She chose to put it above the dresser in her bedroom, so she’d see it first thing in the morning and before she went to bed each night. While I hung it, I assessed the room. My memory had served me well; it would fit a crib, but it’d feel cramped.
I kept that thought to myself, though. There was no point in badgering her into saying yes. She’d get there on her own time, and I’d be waiting patiently for her.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Nellie
* * *
It felt like time was passing by faster than it ever had before, but maybe it only felt that way because I was paying more attention to the passage of time than ever before. I was counting each week, marking each day off on my calendar. There was so much to do before the baby arrived in July.
My pregnancy went from being a well-concealed secret to the entire town knowing practically overnight, and I found that to be disconcerting. I wasn’t used to all the attention suddenly thrusted upon me. Any time the Hartley triplets caught me around town, they fussed and cooed over how much my belly was growing.
Noah kept taking me out on dates. We’d go out for dinner once a week, and we’d spend every weekend together, alternating between hanging out at his place or mine, depending on what we wanted to do.
If there was something happening around town—an art show at the gallery, or a special feature movie at the Hartwood Creek Theatre—Noah took me to it. I’d even joined him for a few more family dinners at his parents’ house.
Despite all the time we spent together, Noah hadn’t brought up the idea of me moving in with him again since that first weekend. But I found myself thinking about it a lot, especially when I was spending time with him at his place.
I had to admit, it did make sense. There was more space at Noah’s, and the baby would have her own room. Plus, Noah’s parents were conveniently a short drive away, so they’d be able to help if needed. Not that I’d feel comfortable asking them for help, but it was nice knowing they’d be close, and not a twenty-four-hour drive away, like my parents.
Since breaking the news to my parents, I hadn’t heard from them. Of course, I didn’t initiate any of the phone calls either, but a part of me thought that my mom would at least try more, knowing that I was expecting a baby, but that hadn’t happened. They were still very much preoccupied with their own life in Florida.
I tried not to let myself think about it, because when I did, I couldn’t seem to help the tears that spilled over, and the anger I’d feel not only at them, but at myself.
I shouldn’t have expected anything different from them. But I guess feeling my own baby kicking and growing within me had me wondering how my parents could be so indifferent towards me. My daughter wasn’t even born yet, and I was already obsessed with her; I couldn’t imagine not showing an interest in her life or wanting to be a daily fixture in it.
Spring came with a major melt that had the creek and the lake flooding the surrounding areas. The resort was well-equipped to handle the melt, and we didn’t suffer too many cancellations, despite all the mud.
My pregnancy continued to progress normally, and although I still attended weekly appointments with Dr. Kramer, she had no concerns. My placenta looked good, and I was careful about my sugar intake, so my glucose tests came back showing nothing outside of the ordinary.
By mid-May, Nix finally finished the last touches on the house, and they moved in at the beginning of June. Their new house was close to Noah’s, which was another positive for the pro and con mental list I had about moving in with Noah.
I’d be closer to my friend, and we’d both be raising our kiddos in a rural area, about a ten-minute drive to Hartwood Lake. I could already envision day trips to the beach with our little ones.
“Are you ready?” Noah asked, leaning against the bathroom doorway and peering in. I was putting the finishing touches on my makeup. We were getting ready to go to Nix and Sage’s housewarming party.
“Just about,” I said, putting my lip gloss on. I studied my reflection in the mirror. I was wearing a sunflower patterned sundress—officially one of the only things I could comfortably wear. Even Noah’s sweatpants were getting too tight.
I’d gained a lot of weight with this pregnancy. My cheeks were full, and my breasts were huge, but Noah still looked at me like he couldn’t get enough of me. Better still was how attuned he was to my needs. He knew how to give me exactly what I needed to satiate the insane horniness hormones brought on, and then provided aftercare that made me weep with how considerate he was.
“You look gorgeous, Nell,” Noah said, coming up behind me and putting his arms around me. His hands went to my rounded belly, and the baby kicked in response. He smiled, nuzzling against the side of my neck. “And you smell incredible. Let’s skip this thing and go to bed,” he added, pushing his erection against my backside.
“Oh no, we’re not skipping the housewarming. I promised Sage we’d be there.”
“Alright, fine, but as soon as we get back…” he met my gaze in the mirror, his expression revealing his intentions.
Noah was so steadfast and consistent. He had managed to tear down every brick of my walls. He never wavered, even if I was being ridiculous because my insecurities had gotten the best of me. He knew exactly what to say and what to do to get me out of my head and back on solid ground.
I’d fallen so hard and so completely for him, and I was thankful every single day that I’d said yes to going home with him and letting myself float down this path with him. Even if it had been an unexpected ride.
Ready at last, we headed out to Noah’s truck, the gift we’d purchased for Nix and Sage’s housewarming tucked under Noah’s arm. He set it on the back seat, then opened my door and helped me up.
My belly was so round I now struggled to climb in and out of the truck on my own, but Noah didn’t mind helping. It meant he got to palm my ass while he helped push me up.
Every single time, he walked around the front of his truck like he’d scored the winning goal in a football game.
“You’re ridiculous.” I said when he climbed in beside me, rolling my eyes at the cheesy grin on his face.
