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She shifted to the side and I sat beside her, wrapping my arms around her body, spreading my hand wide across her stomach, and rocking her gently until I felt her relax.

“Someone is anxious to meet you.”

She laughed softly. “Meet us. It’s your voice he or she reacts to the most.”

I smiled, dropping a kiss to her hair, then stroked her swollen belly.

It had felt odd the first time I talked to her stomach. I felt like an idiot, lying beside her with my hand on her skin, muttering about silly things. Except, I liked it. I started reading books, humming music, talking about how much fun we were going to have when he or she was born—anything to connect myself to the life growing inside Katy. The first time I felt the push of a hand or foot against my skin, I actually wept. And for the second time in my life, I knew I was in love. Boy or girl, I would love and protect this child with everything in me. Knowing I would hold them in the next few hours, made my chest ache with a sweetness I sti