Joshua

Five months of bliss goes by really fast.

The sun is breaking through the clouds, casting long shafts of light across our bedroom, and Molly is curled beside me. She stopped coloring her hair when she found out she was pregnant, and now instead of silver, streaks of rose gold glow around her scalp.

I love it.

She says it makes her look too young and fragile.

I hope our little girl has red hair.

Or boy.

Her pale skin is golden in this light, and I can’t resist leaning down to kiss her shoulder. It’s how we wake every morning. It’s how we’ve woken since the first night she slept in my bed.

I tried to be a gentleman and take the air mattress.

She said she was crashing my pad, so she should take the air mattress.

In the end, we both took the bed, and I ended up between her sexy thighs.

“You don’t think women with giant stomachs are unattractive?” She purrs, turning in her sleep.

“They’re my favorite kind of women. Especially the super horny kind.”

She giggles with her eyes still closed. “It’s pregnancy hormones.”

“Oh sure, blame the hormones. It’s couldn’t be because you have the sexiest husband alive…” I turn her so her back is to my chest. “Who knows exactly where to touch you.”

One thing about our growing bundle of joy, he (or she) has made us get very creative with our sex positions. I snake my hand around her the top of her thigh and trace my fingertips lightly up her skin to her core.

Her back arches the closer I get and her hips start to move in time with my fingers. “Mmm…” Her thighs open for me. “Okay… let’s go with that.”

“I’m going.” With a hard thrust, I’m buried, balls-deep in my beautiful wife.

She moans, and I start to rock, still circling her clit with my finger, pinching and smoothing, doing my best to mover her along as fast as I’m going.

“Shit, Molly, you are so fucking sexy.” I’m pushing, and she’s rocking back against me.

Her hand covers mine, and I let her take the lead, guiding us to the finish line as her insides start to break and shudder, clenching and pulling. I close my eyes and let go, chasing that wave of orgasm as it rises, sweeping us both up in ecstasy.

“Oh, God! Oh, God!” She’s crying out, and I’m feeling it… until I’m not. “Oh, oh!”

My eyes pop open, and I realize her cries of pleasure have slowly changed into something different.

“Did you squirt?” I look down at the mattress, where I’m covered in liquid. “I confess, this is kind of a mess, but I’m feeling pretty proud of myself right now…”

“Joshua!” She snaps then rolls forward and lets out a loud wail. “Ooohhhh!”

Panic flashes in my chest. “What is it?”

“My water broke! We’ve got to get to the… Ooohhhhh! It hurts!”

“Shit!” I jump out of the bed, snatching up my boxer briefs and jerking them over my hips. “What do you need?”

“Panties… Get my sweatpants… A tee… Ooohhh! Joshua! Oh, OW!”

My throat is so dry, and I go in the bathroom before I realize that’s not right. I rush back out and go to her closet, scooping up the little suitcase she packed a week ago to be ready for a situation like this.

“Should I call 911? Can you make it to the hospital?”

“I can make it… Just give me my clothes.” She crawls slowly to the side of the bed, stopping every few seconds to let out a loud cry.

I jump to it, digging in the sheets for her panties. Her sweats and tee are on the back of the desk chair from last night. She’s made it to the side of the bed and struggles to sit up. I run over and hold her arm, carefully helping her stand, put on her clothes. She pauses to hold her breath, and her face turns red.

“Are you sure you can make it?”

She nods quickly. “Can you drive?”

“I think so…”

Somehow I manage to get us to the hospital and through the emergency room door. We get through the check-in procedure, but we’re too late for Molly to have an epidural.

“Were you feeling contractions in the night?” The nurse attaches a million monitors to her arm and stomach and finger.

Molly inhales slowly before groaning. “I felt uncomfortable, but I was sleeping pretty hard.”

Her doctor walks in and gives me a wink. “So having sex really does start labor?”

“Apparently it does,” I say, feeling like a heel.

“It was going really well until my water broke.” Molly grunts a laugh before it dissolves into another low groan.

“It’s going to get crazy for a little bit since we didn’t have time for drugs.” Her doctor is at the foot of the bed. “The good news is this baby’s coming fast. Get ready.”

It feels like an eternity of Molly crying and pushing. She holds my hand so hard, I’m sure I’ll never use it again. Then she’s up on her feet in a squatting position. Her doctor says it uses gravity to help the baby come.

