Everly

The happiest day of my life came as a surprise.

It was an ordinary Wednesday, like any other Wednesday.

I tapped away at my computer keyboard while Piper slept in the next room, flicking the baby monitor on every few seconds just to check she was okay, even though without fail, her chest rose and fell in steady slumber.

With one last sentence, I finished the blog post and hit submit. All done. And, thanks to it being the end of the year, I had no study to do, which meant …

I glanced from my desk, past the many framed photos of Cameron, Piper and I that lined the walls, to the deck with the beautiful view of the ocean. I missed the garden we’d created, but this view made it all worth it.

I loved that we could raise Piper here. That she lived near the beach, got to enjoy that fresh ocean air, and that we still did have a little grassy area for her to run around and play in.

I love that we’ll have a little yard for her baby brother or sister, too.

I loved that Piper got to see her dad so much more than she would have if we were back down the coast, because Lord knew, she adored that man like she adored milk, and her unicorn toy, and chasing gulls down on the sand. Hey, I couldn’t blame the girl—I adored him too.

I closed the lid on my laptop, walking to the window and staring out at the ocean. It was ever changing and yet always the same. Like so much in life.

My stomach bumped against the glass. Some things changed quicker than others, and that had been one of them. At only twelve weeks, I already had a little swell where it used to be flat, and my jeans were getting tighter and tighter.

Heat.

Two strong arms wrapped around my waist.

I startled, then relaxed, and tilted my head back to the soft kisses that peppered my neck. “You’re home early.”

“I was always finishing ahead of time today,” Cameron murmured, brushing my hair out of the way as those kisses trailed up to my ear.

“Ahead of time, sure. But not at”—I glanced at the clock—“twelve? Is everything okay?”

I pushed back, turned to look at him.

He didn’t look worried.

He didn’t look upset.

A wide grin split his face, and mischief danced in his eyes.

“A man can’t come home to see his women early without getting the third degree?” He wrapped an arm around my waist, jerking me to him. That hard body up against mine … those muscles …

Lust pooled in my groin, and I shivered as I felt his cock, so hard against me. “I’m not complaining.” I kissed his lips. Fire raged within me as I ran my hand up his back, pulling his body closer. “Not complaining at all.”

“Good.” Strong hands trailed up my sides, over my breasts, and Lord, he turned me on. How had I lived without his touch for the majority of my life? How his I lived without him?

“Because I have something to tell you. Something big.” He stepped back, arms by his sides.

“Hey!” I pouted, grabbing at one hand and placing it back firmly over my boob. “Do not leave a horny pregnant woman hanging.”

“Horny pregnant?” He raised one eyebrow.

“It’s a thing.” I glared, silently challenging him.

Smart man, he didn’t disagree.

“So what is this big news?” I asked, turning my back to the view and leaning against the window frame. “Good, I hope?”

“It is. It—”

Ring, ring.

My phone buzzed from its position on the kitchen counter.

“You want to get that?”

I glanced at the screen. Jo-home flashed up at me. “It might be Mum.”

“Everly …” Cam gave me a half-smile. “You can’t run from her forever.”

I took a deep breath.

The thing was, he was right.

After everything that had happened recently with Giselle, with Piper, with this new baby, I’d been thinking a lot about mothers and the roles they played in our lives. How they shaped us as humans.

Mum had failed me. She hadn't been there when I’d needed her to be there.

But people make mistakes.

And if Jo could forgive her, couldn’t I at least try?

I took the phone, one hand pointed at his hips. “Hold that penis. I’m coming for it shortly.”

Cam laughed as I swiped across to answer.

“Hello?”

“Hey Ev. How you doing?”

“Jo. Good.” My shoulders relaxed. It was my sister, not my mum. I’d dodged that bullet. “How are you?”

“Good, good. Just checking in. Today is the day, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is. But our appointment’s not for another two hours.”

“Oh, cool. I’ll be meeting with this annoying client then—the guy wants me to create a shabby chic modern and luxurious website. The guy sells sex toys, for Christ’s sake! He wants something that looks like it’s not raunchy …” Jo continued speaking, but my mind was elsewhere.

I was a mother now—or a caregiver, at least. While the paternity test for Piper had come back positive, we still hadn’t received a court date for Piper’s custody battle. But when we’d returned from our holiday, we’d moved straight in here, meaning it had been eight weeks I’d spent in her life full-time. Eight weeks of beautiful smiles, of melting hearts. I love her so much.

And if, heaven forbid, something ever happened and we drifted apart, I’d want her to show compassion for me.

“Jo, can I please speak to Mum?”

Silence.

“Jo? You there?” I pulled back, checking the call was still connected.

“Yes, I’m just—shocked, that’s all,” she said. “I’m sure she’d be thrilled to hear from you, but what’s changed?”

“I have.” I shrugged. It really was as simple as that.

“Okay. Mum! Everly’s on the phone. Wants to talk to you,” Jo shouted, and I pulled the phone away from my ear.

Cam pressed a soft kiss on my shoulder, his arms around my waist once more as he nestled his chin at the base of my neck. “So proud of you.”

