I felt a scowl formed on my face as I set the pan out of the oven and onto the counter. Twenty minutes ago, the chicken had looked like a chicken. Now it just looks like a roadkill. A freaking roadkill!

The new beginner's cookbook stared at me with the perfect picture of the supposed "picturesque dinner" I've redone probably five times in a row.

I gritted my teeth moodily.

"It looks better than the first though, mommy," Ethan says comfortingly. He had been in the kitchen the entire time I was cooking which is all day, offering me emotional support.

Frustration boiled in my chest. I fiddled with my engagement ring, struggling to stifle a weepy sniff because I've always had this stupid urge to cry over little things these days. I thought it had just been the stress from planning the wedding, but when I missed my period, I had to see my doctor.

Sure enough, the baby brother I promised Ethan had been fulfilled.

I'm pregnant.

An exasperated sob clogged my throat. The hormones had been driving me nuts and so emotionally fragile.

"Mommy?"

I blink, my train of thoughts vanishing.

Ethan offered me a smile. "It's okay. I still love you."

My heart melted at that. It hadn't reduced the pricking in my eyes though. If anything, it had just made me want to cry more.

"Daddy will be home soon to help us out. We can try another recipe."

I nod, drawing him close. I hugged him tightly, willing the disappointed tears to go away.

"Mommy, are you okay?" He asks a little breathlessly.

"Yeah, mommy just needed a hug."

He lets me hold him for a while until the sound of Nathan's car comes groaning into a stop. Ethan happily hops off the bar stool. "It's daddy, mommy. We'll make dinner together."

"No, actually, I'm a little tired. I'm just going to clean up." I forced a smile.

Ethan nods then races out of the kitchen.

I'm left with dirty pots and pans that were brand new looking during my first attempt. A couple of disasters later, they were hideous. Hours of slaving away in the kitchen and all I got is a roadkill.

An angry tear made a hot trail down my cheek. I wipe it quickly.

I hear Nathan's voice melding in with Ethan's. I panicked as another tear spilled from my eyes, followed by another.

Breathing out a curse, I slipped into our bedroom to calm myself down. When the tears hadn't subsided, I turn to the bathroom and locked the door behind me.

I did a few yoga breaths, but it didn't work. The soft knocks on the door a few minutes later hadn't helped either.

"Chassie?"

I bit my lip to restrain my sobs. "Yeah?"

"Don't I get a kiss for coming home early?"

I let out a teary laugh. "Just give me a minute. Sorry about the disaster in the kitchen."

"Oh. You've been cooking?" His tone was gentle.

"So, you haven't seen your kitchen yet?" Another rush of tears filled my eyes.

Great.

"Nope. I had to kiss my fiancée first."

I buried my face to my palms, trying hard not to sob.

"Baby, can you open the door now?"

"No," I hiccupped. A hand clamped my mouth shut.

"Chassie? Is everything okay?" Worry dripped in his voice. He knocked a few times.

"Everything's fine." A sob came out audibly.

Crap.

"Chassie, are you crying?" The knob twisted, but the door hadn't budged because I locked it behind me.

"It's nothing. It's fine," I blurted.

"Chassie, can you open the door? Please?"

More tears surged down my cheeks at his plea. Needing the comfort, I unlocked the door.

His eyes searched my face. His fingers swept over my cheeks, brushing away the tears. "What's wrong, baby?"

I threw my arms around his neck, weeping all over again.

His hand stroked my back even as his question went unanswered. I feel him kissing the side of my head, desperate for answers. "Chassie, what's wrong?"

He puts me in arm's length, his palm on my cheek. "Talk to me," he whispers, kissing my forehead.

I sniveled, my gaze on his chin. "This is ridiculous."

"Specifically, what is ridiculous, baby? The house? Our engagement party? The wedding? Me? I can fix it, can't I?" His finger hooked my chin, so I had no choice but to meet his eyes.

I shake my head. "It's just," I sobbed, "I couldn't get it right. I did every single thing the cookbook says," I sputtered.

His blue gaze softened. "You were cooking?"

I swipe a stiff hand across my face. "All day."

A curious crease formed between his brows as his blue eyes followed my fingers all the way back to my side. He reaches for my wrist, my fingers on his palm. "Baby, you cut yourself. And this here is a burn."

"I had just some incident with the pots... and knives."

He brings my hand to his mouth and kissed my knuckle. "Let's have a little deal. I teach you how to cook. You don't cook when I'm not around, okay?"

I purse my lips. "I defiled your kitchen."

"You just burned and cut yourself," he pointed out. "That cookbook is a mess."

A teary giggle ripped in my throat. "You're just trying to make me laugh."

He smiles softly. "You know I can't stand to see you cry. Makes me want to burn that cookbook."

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him the crying wasn't entirely from the cookbook. Or from my failure to follow crystal clear instructions. The hormones hold more accountable, if I were to be honest.

I want it to be a surprise. Maybe, a wedding gift. I just have to wait for a few weeks to tell him the good news. Preferably on our honeymoon.

I hugged him, resting my cheek against his. All the cooking has caught up to me. I'm feeling exhausted.

"You have to let the wedding planner do all the work. You've been exhausted in the past few weeks," he murmurs, kissing my hair. "And you've been exhausted from your job."

"I'm doing fine. I'm a Relationships editor. I'm not running the entire country." When Cameron Pope, one of my mother's friends and my editor in chief suggested I try my hand at it, I gotten the hang of it pretty well.

He stares at my face. "You've been under a lot of stress."

"It's not stress. I'm just excited to remarry the love of my life," I say with a bat of my lashes.

Nathan chuckles and pecks on my mouth. "You know how to sway me. I can't wait to marry you and make more babies."

The mention of babies had me grinning.

"What is it, baby?"

I shake my head. "Nothing. I love you so much."

His baby blue eyes lit up. "I love you, baby. Then, now, and tomorrow."