Maybe Later(80)

We decided to stop using protection a week after she moved in with me. Right after our first trip to New York, a year ago. She was on the pill, but she stopped taking last June since we learned it takes about a year or two for her body to detoxify from the effects. I guess her system is faster.

“You make me the happiest man alive.”

“I love you forever, Jack.”





*





Emmeline


Six months later



Monday, March 4th, 7:32 a.m.



It’s been two years since Jackson Spearman came to my life. I wasn’t ready for him. Nothing I’ve read or lived had prepared me for what we experienced. He didn’t arrive with a warning. He knocked me off my feet. He’s everything that I want, tender, playful, both wicked and flawed.

Love is unpredictable and transcends as you grow. But some things never change. I want him more and more every day. I love him more than I have ever loved anyone and crave him intensely, I can’t get enough of him.

He’s the best husband I could’ve asked for. We aren’t perfect, and our relationship is far from a fairy tale. He said it when he proposed and with his vows. This story isn’t a fantasy. Our love story is real, filled with magic, love, and lots of flaws.

I wouldn’t change him or the life we share for anything. I can’t imagine not spending time beside him, curled up against his body as I listen to his heartbeat and trace lines across his skin.

As my company grows and my belly along with it, I’ve been delegating a lot of responsibilities. In ten weeks, I’m going to become a full-time mom. At least for a year, afterward I’ll decide how to handle motherhood and my career. I should be savvy enough to balance both. Jackson and I agree that our children will always come first.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” I ask as I enter the kitchen.

“You looked peaceful,” he answers scribbling something.

“What are you doing?” I ask curiously.

Before I sit next to him, I pour hot water into my favorite mug and prepare my daily tea.

“I’m filling out the questionnaire,” he answers. “It’s a couple of years overdue, but I thought I should do it today.”

Walking toward him, I recognize the format and grunt.

“Jackson Spearman,” I protest.

“That’s my name,” he answers, tapping the first question.

I take it away from him and read it out loud.

“Nicknames?” I ask

“My family calls me Jack. My wife calls me wise-ass, insufferable, and the love of my life,” he answers with a wink.

“How would you like me to call you?”

“Jack, but if we’re in bed and you happen to be tied to it, you should definitely call me Mr. Spearman.”

“Favorite food?”

“I still love Rueben sandwiches, but I’ve developed a taste for sushi.”

“Meow,” Ramen protests and jumps on the table.

“You’re still my number one, sweetheart,” Jack says, scratching her chin.

“Hobbies,” he says and smirks, “my wife.”

“I’m your hobby?” I protest.

“I like to do you over anything else,” he says with a voice that melts me and makes me wet.

But as usual, I go from horny to sensitive within seconds. I sniff when I read the question, how do you drink your coffee? In the mornings, with my wife.

“Babe?”

“Stupid hormones,” I complain.

He takes the paper. Then pulls me into his lap and continues reading. “Do you have any children? We’re expecting twins, ten weeks and we’ll have two lively boys.”

“I can’t wait to meet them,” I tell him, touching my round belly.

We haven’t chosen their names yet. There’s a list, but we’re still not sure which are right for them. We might have to wait until we meet them.

He bends and kisses my belly and says, “We can’t wait to meet you.” Then, he kisses me. It’s a slow, deep, toe-curling kiss. “Thank you for coming into my life.”

“I love you, Jack. Thank you for being patient with me.”

“Thank you for being mine,” he retorts.



THE END





Dear reader,





Thank you so much for reading, Maybe Later. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I know, it’s totally different from what I write but I put as much heart and soul on this baby too.

So , one of my favorite movies of all times is You Got Mail—the second being Sleepless in Seattle. Nora Ephron is one of my favorite story tellers. She’s my writing idol. For a couple of years, I’ve been wondering what it’d be to write a modern tale of You Got Mail. Thankfully, I raised a Nora Ephron fan, that’d be my oldest, Paulina.

We’ve been talking about it for months. On my corkboard I have several notes with titles and ideas for books. One of them is Maybe Later a virtual romantic comedy. And back on January while I chatted about all the free time I had since I didn’t plan on releasing a book until May, we looked at Maybe Later and boom, we plotted it right away.

Jack and Emmeline became real and I adored both from the beginning. I always slip a few funny lines in between my books. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I could write an entire manuscript where I’d be unleashing my wit. I confess, I laughed while I wrote every word and line.