FIVE MONTHS LATER:

Five months.

Five months of marriage and being Mrs. Rosalie Cain.

A lot has happened since our honeymoon. We came back and moved into our new house. Jocelyn did an amazing job with the decorating. It turned out that Harvey and June also bought a house of their own which is about a thirty minute drive away from where we live.

Lex put up the old mansion on the market and it quickly got sold to some socialite who recently came into some big money from divorcing her millionaire husband.

After we got back, we spent Christmas with the family. It was so much fun and it meant so much to me since it was our first Christmas together. All I could think about when we were surrounded by family was how grateful I am to have such amazing people in my life.

Belle and Paul got their court date and were sentenced a few months ago. Paulo got five years for kidnapping and Belle got ten years for kidnapping and attempted murder; but with her medical condition the judge suspended half of her sentence and now she will be spending five years in a psychiatric institution.

It was a bittersweet moment to see Victor and Stacy at the courtroom. But we had a talk and they assured me that they were alright with the judge's decision and that this will be a learning experience for both Belle and Paul.

I am just happy that we got to put that behind us.

My twenty fourth birthday came and it was just a wonderful thing to experience. Lex made a big deal out of it and took me to the Netherlands where we spent a week in the beautiful country. My biggest highlight of that was our visit to the Vincent Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

I don't know if it's going to be a thing we do, but it looks like celebrating our birthdays in different countries may be something we do. His fortieth was in France and now my twenty fourth in Holland.

As I mentioned before, five great months of marriage...until now.

It's been good until I woke up this morning at six because of a sick tummy. Spending time in the bathroom puking my guts out with my husband next to me rubbing my back and holding my hair back.

Once it feels like I have emptied all my stomach contents I flush and groggily get up from the floor with Lex's help. I walk to the sink and brush my teeth. "I hate seeing you like this." he says from behind me.

I look up into the mirror and see his worried expression. I hate being like this too. I look so pale and have dark circles under my eyes. "I'm going to be fine. It's probably just a stomach virus."

We walk out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom where he helps me get back into bed. He walks out leaving me alone for a few minutes before coming back with a giant mug with steam rising from it.

"It's ginger and lemon tea. It should calm your stomach down.", he says while carefully handing me the mug and then slipping into bed next to me.

"Thank you love."

The tea helps. It feels warm and calming once it enters my stomach. I eventually fall asleep again since it's still early for me to work. I started working with Caesar at the beginning of the new year. I have had so much fun working with him. I choose my own hours and work remotely from home most of the time. I do get to travel but not too much.

Lex converted one of the bedrooms into an office for me. I got home one day from a meeting and he was waiting for me, sitting on the stairs like a cute puppy. He pulled me upstairs with him and showed me my new workspace. A drawing desk with a digital sketch pad. He also put it a normal desk with a new computer and telephone. The office chair was the best. I remember spinning on it with so much joy.

He also put in a book shelf and I cried when I saw that he got my books from home and lined them in with my new collection of books.

I wake a few hours later to an empty bed. Thinking that he must have gone to work, I force myself out of bed. Still feeling sick, I take a warm shower and then put on another pair of pajamas.

Hunger makes me walk down to the kitchen where I make myself a ham and cheese sandwich. I take a bite and feel my eyes close at how delicious it is. "Are you feeling better?" Lex's voice prompts me to snap my eyes open. Still chewing, I nod at him.

He is in a pair of jeans and a shirt. His bare feet pad on the floor and his hair is disheveled in the sexiest way possible. He walks over to grab a piece of cheese which he eats. "Gherkins?" he asks, staring at the open jar next to me.

"Yes, gherkins."

Shock and disbelief battle in his eyes, "But you hate gherkins." he states with that adorable confused expression on his face. And I do, I have a deep distaste for anything that's pickled. I don't even like pickled ginger next to my sushi rolls.

Lex loves gherkins, I usually don't get how he can eat something so sour but today...it's different. "I'm trying to give them a chance. They're not that bad."

This is definitely my taste buds talking.

"Mmmh", he nods then takes one out of the jar and bites it.

"Why are you still at home? It's almost midday." I ask while getting us something to drink.

I watch him take a bite out of the sandwich, "I can't leave you while you're not feeling well. I vowed to be there for you no matter what."

That is so sweet of him. I smile and hand him a glass filled with juice. "Thanks love." he kisses me on the forehead.

He helps me back into bed after I finish eating. I work from the warm covers as the rain pelts hard outside. Winter is here and she is not here to play. The temperature has been getting colder as each day passes.

I wake up in the middle of the night and feel my heart start to race when I see that Rose is not next to me. "Rose?", I call out softly into the room. If she is in the bathroom then she will hear me.

I get no answer so I slip out of bed and walk out of the bedroom. She could be in her office. I knock on the door, "Honey?", I open it and find it engulfed in darkness. Walking down the hallway to the staircase, I hear sound coming from the living room.

I see her sitting cross legged on the couch watching the television with the lights dimmed. "Babe, it's three in the morning. What are you doing up?"

