by Rita Delude
She pinches my cheek.
“I thought you wanted me punished as much as I wanted to punish myself.”
“Honey, we were a wreck after Susan’s accident, so we were no good for anyone, least of all you, who needed us so much. That’s why we got Dr. Reid involved because we didn’t know what to say. But we didn’t blame you or hate you or want you to be punished. You were just a kid yourself. I’m so sorry we put you through all this.”
“I never knew. I didn’t understand,” I say. “Does Dad feel the same way?”
“Of course, he does. He’s the baby whisperer in the family, you know.”
I’m wringing my hands together, but my crying is subsiding. “Do you really think I could be a good mother?”
“The best. Look how you take care of your students and your niece and nephews and how you babied Susan. Look how you care for Dolly, like she was your baby too. You’ll be a wonderful mother. And Chance will be a great dad. Don’t let this come between you two. He’s a nice guy who loves you. Do you love him?”
“With all my heart.”
“Then don’t let him go. Let him know you’re willing to have a family with him. Promise him that Dad and I will babysit when you guys want to go out for dinner or a movie. You’ll need daycare for work. I’m not working full time. I like being retired. But I’d love your babies to pieces every chance I could.”
“That’s the nicest thing I’ve heard in a very long time,” I tell her and draw her in for a long overdue hug. When I pull away I say, “How about instead of shopping for clothes, we do some shopping for our bridal registry? Chance thinks it’s nonsense and doesn’t want to go. But you’ll know all the stuff I’ll need.”
“Sounds great. Let’s go. While you get dressed, I’ll take Dolly for a walk.”
My mother has made me feel like a pressure that’s held me down for so long has been lifted from me, so I need to show my appreication by going through with our plans for the day, but I text Chance while she’s with Dolly and he’s at work.
Emily: Come to our house tonight at 7.
Chance: What’s up?
Emily: I’ve made a decision.
Chance: Can you give me a hint?
Emily: I’d rather talk in person.
***
When Chance arrives, I’ve got the table set for dinner and invite him in like he’s a first-time guest.
“Are you hungry?” I ask.
“Emily, don’t play games with me. I came because you said you made a decision. I need to know what it is. Don’t make me wait.”
“Chance, I love you with all of my heart. I’ve never met anyone like you. I’ve never had anyone make me feel so special. You’ve made me a more whole person than I was before we met—“
“Then why do I feel there’s a giant but coming?”
“There’s no but. Having your baby will make me even more complete. I want to have your baby, our baby,” I say. I lean into him and kiss him gently on the lips. I push away using his hard chest for leverage. “I trust you. Together we can do this. But you have to promise if he or she gets a cut, you handle it, not me.”
His laugh is loud and strong. He holds his hand up like he’s reciting the Boy Scout pledge. “I promise. Oh God, Emily, I love you.”
He kisses me with a deep kiss different from any we’ve shared before. It’s tender and long like he won’t ever let me go, but doesn’t want to break me. He’s taking care of me and our baby already.
***
Four months later, I have a baby bump as we say our vows before a church full of family and friends. Dolly is our ring bearer and does a great job because Izzy leads her down the aisle on a leash. Chance cancelled our reservations for wild adventures in Hawaii. Instead, we’re taking a quiet vacation to an all-inclusive in Jamaica. We’ll snorkel and swim with the fish, sail, and rest. That’s all “Dr. Manning” wants me to do for adventure until our baby girl—Lydia Susan Manning is born.
~~~
About the Author
Rita Delude creates new worlds with words. Her favorite genre is contemporary romance, but she’s ventured into YA, science fiction, vampires, the circus, and horror.
Her first contemporary romance novella was Kaleidoscope. The sequel to Kaleidoscope is Baby Blues, about the most important love of all—mother’s love. A third novella in this series released in December 2019 called Adam’s Anguish, about the infant born in Baby Blues. A contemporary romance novel based on finding love on a dating site is Catch. net and its sequel Caught in the Middle focuses on the popular character of Wanda from book one in the Catch Series. Her YA romance Bubble Gum Love released in July 2019. Dracula’s Choice is a paranormal romance. Sister’s Revenge is a psychological horror/thriller about a sister’s revenge plot against the man who raped her younger sister. Hoarder, Lemon Yellow, and Lollipop Lure, all Crazy Ink Publishing titles, will release in 2020.
She’s published short stories in numerous anthologies by multiple publishers. Rita Delude holds a MFA in Writing. Delude is retired from her position as a full professor at Nashua Community College, New Hampshire. She lives in New Hampshire, USA with her husband and their rescue dog, Daisy.
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