Page 19 of Agony of Our Regret (Sorcerer’s Society #11)

NINETEEN

“I’m here!”

Vince’s voice drew me out of my bedroom. He strode in and set three pizza boxes on the kitchen counter.

“Hi.” I kissed him before taking in the food. “What’s going on?”

I left the office at lunch to get a manicure with Tessa and decided to finish the day out from home. We were so close by, and my feet were swelling. I’d been propped up on my bed until I heard the door open.

“I’m not sure. Luca texted me to grab dinner and meet them here.”

I peeked into the top box and closed my eyes as I inhaled the savory aroma of peppers and sausage and let out a moan. “This is perfection.”

“I’m glad it sounds good. You’ve been so hit or miss lately.”

I grabbed a Ginger Ale from the fridge and waved the can. “This has been a lifesaver. I can’t remember having food aversions growing up, but now even foods I know I like can set me off.”

Another perk of my third trimester. What tasted amazing one day would make me gag the next.

“What’s baby Lemon at this week?” he asked, coming behind me and placing his hands on my ever-growing belly.

“Cantaloupe,” I groaned. “It’s getting scarier and scarier now.”

He dropped his chin to my shoulder. “Don’t listen to Momma. You keep growing big and strong.”

“Or come sooner,” I added quickly. “You’re perfectly safe to come in a week or two.”

It was pushing things, but from all my internet research, which my doctor and the guys warned me to avoid, the baby could be born that early with minimal risk. It was easy for them to tell the baby to stay in as long as possible. They weren’t walking around with a large melon attached to their stomach, kicking their ribs, and bouncing on their bladders.

“Give Daddy a little more time,” he rubbed gently. A fluttering started, and he gasped. “What was that?”

I pushed my hands over his as the feeling intensified. “You can feel it?”

“Yeah.” His voice was so quiet. “That was Lemon?”

I smirked. “That was your baby telling you not to argue with Momma.”

He moved around me, kneeling and pressing his cheek against the bump. “Hi, baby. I feel you! I’m here.”

He continued to coo and talk until the fluttering stopped.

“Lemon’s tired now.” I pushed my fingers through his dark hair.

He stood, eyes still full of wonder. “That was amazing. There’s really something inside you.”

“There is.” I smiled.

“How does it feel to you?”

I took a sip of my drink.

“It was a light fluttering at first. Now I can feel Lemon moving a lot more.” I pressed against the right side of my belly. “I’m pretty sure this is the elbow or knee because several times a day it moves and knocks into my ribs.”

He cringed. “That doesn’t sound fun.”

“No.” I scrunched my nose. “Especially, when my bladder is used as a trampoline.”

The door opened again, and the rest of my guys poured in.

“Honey, I’m ho–,” Sky stopped when he saw Vince kneeling in front of me. “Are we interrupting?” He waggled his brows.

Vince stood. “No, I just got to feel Lemon kicking.”

“Aw, lucky!” He hurried over and put his hands on my belly. “Did I miss it?”

“Yeah, sorry.”

Sky pouted. He was now the only one not to feel her movements. “She always stops when I’m around.”

“She?” Noah cocked a brow. “Know something we don’t?”

Sky spun. “No, but I have a strong feeling it’s a girl.”

“Oh, yeah?” Vince scoffed. “’Cause I have a feeling it’s a boy.”

“Should we place bets?” Sky challenged.

“We haven’t discussed what we think yet.” Luca scooted the pizza boxes over and jumped onto the counter before pulling out his phone. “Sky is for girl. Vince for boy.” He looked over at Noah. “What are you thinking?”

Noah smirked. “Sorry, I can’t participate.”

“You know?” Vince gasped.

“Of course, I know. I see the future,” he shot back.

“Have you told anyone?”

“No, Avalon doesn’t want to know, so I’ve kept it to myself.” He shot me a wink, and I smiled.

“Ugh,” Sky grumbled. “It’s a good thing that’s not my ability. I couldn’t keep a secret.”

“We know,” Gavin snorted.

“Right, so I think it’s going to be...” Luca pursed his lips. “A girl.”

“Nah, it’s a boy.” Gavin pointed at me. “She’s carrying low and only craves salty, savory foods.”

“Since when do you believe in that kind of shit?” Vince laughed.

Gavin shrugged. “Since we decided not to find out, my brain won’t stop going through the possibilities.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve looked up charts and debunked myths,” Sky teased.

“They’re all contradictory when you go through each one, but overall, the results lean toward boy.” Gavin shrugged.

“Ave?” Luca asked. “You’re going to be the tiebreaker.”

I put my hands over my stomach and closed my eyes, pretending like I was taking this very seriously. I hadn’t had strong feelings either way. Some of the books the guys had lying around said moms could instinctively know, but with this being my first, I didn’t believe that. When I really thought about what I wanted Lemon to be, I went back and forth. I wanted a little girl to spoil and be my mini me and help me work on evening out our numbers. Then other times I couldn’t get over the thought of a little boy running around and getting into trouble with his dads. Part of me accepted that I’d always be alone in a house of testosterone.