Turning around to face me, I notice that she is chewing something. Once she swallows, she answers, "I couldn't sleep so I came down here to watch because I didn't want to wake you."

God bless her heart. But I am also concerned about her being sick. She couldn't keep her food down during dinner and we spent about ten minutes in the bathroom with her heaving everything out just like she did in the morning.

Sitting next to her, I spot a plate on the table, "You're having bacon?"

She giggles and moves closer to me so that I cuddle her while she sits the plate filled with bacon on her lap. "Chocolate bacon." she then shows me the chocolate sauce drizzled on the bacon.

"Is your stomach okay with this?" I ask concerned that she might throw up again.

She licks the sauce off her index finger, "I think so. I had a massive craving for something sweet and savory."

She prompts me to open my mouth,to take a bite, and the two flavors weirdly compliment each other. "Not bad.", I say once I swallow.

"So what are we watching?" I ask with my gaze on the screen. I see that it is some sort of animated movie.

"Ratatouille." she responds before shoving bacon in her mouth. It makes me happy to see her eat, she has had a rough day, and I'm glad that hse is able to keep something down. Even if it is a weird combination of bacon and chocolate sauce.

***

ROSALIE POV:

This is not okay. I cannot be throwing up this much. I am exhausted, my throat is on fire, my stomach literally hurts.

"I feel like crap."

Lex walks me over to the bed after I brush my teeth. He lays me down and cuddles me. "I'm going to book an appointment for you at Dr. Stone's office." he softly says before leaving me on the bed.

He paces around the room while talking to the doctor. I watch him from my peripheral while I curl up into the fetal position. I have never been this sick in my entire life. I don't recall a time in my life where I have been such a mess.

"She can see you at midday tomorrow." he says before cuddling me again as I succumb to the sleep brought on by exhaustion.

Lex has to leave for work because of an important meeting he has to attend with some people from Japan. "I don't like leaving you like this." he says while fixing his tie. My mouth salivates at how yummy he looks in a suit.

"I called Gigi, she'll be here in a few minutes. Plus I have Saba." I say and he visibly calms down at my words.

Saba slept next to our bed last night. Lex thought that her presence would calm me down. And she did, until my stomach decided to act up again. At the mention of her name, hse lazily lifts up her head from the floor and lets out a small whine.

He walks over to me and kisses my forehead, "I promise to be back quickly."

My heart clenches. This man is so attentive.

"Hey.", I call out to him as he walks to the door, he turns to me with a cute smile on his face, "I love you."

Chuckling, he comes over to me and kisses me on the lips. "I love you more.", he says then leaves me alone in the bedroom.

***

Gigi comes around ten minutes after Lex leaves. I get a text from her notifying me that she is parked outside. "You look horrible." are the first words she says to me the moment I swing the door open.

"Good morning to you too Georgiana."

I close the door after she walks past me and heads straight for the kitchen. "I don't have time for your stinky attitude. You should be grateful today is my day off or you would've died alone in this massive house while your husband is at work."

Resisting the urge to roll my eyes at her, I just sit on the barstool and watch her move around my kitchen like she owns the place. She goes through cabinets and the fridge as she takes out ingredients and a pot she places on the stove.

"What are you making?", I ask a few minutes later while nursing a cup of tea. I made the ginger and lemon flavored one that Lex made for me the other day.

"Chicken noodle soup. You need to eat something, you look pale." she says while not sparing a glance away from the pot.

It smells amazing; so I just ignore her comments about my sick appearance and continue drinking my tea.

While she cooks we chat about life and her relationship with Bryce. They have been growing strong these past months and it makes me happy. I have never seen either of them committed to a relationship like this before.

Once the soup is done, she dishes up for the two of us and we have it in the living room. We sit and watch a movie while cuddling under a throw blanket. Saba comes downstairs to join us. Gigi became less afraid of her as time passed.

How could anyone not like Saba? She's a total sweetheart. I knew Gigi would warm to her soon enough.

The delicious soup which had filled me up an half an hour before, makes it way back up. I quickly get off the couch and run to the nearest bathroom, with Gigi right on my heels. She rubs my back as I heave out all my stomach contents.

"What in the world is wrong with you?"

I rinse off my mouth with Listerine and then turn back to her, "Possible stomach virus. One moment I'm hot and then I feel extremely cold. I don't know, it could be that or a weird strain of flu."

"Or you could be pregnant.", she says warily eyeing me.

Pregnancy? I don't think so.

She sees the disbelief on my face and drags me out of the bathroom. We quickly make our way upstairs and into the master bedroom. She had put her purse in here before we watched TV downstairs.

I watch her rummage through it and take out a small rectangular box that she hands over to me. "A pregnancy test?" I say as I read the writing on the box.

"Yes, now you need to pee on that."

I roll my eyes at her, "I doubt that I am pregnant G."

She shoots an unamused look before pushing me towards the bathroom.

