"Nora, the furniture people need to know what time to deliver the new bed," Chad states sticking his head around the bedroom door.
"I'll be at the house around eight."
"Getting an early start?"
"Got to utilize those muscles of yours while I have them," I smile.
"I'm at the Performance Center until ten," he reminds me.
"I'm aware. Hence, my friends here," I smile, motioning to the three women seated around the room. "We are going to do all the heavy lifting while you boys are doing whatever it is you do."
"Why don't you stick to painting," he chuckles disappearing.
"Are you insinuating we can't do any heavy lifting?"
"I am not going to answer that," he calls back.
"Why not?"
"Nia will kill me."
"I wouldn't kill him," the woman in question smiles. "Just maim him a little."
"That's the spirit," I smile. "I'm going to need him later."
"Have you told him yet," Alexa smiles handing over the small bundle of papers from behind her back.
"I hadn't told anyone yet, you little nosey sneak."
"You asked me to help you pack," she grumbles.
"I didn't think you would go through my personal documents in the process."
"You're going to have to tell him soon," Bailey states.
"I was trying to think of a way to do that when you guys showed up."
"What's wrong with the truth," Nia asks.
"Nothing. I just wanted to be creative about it."
"What do you have in mind?"
"Not a clue."
"I have an idea," Alexa chirps. "But we're gonna need more people."
"God, I love you," Chad pants, placing kisses across my face and neck.
"I love you too," I giggle bringing his head back up to stare into his eyes. "And I love our house."
"Say it again," he sighs, rolling to the side before pulling me to him. I rest my head on his chest.
"Our house. The house that you're going to come home to me in. The house that I want to spend the rest of my life with you in."
"Oh, that's going to happen," he grins.
"You promise?"
"Promise," he chuckles holding up his pinky.
I wrap mine around his and he pulls my hand to his lips. "Everyone is going to be back soon," he mumbles. "We should get dressed."
"Ugh," I groan. "I don't want to leave my new bed."
"Our new bed," he corrects, sliding from the bed. "And we still have to finish painting in here," he nods to the half-painted wall across from us. "I doubt you want to flash this gorgeous body to everyone. Nora!"
"I'm thinking," I grin up at him.
"Come on Beautiful," he chuckles. "Break's over. We have a lot of work to do still. What have you girls been doing all morning?"
"Want to see," I ask pulling myself from the bed.
"Sure," he states sliding my shirt over my head.
Tugging my shorts up my legs, I grab his hand. "Come on then."
"Where are we going? I thought you were working in here all day."
"Nope," I grin towing him down the hallway, stopping in front of a closed door.
"The spare bedroom? What have you been doing in there?"
"This," I grin, fumbling to open the door with shaking hands.
"What," he starts entering the room. "What is this?" His hand runs across the back of the rocking chair.
"A nursery."
"I can see that. Why did you turn our spare room…" His eyes fall to the frame on the nearby table Nia had picked up this morning. Picking it up, he studies the black and white article inside.
"Is this real?"
I nod.
"So… You're…I mean we're…"
I nod again, chewing on my bottom lip.
"How long?"
"Seven weeks," I mumble.
"You're really pregnant? This isn't some elaborate rib from the girls?"
"This is real," I state lowering my eyes. This wasn't the reaction I thought I would get from the man.
"You're pregnant. I'm going to be a dad?"
"Yeah."
"I'm going to be a dad," he shouts causing me to jump. I look up to find him smiling.
"You're happy?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"You…You just didn't…We're still so early in our relationship. I mean we've been together for less than a year."
"Eight months."
"Still less than a year and your reaction wasn't what I expected."
"I was in shock," he grins approaching. "I don't care how long we've been together. Just when I thought I couldn't love you anymore you do something like this." His hand slides across my abdomen. "You have my baby in there."
"Our baby," I correct covering his hand.
"We're going to raise a family here," he grins.
"That sounds wonderful."
"I can't wait, Nori."
"Me either," I grin pecking his lips.