“He says my castle is just a bed, not a princess castle.”
I sigh. “Drew—”
“Dad, she’s needs a reality check.”
I chuckle unable to stop it. “Where did you hear that?”
“Mom said that to Aunt Shannon.”
I shake my head only imaging the conversation that preceded that statement. “You need to be nice to your sister and not tell her she needs a lobotomy.”
“But Aunt Shannon told Uncle Eric he’s crazy and needs a lobotomee. And Emma’s crazy.”
“Ethan Andrew Mercer.” I glance up to see Cate with her Mom face on. She does a better job at maintaining a stern face than I have in the past few minutes. Only, to me, she looks sexy as hell doing it. “You won’t go trick or treating if you’re mean to your sister. Now apologize.”
Drew’s head bows and he manages to eke out a “Sorree Emma.”
“Now go eat your snacks on the table before it gets dark.”
Food is more important than me as my kids rush off to the kitchen table. I stand so I can kiss my beautiful wife. It lingers and my hand catches the curve of her ass.
She giggles, which turns me on because she doesn’t laugh like that often. I have to shift because my scrubs won’t hide the evidence of my arousal. And that’s a conversation I’m not prepared to have with my kids.
“What was that for?” Her smile is infectious and it spreads on my face.
“You’re so damn beautiful Cate. I swear you get prettier every day.”
Her eyes warm her face. “You are full of shit. I look and feel like a beached whale.”
I rub her belly with my other hand. “Any day now.”
“Any day? My due date was two days ago. And I really don’t want to have a Halloween baby. Can you imagine throwing a party every year on Halloween?”
I laugh because she’s been talking about this since we first found out she could deliver near this day.
“Then you should get off your feet.”
I bend and catch her off guard. I lift her in my arms.
“You’re crazy. I weigh a ton.” She heartily laughs.
“You two should get a room.” I glance up to see my sister-in-law.
“Shannon, can you watch the kids for a few minutes?”
“Sure.” She winks at us. “Just as long as you take that somewhere else.”
I don’t ask twice. I carry my wife up to our bedroom and close the door behind us. I set her down in her favorite chair in front of the fireplace where I remove her shoes and massage the bottom of her feet.
“Really, you brought me up here for that?” She may be joking, but there’s heat in her eyes.
“Believe me, I want you. Sex, however, can bring on contractions and you said you wanted to wait another day.”
She shrugs. “It’s up to you, but you’ll be sorry. Six weeks will be a long time to wait.”
It isn’t like Cate and I have been abstaining. We’ve had sex every night this week because she was ready to give birth hoping to avoid this day.
“I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Or maybe, I’ll do you.”
She urges me to stand and come around to the side of the chair. I follow her instructions because I know what she’s about to do. And I’m right. She gives me the best damn blow job of my life. Practice can certainly improve on perfection. I didn’t think it possible, but it is.
Later, after I take the kids trick or treating, we sit on the on the back deck on a porch swing. Ethan finds a place in his mother’s lap as Emma curls herself in mine. Our two kids sleep as my fingers twine with Cate’s.
The swing rocks back and forth in a calming rhythm. Cate’s eyes are closed and her features smooth out. Her lips are curved as if she’s is having a pleasant dream. And I think about how lucky I am.
Cate decided not to work after our son was born, which was her decision. Still, my wife can’t be idle. She started the Drew McKnight foundation, which serves people with Ewing’s Sarcoma, both young and old. She’s hired full time people now, but she still oversees it and watches the financial end of it like a hawk. She used some of the money Drew left her to start the non-profit and she involved Drew’s parents who have become true activists on the subject. We named them honorary grandparents to our kids. It was something I wanted to do and Cate too, so she readily accepted. Their faces light up every time we bring the kids around to visit when we’re in Charleston. And they come up to spend time here as well because we have plenty of room. In fact, after the baby is born, we will have rotating grandparents visiting two weeks at a time to help Cate as she nurtures our latest gift to the family.
I don’t know how Cate does it all, but she doesn’t want to hire a nanny either. She’s a superhero to the kids and the best wife ever to me.
“Cate,” I call out. I can’t help myself.
“Hmm.” Her eyes flutter open, clear, and focus on me.
“I love you and our life.”
I tell her I love her every day. Yet I feel the need to confess that to her.
“I love you too, and our life.”