Chapter 119

ISABELLA

I was folding the last of the baby’s tiny clothes when I heard Knox's footsteps approaching. I smiled to myself, knowing he’d find a way to tease me about overpacking or something silly. Sure enough, the moment he stepped into the room, he leaned against the doorframe with that playful smirk I’d come to expect.

“You know we’re not moving into the hospital, right?” he said, his voice full of amusement as he crossed the room toward me. “Looks like you’re packing for a week-long vacation.”

I rolled my eyes, trying not to laugh. “I just want to be prepared, Knox. You never know how long we’ll be there.”

He knelt beside the bed and grabbed one of the baby’s onesies, holding it up as if it were the most ridiculous thing he’d ever seen. “This little guy’s not even here yet, and already his wardrobe’s bigger than mine.”

“Well, he is your son,” I shot back with a grin, “so he’s bound to be fashionable.”

Knox laughed, his deep voice filling the room as he sat beside me, gently nudging me with his shoulder. “Fair point.” He took the onesie from my hands and neatly folded it. His movements were careful, precise, like he was savoring this moment, even though he’d never admit it. “But seriously, Isa, you don’t need to pack the entire nursery. You know we’ll have everything we need.”

I watched as he reached for the diaper bag, checking to see if I’d packed enough. “I can’t help it. I want everything to be perfect when he gets here,” I murmured. “I just don’t want to forget anything important.”

Knox placed a hand on my knee, his thumb brushing over the fabric of my leggings. “You won’t forget anything. And even if you do, we’ll figure it out. We’ve got this.”

I looked over at him, and there it was—that warmth, that unwavering confidence he always seemed to exude. It was reassuring. He always had a way of grounding me when I started to overthink.

“You know, you’re not as bad at this packing thing as I thought,” he teased, lifting one of my comfortable maternity dresses out of the bag. “But what’s this? No sexy lingerie for the hospital stay?” His voice dropped into that teasing, flirty tone he knew would make me blush.

I smacked his arm, trying to hide my smile. “Oh, sure, Knox. I’ll be thinking all about seduction while I’m giving birth.”

He chuckled, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “Hey, I’m just saying, you never know when I’ll be in the mood to help you… relax.”

“You’re impossible,” I laughed, my heart feeling lighter with every word. He had this way of making everything seem less serious, more fun.

Knox leaned in closer, his lips brushing my temple as he whispered, “I just want you to feel good, Isa. I love you.” His voice, though playful moments ago, now held a tenderness that made my heart flutter.

“I love you too,” I whispered back, resting my head against his shoulder for a moment, savoring the quiet between us.

Together, we finished packing, his teasing remarks and flirty smiles making the task feel like a moment of closeness. When we were done, he stood, tugging me to my feet with a gentle pull.

“Come on,” he said, leading me toward the door. “Let’s take a break. You can relax, and I can make sure you didn’t forget to pack anything essential. Like that lingerie.”

I laughed, rolling my eyes again, but my heart was so full. These moments—these little moments with him, with all of them—made me feel like everything was going to be just fine.

ASHER

I was heading down the hallway when I heard the sound of laughter spilling out from the bedroom. Not just any laughter—Isabella’s. The kind that was so full and unrestrained it could light up the entire room. It wasn’t long before I heard Knox’s deeper chuckles mixing in.

Curious, I made my way to the door, pausing just outside for a moment. It was rare to hear them like this—completely carefree. I couldn’t help the small smile creeping onto my face as I pushed the door open.

The sight that greeted me, though, wasn’t quite what I was expecting.

Isabella was lying on the bed, half-naked, one hand clutching her stomach as she laughed uncontrollably. Knox, beside her, was also very naked and laughing just as hard. They were both a mess, sheets tangled up beneath them, faces flushed with amusement.

I raised an eyebrow, leaning against the doorframe. "Care to share what's so funny?"

Isabella glanced up at me, trying to stifle her laughter long enough to speak, but she couldn’t even get the words out. She just shook her head, her whole body shaking with laughter.

Knox, on the other hand, managed to catch his breath long enough to explain between snickers. "Turns out," he started, wiping a tear from his eye, "figuring out a position for… you know, this," he gestured vaguely between them, "when Isa’s this far along is a lot harder than we thought."

That’s when it hit me—their disheveled state, the tangled sheets, the awkward positioning. They’d been trying to make love, but apparently, it wasn’t going according to plan.

I couldn’t help it—I laughed too. “Seriously?”

Knox nodded, still grinning like an idiot. “Oh yeah. We’ve tried like… five different positions now, and none of them are comfortable. I mean, it’s like trying to solve a damn puzzle.”

Isabella finally managed to catch her breath, though she was still smiling wide. “I feel like a whale,” she said, her voice filled with humor rather than frustration. “Everything is so awkward.”

I walked over, shaking my head at both of them. “So you’ve turned this into a comedy routine instead of just calling it a night?”

Knox smirked up at me, clearly enjoying himself. “Well, what can I say? We like a challenge.”

I sat down on the edge of the bed, looking between the two of them. There was such an ease between them, despite the situation. It wasn’t about sex anymore, not really. It was about being together—laughing at the absurdity, finding joy in the moment. And honestly, it made me love them both even more.

Isabella rolled over, propping herself up on her elbow as she looked at me, still smiling. “Next time, you’re joining us. Maybe you’ll have better luck figuring it out.”

I chuckled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “Maybe,” I said, though I wasn’t exactly confident I’d fare any better. “Or maybe we’ll just have to wait a little longer.”

Knox groaned dramatically. “A little longer feels like forever.”

I smirked at him. “Patience, Knox. Besides, I’m sure we’ll manage.”

Isabella smiled softly at me, and I could see the love in her eyes, even through the laughter and the teasing. It was moments like this that reminded me how lucky I was—how lucky we all were—to have found this, to have found her.

Knox, still lying beside her, reached out and took her hand, his thumb brushing gently over her knuckles. “Yeah, we’ll figure it out.”

As I watched them, the laughter finally settling into something quieter, something more intimate, I couldn’t help but feel like we were all going to be just fine. Sure, things weren’t always perfect, and sometimes they were downright ridiculous, but at the end of the day, we had each other.

And that was more than enough.