The nurse, keeping a straight face, said, “Absolutely!”
***
The first night was hell on earth. They bumped up her fluids to try to help flush the anesthesia out faster, but that meant she kept soaking the pull-ups. Rather than call the nurse each time, Angelina would get up, get her cleaned up and a fresh one put on. When she stumbled and almost fell after the fourth trip to change Cailyn, Zeke spoke up, saying, “Cherub, I’ve got this. You come and sleep, yeah?”
“Are you…I mean…” she stammered out, so tired she couldn’t think straight.
“Sweetheart, you’re falling asleep on your feet. Come sleep, I’ve got this, okay?”
She finally nodded and he helped her back into bed. As he leaned over to kiss her, he realized she was already asleep. Covering her up fully, he kissed the top of her head, whispering, “I’ve got you, Cherub.” Then he went and sat in the chair next to the little girl, ready to take care of whatever she needed through the rest of the night.
***
One Week
Angelina woke with a start, realizing that she hadn’t heard Cailyn through the monitor. Rolling over, she saw that the bed beside her was empty, so she carefully got up and out of the bed and moved as quickly as possible down to the girls’ bedroom. Looking in the room, she saw it was empty so she headed down the hall and into the kitchen, where she found both girls sitting in their highchairs with Zeke at the stove, making pancakes and Thad gathering the plates and silverware to set the table. “Morning, y’all, what do we have here?” she asked.
“Morning, Cherub,” he said, pulling her closer for a kiss. “Heard the girls and decided to let you try and sleep a bit longer. They wanted pancakes so here we are, waiting for the griddle to heat up.”
She grinned and went over to the girls, giving them both kisses before saying, “How are you feeling this morning, sweet girl?” as she looked at Cailyn.
“No hurt, Momma,” the little girl said as she pointed to her throat.
“Do you think you can handle pancakes?”
“Yes, Momma. No hurt.”
She looked over at Zeke and he nodded. Thinking about it, she finally stated, “Well, they’re soft enough so we’ll cut them up really small, okay? And I’m so happy that you seem to be hearing better too!”
Cailyn grinned. She didn’t really understand, all she knew was that what sounded a lot like buzzing before and indistinct words had become clearer after she went to the place where she had to take a nap for the doctor. Her throat had hurt for a few days, but her Momma made sure she took special medicine and it went away. And her Papa Zeke had been there too, helping Momma take care of her, but she was glad to be home with Mellie.
Chapter Twenty
Two Months
Zeke let out a steady breath as he looked over the reports he had gotten from Angelina. Each of the businesses was doing better than the year before, and she had been investing the extra monies in various money market accounts until he told her where he wanted them invested. He smiled thinking about her -she was “bigger than a house,” according to her, but he loved how she looked carrying their baby. They had chosen not to know the sex, which had driven her girls crazy because they wanted to shop, but as Angelina said, since it was a miracle baby, she was content with either a boy or a girl so long as it was healthy. At a little more than seven months, she glowed with health and vitality and he grinned thinking of all the creative ways they had come up with to make love. Things were, out of necessity, a bit slower than they liked but he loved watching her face as they made that climb together. She was so expressive in her responses and he thanked God, again, for bringing her into his life.
***
“Eva, there’s no way we’re going to find a dress to fit me!” Angelina said. “I know the wedding is just around the corner, but seriously? I look like a baby whale!”
“And I happen to know a man who is partial to you, Shamu!” her friend said, laughing.
Rolling her eyes, she worked to get up waving off both Eva and Marta and their help. “Fine. Let’s go see if Omar the tentmaker has anything in off-white for a bride-to-be.”
They took their time shopping, not wanting to wear her out, but eventually, they ended up at a little shop that had recently opened. Walking in, they heard, “I’ll be right out!” from somewhere in the back of the store and they browsed while waiting for the clerk. Hearing a noise, they turned and saw a tiny slip of a woman coming toward them, a big smile on her face as she said, “How can I help you ladies today?”
