Chance Encounter - Jerry Cole Page 0,67
“Gram wants Antonio’s for dinner. Sound good?”
“Can we go running tomorrow?” I asked as he laughed.
“Yes, and every day after that.”
It turned out that Amy was craving pizza and that everyone could go. We took over a back table in the small room, ordering drinks and their incredible house salad with the meal. It was one of the places that had one of the old arcades, and I took Ava there to play around on the games. There was an old claw machine that hands out small jewelry and things she couldn’t have, so we made our way to the table once the pizza arrived. Ava was crying, and Becca pulled her up, tickling her as a distraction.
We enjoyed a long leisurely meal with family after a good day together. Amy grinned at the sight of the food, inhaling it as she apologized. There was plenty to take home, reminding us of the last morning at the beach house when we had it for breakfast. We told Gram the story, making her laugh before we took her back to the apartments.
Everyone went home, and I asked Gray if he wanted to watch a movie. We curled up in bed with beer, finding something new on one of the movie channels and cuddling together once it started.
“Tonight felt different,” I said as I glanced at him.
“It did. It’s always good with them, but it felt natural and relaxed.” He kissed my hair. “We need to make time for that. It won’t last forever.”
“I know.” I smiled. “Do you want to have a baby?”
“I don’t want to birth one, no. It would be cool to have a kid,” he joked as I rolled my eyes.
“Once we’re married and things settle, we can look into adoption. Do you want a newborn?”
“I guess a part of me would, but we’ll get that experience soon enough. Maybe twice. Ava was at a good age when the girls adopted her, and I think I want to do it for the kid as much as ourselves.” He made a good point, making me stare at him.
“I love you,” I said softly, reverently. “I love you so much.” I kissed him, tasting beer and Italian spices on the corner of his lips. “Our children will love you.”
“They’ll love you as much as I will,” he told me before kissing me again.
In the morning, I couldn’t remember what movie we were attempting to watch.
We talked to the staff at the resort every couple of weeks, planning things slowly. We were going for a simple theme to match our wedding but wanted decorations and stuff for people to remember it by.
We were looking at the reception room through pictures, thinking of dim lights and candles on the table. We didn’t want a Deejay playing the token wedding songs, but something more subtle that offered dancing and just milling about. There had to be a wedding dance for us, and one with Gray and Gram.
We were both going to wear tuxedos at the ceremony, ones that looked similar. Neither of us competed with the other. Gram was going to walk Gray down the aisle while Becca and I waited at the railing of the gazebo.
I was still overseeing the theater, involved in everything from the plays to planning events. I thanked Gray almost every night for making me take the Sundays off for some rest, and he thanked me for asking him to work a little less. We spent Sundays at dinner with the family, trying to see them all during the week as well.
Amy was getting bigger and more uncomfortable. By the time November rolled around, and we were planning for Thanksgiving, she tapped out on a lot of the activity. She was happy about seeing Ava experience her first holidays aware of them but wanted to observe it all sitting down.
Jackson worked hard for the company and his wife. He was too much for Amy most of the time, but she just kept that to herself, and let him and everyone else spoil her.
I was in disbelief that it was time for the holidays again on Thanksgiving morning. We just went to the beach house last week, didn’t we? Our wedding and the arrival of the new baby was only in a matter of months now.
“Calm down,” Gray told me, handing me a cup of coffee. “We’re going to get dressed and go to Gram’s to help out with things. It’s Ava’s first holiday with us, and we’re going