Burn // NH

62. What Does That Even Mean

"I like Noah."

My eyes glanced over to Ellison, seeing her stare up at the large, empty grey walls of the baby's room. Everything was set up and in place—the bookshelf stacked, blue curtains hung, bed made and small, fuzzy blue elephant blankets tossed over the rail to match the theme—however, the walls had yet to have anything hanging on them.

Ellison had been talking about how she wants to get newborn pictures done, so I figured that would go above the crib and she also mentioned something about wooden letters for his name, but a name had yet to be determined. Well, until now, I guess.

Stepping towards her, my arms wrapped around her stomach from behind, pulling her tightly into my embrace as my fingers trailed from side to side under her round waistline. Ellison's head fell onto my shoulder so I placed a small kiss on her temple.

"Noah, hm?"

"I've been thinking a lot about it. I sometimes find myself even calling him that and...I don't know, I just like it."

"Do you think he'll look like a Noah?" I slightly teased. Ellison's hands fell to her round belly, her palms lightly massaging over the tender, bare skin through her pink, silk robe.

"Well, I still think he's a she... but if he's a he, then yes."

I started to laugh. "Babe, he's got a willy between his legs. What more convincing do you need?"

Ellison shyly grinned and pulled away from my touch. "I'm just saying, like, it feels off."

"What feels off?"

"I don't know how to explain it, but I just have a funny feeling that we're mistaking."

I started to laugh again, pulling her back into my embrace, except my arms went around her back to press our stomachs together.

It was mind-blowing to see how real this was becoming with every passing week. Her stomach was growing bigger every day and the baby was fully becoming active. Some days, I woke up in bed due to the kicks from the child between us and others, I couldn't sleep because El couldn't sleep because she was too busy fighting the comfort of her own body as he literally did rolls inside of her.

Ellison's skin had become softer to touch though, and her belly button had started to do this cute, little poke-out thing. And although her feet and legs had begun to swell some days due to retention of water, she was still as radiant as the sun.

I honestly found myself daydreaming about how she's going to be as a mother. I couldn't wait to see it with my own eyes; these next twelve weeks were starting to take forever. I was excited about the future of this family and for the future of El and me as actual parents.

"Well if we are, we'll figure it out. But for now..." throwing her a sly smirk, I was quick to bend down and slide my hands around her bottom, hoisting her up as her feet locked around my back and little bubbles of laughter fled from her lips. Pressing her back into the door of the room, my lips attacked hers in a vicious but tender kiss that left her nearly breathless as her hands tangled into my hair and lips kissed back with so much love that I felt my stomach drop through the crusts of the earth.

Ellison then smiled and I couldn't help myself from smiling back, our lips finally detaching before she left me with one last peck and pulled back. "I know it's a Saturday and you've been working really hard these past few weeks to prepare for your grand opening and what not, but..." her cheeks reddened, eyes becoming bashful as her fingers moved to toy with the collar of my shirt. "Would you want to come to work with me to see the little kids? They're working on a small dance and they're all so adorable."