“Um, well, I’m looking for something to wear for my wedding,” Angelina finally said. “I’m not sure you’ll have anything since I’m bigger than Mt. Everest.”
Eva started laughing. Each time Angel spoke up, she made herself bigger than she truly was and had now compared herself to a whale and a mountain. “Ignore her. She’s full of pregnancy hormones. She’s getting married the day after Thanksgiving and we want something pretty that will, uh, expand if needed since we have about a month to go.”
The clerk said, “Well, my name is Rose and I’m the owner here and I think I might have something for you to try on. We can order it in the right color, as well as the next size if you think you need it, or I can order the size you’re wearing now as well as the bigger size, just in case.” With that statement, she went toward the back of the store, the other three women following her. Stopping at a display, she looked back at Angelina, squinted in thought, then went back to the rack and pulled out two different maxi dresses. “What do you think, ladies?” she asked.
Marta reached for one and Eva the other, leaving Angelina to stand there. “I like this one, it looks like it’s going to flow well,” Eva said as she put it against Angelina. “The neck isn’t too low; I know you don’t like hanging out everywhere.”
Angelina looked down at the dress Eva had pressed against her. It would come up under her breasts, but flow out from there. She wasn’t ashamed of her baby bump, not by a long shot, but wanted pretty pictures. “Let me try both on, yeah? We can make a better decision then, I think,” she said, taking the other dress that Marta held and looked at Rose. “Where are the dressing rooms?”
Rose led her to the dressing rooms and said, “Just come on out when you get the first one on, okay?”
She smiled at the clerk and said, “I’ll be out in a few!”
Roughly five minutes later, she emerged from the dressing room to gasps. “Is that good or bad?” she asked her friends.
Eva pulled out her phone and snapped a quick picture before turning it around so Angelina could see. “Oh Angel, he would love this one!”
She looked at the picture and was stunned. Yes, you could tell she was pregnant, but the way the dress flowed around her, it wasn’t horribly obvious. Shades of her past, she supposed, that she felt a bit guilty being pregnant, again, “out of wedlock,” but whatever.
Marta, after walking all around her, said, “I love it, but let’s try the other one on too, yeah?”
“I agree,” Rose said.
Angelina went back into the dressing room and changed dresses. She could tell from the looks on the three women’s faces that they didn’t like this one as well. Eva snapped another picture and showed it to her and looking objectively, she had to agree. It was pretty but it didn’t flow as well as the other one. “I kind of like the first one better, what do y’all think?” she finally asked.
All three women looked at each other before saying, almost at the same time, “We like the first one better too!”
“Then it’s settled. Now we have to find dresses for the girls and y’all.”
Rose led them to another display after asking about her colors. “I have no clue. These two are handling ‘everything’ since I’m on bedrest,” Angelina told her. “But we’re getting married the day after Thanksgiving if that helps any?”
Eva laughed, saying, “We went with cream and a mossy green.”
With that, Rose’s eyes lit up and she started pulling
dresses from the rack. “These would complement perfectly, don’t you ladies think?”
Looking at what she had pulled out, both Eva and Marta agreed and they got their sizes and headed off to the dressing rooms to try them on. “Now, what sizes are your girls?”
“They just turned four so a four or five will work, they’re a bit small for their age.”
“Twins? How delightful!”
Angelina smiled as she pulled out her phone and went to her photos. She looked through several before she found one with both the girls standing there, grinning up at her and then turned it so Rose could see.
“Oh my goodness! They’re beautiful, just like their momma!”
“Thank you. I think they are too, but am a bit biased,” Angelina said. “Do you have anything in their size?”
“Hmm, let me go look in the back. I just got in a shipment of kids dresses so I might. I’ll be right back,” she said, already headed to the back of the store.
“Angel? What do you think?” Eva said as both she and Marta came out of the dressing rooms.
“Oh wow. They look good, don’t you think? Will they work with what y’all have planned for the colors?”
“Yeah, hon, they’ll work,” Marta said.
