“He called and said to go to the front door. Apparently he left a wedding gift for you there, and I’m supposed to bring it to you.”

My brows furrowed, and Eve and I followed Bella to the door.

I shrieked, finding a cage. “Oh my God! A puppy!”

The adorable little pug started to bark and jump up and down. He was so excited, he kept banging his head on the top of the plastic carrier. “Bring him in. Bring him in.” I laughed. “He’s going to get hurt doing that.”

Bella carried the cage inside, and I sat on the living room floor and unlatched the metal door. The little guy sprinted out and right onto my lap. He actually knocked me over and started to lick my face.

“Well, look at that,” Eve said. “He reminds me of your fiancé when he first saw you.”

Ah. That last sticky note makes more sense now.

I’d been bugging Ford about getting a puppy for a few months now—one of the last few items left on my My Turn list. At first, we’d put it off because of the year I taught in Rome. Then I’d gotten a new tenure-track position at my school, and Ford was busy getting the new temp office space building ready for the grand opening. Life had just been busy the last two years. But this summer, our plan was to slow down, and the timing was perfect to train this little guy. Our Memorial Day weekend clambake wedding was only the start of a long and lazy summer back in Montauk.

“I cannot believe he did this. He’s so adorable.” I scratched behind his ears, and the puppy’s left hind leg started to spasm. “Bella, would you mind getting my cell so I can text Ford? I don’t want to let go of this little guy. It’s on the kitchen counter.”

Bella found my phone and snapped a picture of my new puppy licking my face while I smiled. She showed it to me, and I told her to send it to her brother.

A minute later, my phone buzzed with an incoming text.

Ford: I’m jealous of a dog. How do I get me some of that?

I smiled and texted back. My sweet little pup had knocked himself out in less than two minutes and was now snuggled in my lap.

Valentina: I’ll let you lick my face after you say I do.

Ford: It’s not your face I’ll be licking tonight, sweetheart.

Bella groaned. “You two should get a room. I can’t even look at you texting each other. You get that…” She waved her hand around in front of my face. “…that look that says you’re sexting with my brother. Gross.”

I laughed.

Valentina: BTW…your sister found one of your sticky notes this morning.

Ford: What the hell was she doing up before you?

Valentina: We were up late, and I slept in. The Montauk air must’ve wiped me out.

Ford: Well, you better relax and save all your energy for tonight.

Valentina: I will. And thank you for the puppy! He’s so adorable. Though now I have a child out of wedlock for the second time. You couldn’t have waited a few hours to give him to me? ;)

Ford: I can come take him back?

Valentina: Too late. I love him already. Does he have a name?

Ford: Nope. That’s all you. Pick something good.

Valentina: Are you nervous about today?

Ford: Not at all. You’re already my forever. This is just a formality.

***

Oh my God.

I covered my mouth and stared down at the stick. The plus sign was a deep, dark blue. I must’ve taken the first test too early. My hand shook, and I just kept whispering Oh my God, Oh my God over and over. I think I was in more shock than I’d been at seventeen the first time it happened.

“Everything okay in there?” Eve knocked on the bathroom door.

The sound made me jump.

“Ummm. Yeah.” Achoo! “Everything is fine. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

“Alright. Fifteen minutes to show time. Don’t take too long.”

I’m pregnant.

Oh my God.

My son is twenty-one.

And I’m pregnant again.

My ex-husband and I had tried for years after we had Ryan, so I’d just assumed it couldn’t happen. Then again, Ryan and I never practiced getting pregnant anywhere near as much as Ford and I do. I had my doubts about lots of things with my future husband, but his desire for me was never one of them. The man was insatiable, so I really shouldn’t be surprised he’d knocked me up.

Oh my God.

I need to tell him.

I’d gotten him an antique pocket watch for a wedding gift. This was so much better.

Still shaking, I tossed the stick in the wastebasket and unlocked the bathroom door. My maid of honor and bridesmaid were downstairs waiting for me. In the excitement, I’d forgotten that this was the first time they were seeing me in my wedding gown. I’d picked a simple, lace dress with a mermaid silhouette and slight train. It had a beachy vibe to it and was perfect for a barefoot wedding in the sand.

