Best kept secret | Spencer Reid

Bonus chapter

[ Averie surprising Spencer with their second pregnancy + cute christmas fluff ]

A V E R I E ' S P O V

"Dashing through the snow.. in a one-horse open sleigh.."

I can't stop giggling as I watch Aidan singing his favorite Christmas song to me, dancing around the kitchen in his little red and green striped footie pyjamas whilst using a whisk as his microphone.

"Over the fields we go... laughing all the way.."

Aidan points the whisk towards me, allowing me to be the background singer for the ha, ha, ha part.

"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way..."

One beautifully sung and choreographed Christmas carol later, Aidan takes multiple bows while I applaud and cheer.

Aidan's first word was mama at only nine months old, so it's not surprising that now at two years old he's talking in complete sentences and can recite full song lyrics because, if I do say so myself, our kid is a genius. Which may be because of Spencer's genes, but that's not going to stop me from claiming our son's genius is all my doing.

Focusing back on the breakfast I was making before Aidan's impromptu performance, I flip the bacon on the pan while Aidan pushes one of the dining table chairs up beside me. He climbs up onto it, ready to be my little helper.

"What can I do, mommy?"

I smile, pouring some pancake batter onto the griddle. "You can sprinkle some blueberries on these." I place the packet of freshly washed fruit in his hands. "Be careful, it's hot."

"Why can't we wake dad up yet?" Aidan asks, delicately placing the blueberries onto the cooking batter.

"Because we're going to wake him up with breakfast in bed," I say, starting a fresh pot of coffee. "I have a little surprise for him."

His big brown eyes widen slightly. "A surprise?"

I nod, grinning. "A really good surprise."

I found out that I'm pregnant with our second baby this week and I've yet to tell anyone, not even Spencer knows yet. It's been so hard keeping this secret to myself the past few days because I'm so excited about having another little baby.

I'm making enough eggs, bacon, toast and a stack of pancakes that would feed six, so I can't pinpoint what it is, but I get a whiff of something that makes my stomach churn and a wave of nausea rolls through me.

I hate morning sickness with every fibre of my being.

I step away from the stove, placing my hands on the countertop and tucking my head into my chest while I take a few deep breaths. My throat is burning and I know I only have a couple minutes until I can't hold it off anymore and I'll be spending the rest of my morning hunched over the toilet.

Aidan's little hand lands on my back, rubbing it in circles. "Mommy, are you okay?"

"Mhm," I groan, shooting him a thumbs up. "Just peachy."

When I finally feel like I can plate everything up without being sick, I do it as fast as I can. "Here," I smile, handing Aidan the glass of orange juice. "You can carry this one up."