in the slow cooker that morning, and all he had to do was boil some noodles and mix in some cream cheese to make the Alfredo sauce with shredded chicken.
He climbed the steps and opened the door, a long exhale coming from his lungs at the tightness in the back of his legs. “Hey,” he called. “I’m home.”
His wife wasn’t in the kitchen, though Robbie was. He came out from behind the counter, a wooden spoon in one hand that looked dangerously like it had chocolate on it. His son bore the sticky sweet on his face, his shirt, his hands. He wasn’t even wearing pants, as Montana had been trying to potty train him for about a month now.
“Buddy.” Bishop dropped his tool bag and hurried toward his son. “What are you into?”
“It’s okay,” Montana said, coming down the hall. “I gave him the frosting.”
“It’s everywhere,” Bishop said, not even glancing at Montana. He swept the boy into his arms and smiled at him. “Don’t you know food goes in your mouth, bud?” The floor had a few streaks of frosting on it, but mostly the container of it looked like a badger had tried to eat it with his paws. “Ooh, German chocolate. That’s Momma’s favorite, so something must’ve….” He trailed off, his mind firing at him.
Montana had kept the house stocked with German chocolate frosting a lot over the past few months. Several months. Fifteen months now, if Bishop wanted to be accurate. Fifteen months since they’d been trying to get pregnant and couldn’t.
He’d come home to his wife crying more than once, and he turned toward her now to find her in tears again. “Baby,” he said, sadness pulling through him too. Maybe they’d never get another baby. Maybe Robbie was all they would ever get. He wanted that to be enough, but in a family like his, it only felt like failure.
“I gave him the frosting,” Montana said, tears trickling down her face. “Because I don’t need it anymore. I mean, I have to eat for two now, and that much sugar always made him so wiggly inside.”
Bishop blinked, sure he’d heard her wrong.
Eat for two now.
Wiggly inside.
I don’t need it anymore.
He put Robbie on the counter next to the sink and bent to pick up the container. “You stay right here, bud. Eat whatever you want.”
Montana grinned at him as he approached, and Bishop’s swooped her into his arms. “You’re pregnant?”
She laughed as he twirled her around and said, “Yes. I just did the test. I’m two weeks late, Bishop.”
He set her down, instant concern spiking inside him. “What if it’s false? We have to go to the doctor. Get them to confirm it.” He looked around as if he’d pick up the phone and make an appointment right now. They’d waited so long, and he had to know for sure. He had to also ensure that she was healthy and well enough to carry the baby to term.
“I can finish Mister’s house by myself. I’ll call the twins. I’ll call anyone.” He took her face in his hands. “I don’t want you to be stressed at all.”
“I haven’t miscarried,” she said. “I should be fine to work.”
“Can you please go to the doctor anyway?”
She smiled at him and touched her lips to his. “For you, I will.” She put her arms around him and held him, and Bishop felt like everything had suddenly been coated in candy. Pink candy, and the whole world was different now than it had been five minutes ago when he’d stood outside, wiping his hands through the dirt on her truck.
“I can’t believe it,” he said. “I think I’ve forgotten what true joy feels like.”
“I know,” Montana said in his arms. “I’m not sure if I’m happy about the pregnancy or sad that I know how stark of a difference there is between happy and sad now.”
He pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers. “You’ve always known that. You’ve worked so hard to be where you are now.” He kissed her again, a slow, sweet, I-love-you-with-everything-I-have kiss.
“Boy or girl?” he asked.
“We have one of each,” she said. “I don’t know. You?”
“I want a girl,” he said. “Because now that Ward and Preach have girls, I see how absolutely adorable they are.”
Her smile filled her whole face. “You’ll spoil her rotten.”
“I hope so.”
“You won’t bark at her about bein’ good while you work. You’ll just give her suckers.”
He couldn’t deny anything right now. “Probably.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen you with