I walked slowly down the stairs.

“You look…” Eve wiped her eyes. “Gorgeous. You’re glowing, Val. I’ve never seen you so happy.”

Glowing. Good choice of words.

I hugged my best friend and almost-sister-in-law. “Thank you. You both look beautiful.”

“You ready to get married?”

“Actually, no.”

Eve’s smile fell. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. Nothing. But I need to talk to Ford before the ceremony.”

“He’s already outside on the beach, waiting for you.”

“Can you…go out and ask him to come over? It’ll just be a minute.”

“Sure. Of course.” She hesitated. “Are you sure everything is okay? I heard you sneezing in the bathroom.”

I smiled. “It’s just pollen. I’m good.”

Eve and Bella went out the back, and a few minutes later, Ford knocked on the door.

“I thought you didn’t want to see me before the wedding because of the silly superstition?”

My feet were frozen to the living room floor. Ford had to walk to me. I couldn’t even meet him halfway. The minute he got a good look at my face, his grew pale.

“What’s going on, babe? Are you nervous?”

I nodded.

He immediately wrapped me in his arms. “It’s okay. That’s normal. Just take a few deep breaths.”

I did, but it didn’t make me any calmer. After a minute, Ford pulled his head back to look at me. “You’re shaking.”

I nodded. “Ford… I…” I choked up, and a fat tear spilled out and ran down my cheek.

He wiped it away with his thumb. “Don’t cry, baby. Everything is going to be okay. We don’t have to do this if you’re not ready.”

Oh my God, no. That’s what he thought? I couldn’t pull my head together enough to explain, so instead, I just blurted, “I’m pregnant.”

He froze. “What?”

I nodded. “When I went to put on my lipstick, a wave of nausea came over me from the smell of it. I still haven’t gotten my period, and I just got a funny feeling. The test I bought last week had two tests, so I did the second one. It was positive. I’m pregnant. We’re pregnant.”

Ford’s head dropped. “Jesus Christ, Val. I thought you were having cold feet. You scared the shit out of me.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

He lifted me up off my feet into the air. “You’re really freaking pregnant? We’re going to have a kid?”

I laughed. “We are.”

He spun me around twice and yelled louder, “We’re going to have a baby! We’re going to have a baby!”

“Ummm…Ford, if you keep spinning me like that, you’re going to be getting married with puke all over your shoulder. I’ve been queasy ever since I tried to put on the lipstick. I thought it was just my nerves, but apparently not.”

“Oh shit. Sorry.” He set me down and wrapped me in his arms—so tight, I could barely breathe. “I didn’t think…” He shook his head. “I just didn’t think it would happen. And I would’ve been fine with that. But now…holy shit, I guess I really wanted this.”

I smiled and sniffled back tears. “Me, too. I didn’t actually realize how much so until I saw that plus sign a few minutes ago. I couldn’t even wait until after the ceremony to tell you.”

Ford took my cheeks into his hands and spoke with his lips pressed to mine. “My wife is going to have my baby.”

“Well, technically, I’m not your wife yet. We do have to go outside and get that part over with. There are fifty or so people out there that we’re keeping from a clambake.”

He kissed me hard. “Let ’em wait.”

After a long, emotional kiss, Ford leaned his forehead against mine. “You know what I just thought of?”

“That I can’t seem to get married before getting pregnant?”

He chuckled. “No. But that is pretty funny.”

“What did you just think of then?”

“Do you remember when we first met, I told you Mrs. Peabody had a dream that I’d met my future wife?”

I nodded. “I do.”

“Do you remember what else she said?”

I thought back. He’d said something about her throwing up. “She got sick after the premonition, right?”

“She woke up and smelled cinnamon buns cooking in the oven, and then threw up. Bun in the oven.”

I covered my mouth. “Oh wow. That’s crazy.”

“Well, that’s not the half of it. This morning she called and asked me if I had two little girls in our wedding party. I said no. She said she’d dreamed twin girls were at our wedding.”

I got goosebumps down my arms, and my eyes widened. “Oh my God. You don’t think…”