The sun rose at 6:53 a.m.

All along the edges of the bedroom curtains, the sunlight changed from indigo, to green, to gold, then to peach and back to gold. With every change in hue, I was rapt with attention, watching as the shadow on the duvet created by the small protrusion of Kristin’s belly became more and more defined by the growing light.

She slept peacefully, trusting I would not wake her until it was absolutely necessary. She loved sleeping on her back, but I knew from experience that she would not be able to indulge in her favorite sleeping position much longer. At four and a half months pregnant, she had no more than a month before the weight of the baby would force her to start sleeping on her side—with that damn pregnancy pillow—the way she had when she was pregnant with Amelia four years ago.

I let her sleep for another hour and a half, while I stared at my phone, responding to emails and checking on the markets. Kristin hated when I checked the markets before getting out of bed on a day off. She said it affected my mood for the rest of the day. That wasn’t entirely true. It was just that, obviously, when the markets were down, I tended to get more doomsday messages from clients than I did when the markets were up.

The Dow was up today. I turned my phone off and tossed it into the top drawer of my nightstand. I wouldn’t be needing it anymore today. Today, Kristin would have my undivided attention.

The clunk of the phone hitting the bottom of the drawer made her stir.

I slid my hand under the comforter, finding her swollen belly. “Happy anniversary, baby,” I murmured, as I leaned in and kissed the soft skin on her neck.

She groaned as her eyelids slowly flickered open. “Happy anniversary,” she whispered.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

My mind was clearly set on one thing, and one thing only: anniversary sex. But she’d been having some morning sickness lately, so I had to at least check in with her first.

A lazy smile spread across her face, as her brain woke up and registered what I was really asking. She nodded. “Yes,” she replied, answering my implied question rather than the one I’d actually asked.

I chuckled as I slid my hand inside her panties. “Can’t hide anything from you, can I?”

Her mouth fell open and she let out a small gasp as I found her spot. “Five years of marriage has a funny way of turning a person into an open book.”

“Are you calling me transparent?” I said, my hand frozen in place.

She grabbed my hand and I laughed as she began using my finger to touch herself. “Stop talking and just fuck me.”

I pulled my hand free of her grasp. “As you wish.”

Knowing how she liked it best, I grabbed her hip and rotated her body away from me, so she was facing the window. She giggled as I slid my hand over her baby bump, continuing down between her legs again. Closing her eyes, she let out a blissful sigh as I found her spot.

I slid my leg between hers, spreading her knees apart like butterfly wings. Then, I draped her leg over mine, giving my hand easy access to her center. She whimpered as my finger whispered over her sensitive skin, being as gentle as possible. When the volume of her cries increased, I slid a finger inside her.

She was primed and ready.

“Oh, God,” she breathed as I pushed into her from behind.

I paused for a moment, my mouth pressed against the back of her ear as I savored how perfectly I fit inside her. Keeping one hand between her legs, I slid my arm underneath her and caught her breast in my other hand. I thrust into her slowly at first, reveling in the soft warmth of her body against mine. But it didn’t take long for both of us to lose ourselves in the moment.

“Harder,” she begged.

And harder I went.

* * *

I yelped as Daniel pulled out of me and scooped me up onto all fours in one impossibly swift yet careful motion. He grabbed my hips and I laughed as he yanked me backward, so he could stand on the floor behind me. His hand slid down my backside and between my legs again, instantly finding my spot. Sometimes, I was certain he knew my body better than I did.

I looked back at him over my shoulder and his eyes locked on mine as he massaged my center. His other hand reached forward, grasping my shoulder to hold me steady as my legs began to quiver. I hung my head, breathing heavily as the orgasm rippled through me. Before I could collapse, he slung his arm around my waist and plunged into me.

His body curved over mine, his mouth landing on my shoulder as he sank in and out of me. He was slow and deliberate at first, his teeth scraping gently over the back of my neck as he took his time to draw out the pleasure. But as he traced the tip of his tongue over the back of my ear, I heard the moment his breathing quickened and I curled my fists around the comforter to brace myself.

My eyes widened and I gasped as he stood up straight, grabbing onto my hips as he pounded me from behind. His skin smacked against mine and I laughed heartily as I realized I was going to come again. My increased sensitivity and seemingly endless sex drive was my favorite perk to being pregnant.

“That is one sexy fucking laugh,” he said, his body quivering against mine as he slowed his thrusts until he had finished inside me.

We were both silent as he pulled me up onto my knees, his body pressed against mine as he took my breast in one hand, his other hand landing on my belly. I turned my head and his mouth curved against mine as he twitched inside me.

