Page 78 of Blissful Devotion

She had other plans, though, and I’m done thinking I can do anything but try and make her happy.

As long as she’ll have me, I’m here.

I pull back, though it takes everything for me to do so. I know we have not only an audience, but a tiny princess waiting for the Christmas she was robbed of.

She slowly blinks her eyes open, her pupils blown wide and her expression dazed.

Des whistles, and I didn’t know it was possible, but her cheeks turn even redder as the rest of them give a laugh.

“Let’s go.” I hold out my hand, and she laces her fingers with mine, letting me guide her into the house.

“Mommy, why is your stomach so big?” Addison’s question seems to catch her off guard, but Alex is ready.

“You know how babies come from Mommy’s tummy?” Alex asks, clearly having been more prepared than the rest of us.

It's pretty crazy that none of us realized she would catch the change in Kat; the girl is way smarter for her age than half the adults I've met.

Addison nods as we make our way into the warm house, shedding our shoes at the door, and for the first time since the decorations went up, I feel their magic.

Snowflakes hang from the ceiling, garlands and lights twinkle in every corner of every room, and while the trees had to be thrown away when they started to die, Nathan had them replaced with artificial ones.

The new ones are all white, with different colored lights in each room, except Addison’s; hers is pink.

I see the wonder in Kat’s eyes as we make our way into the main living room, and I know Nathan made the right call to keep it all decorated.

“Is Mommy going to have a baby?”

Desmond sets Addison down, and she makes a beeline for the tree and the overflowing mountain of presents, bows, and ribbons. Her eyes are wide and her face excited as she turns back to look at us with a huge smile.

She turns back and runs right up to Kat, her little head only coming up to her stomach, that she stares at with an intelligence in her gaze that seems too much for her age.

“Hi, baby.”

Kat sits down on the couch and pulls Addy down next to her with a watery smile that tells me she’s about two seconds from crying.

“There is a baby in my tummy, a little baby boy…” She wipes her eyes and sniffles, but the smile on her face tells me they’re happy tears, not that I love that, but it’s better than her being sad. “Your little brother.”

“Does he have presents?” she asks, looking toward the stack and making Kat laugh.

“No, not this year, honey. He’s still in my belly and has everything he needs in there. But next year he will.”

Addison hops to her feet and runs to the stack, looking past a few gifts that I know are hers before a smile pulls at her lips. She grabs one and runs back to Kat and the rest of us, where we took up seats on either side of her. Well, minus Alex, who stands at her back, rubbing her shoulders and making her make the most sinful noises.

I’m not even sure either of them realizes what they're doing; he’s simply trying to comfort her, and, well, the noises seem to be her enjoying it. I’m sure if she realized what she was doing, she would be mortified.

“Here, Mommy!” Addison exclaims, holding out the box to Kat, her excitement clear on her face.

Kat takes the box with a smile, and it takes me a second to remember that’s my present for her.

Shit.

I hadn’t really known what to get her, so I guessed based on what I knew she liked.

“It’s actually a gift for both of you,” I manage to say, getting both of their attention. Kat scoots closer to Nathan, making space between her and Des for Addison to squeeze in, and they open it together.

And now I’ve made Kat cry.

“Shit, I’m sorry if you don’t like it. I can get you something else,” I tell her in a rush, trying to stop her tears.