on business,” Lincoln says, holding up his glass. “Believe me, we’ll be celebrating later via FaceTime, and then again when she’s back in town on Friday.” He cocks his head in my direction. “I guess you’re all too familiar with cybersex. Bet you and Ava did that shit all the time.” He catches himself and looks guilty. “Ah, hell, maybe not. Sorry, man. I forgot.”
I shrug and take my shot. “Story of my fucking life.”
“Look at the bright side,” Dax says. “You’ll get to experience internet sex again for the first time.”
I shrug, thinking he’s onto something. “Once I start working twenty-four-hour shifts, do you think I can talk her into it?”
Then again, maybe I don’t have to. Considering I spent a significant part of the last decade overseas, maybe we have done it before.
“Talk who into what?” Jason says, coming up behind me.
“Trevor here was just wondering if he and Ava will have cybersex when he works overnights.”
Jason cringes. “Hey, that’s my boss you’re talking about.”
I hold up a defensive hand. “Hey, that’s mywifewe’re talking about. And I’m not sure I like any of you twatwads thinking of her in that way.”
“Twatwads?” Dax says. “What are you, thirteen?”
“Apparently.” I tap on my skull. “Got a lot of catching up to do, you know.”
Jason laughs. “At least you’re joking about it now.”
Waves of guilt wash through me as I remember biting his head off the first time we met. “Yeah, well, if you can’t beat ‘em…”
“Nobody has been joking about it, man,” Lincoln says. “Sure, we’re all talking about it. But only because you’re sort of a legend around here now.”
“I heard Leo Stoker joking about me when he didn’t know I was in the next aisle shopping at Truman’s market the other day.”
“Yeah, well, Leo Stokerisa twatwad,” Jaxon says. “I should know. He was one of my students, and some people never change.”
Carter, now freshly showered, is the last to join us. “What did I miss?”
“Well, let’s see,” Dax says. “It’s Linc and Tiff’s second anniversary. They’ll probably get each other off via FaceTime later.” He nods to me. “Trevor is considering cybersex as well, but doesn’t want to talk about it lest anyone here think of his wife naked. And Leo Stoker is a twatbag.”
Carter looks between all of us, eyes rolling, then motions for a round of drinks.
Yeah, I think I’m starting to like guys’ night.
It’s late by the time I’m walking home. I sneak in quietly, expecting Ava to be in bed already. But when I enter the living room, she’s on the couch, both hands on her belly. And she’s crying.
Oh, shit.
I race over and fall to my knees, phone in hand. “What’s wrong? Should I call Dr. Russo? An ambulance?” For a moment, I forget that I’m a trained paramedic, not to mention a doctor. When your wife is cradling her pregnant belly and sobbing big ugly tears, all logic tends to go out the window.
She grabs my hand, sniffling and smiling, and puts it on the side of her belly. “She’s moving. Can you feel it?”
Relief drains through me from head to toe as I comprehend that what’s happening is the very opposite of an OB emergency. “Holy shit, Ava, you felt it?”
She nods, more happy tears streaming down her face. I can’t wipe them away because both of my hands are glued to either side of her stomach.
“I’ve been sitting here for at least twenty minutes feeling little flutters. At first I thought it was gas. I was reading and felt something like tiny bubbles. Wait… oh my god, there it is. Can you feel it?”
I don’t move. I don’t talk. I close my eyes and concentrate all my energy on feeling through my hands.
“There it is again.” She moves one of my hands. “There.”
I try hard to feel something, but there’s just nothing. “I can’t feel it.”
