• Willem •

We went back to the hotel after going out for dinner. Amelia looked beautiful in beige-colored pants, a black long sleeve blouse with a plunging neckline, and tall black strappy heels that wrapped delicately around her ankles.

She'd straighten her gray streaked hair and for a moment I thought she was a different woman. Her natural hair was long, but when straightened it fell to her lower back.

I opened the door to let her in. This hotel wasn't exactly decorated to my taste, but Amelia seemed to like it just the way it was, ugly brown carpet and all.

She gasped when I turned on the light and before she could take another step, she spun around to look at me with her kind brown eyes. "What did you do? This is beautiful, Will."

There was a trail of red rose petals leading to the bed and some more scattered all over it. In the center of the bed, a heart made of petals with the letters W+A in the middle of it stared back at us. A string of fairy lights decorated the ceiling and a series of unlit candles stood proudly on the dresser, the nightstands, and the center table.

The receptionist had done a great job setting up the romantic decor while we were out for dinner. I grabbed a lighter as Amelia walked slowly toward the bed. I lit the candles and watched her lightly touching the flowers on the white sheet.

"No one has ever done anything like this for me," Amelia said, sounding like she was about to cry. "I didn't know you were a romantic."

"I can be. With the right woman."

"This is incredibly sweet. Thank you." She took my hand and leaned forward to kiss me. Her lips were soft, pliant, and straight-up captivating. I loved how she always gave herself to me fully in every kiss.

I got down on one knee and pulled the box with the ring I'd bought for her from my back pocket. My heart pounded wildly in my chest. Not out of fear, but because my heart was filled with uncontainable love for the woman standing before me so unsuspecting and beautiful.

"Amelia, schatje, I know I never asked to marry you the first time eleven years ago because I figured it was a done deal, but here I am, on my knees, not because your mother suggested it, but because I chose you and want to continue choosing you every day for the rest of our lives." I took the ring out of the box, dropping the box on the floor next to my knee.

The ring was an oval shaped diamond and it glistened in the light of the candles and fairy lights hanging overhead.

Amelia looked down at me with bewilderment and awe. "Willem, we're already married." She chuckled.

"True, but this is a new start for us, baby. We have a lot of catching up to do and I want us to do this right." I caught her left hand in mine and was surprised to see that she wasn't wearing her wedding band. "Where's your ring?"

She tried to grab her hand out of my grasp, but I held on. "I lost it," she said, avoiding my gaze as if she'd committed a heinous crime.

"No big deal. I'll buy you a new one after you accept this engagement ring." Her face visibly relaxed and I placed the ring at the tip of her ring finger. "Dr. Amelia Miller. Will you marry me?"

"Yes. Yes, I'll marry you, Will. I'll be your wife in every sense of the word." She laughed and tears sprung to her eyes before she bent down to kiss me.

Fuck it if I wasn't the happiest man on earth right now. I slipped the ring on her finger and it fit perfectly. "I love you."

"I love you."

I picked her up and spun her around. Her laughter blossomed with every spin and I imprinted that moment in my mind so I would never forget it. Once her feet were planted firmly on the ground, I locked our lips together, kissing her hard and long before breaking away.

"Filo and Xiomara wanted to congratulate us on our engagement. Let me call them." We sat down on the couch and I dialed Filo's number and she picked up, her wise wrinkled face appearing on the screen with a large smile.

"You look beautiful, Amelia," she said. "Xiomara, come look. It's Willem and Amelia. Let me see the ring on your finger, child."

Amelia smiled and lifted her hand, placing the ring in front of the camera. "Hi, Filo. So you knew about this and didn't tell me anything?"

"I didn't want to spoil the surprise." Filo turned around to look at something. "Ah, there she is. Hurry, Xio. I'm sure these two have lots to talk about and do. We really shouldn't keep them on here too long."

