2 Years Later
I chuckled quietly, enjoying another sip of hot cocoa as I watched my nephew tear into another gift, his light brown curls bouncing as he giggled. He'd certainly inherited the Carpenter gene of ripping into presents at Christmas.
"Gentle, Parker," Elisa chided her son, sparing an embarrassed glance for Maxon and America who watched in anticipation.
I gave myself an imaginary pat on the back for informing them of Parker's latest obsession with dogs. The smile on his face was one of pure joy as he revealed a giant stuffed puppy dog with floppy ears and I could see the King and Queen breathe in relief.
It was my family's first Christmas at the palace. Somehow my in-laws had no trouble finding gifts for my parents and siblings, but it was my almost two-year old nephew that threw them for a loop.
"What do we say, son?" Kaleb smiled at Parker, nodding towards Maxon and America.
"Thank-you!" Parker grinned, though it came out sounding more like "fank oo."
Everyone laughed and I felt Derek tug me closer, his arm slung lazily around my shoulders. I snuggled close, analyzing my husband's expression as he watched the toddler introduce everyone to his new favorite toy. Nervous butterflies surged in my stomach but I did my best to ignore them.
It was cozy and warm in the sitting room, the Schreave's, the Carpenter's, the Woodwork's, and even the Leger's, gathered around a large Christmas tree that had once been overflowing with presents. Everyone wore pajamas and Derek and I had cuddled up under our own blanket. Twinkly lights cast a glow across the room and the scent of hot chocolate mixed with the smell of cinnamon and gingerbread men. It was a perfect Christmas, even if there wasn't any snow dusting the ground. I could feel the joy as I watched my siblings intermingle with Derek's, my parents snuggled on their own love seat. It had been difficult to convince them to spend a Christmas away from Kent but I wanted them here. I needed them to be here.
Little Marlee removed herself from her namesake, Marlee Woodwork's, lap and moved to where Parker was now playing. She'd adjusted surprisingly well to not being the youngest family member anymore and insisted on playing with Parker practically every moment he'd been here.
Everly removed her head from Kile's shoulder and stretched, shoulders popping. "Was that the last one?"
I peeked over at Genevieve, who was curled up on the floor, James' arm wrapped around her waist. She gave me a discreet thumbs up and even with my nerves, I smiled at the sight of them together. It had taken them nearly two years and more than a few heartbreaks to realize what was right in front of them. And even though they were taking it slow, the real question was whether Kile or James would be the first to pop the question.
I certainly hadn't planned on Gen being the first to know. But there wasn't anything I could do about it, seeing as how she'd practically broken into my room.
"Uh, no actually. There should be one more in the back. For Derek. From me," I stuttered, avoiding my husband's confused gaze as he peered down at me. We'd already exchanged gifts earlier, agreeing only on small ones this year. The oil paints I'd already given him were on the table next to the photo book he'd filled with pictures of us in our first two years of marriage.
"Mmm, got it!" Annika reached behind the tree to find the box I'd placed there at the last minute, where nobody could find it and try to give it to him earlier.
"Darling," Derek smiled and shook his head, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek after Annika handed it to him. "You didn't have to get me anything else."
I smiled a little and twiddled my thumbs, watching his expression as he got to work unwrapping it slowly. "I know. But well, something sort of...presented itself and..."
I trailed off as he lifted the top of the box, not quite sure what to say anymore. Genevieve watched eagerly, our families and the rest of our audience looking slightly confused, as if they were missing something.
He lifted up the t-shirt, squinting as he tried to read the words printed on the fabric. "Best...dad ever? But I'm not..."
The butterflies raged again as I saw realization dawn on him, his eyes widening as he turned to look at me. "You're...you're?"
It was Derek's turn to go speechless as I managed a soft smile. "Surprise."
We hadn't really planned on having a baby yet. If anything, I think Derek had wanted to wait, to enjoy just being a family of two for a little while. While the last two years had been wonderful, it had still been a big adjustment for both of us. Not only were we figuring out our life as husband and wife, I was also figuring out my role as a princess. And my role as the future queen, which terrified me to no end.
Somehow, becoming a mother scared me even more.
Once I'd begun to suspect it, I was thankful to have my own bathroom. We shared a bed every night, which had made it difficult once the morning sickness started. Even though the door between my suite and Derek's was practically revolving, he almost never went into my bathroom, which made it easy to hide the test. Regardless of my suspicions, it was still a shock to see the confirmation. And I'd been struggling to figure out how and when to tell him.
