Free to Love

Chapter 8

Shawn

Pregnancy number 2 was going way too fast. This was awesome because we kept getting closer and closer to meeting our new baby, but it was also bittersweet because I loved watching my wife go through pregnancy, and I wanted the experience to last.

Maybe it sounded weird, but I found the whole thing mesmerizing. The fact that she was growing a little person that I'd help create inside her fascinated me. Now that the baby was kicking my hand, I was extra entranced by her form. My favorite thing to do was lay in bed together with her belly exposed. I'd watch until there was a little ripple in her taut skin, then I'd touch it and connect with my baby.

Everything about Mallory was gorgeous when she was pregnant. Her skin was extra bright, her hair had more curl to it. I swear, even her eyes seemed bluer, but that was probably my imagination.

My love of her pregnancy was multiplied by how it impacted my wife's sex drive as the pregnancy progressed. She could not get enough of me lately. I'd started taking extra vitamin B-12 to boost my energy because she was wearing me out.

Not that I was complaining.

The 20 week sonogram was just as incredible as it had been the first go around. Thankfully, we didn't get into an argument this time. I did try to see if any boy parts showed up on the screen as the technician showed us our baby. I wasn't going to say anything if I saw any indicators that it was a boy, but I was dying to know if my hunch was correct. I had no luck with this endeavor, which I decided to chalk up to my inexperience in what to look for, rather than a lack of a penis on the baby. I still had hope.

Before we knew it, Mallory and I were about to celebrate our second anniversary. For our first anniversary, I'd gotten her name tattooed as my wedding band. I wanted to do something meaningful again. I briefly considered getting a tattoo each year, but I wasn't sure if I wanted 60+ anniversary tattoos when I was in my 80's.

I couldn't just get her a gift. I'd already established with the tat that I wasn't going that route. Plus, Mal never really seemed to want or need anything. We'd said several during our marriage that we should focus on gestures rather than material things. I'd bought Mal a car for her birthday right after we'd married, but that was the last lavish gift I'd given her. She'd made me a scrapbook for my birthday that same year, and that's what prompted this mindset. Since then I'd given her smaller or more meaningful things. For our first Christmas together, I'd given a huge contribution to her college political club's anti-gun campaign, since she'd been working on that cause the day we'd met. She'd knitted me a scarf and hat that year. Maybe it was cheesy, but I loved doing things that took a little thought instead of just buying some extravagant piece of jewelry.

Finally it came to me.

~~~~~~

"What's this?" I asked as Mal placed the tray of food next to me in bed.

I'd been up earlier when my wife woke me in the best possible way, but I'd fallen back asleep.

"Happy anniversary! I made you breakfast in bed," she said as she sat down next to me.

I surveyed the feast in front of me. Belgian waffles, eggs benedict, and fresh fruit.

"This looks delicious, baby," I said. "You're eating, too, right?"

There was enough food for probably three people.

"I did a test run of the eggs since I'd never made them, so I ate those. I'm stuffed."

I proceeded to eat my breakfast. It was even better than it looked and I was stuffed by the time I finished.

We had a fairly typical day, much of it spent with Grace. She was talking in short two-word sentences and was like a sponge absorbing new words. I was trying to teach her songs, and she was actually learning to string words together to a tune.