Fulfillment(45)

I cleared my throat. “Wow! I can’t really top that ca—”

“Yes you can,” he interrupted, smiling at me.

I knew exactly what he meant. “Actually, yes I can.” I took in a deep breath and felt my face stretch into an enormous grin. “Tomorrow I turn 36 years of age, and during those 36 years I have experienced a lot. I have learned what it is to be a daughter, sister, friend, wife, and mother. I have learned what entails commitment, devotion, loyalty, love, hurt, and loss. But I think what I have learned most of all in my life’s journey, is that no matter what difficult situation you face, there is always reprieve, always a light at the end of the tunnel. Even if at first that light seems dim and not worth trying to reach, there is a light and it is worth reaching. It’s worth grasping and doing everything you can to brighten it. All of you—my friends and family—are my light, and I truly appreciate having you all in my life.”

I placed my hand around Bryce’s hip and leaned in to his shoulder. “As most of you are aware, I have recently had to fight for reprieve during a very wounding, lightless time in my life, but it was a fight worth winning because the path that lies ahead of me now at age 36 is the most exciting path I will ever walk. It’s a path I plan on taking with all of you, with my two beautiful children, with this wonderful amazing man who I now know to be my soul mate, and with our precious little miracle that is growing strong as each day goes by.” I gently caressed my stomach.

There were gasps around the room and a couple of people even clapped. I sobbed a little and continued. “Yes, Bryce and I are expecting a baby and we couldn’t be happier.” I looked up at him, but he did not give me time to focus before his lips were touching mine. I placed my hand on the side of his face and savoured his embrace.

“Geezus, you two. There’s already a bun in the oven, no need to try and make another one.” My brother’s voice cut through the room, forcing a laugh from everyone, including me and Bryce. We broke apart.

“I’m gonna be a dad,” Bryce said to the room. He picked up Charli and sat her on his hip, and I reached for Nate who was standing not too far from my side. “We are going to be a family.” Bryce raised his glass to the room. “To a life of fulfillment.” Everyone raised their glasses and said cheers.

A waitress lit the candles on my cake and everyone started singing happy birthday. Bryce placed Charli on the ground next to me, so I knelt down to her height and kissed her on the cheek. As I looked through the candle flames out into the room, I spotted Gareth standing next to Sam, his look eerily unreadable, and for the first time in a while I had a chill go up my spine.





CHAPTER TWELVE





I shook the eerie feeling Gareth’s obscure expression had given me and focused on the rest of our guests.

Lucy was the first to greet us after our announcement. “I knew it! A little bit of wind, my arse,” she exclaimed. I momentarily looked at her dumbfounded then remembered my morbidly embarrassing cover up on Easter night.

“I’m so sorry,” I laughed, “I had to fake it. We wanted it to be a surprise. I would never have forgiven myself if I ruined it by admitting I was pregnant to you that night. Oh my God, ‘wind’ was the first thing that came to my mind.”

Lucy shook her head in amusement. “I didn’t buy it, you know.”

“Shit! I felt awful. You had just finished opening your heart to me, and there I was pronouncing I had wind.” I put my head in my hand. “Kill me now.”

Bryce and Nic both shrugged their shoulders, having no idea what Lucy and I were babbling on about.

“On that Easter night, Alexis not so subtly caressed her tummy when she and I were making coffee and talking,” she explained to Bryce and Nic. “I knew straight away she was pregnant, but she tried playing it down to having wind. It was hilarious watching her face turn a shade of pink.”

Lucy grabbed her brother and hugged him tightly, saying something quietly into his ear. I couldn’t hear it. He nodded his head at her, an expression of triumph and self-satisfaction on his face and answering her with a ‘thanks’.

“Congratulations! You both deserve to be happy...and Alexander deserves a cousin his age to play with.” She bounced baby Alexander on her hip. “How does that sound? A cousin to boss around,” she said, in playful tone to her son.

Bryce smiled as he let his nephew grip his finger. “Speaking of cousins, where is ours?”

We all turned our heads, scanning the room looking for Gareth. “He was here a moment ago. I spotted him during our announcement.” I answered, concerned for where he was at that moment, and even more concerned as to his frame of mind.