Saying Goodbye

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"I hate leaving you like this." Caleb sighed into my neck.

"I know. I'll miss you too." I ruffled his hair. We were lying on the bed, him clothed, me in pajamas. It was nine in the morning and he was waiting for a limo to arrive to take him to the airport, where he'd fly to Brazil. "But it's only for five days. Quick trip. No big deal."

I was just over six months pregnant and now spending a lot of time in leisure wear while I worked on the computer from the bed or the sofa. That's what I called it, anyway. Leisure wear. Caleb called them jammies.

At least they were silk maternity pajamas. I had a different pair for every day of the week, and that morning, I had put on a light blue ensemble after showering.

He groaned. "I know. But you're so pregnant. I don't want to be so far away from you. What if something happens?"

"Nothing's going to happen. I don't want you to be away, either, but you've been working on this project for years. Since before I met you. Remember? You told me about this the first night we met at Story Brothel. You have to go to the opening party. The Brazilians would be put off if you didn't show up."

"Yeah. You're right. I wish you could see it with me. Be there with me. It's an incredible building, Emma. Twice the size of this one."

"I know. And I'll see it someday. We'll see it as a family. And, anyway, even if the mosquito viruses weren't a concern, I wouldn't feel like going now. Not when I'm this big and uncomfortable." It was difficult to believe I had two and a half more months of this. I felt like I'd been pregnant for years.

He sighed and propped himself on his forearms. Stared at me with those big blue eyes of his, in the way he always did that made me feel both vulnerable and loved.

"I don't care about the opening. I can stay home. If you're uncomfortable, I should stay."

"No," I said, shifting and flopping to my left side, facing him. I glanced down at my legs and caught a glimpse of my ugly, swollen ankles. "You need to do this. I know how important this is. How difficult it's been to get this building through. It's been three years, right? More? You need to celebrate. Put the project behind you. I'll be fine."

I rattled off all the things I had to do over the next five days, which included changing out of my leisure wear. "Bookstore, baby clothing store, organic market, pregnancy massage..."

Caleb interrupted me. "Please? Try to take it easy, okay? Tack an hour on to the massage. Make it a two-hour session. Between massage and the yoga, your blood pressure's holding. Thank God it went down last week."

"I think it's actually because you're satisfying my carnal needs," I teased, then lowered my voice, thinking of how I'd been on top in a reverse cowgirl position that morning and I'd rode him hard. "You really satisfied them this morning."

He exhaled so his bottom lip pushed out and shook his head. "One minute I was thinking about how amazing your ass looked and the next minute I was considering whether to dial 911. I was scared you were going into labor."

This made me chuckle and I bit his neck.

He growled at me. "God, I'll miss you. And don't forget to go to the doctor on Wednesday."

"Have I ever forgotten a doctor's visit?"

"No, but you did accidentally put the coconut milk in the freezer."

I laughed. "It's called pregnancy brain. Which I think you're suffering from by proxy. You've been really absentminded lately."

"Probably, yes. Or it's those damned malaria pills I've had to take. I hate those things. Oh, make sure to take your pressure readings twice a day, like we've been doing. I'll send you a text to remind you."

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