HARRY STYLES
"No," Lana says on sight as soon as I walk into the kitchen. "Go away."
I stop short in my tracks, laughing as Jane holds her palm up to copy Lana. "Why? What'd I do?"
"We're making cookies for Santa and we're making messes because it's fun," Lana explains with a smile.
Now that she mentions it, the kitchen is a disaster. The counter is covered in flour, as are both girls, and I'm dying to pick up the little globs of cookie dough that didn't quite make it to the baking pan.
"I won't say a word," I put my hands up in defense and walk to the velvet bar stools under the counter so I can watch them work.
"You know why we're making cookies for Santa, Daddy?" Jane asks.
"Why, princess?"
"Because he'll give me more presents," she wiggles her brows at me, making me and Lana laugh.
"That's a pretty good idea," I nod.
"And we're also going to give carrots and celery to his reindeer!" She beams, plopping a messy ball of dough on the pan in a random spot before Lana moves it to be in line with the others, but the sweet thing is that Lana doesn't even try to fix it even though that cookie is going to be too big and misshaped. She cares more about Jane having fun than anything else.
"Okay, now I'm going to put these in the oven, and then we'll write a note, yeah?" Lana asks her.
"Okay!" Jane hops off her step stool and runs off to go and collect her markers and paper.
In her absence, I stand and walk around the counter to place my hands on Lana's shoulders as she sets the timer for the cookies. She sets her phone down and looks back at me with a sweet smile, though I know how exhausted she is at this point in her pregnancy. She's just shy of nine months, just shy of being fed up.
"I think you should sit down and rest," I wrap my arms around her chest, kissing her cheek as she holds onto my forearms to keep them in place.
"I don't wanna be pregnant anymore, H," she pouts. "My back hurts."
I wrinkle my nose to laugh, but not at her. It's a sympathetic laugh because she's been such a trooper this whole time. "I know, but you're almost done and then I think you'll miss this a little bit, don't you think?"
Rather than answering right away, she keeps her pout and looks down at her belly as I place my hand on the top of it. "I was reading about how women should cherish the last bit of their pregnancy because they'll never be as close to their children as they are when they're still carrying them."
I'll admit that makes me feel emotional, but I'll also admit that I can hardly wait until he's here. Appropriately enough, every day feels like Christmas Eve as we come closer to her due date because I can't wait to meet him. I can't wait to see what he looks like and what his cries will sound like. I hope he has Lana's smile, and personality, and everything else he could inherit from one of us.
"You know what I keep thinking about?" I rest my chin on her shoulder.
"Hm?"
"That you're going to be the best mum."
Her smile stretches wider as we both see the movement of the baby inside her bump. "I hope that means he agrees."
"He does," I laugh and try to follow him with my palm sliding across her soft knit shirt. "I think he also wants out."
"Oh, he absolutely wants out," she sucks in a sharp breath as he kicks again. "Okay, I think it's time to sit down."
"Yeah, let's sit," I guide her over to the living room, only taking my hands off her once she's sitting on our deep-cushioned couch. She won't be getting up for a while now, and I'm guessing it's a matter of minutes before she falls asleep for a nap.