“Thanks,” I whispered. I could do this. She couldn’t hurt me anymore.

“Hello?” Mum.

Her voice was older—more tired than I remembered. The drink had been hurting her, had caused her cancer—but maybe defeating it had ruined a part of her, too.

“Everly?”

“Hi.” My voice cracked. Emotions flooded me. “Mum, I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to take your call.”

“No, you don’t ever have to apologise to me. I’m sorry. For everything. I just …” She sniffled.

“It’s okay.” It hadn’t been, but it was now. Now, I was stronger than I was back then. Now, I could handle it all. Now, I had a family of my own, and even though I wasn’t quite ready to start anew, to open my life up to her as I once had, I was ready to share. “I have some news.”

“You do?”

“Yes.” I squeezed Cam’s hand. “You’re going to be a grandmother.”

* * *

The car trip was one of the longest of my life.

“Nearly there.” Cam reached over to squeeze my knee.

“Don’t touch me. I love you, but don’t touch me.” I bit down on my lip.

“Damn, if you’re like this when you need to pee, imagine what you’ll be like when you’re in—”

I shot him a murderous look. His eyes were on the road, but he stopped speaking anyway. Lucky.

“You try drinking a litre of water when you have a small human inside of you, and then not peeing. It’s like torture. Surely there has to be a better way,” I mumbled.

“You’re doin’ great.”

“Thank you.” I nodded, justified, as we pulled into the parking lot.

We hopped out of the car and walked toward the centre. He was so good to me. So supportive. After the phone call with Mum, he’d sat down, wanting to talk about what had happened. Wanting to know how I felt. What he could do to help. And he’d come home early, too. He’d probably just wanted to spend some extra time relaxing before we went—

“Your news!” I shrieked. I jumped in front of him, blocking the door. “Your news. I can’t believe I forgot.”

Worst girlfriend ever.

Cam just smiled. “It can wait till after.”

“No! No way.” I folded my arms under my chest. “Please, tell me now. I’m so sorry I forgot.”

“It’s okay. Pregnancy brain.” He winked. “It’s always thinking about sex, so it must be hard to—”

“Just tell me already.” I laughed.

“Okay.” His chest swelled as he took a deep breath. “Giselle’s agreed not to fight me for primary full-time custody.”

“What?”

“Giselle’s agreed to—”

“AH!” I screamed, jumping up and down. I threw my arms around him, around Piper. Amazing. This was truly amazing. “You got custody. You got custody.”

“We got custody.” Cam laughed, trying to meet my lips for a kiss but I couldn’t stop jumping, couldn’t slow my excitement. “She’s been sentenced to five years in prison, and I don’t know if she thinks this means I might bring her to visit more or what, but she said yes. We don’t have to wait to get our court date.”

This—this was perfect. He was getting his happy ending. Finally, he didn’t have to worry about Piper being taken away.

“I just—Cameron! This is the best,” I squealed. "I think I just peed a little. I’m so excited. I—”

The door opened behind me. “Excuse me?”

Oops.

A woman in a blue shirt gave me a bemused look. “Are you Everly Jenkins?”

“Yes. Sorry.” I had been a little loud.

“They’re ready for you now.”

I widened my eyes at Cam. They were ready for us.

He grabbed my hand as we walked in.

“I’ll just get you to quickly fill out these forms, then you can go through.” The woman handed a clipboard to me and I scribbled down my details, suddenly anxious. This was so nerve-wracking. What if something was wrong? What if—

No.

Whatever happened, we would deal with it.

Together.

As if reading my mind, Cam pressed a kiss to my cheek. A lady with short black hair called my name, and we followed her into the examination room.

Because as much as I’d told myself the opposite all morning, this wasn’t just an ordinary Wednesday.

This was the Wednesday.

The Wednesday we saw our baby for the first time.

I lay on the plastic bed, pulling my shirt up. The gel was cool as she placed it over my skin, and I bit my lip, my eyes trained on the television screen in front of me. Please. Please let it all be okay.

“Aaaand …” the sonographer said, moving the stick a little. “There.”

There.

There on the screen was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

A head—so round and perfect. The soft curve of a nose. Lips, and little arms that stretched up and out.

“There’s your baby,” the sonographer said.

I glanced over at Cam. Tears shone in his eyes. I reached out, squeezed his hand. “You okay?”

“Mm.” He cleared his throat, nodding. “I’m good.”

“And see this flashing?” the sonographer zoomed on a spot just under the baby’s head. I nodded. “That’s the heartbeat.”

Wow.

“Let me just play it for you.”

And as the sound of galloping horses filled the room, my heart was full to bursting. I had it all. I had the man I loved, the girl I loved, both here in this room with me. That sound, those lines on the screen I experienced with every part of me—my ears, my eyes, my heart—it was our baby.

Tears pricked my eyes. “I …”

Cam leaned over. Piper traced her gorgeous little hand over one of the tears on my cheek. “Thank you, Everly,” he whispered, softly pressing his lips to my forehead. “Thank you. I love you.”

“I love you too. Both of you.” I clasped Piper’s hand in mine. I should be thanking Cam. He has given me this incredible gift.

My future.

My loves.