Dr. Waters hit a few keys and then handed them a strip of black and white pictures. “Here are some photos for your scrapbook.”

Nick peered at the photo. There was a small circle around the blob in the middle so he assumed that was the baby.

“Now, do you two have any questions for me?”

Nick looked up. “I do. Is there anything that we should avoid? Like sex, for example?”

Raina winced. “Nick!”

Dr. Waters held up a hand. “The most common question I get about pregnancy is whether sex is safe. In your case, Raina, your difficulty in getting pregnant was due to the blockage in your fallopian tubes. Now that you are pregnant, I fully expect you to have a completely normal pregnancy and delivery. Which means that sexual activity is perfectly safe.”

Nick leaned forward. “The book said no deep penetration though—”

“Nick! She said it was safe.” Raina’s cheeks flushed bright red.

Dr. Waters looked like she was fighting a smile. “It’s perfectly all right. It’s safe for you to do whatever Raina feels comfortable doing. Just listen to your body’s natural cues. If anything feels uncomfortable or you start to feel dizzy or sick, then stop. Otherwise, it’s perfectly fine.”

Nick sighed. “Okay, then I have no other questions.”

*   *   *   *   *

“YOU’RE WEARING THAT?” Nick stood in the doorway of their bedroom, watching as she smoothed down her dress.

“I’m pretty sure those words are in the ‘what to never say to your pregnant wife’ category. But yes, I’m wearing this. I have to wear all my nice clothes before I’m too big for them. Plus, I’ve been feeling so sick and gross all week that the only things I’ve worn are my pajamas. I want to wear something nice.”

“You look beautiful.”

“I can’t wait until this horrible nausea stops. Baby bumps are all the rage now. I’m determined to be fashionable all throughout this pregnancy. I’ve already gotten a few offers for pregnancy modeling, but I can’t take them when I’m barfing all day.”

“You’ll be as beautiful pregnant as you’ve always been.” He was saying the right things but looking down at his phone. He’d been like this lately, distracted and distant.

Raina looked at herself in the mirror over her dresser. Was it any wonder? Throwing up for the past month and a half had robbed her complexion of its usual freshness. She snorted. Who was she trying to fool? Freshness? She looked like a hag. She was bloated even though she hadn’t been eating much because even the smell of food made her want to upchuck.

They arrived at the ABC Farm and Nick ushered Raina quickly from the car into the house. It was much colder out now. The weather seemed to have gotten pissed off that summer was gone and had just snapped into the low forties overnight.

Julia greeted them at the door. “I’m so glad you’re feeling well enough to come, Raina. Come on into the kitchen and keep me company.”

Raina followed behind as Julia led her through the family room and into the kitchen. It was a relief to leave the noise and chaos of the den behind.

Ridley and Laura were chopping tomatoes and dropping them into a big wooden bowl. A decorative plate of oranges sat on the table.

“Would you like something to drink, Raina?”

“I’d love an orange, actually.” Raina stood at the counter and peeled the fruit. She popped a section in her mouth and the tart juice exploded on her taste buds. She wasn’t able to keep much down, but everything she ate now just tasted better. She found herself eyeing the peel, wondering how it would taste. Before she could stop herself, she popped a small piece in her mouth.

Weird but good.

She looked up to find Ridley watching her in disbelief. “Did you just eat the orange peel?”

“I don’t know why I did that.” Slightly embarrassed, Raina continued eating her orange while Ridley and Laura carried the food out to the table.

“Weird cravings must be part of carrying an Alexander baby." Julia came over and stood next to her. “I never craved ice cream or any of the usual things when I was pregnant with any of the boys. I craved really strange things when I was pregnant with Nick. I wanted black pepper all the time.”

“Well, that’s not that weird,” Raina pointed out.

“I wanted black pepper by itself. Not sprinkled on food but I would just shake it onto my tongue. It drove Mark crazy.”

Raina looked down at the orange peel she’d been absently gnawing on and suddenly didn’t feel so bad.

“I’ve been doing weird things more than anything else. I had just about given up on baking, but lately I’ve been craving chocolate cupcakes again.”

“I bet Nick likes that. He’s always had a sweet tooth.”

“Well, he would probably like them if they didn’t all taste like cardboard. I’m completely useless in the kitchen,” she admitted. Every time she tried to cook anything, it was an utter disaster. She’d been feeling more and more useless lately. Domestic skills had never been at the top of her priority list, but now she wondered if she’d been too quick to dismiss their importance. All the things she’d thought were so boring and ordinary were skills that would come in handy now.

Julia rubbed her arm. “Everyone has different talents. What would be the point of chefs if everyone could cook? Besides, my son is a great cook. He’ll take good care of you.”