The Giving Season
Page 24
“I want it to be a boy,” Ben said and looked up to Jessy again. “I don’t want another yucky girl.”
“We don’t know what the baby’s going to be,” Michael said from the doorway, smiling as he walked into the nursery and sat beside Jessy and the kids on the couch. “But we’re going to love the baby no matter if it’s a boy or a girl. Right?”
Marie and Ben nodded emphatically and Jessy smiled over their heads to Michael, almost dizzy with the tremendous rush of love she felt for all of them. She couldn’t remember her life before meeting Michael. It seemed hard to believe that it had only been eight months since the wedding. Even harder to believe that in another three months she would be having a baby.
“I think Gramma and Libby are going to fix brownies,” Michael said and grinned. “If you two hurry, Gramma might let you clean the batter bowl.”
Ben and Marie looked to Jessy first—they were her special helpers, after all—and she nodded. “Take off, you guys. You’ve both done a great job today.”
In a heartbeat, Ben and Marie were off the couch and out of the room, racing down the hallway to the stairs. Michael watched them go, then scooted closer to Jessy, slipping one arm around her shoulders and flattening his other hand against the rounded slope of her stomach.
“Hey, hot mama.” The gentle smile on his lips pushed Jessy’s precarious emotions over the edge, bringing tears to her eyes. “Hey—what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Jessy said and swiped at her eyes, leaving a streak of green paint on one cheek. She smiled and sniffed, but couldn’t help the tears that continued to flow. “I’m just happy and these stupid hormones are driving me crazy.”
Michael chuckled as he gathered Jessy into his arms, holding her close as she helplessly wept against him. He smiled and kissed her hair, her hot tears soaking through the thin cotton of his T-shirt, holding her until the storm had passed.
When she finally got the worst of it out of her system, Michael tipped her chin up so that he could look at her again, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks. His smile was the gentlest thing that Jessy had ever known. Just seeing it made her feel cherished, unquestionably loved.
“I’m sorry,” she managed to say, smiling despite her still hitching breath. “I just never thought I’d be this emotional. Of course, I never thought I’d be having a baby, either.”
Michael flattened his palm against her belly again, his smile widening. “Personally, I think we should be congratulated for waiting as long as we did.”
Jessy smiled and leaned into his shoulder, closing her eyes as she covered his hand with her own and felt three heartbeats merging into sync. The baby shifted position and Michael sat up straighter, a huge grin on his face.
“She just kicked!”
“I know. I was there.” Jessy laughed as Michael flattened both hands on her belly, waiting for another flutter. “She just can’t wait to meet her daddy.”
The baby began kicking again, and Jessy and Michael watched in fascination as her stomach jumped and bounced. Michael unbuttoned the bottom of Jessy’s denim blouse and kissed her bare belly.
“I love you, kid,” he murmured to the baby. He lifted his head and smiled at Jessy. “And I love you, too,” he said softly, raising up to kiss her with a tenderness that made Jessy’s entire body melt against him.
“I love you, too,” Jessy whispered.
Michael’s eyes shone with unexpected tears. Jessy reached out to him, cupping his cheek in her hand as they smiled to each other, amazed and awed by what they had created. It was a moment Jessy had never dreamed she might experience. It was a dream come true, an answered prayer.
It was her life, their life, and it was a miracle.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rebecca Brock is the director of a small library in southern West Virginia. She is also the author of a collection of short horror stories (Abominations) and a variety of other horror stories published in anthologies and online since 2000.
When not cleaning up after her cats, Rebecca enjoys books and movies in a variety of genres (romance, horror, true crime, sci-fi) and attempts to be crafty by crocheting, sewing, and cross-stitching. The Giving Season is her first published novel; all the others are hidden away in drawers somewhere.
Feedback is always welcome! Please check out Rebecca’s blog at horror-hack.blogspot.com and website at www.rebeccabrockonline.com to leave messages and see what’s coming up next.
ABOUT PEARLSONG PRESS
Pearlsong Press is an independent publishing company dedicated to providing books and resources that entertain while expanding perspectives on the self and the world. The company was founded by Peggy Elam, Ph.D., a psychologist and journalist, in 2003.
Pearls are formed when a piece of sand or grit or other abrasive, annoying, or even dangerous substance enters an oyster and triggers its protective response. The substance is coated with shimmering opalescent nacre (“mother of pearl”), the coats eventually building up to produce a beautiful gem. The self-healing response of the oyster thus transforms suffering into a thing of beauty.
The pearl-creating process reflects our company’s desire to move outside a pathological or “disease” based model of life, health and well-being into a more integrative and transcendent perspective. A move out of suffering into joy.
And that, we think, is something to sing about.
Pearlsong Press endorses Health At Every Size, an approach to health and well-being that celebrates natural diversity in body size and encourages people to stop focusing on weight (or any external measurement) in favor of listening to and respecting natural appetites for food, drink, sleep, rest, movement, and recreation. While not every book we publish specifically promotes Health At Every Size (by, for instance, featuring fat heroines or educating readers on size acceptance), none of our books or other resources will contradict this holistic and body-positive perspective.
We encourage you to enjoy, enlarge, enlighten and enliven yourself with other Pearlsong Press books and products, which you can purchase at www.pearlsong.com or your favorite bookstore. Keep up with us through our blog at www.pearlsongpress.com.
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