“I’m not sure.”

They sighed.

“You don’t feel strong either way?” Gavin asked.

“Nope.” I shook my head. “When I try to picture the future and envision Lemon, it’s different each time.”

“Well, once you decide, let me know, and I’ll add it to the pools.” Luca smirked. “I’ve already got some predictions from our parents.”

“What did they say?” I started toward him when Gavin put up his hands. “Before we get distracted, again, let’s discuss why we asked Luca to meet us here.”

“Oh, yeah.” Luca tucked his phone away. “So, things finally came together, and we passed all the evidence to the appropriate governments.”

I blinked and looked around as if one of them could provide more context.

“Have you not been checking your emails today?” Gavin asked.

I shrugged. “I had meetings this morning about the school, then left at lunch.” I wiggled my fingers. “I got manis with your mom.”

“Then this afternoon?”

I glanced toward the bedroom. “I was working here, but got caught up in an inventory sheet Gwen sent me.”

“So, you have no idea what's going on?” Sky was suddenly serious.

“What are you guys talking about?” Vince demanded.

“My vision,” Noah started, as if that would clue us in.

I shook my head.

“You’ve really got to check your emails more regularly,” Luca covered a smirk with his hand.

“You, too.” Gavin pointed at Vince. “I was updating you.”

Vince pulled out his phone. “Oh, I assumed it was spam.”

“You don't read my emails?” Gavin scoffed.

“If it’s important, you text or call me.”

I put up my hands. “How serious can it be if you guys came in and started making gender predictions?”

Sky shrugged. “You two were in a good mood.”

“Yeah, I assumed maybe you heard from someone else already.” Luca looked at Noah. “Maybe you should explain.”

“On Monday, I had a vision. The assassination of Prime Minister Allen of the United Kingdom at a United Nations conference in Geneva. I recognized the location and people involved quickly enough to alert the chancellors. They worked with all the authorities involved and not only prevented it from happening, but arrested those involved. They admitted to being hired by AS leaders.” Noah paused and looked at Luca. “You can probably give more details.”

Luca rubbed the back of his neck. “My dad sent out updates throughout the day. The U.N. declared the AS a terrorist organization, and we provided the list of members we put together. They’re being arrested as we speak. So far, three hundred are in custody around the world.”

I shook my head. “So, you had a vision, and they acted? Governments are arresting people globally?”

Noah nodded.

“So, it’s over?” Vince asked.

Luca beamed. “It’s over. The AS leaders were apprehended first, so they couldn’t send warnings. The remainder will be picked up over the next few days.”

I leaned back against the counter. “And you came in and wanted to chat about what we thought the baby was?”

Vince and I shared a look.

“If you read the last email, you’d have known about the arrests.” Gavin let out a laugh. “I thought it was weird, but our responses to big news and trauma aren’t exactly normal at this point.”

I closed my eyes and let the information sink in. “So, they finally did something big enough to get everyone’s attention.”

“Attempted,” Noah corrected.

“You prevented an assassination?” I tried to keep the disbelief from my voice. I didn’t want Noah to think I doubted him.

He gave me a smug nod, so I knew he wasn’t bothered. “The U.K. is planning a ceremony.”

Vince gasped. “Seriously?”

“Well, not just for me. For the Society as a whole, but Bruce ensured I’d be a guest of honor.”

“Well, shit.” Vince’s shoulders dropped. “It’s over?”

“The AS is no longer a threat. We had groups, along with the human agencies, watching every known AS office. The authorities raided them at the same time as the assassination attempt. They didn’t see us coming,” Luca boasted.

“It was an organized reverse attack.” I grinned. “I can’t believe it.”

“How long have you guys all known about this?” Vince asked.

“The vision only gave us three days’ notice. We mobilized as quickly as possible. None of our departments shared anything outside of secure lines because we didn’t want to risk a leak. The emails today were more of a live play-by-play of what was happening,” Noah explained.

“Why didn’t Tessa mention anything?” I wondered out loud.

“She probably realized you didn’t know and didn’t want to stress you out,” Gavin guessed. “Plus, you were in public and couldn’t say much.”

That was a good point. She hadn’t seemed off at all. She was a better actress than I gave her credit for.

“So now what?” Vince finally asked.

Everyone defaulted to Luca, who shrugged. “I’m not sure yet. We’ll likely return to business as normal. Well, normal before the AS uprising. People who moved closer to their Councils can return home if they wish. They’ll lift the other restrictions, too, like traveling in groups.”

“So, we’ll go back to working on crime rather than the AS?” Sky guessed.

“Yeah, helping people and collaborating with the human agencies. All the reasons the Society was established,” he confirmed.

“How novel.” Gavin grinned.

Now that I was paying closer attention, the four of them were brighter and lighter than I’d seen in years. The ongoing threat was gone. We could start our lives. No more fear. No more anticipation.

