decorating?”
Claire looked around her. The walls were a soft yellow, almost like a buttercream, and on them hung a few posters with inspirational messages—about believing in one’s dreams, of fairy tales coming true, about the heart of a child containing a whole world of magic.
There were also drawings Claire had done over the years of small black sheep. She’d fallen in love with black sheep when as a teen she’d visited Scotland with her mom.
A rocker they’d found years ago, one she’d been immediately smitten by, filled the far corner. They’d had no room in the house to put it but here—its perfect place. But there was no crib, no changing table, nothing to welcome a baby home.
Their baby.
“I’m just letting it sink in. It hardly seems real.” She turned in her husband’s arms. “It’s a dream come true, Josh. Especially after . . .”
“After letting go of our dream on the cruise.”
He understood, and Claire loved him all the more for that.
“So we make new dreams with this little one. New dreams for a new baby.” His kiss was soft, sweet, and full of hope.
“Guess I need to buy a notebook for all my future lists.” Claire smiled at the thought.
“Well . . . look at that.” Josh glanced meaningfully at the rocking chair.
She turned and noticed a yellow cloth journal sitting on its seat. She beamed. “When did you get that?”
“I picked it up at the store while you were with Abby.” A sheepish grin appeared on his face. “I meant it as a little gift, because of what today is. But”—he shrugged—“it kind of fits.”
“It’s perfect.” With tears in her eyes, she opened it to the first page.
To the wife of my life, the mate of my heart, the keeper of my secrets . . . I will always love you. Today will always be worth remembering.
She melted at his words. In each journal he bought for her, he wrote something personal. She loved the custom and treasured the sentiments. One day she planned on creating a word collage of the things he’d written to her.
She struggled to articulate her feelings, to say something that would adequately express her love.
“Speechless?” he asked. The way his eyes twinkled with laughter, as if he knew he’d caught her off guard, made her smile.
“Keeper of your secrets, huh?” She tilted her head. “I didn’t think you had any secrets, thought you were an open book.”
“Well, you’re the only one who knows I wear tighty-whities and that I’m scared of spiders.”
“My superhero, you.”
Josh puffed out his chest and anchored his hands on his hips. “I’m here to serve.”
“I thought you liked Iron Man?”
“I’m Clark Kent in disguise.”
“Don’t you mean Tony Stark?”
Josh looked taken back. “Tony Stark is Iron Man, honey. I think you’ve got your superheroes mixed up.” He shook his head in mock dismay.
“ Me? I think—” She stopped when she realized he was teasing her. “How about you be my Clark Kent by day and Tony Stark by night. I hear Tony has a way with the ladies . . .” She gently swatted him on the chest.
“As you wish.” He winked.
She laughed, and let him get away with adding yet another hero to the mix.
“What do you think about adding a little sister or brother to Jack’s stories?” Josh said as he stepped back and fiddled with his hands.
She could tell, just by that one gesture, that he was not only serious in his question but also nervous about her reaction.
“Are you sure you want to tackle that much in this series? How many adventures could he go on with a pregnant mother? Or are you thinking of jumping ahead a few years so that the sibling can join him?” Adding a sibling might be complicating matters too much for Jack’s Adventures.
“Well, I . . . I guess I really didn’t think it through.” He stared down at the floor, but Claire caught the way he struggled to hide his emotions. She stepped toward him and then paused.
“Let’s think
Claire looked around her. The walls were a soft yellow, almost like a buttercream, and on them hung a few posters with inspirational messages—about believing in one’s dreams, of fairy tales coming true, about the heart of a child containing a whole world of magic.
There were also drawings Claire had done over the years of small black sheep. She’d fallen in love with black sheep when as a teen she’d visited Scotland with her mom.
A rocker they’d found years ago, one she’d been immediately smitten by, filled the far corner. They’d had no room in the house to put it but here—its perfect place. But there was no crib, no changing table, nothing to welcome a baby home.
Their baby.
“I’m just letting it sink in. It hardly seems real.” She turned in her husband’s arms. “It’s a dream come true, Josh. Especially after . . .”
“After letting go of our dream on the cruise.”
He understood, and Claire loved him all the more for that.
“So we make new dreams with this little one. New dreams for a new baby.” His kiss was soft, sweet, and full of hope.
“Guess I need to buy a notebook for all my future lists.” Claire smiled at the thought.
“Well . . . look at that.” Josh glanced meaningfully at the rocking chair.
She turned and noticed a yellow cloth journal sitting on its seat. She beamed. “When did you get that?”
“I picked it up at the store while you were with Abby.” A sheepish grin appeared on his face. “I meant it as a little gift, because of what today is. But”—he shrugged—“it kind of fits.”
“It’s perfect.” With tears in her eyes, she opened it to the first page.
To the wife of my life, the mate of my heart, the keeper of my secrets . . . I will always love you. Today will always be worth remembering.
She melted at his words. In each journal he bought for her, he wrote something personal. She loved the custom and treasured the sentiments. One day she planned on creating a word collage of the things he’d written to her.
She struggled to articulate her feelings, to say something that would adequately express her love.
“Speechless?” he asked. The way his eyes twinkled with laughter, as if he knew he’d caught her off guard, made her smile.
“Keeper of your secrets, huh?” She tilted her head. “I didn’t think you had any secrets, thought you were an open book.”
“Well, you’re the only one who knows I wear tighty-whities and that I’m scared of spiders.”
“My superhero, you.”
Josh puffed out his chest and anchored his hands on his hips. “I’m here to serve.”
“I thought you liked Iron Man?”
“I’m Clark Kent in disguise.”
“Don’t you mean Tony Stark?”
Josh looked taken back. “Tony Stark is Iron Man, honey. I think you’ve got your superheroes mixed up.” He shook his head in mock dismay.
“ Me? I think—” She stopped when she realized he was teasing her. “How about you be my Clark Kent by day and Tony Stark by night. I hear Tony has a way with the ladies . . .” She gently swatted him on the chest.
“As you wish.” He winked.
She laughed, and let him get away with adding yet another hero to the mix.
“What do you think about adding a little sister or brother to Jack’s stories?” Josh said as he stepped back and fiddled with his hands.
She could tell, just by that one gesture, that he was not only serious in his question but also nervous about her reaction.
“Are you sure you want to tackle that much in this series? How many adventures could he go on with a pregnant mother? Or are you thinking of jumping ahead a few years so that the sibling can join him?” Adding a sibling might be complicating matters too much for Jack’s Adventures.
“Well, I . . . I guess I really didn’t think it through.” He stared down at the floor, but Claire caught the way he struggled to hide his emotions. She stepped toward him and then paused.
“Let’s think
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