As he began to soften, he pulled his head back and looked me in the eye. “I have a surprise for you.”

I smiled. “I know.”

His eyebrows scrunched together and his green eyes looked stricken. “You know what it is?”

I laughed and shook my head. “No, but I know you have a surprise. I mean, I figured you’d have one since you’ve surprised me on every other anniversary.”

He rolled his eyes and laid a gentle smack on my ass before he pulled out of me. “You scared the fuck out of me,” he said, holding out his hand to help me off the bed. “Come on, dirty girl. It’s shower time.”

As we lathered each other up in the shower, I thought of all the surprises Daniel had sprung on me before this one, trying to work out what this one might be.

The first time he surprised me was on the one-year anniversary of the day we met at the offices of Golde Property Management. He dressed up like a cop and handed me a fake eviction notice, then he pretended to arrest me and take advantage of me in my jail cell. Definitely one of my favorite surprises.

Another memorable surprise was our third anniversary, which was traditionally supposed to be a leather gift, but had more recently been replaced by crystal or glass. Daniel surprised me by taking me to the art studio of Arturo Uribe, Manhattan’s most sought-after glass sculptor. Arturo spent all day teaching me everything I’d ever wanted to learn about glassblowing and sculpting.

I knew that this year’s surprise would probably be found in my new art studio. I had been using the master bedroom at the beach house as my art studio for the past seven years. It had the best view of the ocean; therefore, it had the best lighting. It was also the biggest room on the second floor. Unfortunately, this meant my studio didn’t exactly meet all my needs.

I still had to trudge downstairs and into the laundry-slash-utility room to wash clay and paint off my hands. I’d learned that lesson the hard way when I backed up the plumbing system with bits of hardened clay. The utility sink downstairs was equipped with a special constant-flow sink trap and filtration system to prevent any paint or sculpting material from hardening in the pipes.

It took a few years before I finalized the architectural design for my art studio, and we began construction six months ago. The new two-story building sat on the east lawn, just to the right of the pool if you stood facing the ocean. The building was completed last month, and I’d spent most of the past three weeks working with an interior designer to make the inside my perfect combination of beautiful, practical, and inspirational.

“Do I need to get dressed up for this surprise?” I asked, looking at Daniel’s reflection as I towel-dried my hair in front of the double sink.

He disappeared through the doorway that led into the walk-in closet. “You know your surprise is in the studio,” he said, confirming what I already knew. “You can walk across the lawn naked, for all I care. Not like you haven’t done it before.”

* * *

I pulled on a pair of cargo shorts and a T-shirt in the closet. When I emerged, Kristin shot me a nasty glare from across the bathroom. She knew I would never let her live down the time she went alone for a swim, and her bikini top snapped, floating away into the depths of the ocean. Then, as she ran topless from the beach into the house, she bumped into the gardener.

As hilarious as it was, I felt a little bad that I had to fire the gardener. Poor kid always turned away every time he saw us coming, but he couldn’t hide the fact that he kept getting a stiffie whenever he saw Kristin. I gave him good references.

I came up behind her and placed my hand over her abdomen. “Have you thought more about what you want to name him?” I murmured into her ear.

She tossed her towel onto the vanity and lay her hand over mine. “What was that gardener’s name again? Roberto?”

I glared at her reflection in the mirror. “All right, you got me back.”

She grinned as I rested my chin on her shoulder. “How about Daniel?”

I shook my head. “Come on, baby. For a professional artist, that’s not very creative.”

She elbowed me in the ribs and I backed away to escape her wrath. “Well, what do you want to name him?”

I stepped forward again, wrapping my arms around her waist. “Something manly, like Brutus.”

She cringed. “Brutus? That’s gross.”

“Gross?” I laughed.

“Yes. Brutus sounds like bruise. Might as well just name him Bruiser.”

My eyes widened. “Bruiser is good. Bruiser is a kid no one fucks with.”

“Bruiser is a dog’s name! And not even a cute dog’s name,” she said, shaking her head. Then, she stared at the reflection of my hands on her belly for a while, before she looked up at me. “How about…Theodore?”

I smiled as I rubbed her belly. “Little Teddy Bear.”

She beamed at the sound of this. “My Teddy Bear.”

“Hey, kid. Don’t forget who was your first teddy bear,” I said, turning her around and planting a soft kiss on her forehead as I pulled her into my arms.

She coiled her arms around my waist and pressed her cheek into my shoulder. “I love when you call me kid. It almost makes me forget I’m turning thirty next month.”