The AS would disappear, and we’d be free to live our lives.

It was going to take a while for that to sink in.

“Well, then.” Vince shook his head. “Let’s eat.”

I should have been suspicious from the time I woke up to breakfast and a new outfit. Luca and Gavin had pancakes waiting for me and a new cream dress with a camel-colored coat that easily closed over my bump.

I ate and got ready, thinking maybe they had planned something with the guys. Maybe we’d see the new house now that it was under contract. Or we’d go baby supply shopping.

No.

We ended up at Luca’s parents' house.

I should have noticed all the cars parked on the street.

I blamed pregnancy brain for being so oblivious.

“Surprise!” a group cheered, as soon as I stepped inside.

I gasped, putting my hands over my stomach as my body went through several levels of shock. I wasn’t sure if I was going to pee myself, go into labor, or cry.

Luckily, I landed on the last one.

“Oh, my gosh!” I stepped into Renae’s open arms as the floodgates opened.

“Sweetie!” She pulled back and wiped under my eyes. “Why are you crying?”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t expecting this.” I glanced around, stunned by how many people were here to celebrate our baby. “With everything going on...I didn’t––”

“We’re not letting the AS take away any more time or joy than they already have.” She pulled me in for another hug. “You deserve this.”

“Thank you.” I squeezed her back, then looked behind her to the banner that read, “Oh, baby!” The decorations everywhere mostly consisted of baby’s breath and lemons.

That had me laughing, and I pointed them out. “Lemon!”

“Gwen said we had to.” Renea smiled and led me deeper into the house.

I looked back and caught Gavin and Luca sneaking out. “Where are you guys going?”

“This is a mom thing,” Luca explained.

“Yeah, no boys allowed.” Gavin blew me a kiss, and they escaped.

“Come on, we have food in here.” Renae put her hand on my shoulder.

Well, that was enough to convince me to go into the surprise shower instead of running away.

Gwen ran up to me and pulled me into a hug. “Did you guess?”

I shook my head and slipped off my coat. She took it and laid it over a chair.

“Although I really should have guessed something was up when I saw this.” I gestured to the white cute dress. It was tight and accentuated my honeydew-sized belly. I probably wouldn’t have picked it out for myself, but it was perfect for a day celebrating the bump.

“I bought it,” she admitted with a laugh. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Did I say that?” I asked with a smile.

“Oh, girl, you’re glowing. I know you don’t like to flaunt it, but today, it’s an absolute must.”

“Fair.” I caved and wandered toward the spread on the kitchen island. I’d been to enough Castello events to prepare for anything from elite selections I couldn’t identify, like stinky cheeses to a half-dozen frozen pizzas for ravenous teenagers.

Renae knew how to adjust to her guests, but as I smiled and waved to the gathered women, I wasn’t sure which direction she’d go. Everyone in attendance was from the Society. I knew most well, but some I’d only met a few times. With five partners, we had more support than I could imagine. The guys were born and raised here and well loved. These women might not know me yet, but they wanted to show up for the men in my life.

“I put together a list of your cravings throughout your pregnancy,” Gwen whispered, as we grabbed plates. “That’s the theme.”

I cackled. That explained the eclectic combination of pizza, sliders, lasagna, teriyaki chicken rice bowls, and toast with an array of toppings. “I love it so much.”

Renae and Tessa waited for us at the other side of the kitchen, so I loaded my plate with my favorites and went to them.

“We asked the guys, and they said to skip the silly games. We’re just going to hang out.” Tessa pointed to the large flat screen. “The slideshow is baby pictures of all of you.”

I grinned at the baby with hair sticking up in every direction and a goofy smile. Skyler for sure.

“We have one game we can play before gifts. More like predictions rather than what candy bar is in the diaper,” Renae continued.

“Yeah. I vetoed that immediately,” Gwen assured me.

“As if we’d ever do that,” Tessa scoffed. “But I didn’t want you to endure standing up and them cutting string to guess how big your belly is either.”

I covered my bump with my free hand. “Yeah. No, thank you.”

“We just want you to have fun and let us all celebrate you, the boys, and the life you’re bringing into the world. Our families couldn’t be happier.” Tessa kissed my cheek. “Let’s find you a seat.”

Space was left for me and Gwen on the couch, so we took it and ate while chatting with the women around us. She made sure I knew who everyone was and their connection to the guys if I wasn’t already aware. I expected to feel awkward or out of place, but everyone was so kind and generous.

I planned on spending a few weekends at baby stores loading up on everything we’d need, but by the time Luca and Gavin arrived to drive me home, I was pretty sure we had more than enough to raise an army, including a crib, stroller, car seat, bouncer, and items I didn’t recognize. Some intimidated me, like a straw to suck out a stuffy nose and a breast pump with far too many attachments.

There’d been few occasions so far that made the reality of a baby coming sink in, and this was by far the biggest.

Our lives were about to change forever. Again, but in the best possible way.