Xiomara's thick dark hair appeared in the camera first and then her head followed by her swollen belly. "Hi, chica. Congratulations. You're glowing. Hi, Willem. I can't believe you're a married man. It's still so strange to me."

"Hmm," I said. "Now what are you and Omar waiting on to tie the knot?"

Amelia jabbed me in my ribs as if I'd done something wrong. I grinned mischievously, and held her hand, caressing the diamond on her finger.

"I don't know. I think it's too early for us considering we've only known each other for seven months and five of those I spent avoiding him, but you should ask him. He's your friend."

"No way, not doing that," I said. "He'll propose when he's ready, I guess."

"When is the wedding?" Filo asked. "You are having a wedding, right?"

"That's not up to me," I said, looking at Amelia. She looked uncertain but she couldn't have been more beautiful at that moment.

"It's a possibility," she said with a sparkle in her eye.

Filo nodded her salt and pepper head. "I'm so proud of you Willem for standing up and taking your marriage vows seriously at last. And Amelia, you're going to be a beautiful bride and mother."

"Oh oh," Xiomara muttered. "She's doing it again."

Amelia leaned closer to the screen. "Doing what exactly?"

"You're pregnant," Filo said without preamble.

Amelia's mouth fell open and we stared at each other in shock. I looked at her flat belly with skepticism. There was no way. We fucked this morning and there's no way Filo would be able to tell already.

"Filo's not lying," Xiomara said. "She was the one who told me I was pregnant. Pretty early on too. It's like she can smell pregnancy in the air."

"You're about one month along if my calculations are correct," Filo said.

Amelia's lips parted even more and she touched her belly. "One month?"

"I think we should leave the love birds now," Filo said. "I'm tired."

Xiomara turned the camera to face her. "Goodbye, you two. I'm sorry Filo sprung this on you like this, but being pregnant has been eye opening for me. It's made me realize I'm stronger than I think I am and has taught me a lot about my body, both physically and emotionally. Just continue to love each other. And soon your baby as well. All will be fine, okay. And one last thing, pregnancy sex is ah-may-zing."

Xiomara hung up the call and I turned to look at my wife, gauging her true reaction now that the camera was off. I couldn't think of a reason why she wouldn't want to have my baby.

I wanted this baby.

"We're pregnant, schatje. My soldiers know how to march. Heck yeah." I smiled, hoping to get her to smile as well.

"We don't know that for sure. I need a pregnancy test." She touched my face, her fingers lingering on the stubble there. "I want to have your baby. The thought alone is exciting. I want you to know that." She smiled and then an excited chuckle escaped her lovely mouth. "Oh my goodness, I might be pregnant."

She climbed on my lap, straddling me. My body sizzled to life when she pressed her body against my growing cock. I groaned and grabbed her ass through her pants, pushing her further down on my lap.

She leaned down and kissed my neck. My jaw. My lips. Her tongue slipped into my mouth a moment later, slick and hellbent on seduction. I cupped her jaw, deepening the kiss, licking into her mouth with unabandoned lust.

Fuck. I couldn't imagine sex being better than this. I knew she was wet for me already going by the sound of her moans.

Although we were both still fully dressed, the air was sexually charged to its maximum. I tore my lip away from her and reached for the hem of her blouse. I was about to pull it over her head when she stopped me.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Let's go and get a pregnancy test. I need to know for sure, Will."

"All the drugstores are closed. It's after ten," I said, glancing at my watch.

"There's an all night pharmacy at the hospital."

"If Filo says you're pregnant, then you're pregnant, baby. She did the same thing with my mother and Tessa."

"Nobody cares about Tessa," she said, annoyed. "I want to know tonight. Will you come with me or not?"

I reached under her blouse to touch her bra covered breast. "Can I make love to you first before we go? My dick is so fucking hard right now."

Her eyes darkened with desire and I took that as a yes. I made love to her on the couch, thrusting in and out of her, relishing the way her walls clenched around me. She was so wet, I could hear it every time I buried my cock deep in her pussy and withdrew again.

