Page 27 of Dad Bod's Daring December
We laugh, letting the ridiculous idea carry us. It feels good to laugh like this. We’ve come a long way from the whirlwind of a year ago, from those darker moments that seem distant now.
I stretch my legs, and the movement bumps a gift under the couch, the one Ember handed me earlier, and then practically begged me not to open until tonight. She’s been grinning like a kid all day, practically glowing, which was all the more reason for me to hold off. There’s nothing like watching her try to contain her excitement.
“Want to open it now?” she asks, sitting up a little, her eyes gleaming with a look somewhere between excitement and nerves.
I raise an eyebrow. “You sure? I was going to save it for last. You know, savor the anticipation.”
She rolls her eyes, giving me a playful shove. “I’m going to explode if you wait another minute.”
“All right, all right, since you’re so excited.” I reach under the couch and pull out the little box. It’s wrapped neatly in red paper, with a little gold ribbon tied around it. I shake it a little, trying to guess what’s inside.
She groans, laughing. “Just open it already. Don’t torture me.”
With a grin, I slide a finger under the edge of the paper, carefully peeling it back to draw out the moment. She watches me like I’m about to pull a rabbit out of a hat, eyes wide, fingers twisting nervously in her lap.
I lift the lid off the box and inside is a tiny pair of knitted baby booties, soft and warm, like something you’d give to a newborn. It takes me a second to process what I’m seeing. Then it clicks.
I stare at the booties, then look up at her, my mouth opening but no words coming out. She bites her lip, watching me closely.
“You…We…You’re…”
She nods, her eyes shining with happy tears. The grin that breaks across her face is enough to melt the snow outside.
“Surprise,” she says, squeezing my hand. “I’m pregnant, Edward. You’re going to be a dad.”
For a second, I stare, my brain trying to catch up. Then, a laugh bursts out of me, loud and surprised, and I pull her into a hug, holding her tight.
“A dad,” I say, half-laughing, half-incredulous. “I don’t even know where to start. I mean, do I get a handbook with this?”
She chuckles, resting her head on my shoulder. “If you figure out where to get one, let me know.”
I pull back, looking down at her. “So…this is real? You’re sure?”
She nods, her smile softening. “As sure as I can be. I found out a few weeks ago, but I wanted to wait until Christmas Day to tell you. I figured it would be a pretty good present.”
I laugh again, my chest tight with emotions I don’t know how to describe. “Pretty good? Try the best damn present I’ve ever gotten. Apart from my Firefly, that is.”
We sit in silence for a moment, and I realize that this Christmas, I have everything I could ever want: a warm cabin, a crackling fire, the love of my life beside me, and the promise of a whole new adventure on the way.
“So…what do we do now?” I ask, grinning like an idiot. “Do we…start reading baby books or…build a crib or something?”
She laughs, curling up closer to me. “How about we sit here, enjoy the moment, and let the baby books come later?”
“Good plan,” I say, kissing the top of her head. “One thing’s for sure, though.”
She looks up at me, eyebrows raised. “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
“This kid’s gonna know exactly how to make a mean cup of instant hot cocoa with a splash of Bailey’s.”
She snorts, giving me a playful slap on the chest. “Maybe leave the Bailey’s out of the kid’s cocoa.”
“Fair enough.” I pull her close, and we watch the fire crackle and the lights twinkle on our ugly Christmas tree.
A thousand things run through my mind, all the preparations and plans we’ll have to make. But for now, I soak in the moment and the perfect Christmas gift sitting right here in my arms.
