The Emersons spent a few hours leisurely walking around Copley Place before driving to an Italian restaurant in the north end for dinner.
That evening, in their suite at the Copley Plaza hotel, Julia undressed, dropping her clothes carelessly on the floor. Gabriel surveyed her body, his eyes fixing on her breasts, which were full and ripe.
“Your beauty always takes my breath away.”
Julia felt her skin heat under his gaze. “Your compliments always surprise me.”
“They shouldn’t. Perhaps I don’t say them often enough.” He paused, staring at her. “We aren’t newlyweds anymore.”
“No, we’re not.”
“Happy anniversary, Mrs. Emerson.”
“Happy anniversary, Mr. Emerson.”
He reached into his jacket pocket and removed a distinctive blue box, tied with a white satin ribbon.
Julia stammered.
“I’m sorry, Gabriel. I have a card for you but I forgot your gift back at the house.” She rubbed at her forehead. “I hope I’m not getting pregnancy brain.”
“Pregnancy brain?”
“Dr. Rubio says it’s common for pregnant women to experience short-term memory problems. It’s probably due to hormones.”
“I don’t need a gift, but I’m grateful you thought of me.”
“It’s a Star of David on a silver chain. I know you don’t wear jewelry.” She gestured to his wedding ring. “Except for that. But I thought maybe . . .”
“Of course I’d wear it. Thank you, Julianne, that was very thoughtful.”
“I’m sorry I forgot it. Thank you for your present.” She gazed at him warmly as he handed her the box.
When she opened it, she found a diamond solitaire pendant suspended on a long platinum chain. She looked up at him quizzically.
“It matches Grace’s earrings.” He stood behind her, gesturing toward the necklace.
“It’s beautiful.” She touched the stone as he fastened the chain around her neck. “Thank you.”
“Thank you for putting up with me,” he whispered, kissing the place where her neck flared into her shoulders.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a hardship. We have our ups and downs like any couple.”
He straightened, taking her hand in his. “Let’s try to make sure our ups are greater than our downs.”
After they’d spent time loving one another, they curled together on the bed.
Julia fingered the necklace that rested just above her expanded breasts.
“Are you scared?” she whispered.
The corners of Gabriel’s lips turned up. “Terrified.”
“Then why are you smiling?
“Because part of me is growing inside you. I get to see my beautiful wife carry my child.”
“In a few months, we’ll have a family.”
“We’re already a family.” He reached out to stroke her hair. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m tired. I nearly fell asleep in one of my seminars this week. I’m finding it difficult to stay awake in the afternoon without caffeine.”
His expression grew concerned. “You need to get more rest. Maybe you should come home and take a nap before your seminars.”
Julia yawned.
“I’d love to, but there isn’t time. I just need to start going to bed early. Which means we’ll need to have sex right after dinner.”
“And so it begins,” he mumbled.
“Don’t start with me.” She pushed at him playfully and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her into a tender kiss.
“I hope it’s a girl.”
Julia was surprised. “Why?”
“I want someone I can spoil, like you. A little brown-eyed angel.”
“That reminds me. Until we find out the sex of the baby, I don’t want to call the baby it. I know some people do that because there’s no gender-neutral pronoun in English. But I don’t like that.”
“I love it when you talk about grammar. It’s sexy.” He kissed her. “We’ll just call her her or the baby.”
Julia’s hand drifted down to her abdomen. “What makes you so sure the baby is a girl? I think we’re having a boy.”
“He’s a she. And we’ll have to come up with an appropriate name.”
“Such as what? Beatrice?”
“No,” he said softly. “There’s only one Beatrice. We could call her Grace.”
Julia was thoughtful for a moment.
“I’m not ready to decide on a name, although Grace is a possibility. I think he’s going to be a boy, though. So for now, we’ll just have to call him Ralph.”
“Ralph? Why Ralph?”
“It’s a good, all-purpose nickname. I would have called him Peanut, but that’s what we called Tommy before he was born.”
Gabriel chuckled. “Your mind is fascinating. Now go to sleep, little mama. Morning comes very early these days.”
He kissed her forehead before turning out the light. Then he held his wife in his arms.
A few hours later, he awoke to the feel of a hand stroking his naked chest.
“Darling?” His voice was thick with sleep.
“I’m sorry I woke you.” She moved closer, pressing her thigh in between his.
He felt her lips press light kisses over his pectorals and up to his neck.
“Can’t sleep?”
“No, I can’t.”