Accidental Attraction

17

We made it through the rest of May and all of June with no incidents at all. I was not planning on making a big deal of July 4th that year, given what had transpired last year with Adam's grandma. However, unbeknownst to me, Adam had already made plans for us to join his parents and Uncle Bob for a family cookout. Unlike with my first pregnancy, even though I hadn't been experiencing any sickness, I was becoming a little bit of a hermit. I didn't really care to leave the house all that much. No, I wasn't overly tired or anything, but instead was shaming myself for the way I looked. Yes, I knew I was carrying a child in my womb, but I felt so disgusting for some unknown reason. I had hit the five month mark and this time around, I looked bigger than I had with Kayla. I looked like I had swallowed a soccer ball; with my daughter, I didn't look too big until I had hit my sixth month. I told Adam to take Kayla and go without me. I was so upset that I locked myself in my room and wouldn't leave.

"Come on honey, you're being ridiculous," Adam said from the other side of the door. "You're pregnant, not fat. You look absolutely beautiful. And it's my family we're going to see. They're going to say the same thing."

"Y'all have to say things like that because you love me," I said, rubbing my growing stomach. "I just don't want to go."

"Kara, stop it," he replied. "Please let me in."

"Take Kayla and go have fun," I said. "I'll be fine. I just need some alone time."

"No, you don't," he said. "I know how you get when you get left alone with your thoughts, especially when you're emotional. If you don't let me in, I will go and get something to pick this lock with."

Knowing Adam was true to his word, I knew I had been defeated. I unlocked the door and let him in. Rather than say anything else to him, I walked over and took a seat on the bed. He followed suit, taking a seat next to me.

"Talk to me, sweetie," he said. "Why are you acting like this? Aside from the sickness, you embraced your pregnancy with Kayla. What's going on with you?"

"I don't know," I said honestly. "I should be really excited right now, but I feel so gross."

He placed his hand on my stomach and then smiled. "What you have right here is not even close to gross. You are helping a little human to grow and make his way into this world. That is one of the most beautiful parts of life. Embrace it. Be happy. Come and have fun with your family."

"I suppose you're right," I said. "I'm sorry if I've been a little distant lately. I don't know what has come over me, but I promise I will try and fight it. I don't want anyone thinking that I'm not happy about having another baby."

He gave me a kiss. "That's my girl," he said. "Let's get Kayla and head on over to Mom and Dad's."

I think being around family was just what I needed, and somehow I think Adam knew that. I had a great time at the cookout. I even allowed everyone a chance to feel our son kick. By the end of the day, I felt 100 times better than I had in a while. That night while we were lying in bed, I thanked Adam for being the reasonable one that day. He just gave me a kiss and told me to get some rest, which I was more than happy to do.

My birthday was 15 days later, and rather than go out, I just wanted to stay in and relax. Adam had arranged for Luke to take Kayla for the night, since his parents were out of town, and he cooked me a really delicious meal. While he was putting the dishes in the dishwasher, I went upstairs to shower off and change into my pajamas. On any other birthday, we would have ended the night with some birthday sex, but I wasn't feeling up to it this year. It had nothing to do with the fact that I was pregnant, though. I wanted to take a little break from the norm and just enjoy a quiet evening watching movies with my hubby. I rejoined him downstairs and we snuggled up on the couch enjoying our movies until we both passed out.