Happily Ever After?? (Third in the Through The Dark And Free series)

Chapter 23

"Julie?  Baby?"  Harry called out dropping the bags he had onto the counter.  They had come back from Tahoe to LA and brought their families with them.  Harry and Julie had gone to the doctor yesterday so that Julie could have her ultrasound, and they were going to have a small gender reveal party today.  His difficult wife thought it was unnecessary, but he thought they could do with a bit of normalcy.

Julie walked in from the patio by the pool.  "Hey, you were gone awhile."

"Yeah, well, I wanted to make sure everything was going to be ready in time."  Harry started to unload the bag and paused a moment to kiss Julie as she walked over to help.  "How you feeling?"

"I'm good."  Julie shook her head.  She was just getting used to being asked her state of health every time Harry saw her.  He could leave the room for ten minutes, and she swore he asked the minute he saw her again.

"Are you excited to find out what we are having?"  Harry smiled.

"A baby.  We're having a baby."  Julie laughed as she put some of the groceries aside.  "I saw it on the screen yesterday.  And they say it's even normal and healthy."

"Shut up, smartass."  Harry gently smacked her ass when she turned around.

"I'm fine with it, Harry, really.  I can tell how excited you are to find out."  Julie looked at everything on the counter.  "Geez.  How many people do you have coming to our small, intimate gender reveal?  Between this and what's already in the back, it's like we're feeding all of the greater LA area."

"It is not that bad.  There's not that many people.  Those at our wedding, plus a few more.  Including Jaime and Marcus."  Harry shook his head.  He put his hand on Julie's stomach and rubbed it gently.  "Is there any movement going on right now?"

"No.  When I'm active, it's like I rock the baby to sleep."  Julie reached over and grabbed one of the fruit trays Harry had bought.  "You don't think they'd miss just a bit of this later, do you?"

Harry chuckled.  "I got plenty.  I know what my baby likes."  He leaned back against the counter and watched as she opened the tray and filled a bowl.  "And after what I watched a few weeks ago, you eat whatever you want, whenever you want."

Julie smiled.  "I'm going to go sit on the couch and eat this.  I cleaned up the pool area.  And now I need a break.  You'd think that this kid is so small there's no way it would take so much energy from me.  But I'm exhausted.  I want to put my feet up for a minute before everyone arrives."  She grabbed her water and bowl of fruit and walked to the couch.

"When will you listen to me?  I told you I was going to do that when I got home."  Harry took a deep breath and followed Julie to the couch.

"You wouldn't let me go shopping, you wouldn't let me clean the house, you wouldn't let me...."  Julie started to list.

"Yeah, yeah.  You can stop.  You shouldn't be.  There's no need for you to."  Harry interrupted.  "Only a few weeks ago, you were passed out in my arms from barely doing anything.  Forgive me for being a little over protective."

"But it's not a few weeks ago any longer.  I'm doing so much better.  The morning sickness has pretty much stayed in the mornings, and I'm eating and drinking plenty.  I'm doing fine; the baby is doing fine.  And it's not just me saying that.  You were there yesterday when the doctor said the same thing."  Julie picked a piece of watermelon from her bowl and took a bite. She knew he meant well, but she really hated to be mollycoddled.

Harry took a breath and let it out slowly.  "Yeah well, you're just going to have to deal with it.  I have the ability to make this easy on you.  And damn it, woman, you're just going to have to suck it up and accept it."