We stood there for longer than we probably should have, but it was okay. Amelia could sleep in a little longer while I indulged in some alone time with Mommy.

As I held Kristin, I didn’t know how I was managing to keep my cool on the outside. Because inside, I was a mess. This was the first anniversary where there was a distinct possibility that my surprise might genuinely upset Kristin.

I kept thinking back to the first time I shared a family dinner with Kristin, her mom, and Petra in this house. I brought a gift for Sally that day, and I told Kristin she couldn’t see her mom’s gift until she’d memorized all the songs on a USB drive. Of course, she found out soon after that, that this was just a joke. The gift I gave Sally contained a note stating that she could share her gift with Kristin whenever she was ready. Giving Sally a choice in the matter was the least I could do for the woman who had raised the girl I’d fallen in love with.

To Sally’s credit, she didn’t shy away from sharing her gift with her daughter. The journal Michael Becker had kept became a gateway to understanding for Kristin. Still, she insisted Sally keep it. And when I asked her if she wanted to keep the pictures Petra had removed from the bedroom her father built for her, she insisted we should get rid of them.

I had been keeping this year’s anniversary gift a secret from Kristin for seven years. If this surprise didn’t work out the way I hoped it did, I just prayed it didn’t end in divorce.

* * *

I glanced down at my baby before I stepped into Amelia’s bedroom, shaking my head when I saw she had kicked off her covers again. She was splayed out across the mattress with her mouth hanging open, waves of golden-brown hair falling across her angelic face. Her pajama shirt with the bunny rabbit print was scrunched up, exposing her soft belly. It took everything in me not to wake her with a loud raspberry on her stomach.

I slowly sat on the edge of her bed, and her eyelids clicked open. The golden flecks in her green eyes shined in the morning sunlight.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” I said, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

She reached up to brush her hair out of her face as her eyes widened with pure wonder. “Mommy, I dreamed—I dreamed—I dreamed I could fly.”

I smiled as I helped her get the rest of her hair out of her face. “Really? Where were you flying?”

She blinked furiously as she sat up, her face full of utter amazement as she stuck her arms out as if she were flying. “I flew over—over the pool. And you—and you and Daddy were watching me. And Daddy—Daddy couldn’t catch me!” she said, covering her mouth as she giggled.

“That doesn’t sound right.” Daniel’s voice startled us both. He took a seat on the other side of the mattress and pulled Amelia into his lap. “Daddy would never let you fly away,” he said, kissing her forehead and squeezing her tightly. “You’re mine forever and ever.”

There was nothing in the world that made me happier than the expression of pure love and adoration on Amelia’s face when her Daddy held her. It didn’t matter to me that she might never adore me as much as Daniel. Her love for him was too beautiful and unadulterated to ever begrudge.

“Good morning, baby,” he said, loosening his hold on her.

“Good morning, Daddy,” she replied, making no attempt to leave his lap.

I reached for her chubby toes and she giggled as I rolled them between my fingers, like plump peas. “Can we all see the surprise together?” I asked Daniel, loving the way Amelia’s face lit up at the mention of the word “surprise.”

“I want a surprise! Pleeeeeeee-ase!” she howled.

Daniel shot me a very unimpressed look, then he smiled down at Amelia. “Of course, baby. I’ll take you swimming today, then I’ll read you a book. A surprise book.”

Amelia clapped her hands together. “A surprise book about magic?”

“It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you what the book is about.”

Her wispy eyebrows scrunched together, pleading with him. “Please, Daddy. I want a magic book.”

It never failed to amaze me how Amelia never stumbled over her words when she spoke to Daniel. It was almost as if she drew strength from him, the same way everyone else did. Like when Daniel’s sister Alisha almost gave up on college so she could move in with her boyfriend after graduating high school; the same boyfriend who had cheated on her in the first month of their relationship and dropped out of high school in his senior year.

Daniel never scolded Alisha. Instead, he took her and her boyfriend out to lunch with us, treating the guy as if he were already part of our family. Throughout the meal, I could see Alisha’s body language changing, leaning away from her boyfriend as she slowly began to realize he didn’t have the strength of character she deserved. The next day, Alisha announced she had decided to continue her education.

It was an interesting symbiosis. Daniel gave us strength by taking care of us. By being Amelia’s rock, she never felt frightened or uncertain around him. This made her stronger and more confident whenever Daddy was around. It was a beautiful thing to see.

* * *

As we walked along the brick-paved path toward the new art studio, I focused on chatting with Amelia to distract myself from speculating on how Kristin would react to her surprise.

