“We are. I could be wrong. It's just a feeling I have.”
He lowers a hand to rest on my belly. His touch is tentative at first, but soon his fingers sprawl, relaxed. “I think it's nice to feel her, too.”
40
MAURA
James squeezes my hand. “You look beautiful.”
I glance down at my loose pale green dress. “Thank you. You can’t see a bump yet, right?”
“No, not yet,” he mutters.
“You sound almost disappointed.”
“Is it so wrong to want to see my wife, pregnant with my child?” James dips his head to kiss just below my jaw, making me shiver.
“It is tonight! I’m not ready for everyone to know yet.”
Cat and Nate invited the group to a small dinner at their apartment tonight. While I've already told the girls, James respected my request to keep it secret from his friends for a little longer. I'm just irrationally superstitious that the more people I tell, the more likely it is that something could go wrong.
“I’m still looking forward to seeing you in that dress in a few months,” James murmurs.
When the elevator doors open to Cat and Nate’s apartment, I’m greeted by a tray of brie and mini-croissants shoved in my face.
“You made it!” Cat says, beaming. “Have a snack.”
“At least let them come inside before you force imported cheese on them,” Nate says from behind her.
“Oh, right! Sorry, I just got excited.” She steps aside, gesturing for us to come inside and join the group. Inside, the lighting is low and warm. Soft music drifts from the speakers, and gigantic plates of food are stacked on the table.
James leans down to whisper in my ear. “Does Cat know that pregnant women can't eat unpasteurized cheese?”
I chuckle. “I doubt it. But she's so excited, I don't want to tell her. Quick, eat my brie for me.”
He sighs dramatically, but does as instructed. I nibble on my mini-croissant, which melts in my mouth. James smiles approvingly.
“Have we finally found a food that doesn't trigger your morning sickness?”
“Don’t say the M.S. word,” I hiss. For the past week, it’s been a struggle to keep down anything more than slices of toast. “And yes, I can happily report that these croissants don't make me want to vomit.”
“Then I'll find out where Cat got them and order a few dozen.” He ducks his head to kiss me on my temple and walks over to join the hostess.
I stroll to the table, where Brinley and Luke are biting back smiles watching Pippa and Ryan argue over something.
“For the last time, brownies are supposed to be vegetarian,” Pippa whines.
Ryan crosses his arms. “Well, I think adding bacon was a genius move. Tell them, Luke.”
“Bacon, I might have been able to handle,” Luke says. “But when you added cheddar cheese, you went a bridge too far.”
My stomach lurches just thinking about it. “Why?” I blurt out, not caring about being polite.
“What are the three best flavors in the world?” Ryan asks.
“Cherry, coffee, and caramel,” says Pippa.
“Sushi, curry, and spaghetti,” says Brinley.
