Alpha Billionaire Series

GABRIELLA

Istared down at the plastic device. It felt like I was holding my breath while I waited for the second stripe to appear. I didn't want it to, but I knew it took a few minutes for my hormones and the chemicals on the test strip to do their thing.

I closed my eyes and remembered the last time I had done this. I had been so nervous. I took the test and left it on the sink and went and sat on my bed. I was going to be good and wait the allotted time. I was up and down checking that test every thirty seconds. This time I sat in the bathroom with the test in my hand and watched it.

Ishould have known something was different with my body when I started getting so cranky and feeling depressed. Sure, things were difficult, but I powered through the difficulties. It was hard, but I was doing the hard work under a constant cloud of oppression. And that's what I had been feeling lately. Like nothing mattered, and that cupcakes were frivolous. I hat even contemplated listening to one of those real estate agents who kept calling.

A random comment on a television show prompted me to go back and track my period. I was late. Very late, and I hadn't even thought about it. I was so used to it being a non-issue.

But now I had Nathan in my life. It was definitely an issue. And I knew exactly when it had happened. Damn it, and I had bee 50 certain that I wouldn't have gotten pregnant. But the plastic test in my hand was about to tell me I had nothing to worry about.

“I'm not going to be a single mother with two children, because I am not pregnant,’ I said to the test. “Do you hear me? I am not pregnant.”

Unfortunately, the test didn't listen and that dreaded second line appeared.

“Fuck.” I threw it into the garbage. That was not the news I needed. Whether or not I already believed, it was a different issue I had promised Nathan, I would tell him if anything developed. I could imagine that conversation. “Hey, guess what developed between us? Oh, and by the way, this is the second time you have knocked me up!

I sighed. This was not the conversation I wanted to have with him. I wasn't ready to tell him about Robbie. Ready, or not, I needed to. And I needed to tell him about the new baby too.

I'sent him a text message. Not certain if he was still in Texas or not. “Call me when you get back. I miss you.”

His response text came quickly.

“Miss you too. Things blowing up at the office. I should have called. Tonight?”

“Late night at the café. Come rescue me at nine.”

I washed my face and headed out to deal with my little world.

Robbie sat at the kitchen table coloring. He was such a good boy. I hugged him and kissed his head.

“Mommy,” he complained.

“I just love you so much, sorry. Can I have a hug?” I asked.

He crawled down from his chair and wrapped his little arms around me and squeezed.

“You give the best hugs," I said.

Ilet him go and he shrugged me off.

“I have to close the shop tonight. You're going to be good for Lacey, right?”

He gave me a look years older than what he should have been capable of. I saw my future teenager looking back at me right then.

“I know, you're always good for Lacey."

My nerves danced on a tight wire, between finding out I was going to have a baby, needing to tell Nathan, and needing to tel Robbie. It would have been easier if I could have gone down to the kitchen and started baking.

The cupcakes the café was getting recognition came from my nervous cooking. I was young, alone, and suddenly pregnant with my rich boyfriend having freshly dumped me to go off to a foreign country on what felt like a whim. I had spent the nex nine months developing recipes and perfecting my frosting piping skills.

It had taken a while, but at some point, my cupcakes were bringing in customers. But I no longer had the freedom to be in the kitchen at all hours of the day or night. I had this small, perfect little boy who was my heart.

I was spinning my wheels until Lacey showed up. I grabbed a coloring book Robbie wasn't using.

“Can I color too?” He always looked so calm and focused. I figured it couldn't hurt.

With a nod of permission, I reached for the crayons and lost time in coloring a kitten in rainbow colors.

“50, you've discovered the benefits of coloring?” Lacey said at some time later.

“How long have you been here?”This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“Long enough to take this picture of the two of you” She held up her phone and showed me the picture.

“Oh, that's cute, send it to me,” I said.

Ilooked at the clock. Perfect timing. I had fifteen minutes to head downstairs and wash up.

“I'm going to be out late after I close. Could you have Robbie spend the night with you?” I asked tentatively.

“You're gonna bring that guy you've been seeing here?” Her eyes were wide with excitement.

“Only to talk. I'm not ready for Robbie to meet him yet. I don't want to confuse him. You understand?” I certainly hoped she did.

“Of course. Not a problem.”

Itwas a relief to have Lacey living upstairs. She was smart and reliable. I would miss her when she graduated and moved up in the world.

I headed to the café and lost track of time to the rush of customers. And finally, I was able to lose myself completely in cupcake baking. This felt so familiar, so comforting. There was something meditative about following instructions and blending ingredients. Making batter forced me to slow down. I couldn't rush the cooking process. There was an optimal time for the batter to be in the mixer and a prescribed time for the cupcakes to bake. And then they had to cool down before I could frost them, or the designs I piped on would melt and slide right off.

The piping process was an entirely different set of meditative practices. I didn't simply do a fancy swirl of frosting. I built roses, I created art. It was therapy and product all at once. And being able to eat it and have it taste wonderful, seemed like an added bonus.

My kitchen time was limited since Miguel had to leave at six. The new guy, David, seemed to be getting the hang of everything, but it wasn't fair to leave him alone just yet. I needed to be available, and not lost in the meditation of cupcake making.

Before I had time to lament telling Nathan to come over after closing, I was mopping down the front, and Ricky, with David's help, had already finished the kitchen.

With every passing car, my head was up and looking. I smiled as I saw Nathan head toward the front door. I was in the process of unlocking and opening it when he started to knock.

He stepped inside and wrapped me in his arms. His kiss was comfort and warmth. His kiss was my future. I returned his kiss, and if I wasn't holding a mop, I would have woven my fingers into his hair and held him close. I poured all of my feelings ints that kiss. I wanted him to feel the way he was making me feel at that moment.

It was the kind of kiss that should have had us tearing at each other's clothes, and me dragging him upstairs. After all, Robbie was spending the night at Lacey's. I let that thought dance in the back of my brain before shutting it down.

“I missed you,” Nathan said in a low, sexy voice.

The nerves in my belly wanted his touch. My body wanted me to throw responsibility to the wind and take him upstairs to m bed. He would see evidence of Robbie, and then I could tell him. I looked into his eyes and realized that would be one nasty surprise. He didn't need to find out like that. I needed to use my grown-up words and tell him.

“Let me finish this up. You want to take a walk?” I asked.

“One of those days?”

I nodded.

“Me too. A walk sounds good. Some fresh air and a little exercise will do us both some good after a long day."

I put away the cleaning supplies, grabbed a hooded jacket, and set the alarm. We headed out the side door and walked toward the church with the swing set.

“How was Texas?” I wasn't ready to jump right into telling him he was about to be a father for a second time.

Nathan was still in a suit, so I figured he had come from the office. So, he probably needed to vent. He hadn't sounded happ about being in Texas when I had talked to him.

“It was a cluster fuck. I trusted Gavin with a certain level of responsibility, and he completely fucked it up. I don't even think he did any of the work he was supposed to do. But seeing you makes everything better.”

He pulled me into his arms and looked into my face.

“I know that everything will work out when I look at you."

My heart sped up in my chest, and my breath was suddenly hard to catch. If now wasn't the perfect time, I didn't know when would have a better time to tell him.