I wink. “Say your vows now, baby.”
She takes a shaky breath. “Okay. Um… Zakhar Maksimov. You’re bossy, possessive, and completely insane.” She counts on her fingers, making me grin, and the room around us laughs again. “But you’re also protective and generous. You make me feel safe, cherished.” She squeezes my hands. “You make me laugh…even when I want to murder you.” Everyone laughs. “I love you,” she whispers. “And I choose you. Today, tomorrow. Always.” I wipe her face with the pad of my thumb again.
The officiant asks, “The rings?”
There’s a pause, then Crabby appears, waddling down the makeshift aisle, a tiny velvety pillow strapped to his back with the rings on it.
Nadia gasps. “You made Crabby the ring bearer?!”
I shrug. “He insisted.”
She’s laughing and crying now.
I pick up the rings. Slide hers on her finger. It’s bigger than my grandmother’s, flashier, something I know she won’t wear often, but I fucking love seeing that huge-ass diamond on my wife’s hand.
“Still mine, love,” I murmur. “But this time, you chose it.”
She shakes her head, “I chose you months ago, my love.”
* * *
Later that night, after everyone leaves, we’re in our bedroom. My wife’s smiling huge, looking happy, fucking glowing.
“It was perfect, baby,” she says softly. “Absolutely perfect.”
I close the distance between us, cup her face, and kiss her deep. She melts into me, her hands sliding up my chest. When I pull back, we’re both breathing hard.
“I need to tell you something,” I say.
“Okay…”
“I think we’re pregnant.”
She blinks. “What?”
“I think you’re pregnant, baby. About six weeks.”
“How do you…” She stops, squints at me. “You’ve been tracking my cycle.”
“Of course I have.”
“Zak!”
“I’m a stalker husband. You knew this.”
She’s trying to be mad, but also smiling. “You really think we might be pregnant?”
I kiss her forehead. “Yes, sweetheart.”
Her hand goes to her stomach. “Oh, my God. I thought I was just tired from work…” She looks up at me, eyes shining. “We could be having a baby.”
“Wearehaving a baby.”
She launches herself at me. I catch her and spin her around. When I set her down, she’s laughing and crying.
“I can’t believe you caught it before me.”
“I know everything about you, baby.”
