sexy.”
“Right. Come on, Harrison, don’t play games with me. Not after all we’ve been through.”
“How am I playing games with you? I mean it. It’s sexy to me. You’re sexy to me.”
“The water’s going to get cold,” she says, gazing off toward the shower.
I nod, knowing when to push and now isn’t the time. I help her off the counter, leading her into the shower. I take my time, washing every inch of her body. I’ve read that some women have body issues during pregnancy, but I never thought that would be Winnie. She’s fucking gorgeous, and I don’t know how to make her see that. Maybe I should call Dr. Taylor and see if she has any tips for me.
Once I’m finished with her body, I move on to her hair. As soon as the suds are rinsed away, she climbs out, claiming she wants to get started on breakfast, while I quickly shower. Five minutes later, I find her in the kitchen, towel wrapped around her head, and a bathrobe on. “I need to go to the store,” she says, peering into the refrigerator.
“We can do that today if you want. How about an egg and cheese sandwich?” I ask, looking over her shoulder.
“Yeah, that sounds good.”
“Did you test your sugar?” I ask her.
“Yes, dad,” she says and I can hear the roll of her eyes.
“Hey,” I lean in and kiss her neck. “I’m just taking care of my girls.”
“I know,” she sighs.
“You go get dressed. I’ll take care of breakfast.”
She nods and heads for the stairs. “Winnie,” I call out for her. She stops and turns to face me. “I love you.”
Her eyes soften. “I love you too.” She turns back around and slowly ascends the stairs.
“Thank you for breakfast.”
“You’re welcome. I have a surprise for you.”
“I thought spending the day with me was my surprise?”
“Well, then I have two surprises for you.”
“Gimme,” she says, setting her bottle of water on the table.
I throw my head back and laugh. “Come with me.” I stand from the table and offer her my hand. Slowly, I guide her upstairs. We stop just outside the room next to ours. The one we chose for the nursery.
“What? I get to see it?” she asks.
I had asked her to let me take care of the room, and to not peek until it was ready. “It’s ready.”
“How? You’ve been working so many hours, and I’m home when you’re home.”
“Well, you’ve been crashing early the last few weeks. I’ve been sneaking out of bed at night to work on it. It’s finally done. Just in time to bring home all her gifts from the shower tomorrow. You can start your nesting.” I kiss her nose.
“You and this nesting business. Do you believe everything you read?” she asks.
“When it’s in those baby books, yes. I have nothing else to go on here.”
She smiles up at me. “You’re going to be such a great daddy.”
“We’ve got this, Mommy. Now, close your eyes.” She does as I ask. I open the door and guide her into the room slowly. “Open,” I whisper, my lips next to her ear. I pull back and watch as her eyes flutter open and well with tears as she takes in the room around her.
The walls are painted a light gray, which stands out nicely with the white trim and white furniture. I picked up a few canvas prints that are pink, white, and gray that stick with our elephant theme. The bedding we bought is placed in the crib along with a new pink-and-gray stuffed elephant. The rug is in the center of the room, and the lamp is on a side table next to the white rocking chair, with gray cushions. Our daughter’s crib sits on the opposite side of the room, and wooden letters, that I personally hand painted pink, are hung on the wall with white ribbons spelling out her name.
Sophia.
I watch Winnie as she slowly turns in a circle taking it all in. I know the exact moment she sees it. Her battle with tears is lost as one slides down her cheek. “When did you—” She swallows hard. “When did you take that?”
I know she’s referring to the black-and-white picture I framed and set on the dresser. It’s next to another black-and-white picture of the two of us that Gabby took one night when she was over. I’d handed her my phone, and she’d snapped a few. The one on the dresser is my favorite. We’re