When Genevieve had found the test, after snooping through my bathroom for nail polish, she'd convinced me to tell him at Christmas. I'd been so terrified he wouldn't want it, hence my delay in revealing the news. A part of me was still terrified, but I couldn't keep it a secret much longer. Even if I'd wanted to, my already changing body would have betrayed me eventually.
Derek gaped, his gaze moving from my face to my stomach and back up to my face. "Really?"
I nodded slowly, not really sure what to say. This was exactly the reaction I was afraid of. Of course he was in disbelief, he wasn't...
"I can't—can't believe," he shook his head before a wide grin spread across his face. "You're pregnant? We're...we're gonna have a baby?"
"Yes. And I know we haven't talked about it, that we didn't plan it..."
I didn't get to finish before he stood, pulling me into a hug that lifted me off the floor. I squeaked, clinging to him so I didn't fall on my face. "Derek!"
I could hear the rest of the people in the room explode with noise, hopefully happy noise. Out of the corner of my eye I could see his parents crying tears of what I assumed was joy, mine embracing, our siblings cheering as Elisa tried to explain the concept of cousins to Parker. But all I could hear, all I could pay attention to, was Derek.
"Sorry, sorry," he twirled me once before setting me down but he didn't let go. "How far along are you? Why didn't you tell me, are you feeling okay? We're going to be parents!"
I laughed as his words came out in a rush, one question after another. "Slow down, slow down."
He blushed, brushing his thumb gently across my stomach.
"I'm just over two months along, so the nurse said the baby is due sometime in June. I didn't really know how to tell you so I tried to keep the morning sickness a secret," I looked up at him, placing my hand on top of his. I could tell that he was hanging onto my every word, the joy clear on his face. And I found myself smiling too, for once the prospect of being a mom not quite as terrifying as before.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me," he shook his head but he didn't sound mad at all.
"You're happy?" I placed a hand on his cheek, my nerves ebbing away. "I know the shirt was a little silly, but I thought it was cute. I couldn't exactly give you the baby since it's still inside me and I don't even know if it's the size of an apple yet, so I'm sorry you still have to wait..."
Derek interrupted my rambling by taking my hand in his and squeezing it, before giving me a smile so bright my knees wobbled.
"Darling, I will gladly wait seven months for this," he kneeled down and I blushed as he placed a gentle and loving kiss on my stomach. "This is the best gift you could have given me."
~~~
The best gift of our lives was born early in the afternoon on June 21st. On Father's day, coincidentally. And from the moment she was born, we knew our little girl, Princess Rosalie Amber Schreave, was a fighter.
"Stubborn like her mother," Derek remarked with a smile, unable to take his eyes off of the little miracle bundled in my arms.
"And anytime she tries to say she isn't, we'll recount the ten hours of labor she put me through," I remarked with a tired laugh, leaning back against the pillow as she snuggled against my chest.
I heard another camera click and I could practically hear America roll her eyes as her husband snapped another photo. "I think you've taken enough, Maxon."
"There can never be too many photos, my dear," Maxon teased but set his camera down anyways. He'd only put it down earlier when Derek and I suggested he hold his granddaughter instead of take pictures of her. "Especially of our little Rosie-posie."
The nickname had already stuck. Derek had been saying it from the moment we decided on the name Rosalie, but we'd kept the name a secret from our families until her birth. And now that she was here, with her pink cheeks and tufts of blonde hair, nobody could look away. Least of all me.
I felt Derek brush back my sweaty hair and managed to tear my eyes away for a moment to give my husband a smile and a kiss. All along I'd thought I would be the more visibly emotional one, but Derek had literally burst into tears when I first gave her to him to hold.
When we'd found out we were having a girl, a small part of me feared for her. For the people who would doubt her ability simply because she hadn't been born a boy. If it weren't for her grandparents changing the succession rule when Derek and Genevieve were born, should Derek and I eventually have a son, he would have taken her position in line for the throne. And even though I didn't know yet what it took to be Queen, the sacrifices, the choices it required, I knew she would be a great one.
Because as she gripped her father's finger, her other hand reaching up to grasp a strand of my hair, I had no doubt my daughter was strong enough to face anything that would come her way.