I told her how hot she looked when I bent her over the couch and entered her from behind. I needed her to know how incredibly sexy she was when she submissively took every throbbing inch of me. I wanted her to feel my love with every thrust and every kiss. Watching her body dance at my touch was all the motivation I needed to let loose. I took us soaring over a cliff we hadn't been to before. The fall left me deaf and blind, and her a panting, shaky mess.

When our session ended, we got dressed and I drove us to the pharmacy at the hospital. The corridors in the hospital hallway were brightly lit and mostly empty at this time.

I followed Amelia's quick footsteps until we came across the sign of the pharmacy. We browsed the feminine section until we found the pregnancy tests. There were three different kinds.

"How do we know which one is the right one?" I asked.

"It depends on how far along you are."

"Go for that one." I pointed at the one in a pink and white box. "It's more expensive and it says early detection."

"Yes, okay. I think I need two. One for tonight and one for tomorrow morning."

"Grab five."

Behind us, a female voice said, "Dr. Miller, what are you doing here? I thought it was your day off."

Amelia and I turned around simultaneously. Before us was a blond with short hair and blue eyes wearing a nurse's uniform. "Nurse Brimmer, yes, it's my day off," Amelia said, still holding the pregnancy test in her hand.

Nurse Brimmer stared down at Amelia's hand. "Are congratulations in order?"

"Don't know yet. That's why we're buying these." Amelia waved the box in the air and smiled. I could tell she was getting more and more excited by the minute.

"I know you've always wanted children. They're quite a blessing. Even with the wrong person. Is this your husband?"

I couldn't tell if nurse Brimmer was a foe or friend. Her tone was rather dry when she spoke. Amelia had mentioned her a few times in our conversations the past month. What had she said again?

Oh yeah, late forties, two or three kids, married to a drunk and serial cheater.

I stuck my hand out and shook nurse Brimmer's small hand. "Willem de Vries, Amelia's husband. A pleasure to meet you."

She held my hand a little too long. "You better treat her right. Do you hear me? Dr. Miller is precious to us. If you sense I don't like you, it's because you're taking the best surgeon we've ever had away from us. It's not personal. You seem like a nice guy otherwise."

She let go of my hand and I looked into her icy blue eyes. "I know how brilliant my wife is. Not treating her right is not an option. I will always put her first."

"In that case, I wish you all the best in raising your future family. And Amelia, you deserve love and happiness. I know your mother isn't here with us anymore, but you're not alone. If you ever need any advice regarding the baby, you know where to find me in the pediatric ward." She smiled for the first time and it transformed her face. Maybe she wasn't as cold as I deemed her to be.

Amelia moved from beside me and hugged nurse Brimmer. "Thank you. I won't forget that."

"She's a peculiar woman," I said when nurse Brimmer turned and walked away from us.

"Rumor is, she finally left her abusive husband, but I didn't hear it from her mouth so I don't know how true it is."

"Well, she deserves better."

I paid for the tests and drove us back to the hotel. I found myself pacing in front of the bathroom door waiting for Amelia to pee on the first stick. The door opened a crack and I rushed up to it.

"What does it say?"

"Nothing conclusive yet. I literally just peed on it. We have to give it five minutes." She chuckled. "You're more impatient than I am."

"I love you, woman, and we're about to have a family. Forgive me if I'm a bit eager". I opened my arms and she fell into them, resting her cheek on my broad chest. I kissed her forehead, lingering there for a couple of seconds.

"I love you too."

"Okay, check now."

We entered the bathroom together. The pregnancy test was lying face up on the counter and that little fucking square window had two stripes running lengthwise through it.

Woah. I was going to be a father.

For the first time in my life, I was grateful for the chance I had to raise Bradley. This pregnancy didn't seem so scary now and I knew I would be able to help Amelia every step of the way. From changing diapers to late night cravings, I would show up and put in the work as a real father should.

...