“Then I think we have our dresses. Rose went to the back to see if she had anything that would work for the girls. She said she just got a new shipment in with kids dresses.”
As they waited, they browsed the rest of the store and before she knew it, she had a handful of comfortable looking flowy tops that would be perfect during this last month and a half of the pregnancy. It seemed like time was flying by so fast, but she knew it was only because she was excited to be getting married.
“What has that look on your face, Angel?” Marta asked, coming up alongside her and taking the clothes out of her arms.
“Thinking about Zeke.”
“Aha, you’re so busted!” Eva said, bursting into laughter.
“Y’all have no idea, none at all. Laser was good to me, in his own way, but he could be a jerk too. I loved him as much as I knew what love was, of course, but honestly? I had absolutely no clue what that word meant until Zeke Morgan came into my life. He is the epitome of that chapter about love in scripture. I know that things will grow and change as we do, but the foundation? It’s there.”
“You’re right, we don’t know how Laser was, only what you’ve shared. But we do know Zeke and he is what you say – kind and selfless and loving, but firm when he needs to be.”
“Well, let’s grab these things and go get something to eat and I’ll educate you a bit, yeah?” Angelina said.
They gathered their items and headed to the checkout line where Rose was waiting. She showed them the dresses she had gotten in for little girls and they picked out one that would best work with the chosen colors. She took all of the items and began ringing them up only when Angelina presented her card, Rose shook her head no, saying, “The gentleman called and gave his information over the phone.”
“Gentleman?” Angelina asked.
“Yes, said his name was Zeke Morgan.”
Eva and Marta started laughing. “He’s taking care of you, Angel, so you might as well get used to it,” Eva finally said once she calmed down.
***
Over lunch, she told her two friends a little about what life with Laser had been like. When they started making noise to tell her how sorry they were, she stopped them, saying, “He was far better than what I grew up in, trust me. And, he loved me to the best of his ability, even if it wasn’t always great. With Zeke in my life, I now know the difference, but until he came along? I thought it was the norm, so no feeling bad or sorry for me. God has given me more than I ever expected or anticipated and I am beyond blessed, yeah?”
Eva sat back and looked at her and could see the peace radiating from her. “Okay. I think I get it, Angel, and we’ll leave him where he needs to be, in the past.”
Angelina nodded. “You two ready? I should probably get back to the house before he sends out a search party. He’s still going over the top a bit, but I understand.”
“He wants to make sure you’re okay and taking care of you and the baby,” Marta said as she gathered their lunch trash to throw away. “One of y’all grab me a refill while I toss this, yeah? And Angel? You might want to hit the restroom so we don’t have to stop every twenty minutes.”
Laughing, Angelina got out of the booth and made her way into the ladies room. Taking care of business, she was washing her hands when she heard her phone chime. Looking at the text, she laughed out loud, it was a picture of the girls who had managed to talk the teenagers into playing with them, apparently.
As the three women headed back out and got into the car, Eva asked, “Are y’all ready for our last trip to the mountains for the season?”
A dreamy look came over Angelina’s face-she had loved each trip they took to the cabins, but the first one would always hold a special place in her heart. “Yeah, we’re ready. I’m surprised Zeke let me bake. Oh wait, he didn’t, not really. He brought everything to the table, let me mix it and put it together, then he and Thad manned the oven and shit,” she told the other two women.
***
Later that afternoon, the girls down for their naps, she curled up on the couch to watch a sappy Lifetime movie. She was surprised at how long she had lasted shopping, but thinking about it, she realized that they hadn’t gone to too many places, and they had taken plenty of breaks in between each stop. Her mind went to the last shop-Rose had a well-stocked inventory and she decided that she would be buying more items from her once she was no longer pregnant.
