Page 21

H unter sat quietly in the passenger seat as Frank drove them to the hospital. A mix of guilt and gratitude swirled within him. He felt guilty for missing Luna's calls and text messages and for not being at the hospital with Adam. At least he was on his way now; that was the best he could do. It felt as if he were being pulled between two worlds: the life of a famous hockey player and that of a dedicated family man. Perhaps this was just life—things weren’t always easy. Despite the trauma he and his son had experienced, he knew he had more than most, and they were incredibly blessed. So, he tried not to complain.

When he thought about it seriously, he couldn't imagine giving up either world. He understood he would need to find a way to balance both, especially now that he was marrying Luna. She deserved a husband who would be truly present, and he never wanted either Luna or Adam to feel like they were second to his love for hockey.

Frank remained silent as he drove, understanding that Hunter preferred not to talk during serious moments. He had been with Hunter through enough difficult situations to know when to keep quiet.

When they arrived at the hospital, Frank pulled up to the front entrance. “Go ahead and go in,” he said calmly. “I’ll park the car and meet you in the waiting room. Go be with Luna.”

Hunter felt grateful for Frank's support during this challenging time and watched as Frank drove off into the parking lot. He quickly turned and briskly walked into the hospital, scanning the waiting room for Luna but not seeing her. His eyes continued to search the area until he finally spotted Ella sitting alone. He rushed over to her, wondering where Luna was.

“Thank God that you are finally here,” Ella said with intense emotion. “Don't worry, Adam is fine. They are giving him medications now, but he did have another flare-up. His pain came on pretty strongly this time. There is no fever, though, which is good.”

Hunter was relieved to hear that Adam was being taken care of. The fact that there was no fever was excellent news. Adam had struggled with both getting and being able to naturally break fevers before. At least his pain was being monitored and managed. He looked around the waiting room again.

“Where is Luna?” Hunter asked with curiosity. “Is she still here?”

“She... she is in the bathroom,” Ella stuttered. “She… she is not feeling well.”

Hunter was confused and concerned by this remark.

“Is she sick too?” Hunter seriously asked Ella.

Ella stumbled over her words, reluctant to be the one to tell Hunter that Luna was pregnant. It was important news that Luna should share herself, but unfortunately, she was experiencing morning sickness at night. This was incredibly inconvenient, especially given the circumstances. There were only so many excuses Ella could make for Luna's nausea and illness.

Hunter noticed Ella’s nervous nature. He could not handle Luna being sick as well. Why was she beating around the bush about her condition? What exactly was going on? He had to know the truth.

“Ella,” Hunter said seriously. “Ella, what is going on?”

“You have to talk to Luna,” Ella gently responded to Hunter. “Talk to her. It is not my place to say, but I promise you it is nothing bad.”

"Nothing bad? She is in the bathroom sick. How could that be nothing bad?" Hunter thought to himself. He turned his head when he noticed someone approaching—Luna, slowly walking toward him while wiping her mouth. Despite her illness, she radiated a certain glow. Hunter's eyes traveled from her face down to her slightly rounded stomach. She looked beautiful, even radiant, but something about her seemed different.

Suddenly, he swallowed hard. "Luna," he said thoughtfully, "are you... are you pregnant?"

Luna blushed and glanced at Ella. "Ella!" she shouted. "I told you not to say anything!"

"No, no," Hunter reassured her, placing his hands on either side of her face. "She didn’t tell me, darling. I just pieced it together when I heard you were sick in the bathroom. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?"

"Your game," Luna replied softly. "I didn’t want to ruin it for you. I wanted you to stay focused. Please, tell me you all won."

"We won," Hunter said, his voice filled with joy. "We did win, but I won a second time tonight. We're going to have a baby together."

Luna sighed in relief. Although deep down, she expected Hunter to be happy about her pregnancy, fear and doubt still crept into her mind. She was happy to know that he was on board with all of this. The couple embraced one another. Hunter held her close to him. He was so happy beyond compare. This baby was going to be the product of his and Luna’s love for one another. As they embraced, a doctor walked up to the three of them.

“Adam is awake and can be seen now,” the doctor told them. “His pain is manageable. We will be sending you all home with some pain medication later tonight. Use it sparingly. He is a trooper. I know that he will be excited to see you all.”

Just as the doctor was finished speaking, Frank walked into the waiting room. Hunter filled him in on the situation and gestured for him to follow them to Adam’s room. When they all walked in, Adam was awake and in good spirits. He wanted to hear all about the hockey game, which he was upset he missed the rest of. Hunter explained how he tackled a guy and how the team scored the winning point at the last minute. He re-enacted each scene with theatrical importance so as to keep Adam’s spirits up. Adam loved every minute of this story.

When the time came for him to get discharged, Hunter thanked Frank for his support. He also told Ella to go home and get some rest. He thanked her for being there for them as well. When he, Adam, and Luna got back to the apartment, they put Adam to bed.

He could tell that Luna was tired. He was, too, but he had not yet showered after the game, and he knew that he needed to have one before climbing into bed. As he started getting undressed, Luna stared at his chiseled body. She noticed a few bruises starting to appear from the hockey game. She had to remind herself how violent of a sport hockey was. Hunter caught her staring at him and the bruises all over his body.

“Do not worry,” he said to her with love. “Don’t worry, baby. They will heal.”

Luna slowly walked over to Hunter and gently kissed each of his bruises. Her mouth moved from his back to his arms and then, finally, to his lips. Hunter and Luna kissed passionately. He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her closer. He wanted to feel the touch of her skin against his. She looked up at him. Then, her eyes briefly darted down to her stomach.

