Chapter 16

Chapter

Sixteen

Pregnant.

He was pregnant.

That was why he was throwing up in the mornings. Like this morning, when he crept out of bed and into the bathroom, trying not to wake anyone. Cerran had been up late with Leilani, and Triton had been getting up with him and feeding him crackers and juice mixed with ginger ale…

No tea.

He crawled from the toilet to the shower, letting the hot water pour over him, cleansing the sweat from him. Oh, that was just awful.

He shivered, his body fighting against him.

"Hailee? Do you need me?" Triton called softly from just outside the shower.

He nodded, sniffling a little. He did. He so did. Goddess, he couldn't stop shaking.

"I'm coming in." Triton pushed into the shower, pulling him up into those brawny arms so he was warm and not on the still-cold floor.

"Oh." His teeth chattered. "I'm sorry."

"Shhh. Nothing to be sorry for. But you don't have to sneak about to not wake me. I want to be here for you."

"I need you. I'm so cold." Elowyn snuggled in close, wrapping around him and holding on.

Triton kissed his cheek, so gentle and kind. "Tell me when you stop shivering. Then we can go get crackers and snuggle on the couch to watch game shows."

"Yes, please." They had quickly discovered that his beloved cooking shows made him sick every time someone sliced meat. "Though I want ice cream."

"Of course. Anything you want."

"I feel so…silly. Like a drama queen."

Triton snorted and tossed his head. "A drama queen? My hailee?"

"I don't want to be." He sniffled. "But I hate being sick, and I have things to do." He was so mad that they had to order breakfast because he couldn't manage to make it. All it did was cause him to throw up if he even tried.

By supper, he could smell food he would never even try to eat, but breakfast was off-limits.

"Rowan says it will ease. We simply need to be together, relax, and enjoy one another." Triton kissed his forehead, the touch so gentle.

"Okay." He nodded, hard, sniffling. "Cerran was up so late. I didn't want to make it harder."

"He can nap if he needs to. We all can. Leilani is still sleeping hard in the afternoon."

"You have an answer for everything." He had to poke Triton in the chest.

"That's my job, hailee." Triton beamed, turning off the water in order to wrap him in a towel. "And now we'll go snuggle over ice cream. I'll bring the good blanket." They all loved the electric blanket. It was like a heat rock.

"That thing is amazing." He let Triton get him dried and dressed in soft sweats; then they curled up together.

"It is. It's somehow colder and yet not as cold as the coast here. I don't feel it until it's in my bones."

"Yes. That's it exactly." There was no humidity here at all, and it snuck up on a body. But the electric blanket made all that go away.

He rested his head against Triton's chest, listening to the strong heartbeat and allowing it to soothe him.

They sat together, Triton making soothing noises, and he dozed for a while, the TV droning softly in the background. It wasn't until his belly rumbled that Triton left him for a moment to get bowls of ice cream.

It was the only thing that smelled good, the only thing that tasted right, and he smiled, reaching for the bowl. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Triton sat again, then pulled Elowyn up in his lap before they set to eating. He loved this quiet morning time with Triton as much as he did his late nights with Cerran while Triton slept.

He fed Triton lazy bites of ice cream, nibbling on the spoonfuls Triton offered him.

"Mmmm. That's so yummy." Triton chuckled, licking the spoon when he held it up.

"It is. Thank you, braaken." He ate some more ice cream, but sighed and started to rise when Leilani began to cry.

"I'll get her, love. Are you done with your ice cream? You could go snuggle with Cerran." Triton stood, lifting him easily.

"Oh, I would feel bad."

"Why? I would get to spend time with my best girl." Triton took him to the bedroom to ease him down with Cerran, who immediately grabbed him and pulled him under that warm body.

Triton wandered off, and he heard him cooing to Leilani.

"Are you back?" Cerran asked him, voice rough.

"I am. Triton fed me and now I'm all sleepy again."

"Me too." Cerran chuckled. "She was in a mood last night."

"Her tummy hurt, hmm?" He felt so guilty. It was his?—

"Nope." Cerran tapped his nose. "Not your job. We're a family. We share those kinds of duties."

"True. I forget that." He laughed. "Not the reality of it, but the semantics."

"Yes. The words." Cerran stroked his neck. "I adore you, hailee."

"I love you too." He sent the emotion to Triton as well, and felt it when he and Cerran both got it back.

"So, what do you want to do in the second half of the day?"

"Mmm. Maybe go swimming?" It was too cold now to go eat at the outdoor kitchen, but the pool was indoor, and it was heated, and Rowan said gentle exercise was good for him.

He did love to float anyway, as water was their natural-born environment.

"Leilani needs to learn to be in the water, hmm? I think that's a grand idea."

"Me too." He beamed up at the ceiling. "Let's go swimming, then, and then get some food at the food hall."

Cerran hummed, then came back into focus. He was offered a soft, sweet kiss, and then Triton brought him a clean, dry dragon baby.

"I'm going to get her a bottle. You two snuggle her." Triton winked at them, and Leilani cuddled right in.

"Bring me one of those yogurt smoothies?" Cerran called. Rowan had made them and bottled them up for the adults, and both Triton and Cerran loved them.

"On it!"

Leilani rolled over, then back, laughing as she played between them. They joined in, tickling and wiggling their fingers at her. She was getting so mobile now, and her laughter was the best sound. He loved to watch her little face when it was wreathed in smiles.

"She's going to crawl soon," Cerran whispered. "What are we going to do?"

"Chase her a lot."

"Hire a nanny." Triton came in with smoothies, a bottle for Lei, and a fizzy drink for him.

"We don't need a nanny. You have me." He had worked as a nanny for decades.

"Yes, but you will have a baby in short enough time that it will shock you." Triton sat next to him. "We'll talk about it as the time nears."

They would, would they? He winked at his bossy, wonderful mate. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Cerran hooted, making Leilani kick and squirm. She got the bottle, finally, holding it in her strong wee hands. She was always ready to eat.

"What's so funny, mate?" Triton asked.

"You, my old man. You would give Elowyn anything."

Triton nodded easily. "As I would you."

Cerran leaned up to take a kiss before easing Triton down into the bed with them.

He was so lucky, so honored to have them both with him, sharing their lives.

He was excited to see where they went together next.