“Alright, enough you two, go outside and help your father with the grill before he blows the house up,” Graysons mother smiles lovingly at her sons. Grayson leans down and kisses me. I nibble on his bottom lip as discretely as possible so that no one can see it, and when he groans into my mouth I let go. He mumbles ‘tease’ under his breath before following Jeff outside.
Graysons’ mother turns to me, her eyes glistening. She takes my hands in hers and smiles. “Thank you sweet girl,” she whispers, “For putting my Graysons’ heart back together,” – her hands drop to my belly – “and for giving our family a reason to live again.”
Oh crap, I’m going to cry. “It’s you and your family that I should thank,” I swallow back my tears, “I feel at home here, with all of you. You’re my family now.”
She hugs me tightly and a moment later we’re outside. The men are all standing around the grill, messing around and laughing, while I sit at the table with Demi, Graysons’ mom and Aunt Emma. Looking around, it’s impossible not to feel the sense of ‘family’. I wish my parents were here, to celebrate with us, and to ease my mind about what lies ahead but in spite of their absence, I have all the family I need and won’t ever take them for granted.
Chapter 26
Huntley
5 months later
It’s amazing how quickly things can change. Grayson is about to graduate and I couldn’t be more proud of him. I rub my big belly and when my little man kicks my hand I smile. I grab Demi’s hand and put it on the spot I felt the kick. When his little foot moves again Demi gasps. “That’s incredible.”
“What’s incredible?”
I look up, shielding the sun from my eyes, and grin wide when I see Jeff standing next to me. “Your nephew,” I giggle. “He’s playing football already.”
Jeff leans down, close to my belly. “Hey little man,” he says softly. “Think you can give your momma a little break in there?” His hands come to rest on my belly and his eyebrows shoot up when he feels a kick. “Wow. He’s busy.”
“He only calms down when it’s his daddy’s voice. And daddy’s sitting over there with the rest of the graduates.”
Jeff chuckles. “Maybe he’ll behave if you sit down?” he suggests and gestures towards the seats occupied by our family. Jeff greets his parents and takes the open seat next to me, while Demi sits on my other side. The hum of the crowd dies down as the graduation ceremony begins and my mind drifts through the last few months. I’ve just completed the first semester of my second year, adamant that being pregnant wouldn’t stop me from going to college. Grayson has already started working with the University’s sports department to launch his sports rehabilitation center and in the mean time he’s the football teams’ assistant coach. I’ll take a few courses online after the baby comes and then spend the first year with him at home. I was worried that I would have to put getting my degree on hold permanently, but Grayson wouldn’t hear it – he doesn’t want me to sacrifice my dreams just because we got our family started a little earlier than we expected.
The ceremony drags by painfully slowly and when the certificates start being handed out I get excited. Grayson is in the third row and I watch as he takes his place in line to get his degree. My heart fills with pride.
I feel a sharp pain in my belly and gasp. A few seconds later I feel it again, only this time it’s worse. I grab Jeff’s hand and squeeze it. “Are you ok?” he whispers, garnering the attention of his mother and my Aunt Emma. I’m two weeks away from my due date but the doctor said the baby can come any time now. Everyone has been on high alert, in case our little man decides to come early.
I shake my head no and whimper when I feel another sharp pain. I bite my lip to stifle a yelp. I look to the stage. There are three people in front of Grayson. I can hang on a bit longer. I rub my belly and start breathing in and out deeply, like Aunt Emma showed me.
I squeal when the fourth pain hits me and Jeff springs into action. He stands up and helps me to my feet. Grayson sees me just as he steps off the stage and comes running toward us. “What’s wrong? Are you ok?” he looks concerned.
“Um,” breathe in, breath out “I think it’s time.”
“Now?”
I smile at him and nod frantically. He takes Jeff’s place at my side and we start walking towards the parking lot. There’s a hustle behind us and I look back to see our family in a frenzy. Brody jumps off the stage and joins Graysons’ parents and my aunt and uncle, who start following us. We reach the truck and Jeff jumps into the drivers’ seat while Grayson joins me in the back.
Grayson
Doctor Bates walks into the room and I stop my pacing. “Right kids, let’s see if your little guy is ready to come out.” He takes a seat between where Huntley’s legs are bent and I hold her hand while we wait. His head pops up and he grins. “Ok Miss Morgan, are you ready?”