“But she wasn’t. She had Henry,” Laura said quietly. “Haven’t you noticed how close he’s stayed to her the last several months? He’s hovered even more than usual, and he’s been…sad.”
He’d been mourning, too. Now he worried. Another reason to think something had been odd today. She’d offered to go with him because he didn’t like to leave her alone. But he’d told her to stay. “We’ve both had a rough time, but he’s been amazing through all of it. Now we’re pregnant again, and Caleb says everything is going well and I feel different this time. I’m further along than I’ve ever been. I think the other reason I didn’t want to tell you was that I’ve always said I wouldn’t have kids.”
She’d been rather arrogant, thinking she didn’t need the things other people seemed to. She’d proclaimed to all who would listen that she wouldn’t contribute to the world’s overpopulation, and yet here she was putting herself through great heartache for the shot at overpopulating with one more kiddo, one who looked like Henry.
“Oh, sweetie, you can change your mind.” Laura reached for her hand. “There’s nothing in the world that I want more than for you to have this feeling I have when I hold Sierra. If you want it, there’s nothing better in the world. And I’m so glad you and Henry get to have this together.”
Holly reached out, too, putting her hand over Laura’s and completing their trifecta. “You should know that I’m taking fertility treatments because we’ve decided we would like to have a kid. Just one. Caleb is unconcerned with passing on his genes, so Alexei and I are trying and Caleb is playing fertility god for us.”
“He doesn’t care?” Laura asked.
“He’s Caleb. We know we’re only going to have this one shot, and he wants Alexei to take it. He says there are too many Sommervilles in the world already. He’s gotten closer to his brother, but he still worries about the rest of his family. They can be overbearing, and they put far too much faith in genetics.” Holly shook her head. “But that doesn’t matter. I think about how amazing it would be if we all had kids close in age. It would be so nice for them to have cousins to play with.”
Now the tears did show up. They made their appearance as the sweetest vision hit her. All her life she’d been that weird kid with the single mom who thought she was a refugee from a faery plane. She’d had no family and few friends. As much as she’d adored her mother, the idea that her baby could have cousins pierced through her.
If there was one thing Bliss had taught her it was that families could be made through love and choice and pure will.
“I would love that so much,” she said.
The door came open and Henry was there alongside Cam, who’d likely driven him back since Nate had taken him to the station.
Henry’s eyes went wide at the sight of her, and he visibly paled. “Nell?”
She stood because she knew that look. She’d seen it on his face twice recently, that helpless look she’d never seen before and now seemed too familiar. “I’m fine, Henry. I’m good. I just told my best friends about the baby. I know we decided to wait but…”
Her explanation was lost as Henry crossed the distance between them and hugged her tight to his body. “I was so worried. When I saw you crying…”
He took a shaky breath and she could feel a fine tremble go through him. He’d thought she’d started bleeding because that was how he’d found her twice before.
“I’m fine. I’m good, and so is the baby.” They’d been through a lot in the past couple of weeks. Why was she pushing for more? Henry didn’t lie to her. Even when it hurt. He would do it gently, but he told her when her culinary experiments didn’t go well or when a particular color wasn’t the best on her.
He was so worried. That was why he seemed off. He was worried about her and the baby, and he’d been through something terrible. She was awful for thinking differently.
“Nell is pregnant?” Cam was a big presence in her living room. “I thought they were all about overpopulation…”
“Cameron Briggs,” Laura began.
“I meant congratulations. That’s awesome news.” Cam reached down to take his own baby. “Come on, Sierra Rose. Let’s get you home now that everything’s been sorted out. Seth has come through the surgery and everyone’s fine. We’ve survived another Bliss disaster. Holly, will you be all right driving home?”
Holly patted Nell’s back before she joined Laura and Cam at the door. “I’ll be fine. Since we moved down the river, it’s so much quicker to get here, though I do miss the valley. Nell, call me tomorrow and we’ll talk some more.”
“Or we can meet for lunch,” Laura offered. “The special at Stella’s tomorrow is eggplant parmesan, and I happen to know that Hal is doing one up with vegan cheese in case you come in.”
Henry had moved to her side, though his arm was around her. “That’s thoughtful of him.”
“I’ll see you there at noon.” Now that the news was out, she could talk about it. She had a million questions to ask about pregnancy. She could ask Holly and Rachel and Callie and Jen. Beth McNamara had recently had a baby girl. They were having a baby boom in Bliss, and she could be a part of it all.
Henry hugged her tight as the door closed behind their guests. “You’re really all right?”
This man meant the world to her. He was her everything. Pregnancy was making her paranoid, and he’d had a rough day. She held him close. “I’m perfect, and so are you. We’re all fine. I hope you don’t mind
