I've Never Been This Happy Before

I tried to play it off and nodded, but I didn't think she bought it.

The boys didn't take long to show up, and I hardly had a chance to say hello when Courtney and Lory dragged Francis and Geoffrey outside under the pretext of learning how to turn on the grill.

I rolled my eyes and then walked over to Nicholas. "Why are they acting so weird?"

I shrugged and grinned as I took hold of his hand and escorted him into the lounge. I kept my cool since I didn't want to blurt it out. Before I lost my composure, I put the neatly wrapped box in his lap. We sat down on the couch next to one another and he smiled, unsure as to why he was the one getting the gift.

His cheeks were flushed and told me he had been out and about the whole day.

"You brought me a gift?" He raised my hand and kissed the knuckles. "What is the occasion?"

I gulped in anxiety. "You'll understand it when you open the gift."

He laughed. "Your birthday is coming up soon. I ought to be the one giving you gifts."

I held onto his hand. "Right now is not the time to bring that up. Open the box before I explode." I was unable to contain myself any longer.

"Okay, okay. I am." He chuckled as he removed the box's lid.

As I watched him remove the spoon and read the writing, I held my breath. His lips opened as if he were going to speak, but he remained silent. I leaned over as his hazy eyes finally found mine and he hesitantly smiled. I scooted close to him so that our shoulders were touching.

Really, he murmured. "You're expecting?"

He appeared to be in shock. I grabbed his face and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Yes. I took three tests and they all came out positive."

He pulled me into his lap, making it so that I was straddling him. He wrapped his hands around me and made a noise that I couldn't quite recognize.

Was that a laugh? A sob?

I was unable to see his face since he had buried it in the crook of my neck.

I softly called, "Nicholas?"

The sole response was a tiny shudder across his body. As I gave him the space he needed to gather himself, I ran my fingers through his hair.

This was a monumental moment for him. One which had been cruelly taken away from him once before. And I didn't want to burst the blissful bubble he must have been in. I wanted him to savor every moment of the journey.

He kept our bodies pressed together and his warm breath fanned over my skin. Finally, he placed soft kisses on my neck.

"Thank you, baby," he whispered into my ear. "I love you so much."

I giggled as I stroked his shoulders. "Don't say thanks. You participated in the process in the same way that I did."

When he finally leaned back, I was struck by how painfully red and teary his eyes were. My powerful, unbeatable husband had been forced to his knees.

"No. That is not it," he began, keeping his arms wrapped around me. "I meant... you being with me. Like this. You could have waited for a few years to have children and I would have agreed instantly. I would have done anything you asked to have you by my side. But I am so grateful that you wanted to have children right now. I know you would rather delay it but are doing this for me."

I tried to stop him... to tell him he was mistaken, but he didn't let me get a word in.

"No. I know exactly what you will say. If I hadn't come into the picture, I know you could have waited—and probably would have waited quite a while—even though you want children like me."

I detested the guilt he was experiencing. This was meant to be exciting news that would make us both happy.

"You should add that it would be because I wouldn't have wanted to have kids with anybody else," I reasoned.

He grinned. "Hopefully not." He shook his head as he looked down. "I simply wanted to thank you. You might not realize how much this means to me."

His final words were said in such a quiet way that I hardly heard him.

Nicholas, turn to face me. I waited for him to once more look into my eyes. "I need you to listen carefully. And I wish you would believe me when I say this." I paused and he nodded, urging me to continue. "I am happy. I wanted children as much as you did. If I had a doubt, I would have brought it up to you before. As you know, I don't have an issue voicing my feelings."

He beamed as I continued. "Are you happy and excited? As happy and excited as I am right now?"

"Yes." He gently kissed me. "I've never felt this happy before."

The intensity of his kisses increased, and one of his hands moved up my back until his fingers tangled in my hair and held our faces together. He abruptly flipped us so that my back was resting on the couch. He kept his eyes firmly on me.

"Willow, you have my whole heart. Just name what you want and I will bring it to you, no matter how hard it is to find."

I grabbed his hair and yanked him back so I could look into his eyes. I put my palm over his heart and said, "That right there. I only want that. Your love for me."

Once more, his lips pressed against mine. We had undoubtedly put on a show, forgetting all about our company... had it not been for the rude cough that pulled us out of our bubble.

Nicholas lifted his head and looked in the direction of the sound. I giggled at how his hair was sticking out due to my rough attention.

It was Laura. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but dinner is ready."

We were in tune with one another as we spoke, "Thanks, Laura."

Nicholas smiled down at me. "I would love to strip you right here, but we have to go outside and attend to our guests."

He laughed and leaned down once more to kiss my nose. I sighed when we eventually untangled, and he helped me up. As we headed back to the kitchen, he intertwined our fingers together while carrying his gift in the other hand.

"We need to get an appointment with a doctor in the next few days."

I looked up and noticed his melancholy smile. "Yes, we do." I squeezed his hand briefly, but I stopped to think about what I would say next. "I wanted you to be the first to know about the baby, but Lory and Courtney accompanied me in buying the tests. They supported me through the painful waiting time."

He nodded. "Yes, I deduced that from their quick escape as soon as I entered. Do you mind if we inform everyone else? If you'd like, we can wait. You have the choice."

I sighed. "They should know something is amiss by now. I don't mind telling everyone."

"Then I can tell them?" He was childishly excited.

Even if I had wanted to, I couldn't have rejected him given the way his eyes were lighting up.

"Yes, you should inform them."

When we finally got to the kitchen, Laura was alone there. She turned to us with a quizzical smile.

"Laura, mind sitting for dinner with us?" Nicholas enquired. "I want to share something with everyone."

She took a quick look at the box in his hand. "Of course. I will set up the table outside. The others are already there."

I released Nicholas' hand and assisted Laura in carrying everything outside. Around the patio table, the rest of the group was already seated and engaged in conversation.

When Nicholas and I sat down, everyone fell silent and stared at us expectantly. Nicholas took my hand underneath the table before

He began, "We have an announcement." I was unable to look away from him. He exuded such joy and pride. "Willow is pregnant."

As soon as he finished speaking, Nicholas and I were surrounded by embraces, kisses, and congratulations. I had to acknowledge that it was difficult for me to pay attention to who was saying what. But Nicholas loved every second of it.

Was it strange that I was enjoying his reactions more than anything else? We all started eating after we had calmed down. Nicholas ignored my frown when he kept adding more food to my plate.

"What? You are eating for two!" he said innocently.

I didn't roll my eyes because the others were already laughing at our shenanigans. I ate so much food that it got hard to laugh without shifting. And I learned that the boys had really played golf all day long before coming home.

Lory and Francis were the only things that managed to divert my focus from Nicholas' persistent hovering. I studied the two of them across the table with narrowed eyes. They were practically stuck together and even though they were trying to be discreet. It was evident that they were constantly glancing over at each other or touching.