“Maggie?” I hear the question in his voice as he goes from room to room.

Finally, after he walks up and down the hallway twice, he opens the door to the spare bedroom. I see the door open, and it takes a second for him to look around and register what’s happening.

I’ve spent the past two months secretly creating a baby’s room. I even put the crib together all by myself one afternoon when he and Major went fishing. The whole room is bathed in pink and fluffy things, and I’m standing in the middle with a picture of a sonogram.

Eli is shocked silent as his eyes find me. He looks down at the framed picture and then back to me. His cheeks turn red, and his eyes fill with tears. It makes my hormones jump for joy, but I stand there and tell him what he’s been waiting so long to hear.

“I went to the doctor and found out I was pregnant. I waited until I could find out what we were having to tell you. Surprise, cupcake. We’re having a girl.”

“Sunshine?” His voice is thick with emotion as he takes a step toward me. “This better not be a joke.”

“Nope. You’re going to be a daddy.”

With those words, he rushes to me and sweeps me off my feet. I laugh out loud as he swings me in a circle, but then he stops abruptly and puts me down.

“Oh God, I have to be careful,” he says, looking down at me in shock.

Suddenly he drops to his knees and pushes my shirt up, exposing my stomach.

“I love you so much, baby girl,” he says, kissing my belly.

My baby hormones are all over the place, and I immediately burst into tears. Eli sees me and stands up, cradling me in his arms and carrying me over to the rocking chair.

“This is supposed to be for the baby,” I say as I laugh through tears.

“It is. I’m just rocking her a little early, that’s all.”

He kisses my cheeks and wipes my tears away. It was the perfect way to surprise him, and the perfect way to start our next chapter. Life couldn’t get much better.

THE END