Across the table, Daniel reached for Emily’s hand again. He squeezed it tight, his eyes gazing at her adoringly, and mouthed the words, “I love you.”
Emily smiled to herself and mouthed them back. This moment was so perfect, so beautiful. She felt blessed that her life had finally aligned so perfectly.
* * *
That night, Emily and Daniel lay together in bed.
“I can’t sleep,” Emily confessed, rolling onto her side to gaze at him.
Beneath the covers she felt Daniel’s hand move protectively over her stomach.
“I wonder why,” he said with a chuckle.
Emily rested her own hand on top of his. “I know, I can’t quite believe it’s real. Maybe once I’ve seen a doctor, had an ultrasound, I’ll believe it.”
“An ultrasound,” Daniel repeated with awe. “I never got a chance to do any of that stuff with Chantelle.”
Emily felt sorry for him. Daniel had missed out on so much of Chantelle’s early life, including her birth. Things were going to be so different this time around. He’d get to experience every moment of their baby’s life, all the firsts; first smile, first sneeze, first step. The thought warmed her.
“So when will we get to see our baby?” Daniel asked. “When’s the first ultrasound?”
“Twelve weeks, I think,” Emily said, realizing that she herself didn’t know a huge amount about what was going on. Her pregnancy was something they would have to learn about together. “I’ll know how far along I am once I see the doctor.”
“Do you think you conceived on our honeymoon?” Daniel asked.
“I hope so,” Emily replied with a grin, remembering their lovemaking in vivid detail, knowing that the time they’d spent together on their honeymoon would never be forgotten.
Daniel fell quiet then. “What shall we do about telling people? Friends. Staff.” Then more quietly, he added, “Moms.”
Emily sighed. She’d been ruminating on it also. Neither of their mothers were in their lives in any real capacity. Both were difficult personalities, both had failed their children in the past. They would likely fail at being grandmothers, too. If they couldn’t put their issues aside in order to witness their children’s marriage, what hope was there for them playing any kind of active role in their grandchildren’s lives?
“Let’s not think about them just yet,” Emily said. “I want to stay happy for at least a few weeks. Can we do that?”