As the boys help me unpack the groceries, Thane comes in from a long day of flying, still wearing his captain’s uniform, and I don’t think I’ve noticed until now just how sexy he is in it.

“Daddy!” Jack yells and gives him a hug. Braxley hugs him too. He still calls him Thane, and I think that’s okay. Ben is his dad, and I always want it to stay that way in his memory. But Thane holds a spot inside of him too, I can see it through the connection that the two share.

“Baby,” he says and kisses me on the corner of the mouth.

“How was your day?” I ask.

“It was good.” He reaches into the fridge and cracks a beer then asks, “How was my boys’ day?”

“It was so fun, one of our chicks hatched in class today.”

“No way, that’s awesome. Did you guys see it happen?”

“Yeah,” Braxley says his face lighting up as he recalls the events from earlier and I love watching my guys together.

“What did you name it?”

“Harry!”

“Well, that’s suiting.”

Jack is still helping me with the groceries. He’s such a good helper anytime I need it.

“Here, bud,” I tell him passing him some more fresh vegetables to put into the fridge.

He puts them in the drawer and then goes through another bag. “What’s this, Faye?” he asks me, holding up the pregnancy test that I bought today. Shit, how did I forget about that? I must be pregnant.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” I tell him and toss it on top of the fridge. Thane being nosy, peeks at the top of the fridge and then takes down the box, holding it in his hand.

“Yeah, what is this?” he asks me, and I blush, staying busy with the groceries.

“It’s nothing,” I tell him.

“Doesn’t look like nothing,” he says reading the box and sipping on his beer. I yank it out of his hand and throw it on top of the fridge again.

“Do you have something to tell me?” he asks pulling me towards him by the hips. I stand in front of him, the boys are at either side of him, and I shake my head.

“What is it?” Braxley asks, and Thane says, “It’s a pregnancy test.”

“What’s it do?”

“It can tell if you’re pregnant or not.”

“Oh, I wanna use it,” Jack says, and we all laugh at him.

“No, buddy, it’s not for boys. Only girls can have babies.”

“But a girl and a boy make a baby.”

Thane swallows awkwardly, and I have no clue how he knows that.

“So why don’t you take the test, Mommy?” Braxley asks me.

“Oh, I’ll do it later.”

“No, you won’t!” Thane snatches it down, and tears open the box handing me the stick.

“Are you sure?” I ask, and he coolly sips his beer waiting for me to take the test out of his hand.

As I walk off with it in my hand going into the restroom down the hall, I can hear the guys talking. This was not the way I envisioned this going. I thought Thane and I would talk about it first and take the test together. Now, here I am alone in an empty bathroom.

“You done yet?” Braxley bangs on the door.

And I about jump out of my skin, or maybe it’d be better if I just jumped out of the window. “Just a sec,” I holler, and I can hear the three of them laughing in the hallway.

Lifting my dress up, I pull my underwear down and remove the cap. But I can’t pee. Of course, I can’t.

“Done yet?”

“NO!” I bellow and then they start knocking repeatedly on the door.

I shake my head, the hugest smile on my face, and finally, I pee, soaking the tip of the stick. Placing the cap back on it, I wipe and wait for the results, but the boys will not stop banging, so I open the door, and Thane asks me, “What’s it say?”

“It’s not done yet.” He yanks the test out of my hand, and I stand frozen.

The boys chase him, trying to get to it and he runs off into the living room. I follow, nervous as hell, knowing in the next few moments my life could forever change. Whether it’s positive or not, we’re gonna have to talk about starting a family, and I told him before I didn’t think I wanted more kids.

“Let me see, let me see!” the boys clamor and Thane says, “Calm down, let’s all look at it together.” They sit on the couch as still as they can. But I can’t sit, I just pace—waiting.

“Be patient,” he says as their little legs rock back and forth. Braxley is on one side of him, and Jack is on the other. All of them are staring—looking down—waiting to see if our future will have another child in it. A child of mine and Thane’s.

The waiting feels like forever, and I find myself chewing on a fingernail.

Then a smile bigger than ever comes across Thane’s face, and I take in one final breath.