Emily
My stomach flips the second I open my eyes. I stay still, staring at the ceiling, breathing through my nose. Slow in. Slower out. It doesn’t help much. The nausea lingers anyway, low and persistent, like my body’s reminding me it’s running a different program now.
Onyx’s arm is heavy across my waist, warm and familiar. He murmurs something in his sleep and tightens his hold without waking. It feels like he instinctively knows I’m there even when he’s out.
I swing my legs over the side of the bed before the feeling gets worse. The room tilts and my stomach clenches hard. I rush for the bathroom. My feet are bare against cold hardwood floors. I barely make it in time, dropping to my knees in front of the toilet.
Onyx kneels on the floor behind me almost immediately.
“Hey,” he says, one hand steady at my back while the other pulls my hair away from my face.
I gag, dry heaving, as my eyes water. This seems like it’s more dramatic than it is. It’s really just my body’s reaction to carrying a new life.
Onyx doesn’t talk again. He waits for it to pass. He just rubs my back lightly. When it eases, I sit back on my heels, trying to catch my breath. “I hate this part about being pregnant.”
He snorts softly. “Tessa said morning sickness is a misnomer. She said it’s more like all-day sickness.”
I rinse my mouth at the sink as I let that little nugget of information settle in my mind. Onyx comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me. I lean back against his chest, letting him hold most of my weight. He presses a kiss to my shoulder.
“You okay?” he asks, quieter now.
I nod slightly as I gaze at our reflection in the large mirror over his sink. “Yeah. It’s passed for now.”
“I’m sorry you have to go through so much misery to carry our child.”
That makes me smile. “It’s just part of being a woman, our bodies letting us know they now house two instead of one.”
“Would some toast help settle your stomach?”
“Probably. Can we make some up here?”
“Of course. I always keep bread, butter, and eggs on hand for those mornings when I’m not quite ready to face the chaos downstairs.”
We get dressed for the day and instead of coffee, Onyx makes me tea and toast. We eat together and I tell him, “Christina sent me a text this morning, inviting me to go shopping for the baby. She wants to leave shortly. I told her that I’d love to get out a bit and start living again.”
“I’m glad you can go out on your own again. That’s what I’ve been fighting for these last few weeks. Go, have fun, and try to put this whole mess with Brennan behind you.”
I flash him a warm smile. Onyx is and has always been my hero since we were little. We may have lost touch there for a while, but he’s always been a fantastic human being.
“In case I haven’t said it already, I appreciate all the sacrifices you and the club made to make sure I didn’t end up like Charles Brennan’s other victims. You’re all good people and I’m proud to be here with you.”
Onyx looks taken aback and I realize that for all his bluster, he’s actually a little modest. “Thanks for saying that, Em,” he says. “You have to know by now that I’d do anything for you.” He pulls out a credit card and slides it across the kitchen table. “This is gonna be our family card. Spend whatever you need to for the baby and yourself. I don’t want you feelin’ like you have to fuckin’ go without things you want.” Pausing, he adds, “Just relax, let your hair down, and enjoy some retail therapy.” I know why he said that. His mom talks about the joys of retail therapy all the time. Queenie is a trip sometimes.
Staring down at the card on the table, I don’t know why I’m hesitant to spend his money. I’m his fiancé and carrying his baby after all. I find myself stammering, “I have money saved, I could use that.”
“You could, but it would be a huge hit to my ego. I want my kid to have the best in life. Since I don’t know anything about what kids need, I’m relying on you to get the ball rolling for us.”
I laugh at that. “We’ll both learn on the job. I’m sure we can figure it out, and anything we don’t know Tessa, Christina, or Queenie can help with.”
“Yeah, my ma is having the time of her life these days. These are the days she’s been dreaming of for years.”
I tell him excitedly, “Even Rock is acting like the world’s greatest grandfather. I saw him giving Katie piggyback rides the other day. We really lucked out when it comes to grandparents for our kids.”
“Yeah, kids will be a great way to distract them from nosing around in our lives,” he deadpans back.
I laugh and poke him in the chest lightly. “Don’t talk about my future in-laws that way. Queenie and Rock are amazing. So amazing, in fact, that you have to make up things to complain about.”
Onyx shrugs. “Yeah, you got me on that one. I learned a long time ago that their overly involved parenting was just them showing they care.”
