Page 39

Kate

1 year and 7 months later

I lie in our bed at the new house we just closed on. It has been a crazy few weeks. Landon painted our room a beautiful bluish-grey over the weekend, and looking around just calms my soul. We got married last Christmas during school break and enjoyed a quiet honeymoon on the beach in Maya Riviera. It was wonderful.

“Well, if I do say so, my wife looks thoroughly happy and well-ridden.” Landon swaggers into the room in his boxers, bringing my snack.

He plops onto the bed handing it to me. After kissing my forehead and chuckling at my eagerness, he lays his head in my lap and rubs a hand affectionately across the growing bump that is my belly. He kisses the spot he just caressed.

“Pickles for both of my girls.” He looks up at me happily, laying his head on that spot, and I tousle his hair with my fingers.

We found out in February that I was pregnant. I’m roughly five months along, and my belly is growing rounder by the day. My anatomy scan was two weeks ago, and we both cried when we found out we were having a healthy little girl.

Landon already refers to her as his little princess. I’m okay with surrendering that title. He’s already dreaming of building her a “castle” in the backyard with a treehouse for her “tower”. I told him to hold off on that tower for a while. It’ll be years before she can climb up in it anyway.

Our parents were ecstatic when we brought them the news we were expecting. Both of our moms cried, hugged, and jumped like they were teenage girls all over again. Better news yet, Molly dropped the news that she was expecting a week later. She’s getting her wish too. It’s a girl, and we now have built-in besties for life.

We now all celebrate the holidays together instead of having to go back and forth between houses. Mom and Adam eloped a few months ago. He ended up losing a kidney after his surgery from Trevor’s knife-wielding, but he’s doing really well. He is looking forward to becoming a step-grandpa. Lindsay still hasn’t settled down with anyone, but there’s an air of potential with this new boyfriend of hers.

I never imagined my life would be like this. Never imagined I could be this happy. Never imagined that I’d literally marry my best friend. My eyes well with happy tears. Damn hormones.

“Honey, what is it?” Landon sits up with worry.

“I’m just so happy. You make me happy. I just never imagined that it’d all end this way. That I’d marry the boy next door who crawled through my window. That we’d be having a baby together. Thank you for being my best friend. Thank you for being so patient with me when I was just so...stupid for not seeing it all earlier.” I sniffle and giggle, and he just gives me that Landon grin.

“Always. And this is just the beginning.” He grins sensually and runs his fingers ever so lightly over my belly. Goosebumps erupt over my skin, and he chuckles. I love that familiar sound. This chuckle sounds full of carnal promise.

“I love it when you shiver for me.” His eyes twinkle, and he slides down my panties.

“Now, let’s see if I can make you shiver for me some more.”