Chapter Sixteen

I SAW CHARLES OUT, AND MAX GOT DRESSED. I went back to the room, and he sat on the edge of the bed holding his stomach, which my eyes went directly to. His swollen belly, his soft chest, all because he was with child. It was incredible.

“Come here,” he said.

I went over to him, thinking we’d have a touching moment, feeling his belly, but when I got close, he punched me in the arm.

I rubbed my bicep. “Ow.”

“Remember that pain and think how it was so little compared to what I will have to go through.”

“June thirteenth,” I said, smiling, my heart so light and happy.

“I knew I was pregnant. The test said so, but now … I have fallopian tubes, Bauer.” He looked at me with wide eyes.

“And a uterus and an ovary.” I poked at his side.

He slapped my hand away. “Stop.”

“And a cervix and breasts,” I said, rubbing my fingertips gingerly on the side of his chest.

He shoved me, but he did have a hint of a smile on his face. “Shut up.”

“And I love them very much.”

“My cervix is very lovable.”

“The most lovable cervix around. Max, you giving birth at home, there’s no epidural, no pain meds.” I gulped, the screams of Garver still fresh in my mind.

His mouth dropped open. “Should I change my mind?”

“I’m not going for that, trying to change your mind. Just want to make sure you’re aware.” I didn’t want to scare him too much with all that I heard and saw, the stretching, the sweating, the excruciating pain, the horrificness of it all. Dear God, he was going to have to go through that. I would have to make sure to be super sweet with him until it was time.

“Just thinking about me being in some room screaming, a person coming out of me, and all these other people there. It’s just .…” He shook his head and licked his lips.

“We’ll have a wonderful peaceful home birth. Just me and you.” I forced a smile, knowing it wouldn’t be peaceful—that it’d be painful and awful, and I swallowed down some vomit.

“Thank you, Bauer. Now I have to go do my work for the day.”

“What? No.” He couldn’t go out there doing hard labor. He was pregnant.

“Dude, the eggs need to be collected, and I have to—”

I shot up to my feet. “I’ll do it.”

“You don’t know what to do. I’m going out there.”

“I did it just the other day, and if you insist on being outside with me, make sure to bring a chair.”

“You are overreacting to this pregnancy thing.”

“You’re four months pregnant. Take it easy.”

“I still have five months to go.”

“Just let me do this for you,” I said, cupping his face in my palm.

He sighed. “Fine.”

I held out my hand and pulled him to his feet.

I didn’t know how before we couldn’t see he was pregnant. Looking at him, it was now so obvious. His chest, his little bump, his vomiting, his fatigue. He was pregnant with my baby.

I put my hand on his stomach and smiled.

“I never wanted this,” he said with a frown.

“It’s going to be good, Max. I know you just found out a whole shitload of stuff about yourself that you never knew before, and you probably still have some things to deal with, but I’m letting you know it’s all good. You, this baby, us.”

“I have my doubts,” he said with a sigh.

I rubbed his belly. “I don’t.”

“How?” He tipped his head to the side, staring into my eyes.

“Because I’ve spent my whole life being stupidly optimistic.”

“Okay.”

“Now, let’s go out to those chickens.”

We slipped on our boots and winter coats, and Max led me outside.