return to normal as a pregnancy progressed. Could it happen? Yes. But more cases than not the baby, or in my case babies, was the reason for an elevation in pressure to begin with. After the birth, complications during the pregnancy usually worked themselves out.
I knew Ryder’s concern stemmed from knowing bedrest was difficult for someone like me. Being confined within the walls of our condo with no escape drove me a little wonky. Once I resigned myself it was for the babies and in the scheme of things was only a blip of time in my life, being home wasn’t so bad.
Ryder made it more than tolerable, and I made it a point to show my appreciation. Even with his busy schedule, he’d been so attentive. If he needed to travel to Miami, he ensured I had anything I’d need until he got back. Of course, Cooper and Ricky were always a call away as well.
Even the cutie-pie Ryder hired to walk Kayla ensured she was taken care of. Although, he almost lost the job before he even began. On day one, when Tommy appeared at our door and made it clear he crushed on me, Ryder mumbled under his breath something that sounded suspiciously like keeping an eye on that fucker. I shot him a scathing look, thankful Tommy wasn’t paying attention.
A few days ago, Ryder had to fly to Chicago, and he’d pouted like a child being told there was no Santa Claus. “I’ll be fine,” I assured him—and then pushed him out the door when he was dangerously close to missing his flight. Flying commercial and dealing with all the crap that came with it was something he hadn’t done in years.
That day, Rebecca and the kids visited with lunch, having heard that Ryder was away. Damon also came by when he hadn’t seen me walking past his bar in a while. It was something I did every few days with Kayla. Mainly so her previous owner, who tended bar there, could see her.
Janie even called out of the blue—well, kind of. Her greeting when I picked up the call was to announce, “He finally did it!” For twenty minutes she went on about putting her foot down to get him to “shit or get off the pot.” She went on to say, “We’re having an engagement party in a month, and you’re coming.”
Not only did I have to tell her I wasn’t able to make it, and the reason, but I also reluctantly shared I was carrying twins. During it, I slipped and referred to Ryder as my fiancé. Big mistake.
“What? You got engaged before me!” she shouted over the phone and proceeded to rip me a new one. That was fun.
So, although I missed Ryder, I had plenty to keep me busy between friends checking in and working on the foundation, all while relaxing in between.
Something that unexpectedly had happened over the past few weeks—I realized I loved being pregnant… and that scared me to death.
What flipped my switch from merely experiencing my pregnancy to loving the experience was the day I felt the babies move. At first, I had no idea what was happening. I had been in the shower, and I thought I’d felt something flutter inside me. It had been so faint, I almost missed it… until it happened again. The second time there was no mistaking what it was, and the emotion it created practically knocked me on my ass.
I shared the news with Cooper and Ricky, even letting them each feel it one day when they came by with dinner. But I couldn’t bring myself to tell Ryder. Except for my welfare, he really hadn’t inquired about the babies. His questions for Dr. White proved that he’d read along in my pregnancy book. I suspected as much even before that appointment, because I’d sometimes find it askew on the small table it rested on. But keeping to himself whatever he learned was quite telling, and I didn’t want to upset him if it all hit too close to home.
From what I knew of his sister-in-law Tammy’s pregnancy, it was a senseless tragedy. The fact it had happened while pregnant made it egregious. She’d gone to sleep one night, happy and pregnant, and never woke the next day. If his brother losing his wife in such a horrific way wasn’t bad enough, to lose his child a day later was unfathomable.
Bryce only recently seemed to be existing in a somewhat