Free Alien Proliferation by Gini Koch

Mommy more embarrassment.”
    “Look, I’m the size of a freaking hippo. If we were at the zoo, the tourists would take pictures of the hippo in black and white Armani maternity wear and toss their popcorn to me and, sadly, I would eat it. I, personally, cannot wait to see Amy’s reaction when she gets a look at me, particularly since the last time she saw me I looked fairly decent and not like I’d swallowed an entire supermarket whole. So, yeah, I have a lot of confidence issues right now. So sue me.”
    Reader kissed my cheek. “Surrogate Daddy Reader is going to bed. Surrogate Daddy White sounds busy, but I’m sure he’ll be able to help if necessary.” He winked at Jeff. “I’ll let the real Daddy handle this issue. ’Night, babe. Really, you look a lot better than you think you do. Fertility’s sexy in every culture, even this one.” He yawned a good-bye to Jeff and then left, shutting both the bedroom and main doors behind him.
    Jeff sighed and lifted me off his lap, put me gently back onto the bed, and then started to get undressed. “Amy’s installed in a room on the transient floor. She’s fine, long story that we have little of, but we’ll make sure you hear at the same time we do, since I guess they taught confusion-speak at your high school.”
    “What is that supposed to mean?” He had his jacket off and was halfway with the shirt. I was losing interest in the conversation.
    “We couldn’t figure out what the hell she was talking about. However, the twenty goons after her were convincing in their desire to kill her and anyone trying to help her.”
    Statements like that could bring me back even from staring at Jeff’s pecs. “Are you hurt? Are you okay?” The baby started to get edgy and shifted around.
    Jeff was out of his shirt now, and he knelt next to the bed. He kissed my stomach. “It’s okay, baby. Both babies,” he added with a grin. “I’m fine. Christopher and Amy are fine, too. It was just a situation I couldn’t leave, not even to get home to you two.” He got up and sat next to me. “But I wanted to.”
    “I’m sorry, Jeff.” I felt guilty for being so needy.
    He hugged me. “Oh, baby, stop. I don’t mind that you need me so much right now.” He chuckled. “You know I love it.”
    “No, I don’t.” The hormones were doing their thing. I started to cry. Again.
    He cuddled me close. “Baby, I love to take care of you. You’re mine, mine to cherish and protect and love. You could have picked so many other men, and you chose me. And you’re carrying my baby.” His voice was soothing, and he stroked my stomach, tracing the infinity symbol against my skin. “You think you look fat. I think you look even more beautiful.”
    I sniffled. “I think you’re lying.”
    He laughed. “As you love to point out, A-Cs can’t lie. Therefore, when I tell you how beautiful and sexy I think you are, you’re going to have to accept that it’s true.”
    “I guess.”
    He nuzzled my neck. “I want a better response than that.”
    I moaned. As he well knew, my neck was one of my main erogenous zones. I hadn’t thought my neck could get any more sexually sensitive, but pregnancy had shown that it could.
    Jeff continued to nuzzle and kiss my neck. I started moaning in earnest. He got me relaxed, helped me lie down in the bed, and then took his pants off, pulled the A-C nightclothes on, and joined me. “I want to make love to you, but I think you need to rest from the baby’s kicking earlier.”
    I couldn’t argue, because he was right. I wanted to make love to him, too, but I was suddenly so tired. “Okay.”
    He shifted me to my side, put the extra pillows all around me, then slid his arm under my neck, put his chest against my back, and stroked my stomach with his other hand. This had been our standard sleeping position for the last few months. It was comfortable and made me feel safe and secure.
    I started to fall asleep, when I felt something funny. I considered