Page 111 (1/2)

“Ittoward the necklace

“It’s beautiful” She touched the stone as he fastened the chain around her neck “Thank you”

“Thank you for putting up withthe 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 reater than our downs”

After they’d spent tiether on the bed

Julia fingered the necklace that rested just above her expanded brsts

“Are you scared?” she whispered

The corners of Gabriel’s lips turned up “Terrified”

“Then why are you set to see my beautiful wife carry my child”

“In a few months, we’ll have a family”

“We’re already a fa?”

“I’m tired I nearly fell asleep in one ofit 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 ti to bed early Which ht after dinner”

“And so it begins,” he mumbled

“Don’t start with rabbed her wrist, pulling her into a tender kiss

“I hope it’s a girl”

Julia was surprised “Why?”

“I want soel”

“That reminds me Until we find out the sex of the baby, I don’t want to call the baby it I know soender-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 abdoirl? 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 h Grace is a possibility I think he’s going to be a boy, though So for noe’ll just have to call hiood, all-purpose nickname I would have called him Peanut, but that’s e called Tommy before he was born”

Gabriel chuckled “Yourcomes 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