Chapter One-Hundred and Ninety-Nine
John smiled at the newborn babies in the nursery, squeezing Claire's hand as a little boy yawned in his cot. "One day, our baby will be in there… and I'll be passing out cigars in the waiting room."
Claire shook her head, adjusting Jessy on her hip as she leaned on John's arm. "Sugar, you wouldn't relapse that fast."
He chuckled, kissing the crown of her head as Willow snuggled closer to him. "It's an expression, Sweets."
She sighed, thinking about their night in the cave when everything had been so perfect. "I can't wait until we can get pregnant."
"I want more tests done on me first." He stated, turning her and starting a slow dance. "I don't want to get you sick."
She smiled, kissing his lips with a tender passion. "I don't mind."
Clarissa smiled as John entered her room, setting the book she'd been reading on her bedside table to give him a hug. "Hey there, Pumpkin." She whispered, able to see that he was exhausted and had something on his mind. "What's the matter?"
"Chad's a gambling addict." He stated, sitting on her bed and leaning back on his elbows to relax a little. "He's in deep."
Clarissa nodded, pulling him down to rest his head on her lap. "How deep?"
"Forty-thousand." He turned his face into her blanket, closing his eyes as she brushed her fingers through his hair. "He can't get out of this… not by himself…" He cracked his eyes open, shivering as a gust of cold air hit him. "I want to help…"
She smiled, placing an extra blanket over him and humming a lullaby. "We'll see what we can do." She kissed his head, listening to his snores as he slipped into sleep. "Your heart might be too big for your body." She whispered, knowing that John could sometimes be too generous for his own good. "It scares me more than you know…" She wiped a little tear from her cheek, knowing that no matter what she wanted, that John would make his own choices and live his own life. "I love you, Baby… and I just want you to be safe."