CHAPTER 27:

A Month and a Half Later…

Jen opened her eyes. She had had a nightmare. She looked over beside her. James was snoring peacefully. She smiled as she watched him sleep. He looked so calm, and just to think over a month ago, she had nearly been killed. Now though, after they moved out to their new house, the slate seemed to be erased and the whole situation somewhat forgotten. Deep down, Jennifer would never forget it, but the trauma of it all ceased to haunt her. Her leg had healed surprisingly fast and she was off of crutches after only two weeks. Her belly had gotten even bigger. She really felt like a waddling hippopotamus now. And as she drew closer to the estimated due date, she realised, they had not picked out names for the baby.

"James?" Jen whispered. She got no response. "You awake?"

"I am now." He mumbled. "What is it babe?"

"With everything that had happened, I had the realisation that we've never picked out names for our child."

"And you've woken me up at 2:30am for this?"

"Please?" Jen begged. James looked up over at her. He couldn't resist her. He sat up. The moonlight filtering in from the window reflected off his bare chest. "So…for a boy…I was thinking…Michael?"

"Yeah…I like that. And have William for the middle name; after my grandfather."

"Yes, I like that. Michael William Holt." Jen whispered with a broad grin. "As for a girl's name…"

"What about…Marissa?" James suggested. Jen smiled.

"I love it. For a middle name…I know it's going to sound….odd but…"

"Just say it." He whispered back.
"Marissa Taylor Holt." Jen replied, thinking of Fiona. They had literally been through Hell and back and she had to honour her best friend somehow. This was the best way she could think of.

"Hmm…I like it." James grinned happily. Whatever the gender of their child was, he just happy that he and the woman he loved with all his heart were having a baby together. He thought back to when he had first found out and had never thought that those nine months would have gone by so damn fast. He was eccentric about the fact that he was about to become a father. It was a huge step in a man's life, and this was one that James wanted to take with all his heart.