Page 77 of Surrender

“I love you, too.”

By this time, Barkly and Pawly were awake and whining for attention. I scooped them up from their bed and hugged them to my chest.

“You’re gonna be big brothers!” I sang to them.

“Wait… when did you go to the doctor?” Jacob asked.

“Today. I was going to stop my birth control.”

“But the test you did… it was negative.”

I laughed. “Come here.”

Cradling my babies, I grabbed his hand and led him upstairs to our bedroom bathroom. Retrieving the pregnancy test, I handed him the box.

“Read the expiration date.”

He took it from me, mumbling the date to himself.

“Oh shit!” He laughed. “I probably should have looked at that.”

“You think? No more gas station pregnancy tests. I can only imagine how many people have gone through this.”

He raised his hands in mock surrender. “My bad, my bad.”

Taking the puppies from me, he placed them on the floor. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me again.

“We’re having a baby,” he said, grinning.

“We’re having a baby, Daddy.”

“Prepare to be sick of me.”

“No, we’re gonna prepare to be sick of Jessa and Myra.”

He laughed. “That part.”

“When do you want to tell or family?”

“I at least want to get out of my first trimester, you know? Make sure everything is safe.”

“Okay. I’ll try not to say anything, but can’t make any promises.”

“Jacob! Don’t ruin the surprise!”

“Baby, I’m excited! My baby is having my baby.”

He lifted me into his arms and carried me into the bedroom. Gently, he placed me on the bed and climbed in beside me. His lips captured mine as his hand slipped under my dress.

“What do you say we celebrate making a baby by practicing making another one?”

I giggled. “Don’t you have work to do?”

“The only work I’m trying to do is on you, love.”

His hand slipped into my panties, and I folded. There was no way I could ever deny him what was his.

THREE MONTHS LATER