“Do you want a glass of champagne?” He offers.
“No thank you.”
“Hmm. You haven’t had a drop of alcohol in weeks. And you’ve suddenly gone vegetarian. Any particular reason?”
I turn my head and lower my sunglasses. I’ve been hiding a secret and it seems my husband is finally starting to take notice. “You might say I’m up the duff.”
Ben bolts out of his lounger. “Up the duff? Are you serious?”
I bite down on my lower lip and nod my head. “Absolutely. The doctor confirmed it right before we left.”
He kneels down beside me and presses his hand to my belly. His smile fills his entire face as he looks up at me. “You’re going to be a mum and I’m going to be a dad.” His hand ruffles his hair. “When are you due?”
“Sometime in June.”
“A little Junebug. Aces.”
I reach out and stroke the back of my fingers along his cheek. “Are you really happy about this?”
“Milly, I’m fucking over the moon!” He stretches his body over me and presses his lips firmly against mine. “Thank you, sweetheart, for giving me everything I could possibly ever want. You’ve made me the happiest man in the world.”
When I arrived in London, I was filled with an insatiable wanderlust because my life didn’t have direction. I was like a compass spinning out of control. But Ben is my true north; no matter how far I roam, he will always be there to guide me back.
Ben
“Ican’t believe we’re parents,” I say, marveling at the mewling bundle in my arms. Our little Junebug finally arrived andsheis perfect. Oh god, I have a daughter. I’m going to have to beat the blokes away from my little princess!
“You’re a dad,” Milly says, smiling up at me from the bed. She looks exhausted but radiant.
“And you’re a mum.” I sit down on the edge of our bed, holding our still nameless daughter. “What are we going to call this sweet little girl?”
Milly sits up and peers down at the baby. “How about Rosie?”
Our little girl thrusts a tiny fist in the air and coos. “I think she approves. Welcome to the world, Rosie Lee Waterstone.”
“Lee?” Milly looks up at me with curious eyes. Oh no, I’ve done it. I’ve gone rogue and given our baby a middle name without consulting Milly. A smile spreads across Milly’s lips as she looks down at our baby. “Rosie Lee. I love it.”
I breathe a sigh of relief.
Milly leans against the bed, closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep. I slip into the armchair next to the bed, still cuddling my baby against my chest. I rock her gently and reflect on the last few months.
So many changes in such a short amount of time. Instead of reinvesting the money Jagger Wilkes paid for the Battersea Reach properties, I bought a large family home close to Holland Park. There’s room for little Rosie Lee to play and enough bedrooms to hopefully expand our family.
I settle Rosie in the bassinet next to Milly’s bed. Both of my girls are sound asleep and I’ve got a quick errand to run.
I slip out of the room and head out to meet my dad. He called last week letting me know he had something for me.
He’s sitting at a table in a coffee shop just around the corner from the hospital. He looks nervous, drumming his fingers on the side of his cup, his eyes darting around the space until he spots me.
“Ben!” He waves and stands up, as if I couldn’t see him. I walk swiftly toward him and he reaches out a hand. Instead of shaking it, I hug him tightly. “Congratulations, my boy!”
“Thanks Dad,” I say, sitting down. I pull out my mobile and open up the pictures. He swipes through the photos; I can’t help but beam with pride. “We named her Rosie Lee.”
“A beautiful name for such a beautiful little bairn. Well done, son.”
“I’m sorry to be so quick but I don’t want to leave Milly and Rosie for long. You said you had something to give me?”
He nods his head. “Yep.” He reaches into the pocket of his jacket and pulls out a faded blue velvet ring box. “Thought you should have this.”
