Free Happily Ever Addendum by Sadie Grubor, Monica Black

she answered.
    "Yes, everything’s good. I should
hear back in a couple of days about the blood test." She took a large
drink of water.
    "Test?" Worry creased my
forehead.
    She nodded. "Yeah, I had to have
blood taken to test for gestational diabetes." Lilli put another forkful
of pasta in her mouth.
    "You have diabetes?" I was
confused.
    Shaking her head she swallowed. "No.
Well, I don’t think so. It’s a type of diabetes that can develop during
pregnancy." She shrugged. "The test determines if I am developing
it."
    "Do they think you are?"
    She shook her head.
    "What does it mean if you are
developing it?"
    "Means I will have to adjust my
diet or I could need medicine to control it." Lilli looked up from her
plate and clearly saw the worry lines etched into my face. She smiled and
tilted her head. "The doctor doesn’t see any signs of it, so don’t worry
so much. It’s something all pregnant women get tested for."
    I exhaled a breath and continued eating
my meal. She could have mentioned that before I had a momentary panic attack.
We continued to talk over dinner, having a light conversation and catching up.
I pushed my plate away, having finished, and the conversation switched back to
the babies.
    "So, baby names…" Lilli
started.
    "Yes?"
    "I’m assuming you would like to
name the boy after you?"
    "Well, it is tradition. However, if
you don’t want to then—"
    "No, no, that’s not what I’m saying."
She shook her head and put her hand up. "I think that it would be nice to
carry on your family name."
    "Oh, okay." I smiled,
extremely happy that she wanted to name the boy Aidan Walsh IV.
    "Any ideas for the girl?" She
furrowed her brow as she asked.
    I shrugged and sighed.
    "Honestly, I hadn’t thought too
much about the names." I looked up and saw her face fall slightly.
"Did you have a suggestion?"
    Lilli sucked her bottom lip into her
mouth and then started to chew on it. She needed to stop that before I stripped
her down and took her right here on the patio.
    "I've been working with a few ideas
but I don’t think I'm ready to share them yet."
    "Come on." I pressured with a
crooked smile.
    "No, not yet." She shook her
head.
    Before I could press further, she sat up
straighter and leaned back, pressing her left palm to her stomach.
    "Are you alright?" Getting to
my feet, I quickly moved next to her before she could answer.
    She nodded before answering in a groan,
"I’m fine. One of them has taken a liking to my rib cage."
    I flinched a little at the thought and
then I placed my hand on her stomach. "Wow, is that..?"
    "Yep." She groaned, clearly
still uncomfortable.
    I could feel the hard lump under her
skin and a chill rolled over my body at the thought of feeling that push into
my rib cage.
    "I need to get up." She said,
pushing her chair back. I helped her stand.
    Lilli stood and started walking around
the patio.
    "Ah, much better." She
breathed deep and exhaled.  With a slow turn, she caught me watching her. "Standing
seems to make more room in there. The pressure on my rib decreases."
    All I could do was nod.
    She approached me, grabbing my hand.
"I’m not done with you tonight."
    If I thought my smile couldn’t have
gotten any larger, I was wrong. My smile was from ear to ear and I quickly
wrapped my arm around her waist, walking into the house with her.
    She pulled me to the theater where we
curled up on the couch and watched a movie together. About halfway through the
movie, my favorite movie, I could tell by Lilli’s breathing against my chest
that she was asleep. I finished watching the movie, holding her close to my
side.
    Once the movie was over, I hesitated on
moving, fearing that I would wake her up. Deciding that I didn’t want her to
sleep on this theater couch, I shifted. My plan was to pick her up and carry
her to the bedroom, but it was spoiled when she woke up from my movement.
    She yawned.
    "I’m sorry." She pouted.
    I lightly kissed her lips. "You
have nothing to be sorry for. Thank