I’m dying as she cries and the two of them work, and I wish there was some way I could reach in there and just pull the kid out. I’ve been all over Molly’s body. Why can’t I do this?

Finally, we’re on our second eternity, when the most amazing sound in the world breaks through the room. A little cry. Our baby is out, and Molly bursts into tears.

Fuck it, I’m crying, too. My wife’s hand is around the back of my neck, and we’re both looking down, waiting for the verdict…

“Mom and dad?” The doctor glances up at us for only a moment as the glorious cries of our newborn fill the room. “Meet your new little daughter.”

“Oh, Joshua!” Molly cries more, and our daughter is in her arms.

I’m holding both of them, and I’ve never been more in love in my life. “She’s beautiful. She looks just like you.”

The most amazing halo of red hair is on her head, and I can’t stop touching her. I can’t stop kissing my wife. The doctor looks up at us with a satisfied grin on her face, and I swear this is the best day of my life.

The room is quiet. The monitors beep softly, and our little girl is latched onto her mother’s breast, looking at us with big hazel eyes and a serious expression.

“She’s very focused on her dinner,” I tease, climbing into the wide bed beside my little family.

“She’s such a good little eater,” Molly says, stroking her cheek.

“Little Squirt takes after you.”

That gets me an elbow in the ribs, and I laugh. “You are not calling her that.”

“I was going to ask if it was the best orgasm of your life.”

“My water broke.” Molly turns and gives me a kiss. “You’re such a guy.”

“Hey, I just want to make you happy.”

“And have some weird ego trip.”

“It’s more about your pleasure.”

“Right.”

My phone has been going off all day. Dean is in New Orleans with Roland, and all four of the New Orleans crew are frantically booking plane tickets and communicating with us nonstop.

“I’ll be home before they get here.” Molly looks up at me with a smile. “I’m glad.

“It was such a fast delivery. You’re a rock star at having babies. Let’s do it again.”

She laughs softly. “Give me a year or two.”

Our little girl’s eyes are drifting closed, and I feel the waves of exhaustion rolling over me.

“Get some sleep.” Molly kisses my lips, and I close my eyes in heaven.

* * *

Molly

Heaven is something like this right here.

Joshua’s body is curled at my back, and my little girl is sleeping like an angel in the bed beside me. The arms of the bed are raised, and we have pillows all around. It’s like we’re in a warm, soft cocoon of love.

And I can’t sleep.

From the bliss of making love to my husband to the agony of childbirth to the euphoria of welcoming Kaitlyn Anastasia Lara Andrews to the world (we named her after all the moms)…

I’m wide awake.

My phone is in my hand, and I’m answering all the friends sending congratulations. Stas is one of the first messages I return. He’s at his villa in Nice and insists we come to visit him as soon as possible so he can meet his adopted granddaughter.

I never missed having a father, but now that he’s in my life, I realize what a special relationship it can be.

You need to come here, I text. Kate won’t be able to leave until at least three months. That’s too long to wait.

It doesn’t take long before he agrees to fly back and see her. I’m lying my head down, my eyes finally starting to close when one last text pops up.

My brow quirks and I take a chance.

It makes me smile. Thank you.

Shaking my head, I quickly type out my reply. Hit Girl is retired. Permanently.

“Of all the…” I lean my head back, realizing she knows I’m enrolling in college now, and not just that, she knows my major.

I type quickly. Still keeping tabs on me?

I tell myself I don’t want to hear her job. I know I’ve put that necklace in a safe deposit box in a bank far away… but I’m wide awake now. Might as well satisfy my curiosity.

Go ahead, I reply.

I remember a time when she said she’d rather match wits with me than cross swords. I think about the challenge of catching bad guys the new and improved way… as opposed to the old-fashioned way. If anybody could do it, it’s one of us.

I don’t know how much time I have to work on this, but maybe it’s something I can do when I’m feeding Kate.

I grin and put my phone aside. Scooting down in the bed with my husband’s arms around me, and my baby in my arms, I think about the long road to here. I wanted justice. I wanted revenge. I guess some people would think by my walking away free, justice still isn’t served…

Either way, if I can find a way to make the world a better place and work inside the law, that just might be the best of both worlds. It certainly is better for my family.

I lean down and kiss Kate’s little head.

Looks like people can change after all.

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