21
Elijah
As the months passed, Felix became huge. Every day I put my hands on his belly just to feel the rapid growth, but lately it seemed he was getting bigger every few minutes. Or maybe it was just me unable to contain my excitement.
Felix squirmed. “She’s kicking again. Do you feel it?”
He didn’t even have to ask. A smile spread across my face as my palms rested on Felix’s exposed stomach. Beneath my hands, the baby’s tiny bursts of movement were as clear as day. A laugh bubbled out of my lips.
“I feel it, all right,” I said. “She kicks more than a soccer player.”
“I’d say she’s getting ready to come out,” Felix said.
“The doctor said it’s any day now,” I agreed.
Felix sighed. “I don’t feel ready. Hell, it doesn’t even feel real. I spent so long thinking this was impossible, and now . . .”
I kissed him to make him shut up. “What was it you said to me that one time? Stop bad mouthing my mate or else?”
“Oh, yeah. Something like that.”
“Well, now I’m the one saying it.” I brushed my lips against his, and this time I added a hint of teeth that made Felix shudder. “So you behave, boy.”
Felix stuck his hand out against my chest. “Okay. You can’t go around saying stuff like that and turning me on before people get here.”
I groaned and waved my hand. “Oh, right. The baby shower.”
Felix laughed. “You’re the one who planned it, idiot.”
“So I’m an idiot now? What happened todaddy--”
The doorbell rang, cutting me off, as well as Felix’s admonishing groan.
“Thank god,” he said. “I told you. Save the horniness forafterthe party, please.”
I grinned. “Fine, but I’m holding you to it. You never know when the baby will be born and we won’t have another chance for a while.”
Felix let out a grunt that might have been accompanied by a glare. Then he answered the door, which filled the front hall with familiar voices and cheerful greetings. Felix herded everybody inside.
It was the first time I’d had so many people in my house at once, and though I was intimately familiar with the layout of my own home, I gripped River’s harness handle just in case I needed to navigate through the crowd. I was the one who arranged the baby shower, and hearing the happiness in Felix’s voice as he invited everyone inside instantly made all the effort and chaos worth it.
“Come on into the living room,” Felix told them.
Everybody settled. The sounds of shuffling paper and crinkling plastic made it clear that people had arrived bearing gifts, which I’d told them wasn’t necessary, but I appreciated the gesture anyway.
“All right,” I said, raising a hand to draw everyone’s attention. “Head count. Who's here? Help a blind guy out.”
Felix began. “Skylar, Kaden, Sammy and Brooke over there, Jake and Griffin--and Finn, of course--”
“Hang on. I hear tags, and they’re not River’s,” I said.
A woman laughed in response. “Yes. Over here, that’s my service dog, Biscuit.”
I grinned, instantly feeling a connection with her. “Biscuit, eh? This is River, my guide dog.”
“Elijah,” Felix groaned. “We havehumanguests you haven’t even said hello to yet.”
“Oops. Sorry.” I stood up and held out a hand. “Guess I should meet everyone.”