“You want to visit Grandma today?” I asked her, but she didn’t reply, too busy contorting her hands and fingers into circles and squares and triangles. “Huh, baby? Wanna go see Grandma?”

Her eyebrows shot up and she nodded her head vigorously. “Can I take my Buddy?”

I smiled at the way she always remembered to ask permission. “Of course, baby.”

Amelia had been begging us for a dog since the moment she could speak. She was in love with Grandma Sally’s golden retriever, Bobo. We got Amelia a stuffed golden retriever, and it didn’t surprise me one bit when she named the toy dog Buddy. I planned on getting her a real Buddy for her fourth birthday in a couple of months.

We arrived at the door to the two-story studio, a stunning building with a pitched roof, floor-to-ceiling windows, and golden cedar shingles, which would soon turn a dusty gray from the salty breeze. The curtains inside had been drawn shut for days as I prepared this surprise. I hoped she liked it.

We stopped at the arched red door and I turned to Kristin. “If you don’t like the surprise, just say the word and I’ll get rid of it.”

She rolled her eyes. “You have impeccable instincts when it comes to surprising me. I’m sure whatever it is you’re hiding in there will be exactly what I need, even if it’s not exactly what I want.”

I smiled at her diplomatic way of preparing me for the possibility that she may not like the gift. “I guess we’re about to find out if that’s true.”

I entered the code on the deadbolt, and the lock clicked. Pressing down the latch, I pushed open the door and the smell of fresh paint slammed into us. As planned, my surprise gift was the first thing you saw as you entered the studio. It would be the first thing she saw when she arrived in the morning, and the last thing she saw as she closed the door when leaving the studio for the day.

She stared at it for a very long time, my stomach doing cartwheels as I waited for her say anything. But all I could think was I fucked up.

* * *

I stared in complete shock at the framed black-and-white pictures on the wall, which surrounded a large porthole-like circular window that overlooked the ocean. My throat swelled shut as I was overwhelmed with emotion. From the instant I saw them, I knew the pictures were taken by my favorite photographer, Mikki Slayer. But Daniel must have hired her to take candids without my knowledge, because other than the few email messages we’d exchanged, I’d never met her in my life.

“How did you do this?” I whispered, though I already knew the answer. It was the same answer as always.

No one could resist Daniel. Not even the reclusive sculptor, Arturo Uribe, who Daniel was able to convince to give me private glass sculpting lessons. Apparently, Mikki Slayer could also not resist him.

The wall was covered in candid photos of Daniel, my mom, and me. In some photos, we were alone, and in others we were with Amelia. The pictures were stunning. No one could capture an honest moment the way Mikki could. But it was the pictures that were obviously not taken by her that surprised me most.

Photos of my father, and photos of me that were obviously taken by my father, told a story of a man I’d never known. A man I thought I’d never wanted to know. A man who it seemed, at some point in his cold, wretched life, may have actually loved me.

I pulled the neck of my tank top up to wipe the tears from my face, then I took a few more steps forward.

“Is it what you needed or what you wanted?” Daniel asked tentatively.

I turned to him and the uncertainty in his eyes made me love him even more. “It’s both,” I whispered, shaking my head as I held my arms out so he could hand over my baby girl. “I don’t know how you do it, how you continue to surprise me.”

He passed Amelia to me, then stood behind me, placing a heavy hand on my shoulder as we both gazed at the wall of memories. “It’s easy,” he said, placing a soft kiss on my ear. “You know all the times I complained about not being able to read your mind? Well, that was a lie. I can actually read your mind.”

I smiled as Amelia wiped some moisture from my chin. “Oh, really? What am I thinking now?”

He wrapped his arms around me, his hands cradling my abdomen. “You’re thinking… Hmmm, I really like the name Brutus.”

I shook my head and planted a loud kiss on Amelia’s cheek. “What do you think, baby? Do you want to name your new dog Brutus?”

Amelia’s eyes widened. “I get a dog? Where’s my dog?”

“Let’s go to the shelter and get you a puppy,” I said.

Amelia threw her arms into the air, her face lighting up with sheer glee as she cheered. “Thank you, Mommy!”

Daniel leaned forward and whispered in my ear. “Very clever, offering my son’s name to a dog.”

I smiled triumphantly as I turned to face him. “You should have seen that coming, mind reader.”

He shook his head, clutching his chest dramatically. “How could you Brutus to me?”

I looked up at him, my heart full with admiration. “Because I know you can take the heat. After all, you are my superhero.”

* * *