"Yeah, I'm fine." He rubbed his head.
She closed the door and gently kissed his head. "You through? Cause we should really leave if you are."
"Yeah." He got up, leaving with her.
She let them into the house she was renting where the table was set up with baby back ribs, baby corn, baby lettuce salad, and two slices of Baby Ruth cake. An small present was sitting near his plate. "What's all this?" He looked at her, astonished.
"A theme. A celebration...I hope." He looked at her, still puzzled until he opened the present. A small framed black and white photo and a rattle were inside the box.
He smiled. "Baby?"
"Nine weeks. I'm thinking the morning you got home from the DNC."
He walked over to her and kissed her. "He's beautiful."
"She is, isn't she?" She smiled.
"Oh, now we're fighting over sex? Come on, he's obviously gonna have my good looks."
"You just got through fighting with the press corps. You wanna rethink that statement?" She teased, smiling. He kissed her, pulling her to him, and she kissed him back, holding him.
He let her go. "I knew you looked different, but in such a beautiful way."
"Much better," she said, smiling.
"Thank you, ma'am." It was such a relief to be talking about something besides the leak, to know why she'd been so sick lately, and she couldn't wait to be a mom. "Are you okay? Can I get you anything?"
"I'm fine. Actually, since I found out what it was, I'm not as sick anymore."
"Good. I was getting scared there for awhile."
"Yeah, doesn't look good to be running out of the Sit Room every five seconds." She tried to make a joke about it, but she'd been frightened herself. He stroked her back. She kissed his cheek and then his neck, holding him.
"You must be worn out."
"I am."
"Early to bed, early to rise, isn't that what they say?"
"You should eat." He walked her over to her chair, pulling it out, and pushing it back in when she sat down. She ate some ribs and her piece of cake, drinking Sprite. He sat down eating as well, never taking his eyes off her. "What?"
"I didn't say anything."
"I know."
"For some reason I never thought I'd have children and now I'm gonna have a baby."
"I thought I'd put it off too long." She was only thirty-six, but with all she'd lived through it had just seemed like she'd waited too long.
"You look wonderful. Your back hurting?"
"It has been. It's not right now. What about your head?"
"It's fine. I've got a thick skull."
She tried to hide her amusement. "I'm glad you're okay."
"You can laugh, you know. Not like I haven't had people do it to me before."
"I'm not laughing at you, honey."
"Thanks." He finished eating, doing the dishes himself.
"Thank you," she said when he finished the dishes, kissing his neck, her arms around him. He held her, his face buried in her neck. "You wanna go lay down?"
"Yeah." She took a warm bath and changed for bed, laying down on the cool clean sheets. He lay beside her, wrapping her in his arms.
"I love you."
"I love you." She smiled, laying her head on his shoulder, her hand on his chest.