He came in and realized the house was unusually quiet. He knew Thad was at a lock-in at church, so that explained the “no teens running through the house” that had become his normal. Checking the girls’ room, he saw they were still asleep so he closed their door again and headed into the family room where he heard the television softly playing. Rounding the end of the couch, he saw her, curled up on her side, feet tucked behind her, and sound asleep. He pulled down the throw that was across the back of the couch and gently covered her before placing a soft kiss on her head, then he went into their room to change into something to lounge around the house in as they weren’t leaving until the morning for the cabin. Returning to the family room, he eased in behind her and pulled her close, wrapping his arm over their baby. When she went to roll, he moved to his back and maneuvered her so her back was against the back of the couch and she lay draped across him. “Zeke?” she asked, sleep making her voice husky.
“Yeah, Cherub. Didn’t mean to wake you, go back to sleep. Just wanted to cuddle with my girl.”
“Mmkay. Love you.”
“I love you, Cherub,” he quietly said, kissing her forehead. “Now, rest, yeah? You had a busy morning and afternoon, and I have plans for us tonight.” She smiled sleepily because she knew what his plans were and she was totally onboard with them.
***
He woke up to little girl giggles and a foot stuck in his ribs. Opening his eyes, he saw Cailyn and Melora standing there watching him. He looked down and could see the baby kicking him. Hearing a low chuckle on his chest, he glanced over to the side and saw Angelina smiling at him. “I see our baby got you, yeah?” she asked as she placed her hand on her stomach where the tiny foot was protruding.
“Yeah, seems that way, Cherub,” he replied, giving her a quick kiss before he moved to sit up. “What has you two little princesses giggling?”
“You were taking a nap, Papa Zeke,” Cailyn said. He grinned at her and mussed her hair. Ever since her surgery, she had been more outgoing and her speech was even sounding clearer.
“Yes, I was, sweetie. Everyone else was taking a nap, so I figured I would join in.”
Angelina held up her hand for help off the couch. “What did you want for dinner, Zeke?”
“Figured we would go out tonight, Cherub. No sense in cooking when I can take my three best girls out fo
r dinner. Did you get all the packing done?”
“I did, yes. Figured we would load up in the morning?”
“Yeah, Cherub. Thad and I will take care of it when we get up tomorrow. He’s coming home early from the lock-in for the run. Now, c’mon, ladies. Who is ready to eat?”
She grinned at him before she headed off to get ready to go out. “Girls, go ahead and go potty, okay?” she asked as she went into their room. Walking over to the closet, she grabbed an outfit and headed into the bathroom for a quick shower. The heat and humidity, unusual for this time of year, combined with her expanding belly, had her feeling like she needed two and three showers a day.
“Cherub?”
“In here, Zeke,” she called out from the bathroom, having gotten out of the shower and now trying to dry off.
He walked into the bathroom and stopped to stare. She had piled her hair up on her head to keep it as dry as possible and her skin glowed from her recent shower. Stepping over to her, he took the towel and bent down to dry her legs and feet, eliciting a smile. As he placed a kiss on her stomach, the baby kicked and she burst into laughter at the expression on his face. “C’mon, Cherub, we have some hungry kids,” he told her as he helped her with her panties and capris.
“Zeke, I can dress myself you know,” she told him.
“I know but it’s more fun if I help,” he replied.
“How so? All you manage to do is get me all worked up!”
He smirked at her as he dropped a kiss on her collarbone where her pulse beat. “Mmhmm. Just think about later, Cherub,” he said as he pulled her close for a kiss.
Several minutes later, he let her go and gave her a pat, saying, “Now, c’mon, Cherub.”
She finished getting ready and they grabbed the girls and headed out for dinner.
***
Later, back at home and getting ready for bed, he waited for her to join him. As she came out from the bathroom, his stomach tightened-she had no clue how beautiful she looked with her hair falling around her shoulders and her lush, pregnant body glowing with life. “C’mere, Cherub,” he said, patting the bed next to him. She crawled into bed and he spent a few minutes getting her situated the way he wanted her, which had her giggling. “What’s so funny?” he asked as he kissed her.
Her Kinsman-Redeemer Page 17