“Do you promise that this does not scare you?” she asked him intently. “I am so excited about this baby. I just want to make sure that you are as well.”

Hunter leaned in and kissed Luna again, feeling the warmth of her lips against his. The gentle touch eased her tension, and she breathed relief as relaxation washed over her. She wrapped her arms around Hunter’s neck, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his forehead softly. He appreciated the gesture, but a part of him ached knowing how much worry weighed on her about carrying their child.

Gently, he pulled her arms away from his neck, bringing her to eye level with him. It was crucial for him that she understood every word he was about to say. He needed her to know how he felt. “You know that I’m excited to have a child with you, right?” he asked, his tone serious yet tender.

“I just wanted to make sure, my darling,” Luna replied, her eyes searching his for reassurance. “I know this is all a lot, and everything is happening so fast for us. I just don’t want you to feel overwhelmed.”

Hunter took a deep breath, wanting to convey the depth of his emotions. “I love you,” he stated firmly. “I love you, and that automatically means I love anything that comes from you. Anything we create together will be cherished with my whole heart, and that includes this baby. Okay, my love?”

As her eyes glistened with un-shed tears, Luna nodded, a mix of joy and relief washing over her. She felt an overwhelming sense of security in their relationship. The worries of the future faded just a little, replaced by the warmth of Hunter's unwavering support and love. They were embarking on a beautiful journey together, and they would navigate whatever challenges lay ahead.

It was a relief to hear these words straight from his mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck again and leaned to kiss him. Hunter welcomed the affection. He embraced her and kissed her back to let her know how much he loved her and their unborn baby. This was going to be a new stepping stone in their love story. She had no reason to fear. He would be with her every step of the way.

That night, Luna and Hunter made sweet love. Their bodies matched each other in effort, force, and pleasure. Their bodies intertwined with one another like a needle and thread. They were meant to be together, and their bodies fit together like a glove. They revealed each other’s pleasure. Only they knew how to satisfy one another, and when the sweet time came, they both climaxed at the same time. It felt surreal to feel each other’s body clench with joy.

Hunter lay beside her, between the worlds of slumber and reality. He began thinking about their baby and their future, and he started thinking about his engagement to Luna and how she was his fiancée. He wanted this baby to be born under a true union; he wanted this baby to be born while he and Luna were legally considered married. These thoughts consumed him so much that he was unable to speak. So, he gently shook Luna awake from her slumber. He patiently waited until she was conscious. What he had to say was important, and he wanted to ensure that she was awake enough to listen to every word that he had to say.

“Luna, my love, are you awake now?” he gently asked her. “I have something important that I want to talk to you about.”

Luna placed her fingers by her eyelids. She rubbed her eyes until she was certain that she could understand exactly what it was that he had woken her up for. It must have been something important if Hunter was willing to wake her up from her sleep to talk to her. Luna slowly blinked her eyes open. He waited until she was awake enough to have some commentary.

“Do you want some coffee?” Hunter randomly asked her.

Luna looked at the clock. It was almost twelve-thirty in the morning. This must have been an important conversation if Hunter had been willing to wake her up in the middle of the night when she was pregnant. Luna looked down at her stomach before answering him.

"Better make it decaf coffee,” she said to him, without dismay.

If Hunter was going to wake her up in the middle of the night, Luna assumed he was prepared to meet all her pregnancy needs. She didn't feel guilty about requesting a specific type of coffee; if anything, he should be happy to oblige her at this hour. After all, she was the one growing a new life inside her. What else could he expect? Since finding out she was pregnant, she had been extra careful about everything that came into contact with her body. No reasonable person could blame her for that.

When Hunter came back with the coffee, he spoke to her about the wedding. He described his desire to marry Luna before she had the baby.

“That leaves us less than a year to plan the wedding,” she said, concerned.

“We could elope,” Hunter calmly stated. “We do not have to have anything fancy, do we?”

Luna’s heart sank. She did not have to have the biggest or fanciest wedding in the world, but she did want to have something special. She had never been married before, and she did not plan on getting married more than once. This was it for her. Hunter had already had the big wedding. Perhaps that’s why this was not a big deal for him. Luna picked up her coffee from the nightstand and took a sip of it. Hunter watched and could see from the reaction on her face that she did not like the idea of eloping or simply going to the courthouse.

“That is not what you want to do, is it?” Hunter asked her. “You want the big wedding?”

“I’ve always dreamed of having the perfect dress and flowers and having all my friends and loved ones there, you know?” Luna replied sadly. “I’ve never had that before, and we plan on spending the rest of our lives together, right? So this is my only chance.”

Hunter drank his coffee and listened to her. He understood what she meant; he knew it was important for girls to have their dream wedding, but he didn’t want their baby to be born out of wedlock. He tried to express this sentiment to Luna.

“But we are going to be married regardless,” she said to him with emotion. “So, what does it really matter? No matter what, we are going to be together.”

Hunter nodded his head. Perhaps she was right. Now, he felt silly for waking her up in the middle of the night. He finished his cup of coffee and then placed the empty cup on his nightstand. He leaned over and grabbed Luna’s hands.

“I just wanted to do the right thing for the baby,” Hunter said seriously. “But as long as we are together, I know that we will do right by this child. We are going to be a family, and that is all that matters.”

Luna smiled. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

“So, does this mean that I get to plan my dream wedding?” she said while looking into his eyes.

“You can have everything you want and more,” Hunter told her with love.