“Miles!” Lucie, our never-cursing princess, squeals.
I fold my lips together to keep the laugh contained, but mostly everyone else loses it.
“Okay, but that was his dad’s fault.” Beck’s voice comes from right behind me.
My body betrays me because I immediately look over to him and…smile.Shit, shit, shit.Why did it do that? It was just an impulse, I’m happy for Dex and Lucie and too tired to control my inner softie.
Beck sends me a wink, then goes back to Dex. “Father of the year, really, think you can teach this one’s first word to be ‘fuck’?”
Dex opens his mouth to give what I’m sure is a well-deserved comeback, but Lucie places her hand on his chest.
“Why don’t you explain to Miles why he doesn’t need to say that word, while I go throw up real quick. Everyone, please start eating the pizza so the smell goes away.”
As Lucie races out of the kitchen, Dex scoops up Miles then stops the herd of hoverers this group is from following her. “Jensen can go check on her, the rest of you guys need to chill and eat.”
Oh, goody.
I swallow every bit of nerves I have and give Dex a nod. As I walk out, I hear Will say, “Come here, Miles, I have several new words to teach you.”
Waiting outside Lucie’s bathroom, I hesitate. It’s not at all that I’m afraid of pregnant women, I’ve had enough therapydiscussions about it that it usually only links back to me never wanting to be pregnant. But if I really sit and think about it—I don’t want to lose my best friend like my mom lost hers.
I take a deep breath and knock. “You okay, Princess Peach?”
At first, my only answer is the sound of Lucie getting sick, then I hear the toilet flush with what barely qualifies as a laugh. “Can you make me stop throwing up? I thought morning sickness was supposed to be in the morning!”
I turn the handle, walk in, and plop right down next to her on the tile floor. “So, Daddy Dex must really like his title.”
A hint of a smile comes to Lucie’s face before she gives me a weak shove. “Shut up.”
I force every hint of worry way down. My fear isn’t one I need to force on to Lucie. I know she wanted this eventually. People have babies every day. Everything is going to be fine. I’ll just channel my inner Stella, force positive thinking, then believe it.
“I’m so happy for you, Luce. You’re going to be a kickass mom.”
Lucie tilts her head back onto the wall. “Thank you, even with my new bestie being the toilet, I’m really excited. It was a relief that Dex is so happy too. I wasn’t too sure how he’d take surprise pregnancy number two.”
A laugh bubbles out of me. I wouldn’t have even thought for a second that that man would be upset about anything to do with a life with Lucie, but remembering that Miles came from an accidental pregnancy and now this one… “I hope I get his name for Secret Santa. I’m going to get him a pamphlet on all the different kinds of birth control.”
Lucie fails at another shove and ultimately rests her head on my shoulder. “Being pregnant is weird. I’m suddenly exhausted and I keep throwing up…but I’m also so freaking happy.”
“You deserve to be happy. Just be prepared, Will might’ve been teaching Miles some new bad words after Dex let me in here to check on you.”
She snorts. “I’d expect nothing less from my brother. I guess I should probably go back out there.”
The sigh I let out is heavy from the impact of what a roller coaster of a week this has been. My exhaustion hits like a freight train, and I’m pretty sure I could fall asleep right here on Lucie’s bathroom floor. “Yeah, probably so, or we could hide out in here for a few minutes longer.”
Lucie lifts her head. “What’s wrong?”
Dammit. “Don’t worry about it, Luce, I’m just tired.”
“Well, yeah, you’re constantly running on hope and a prayer that is an energy drink and varying power bars, that’s your normal. You just said you wanted to stay on this cold, hard title floor after I got sick. Try again.”
“God, you’re already such a mom. I’m fine, I have everything under control.”
“What’s under control?”
I turn to look at her with a mischievous smirk. “Ask me again and I’ll go get you a huge slice of pizza with all the toppings.”
Lucie’s nose crinkles. “Ugh, just the thought makes me want to throw up. This sucks, I love pizza!”
