“I just want to check on what they’ve been doing

“I just want to check on what they’ve been doing,” I explained.
“Tonight?” she asked.
“Why not?”
“Well, for one thing, it’s dark inside. We won’t be able to see anything.” “C’mon,” I said, reaching for a flashlight I’d stashed under my seat. “We don’t have to stay long if you don’t want to.”
I got out of the car and opened her door for her. After guiding her gingerly through the debris and up onto the porch, I unlocked the door. In the darkness, it was impossible not to notice the smell of new carpet, and a moment later, when I turned on the flashlight and swept it through the living room and the kitchen, I saw Jane’s eyes widen. It wasn’t completely finished, of course, but even from where we stood in the doorway, it was plain that it was close enough for us to move in.
Jane stood frozen in place. I reached for her hand.
“Welcome home,” I said.
“Oh, Wilson,” she breathed.
“Happy anniversary,” I whispered.
When she turned toward me, her expression was a mixture of hope and confusion.
“But how . . . I mean, last week, it wasn’t even close . . .” “I wanted it to be a surprise. But come—there’s one more thing I have to show you.”
I led her up the stairs, turning toward the master bedroom. As I pushed open the door, I aimed the flashlight and then stepped aside so Jane could see. In the room was the only piece of furniture that I’ve ever bought on my own: an antique canopy bed. It resembled the one at the inn in Beaufort where we’d made love on our honeymoon.
Jane was silent, and I was suddenly struck by the thought that I’d somehow done something wrong.
“I can’t believe you did this,” she finally said. “Was this your idea?”
“Don’t you like it?”
She smiled. “I love it,” she said softly. “But I can’t believe that you thought of this. This is almost . . . romantic.”
To be honest, I hadn’t thought of it in that way,ugg bailey button triplet 1873 boots. The simple fact was that we needed a decent bed, and this was the one style I was certain that she liked. Knowing she meant it as a compliment, however, I raised an eyebrow, as if asking, What else would you expect?
She approached the bed and ran a finger along the canopy. A moment later, she sat on the edge and patted the mattress beside her in invitation. “We have to talk,” she said.
As I moved to join her,replica gucci handbags, I couldn’t help but remember the previous times she’d made this announcement. I expected that she was about to ask me to do something else for her, but when I sat down, she leaned in to kiss me. “I have a surprise, too,” she said. “And I’ve been waiting for the right moment to tell you.”
“What is it,LINK?” I asked.
She hesitated for the barest second. “I’m pregnant.” At first, her words didn’t register, but when they did, I knew with certainty that I’d been given a surprise even better than my own. In early evening, when the sun was getting low and the brunt of the heat was breaking, Jane called. After asking about Noah, she informed me that Anna still couldn’t make up her mind about the dress and that she wouldn’t make it home that night. Though I assured her that I had expected as much, I could hear a trace of frustration in her voice. She wasn’t as angry as she was exasperated, and I smiled, wondering how on earth Jane could still be surprised by our daughter’s behavior,replica gucci wallets.