I close the door and quickly follow the instructions on how to use the test. I wash my hands and walk out, leaving the stick on the sink. "Now we wait."

As the seconds go by we sit in an anxiety filled silence before I break it with the question that's been running in my head, "Why do you even have a pregnancy test in your purse anyway?". I found it weird that she has one.

She shrugs and smiles, "The same reason why I carry extra underwear. Never know when I might need it."

I let out a scoff mixed in with a laugh. It is never a dull moment when Gigi is around. She continues to surprise me with her antics.

"Okay. Time to see the results."

My hands shake as I move towards the bathroom sink. I can hear my heart beating fast in my ears. I am suddenly aware of the dryness of my mouth.

What if I am pregnant?

It would be great news. Having a baby is a blessing. Besides, Lex and I already had the baby talk a few months ago. It was the month after we got married and were babysitting Shiloh for the weekend while Tommy and Isa went on a romantic getaway.

He voiced out how much he wants a child of his own, and I wasn't put off by the thought. I would love to carry our little human. I want to have a baby with him and if I am pregnant then I will be happy with the news.

But it will also be good news even if I am not pregnant. Lex and I get to enjoy a few more months of being in our bubble and I get to continue with my career. Not that I am going to stop working if we have baby, but I still will be able to do a lot more without having to worry about a newborn.

It feels like an eternity till I have the test in my hand. After a deep calming breath, I look down at it to see the result.

Two lines.

I'm pregnant.

"What does it say?", Gigi says walking into the bathroom. Her mouth falls open into a silent O as she takes in my reaction.

My grip on the stick loosens when she takes it to get a look at the results. Time moves slowly. My heartbeat stops being erratic and an overwhelming sense of mixed emotions overrides my body.

"I'm going to be a mom." my vision moves from the floor and up to my best friend, "I'm having a baby Gigi." I say to her as tears stream down my cheeks. Her bottom lip quivers and she pulls me into a hug.

We cry together for about a minute. Happy tears. Sure I never imagined being a mother at twenty four, but who cares...I am having a child with my husband. This is big.

A moment later, we vacate the bathroom and sit on the bed. Gigi's hand on my abdomen, "I'm going to be an aunt." she leans down to my stomach and speaks, "I'm going to spoil you so much."

I let out a laugh as she pulls me in for a warm hug, "I'm so happy for you friend." she says before squeezing the breath out of my lungs.

***

Lex comes home in the early evening. Just as I finish preparing dinner. With the chilly weather outside I needed something warm and homey. So I made some lasagne using mom's recipe that she taught me years ago.

His arms wrap themselves around my middle as he hugs me from behind. His chin rests upon the top of my head. "I missed you." he softly murmurs and my heart skips a beat. I'm so in love with this man it actually hurts.

Turning around to face while in his arms, I place my hands on his chest and look up to his eyes, "I missed you more." He leans down to kiss me.The kiss is deep and soft. Our lips slowly dance and I drift away for a second to a land made of cotton candy and toffee.

He grins once we pull apart. He hasn't kissed me like that since I started getting sick two days ago. "How are you feeling?"

I move from his arms as I speak, "Better than this morning. I made dinner."

"It smells amazing."

He helps with setting up the table. I place the casserole dish filled with the lasagna on the table. "Which one?" he asks, holding up two bottles of wine.

I can't have alcohol anymore. Trying not to give away too much, I shake my head and tell him that I would have some sparkling water tonight instead of wine.

I use the 'stomach bug' as an excuse. He believes me and opts for sparkling water too. He comes back with glasses filled with the water and lime wedges.

Dinner time for us is always a great way to catch up on each other's day. He tells me about how his meeting went. Apparently the Japanese business partners are pleased with how their partnership is going and they would like to do more with Cain Enterprises. His face beams with enthusiasm while he speaks, his eyes sparkle and his smile reaches his eyes.

I sit and listen to him speak. It is one of my favorite things to do. I admire this man, he is smart and humble. He is just the whole package and I can't wait to see him with our baby, he or she is going to be loved so much.

He asks about my day and I try to make it as uninteresting as possible. "Gigi made me chicken noodle soup, which I puked up within minutes." his brows knit together as worry clouds his eyes.

"Dr. Stone will give us a proper answer tomorrow." he says with conviction.

I already know what's wrong...or in this case what's right. Biting my tongue till dinner is finished is becoming hard. But I get through it.

Once we're done, he offers to do the dishes. Lex always chips in whether it is doing the dishes or folding the laundry when I get it out of the dryer. I like how he is so domesticated, it sometimes makes me wonder why he needed a maid in the first place.

After getting ready for bed in my pajamas, I walk out of the closet to see him in bed. He sits on top of the duvet with his legs crossed and his glasses perched on the bridge of his nose as he reads something on his iPad.

The sound of me clearing my throat prompts him to look up at me. A lopsided grin appears on his face as he puts the iPad and glasses aside. "What have you got?" he asks gesturing to my right hand which is hidden behind my back.

Staying rooted near the foot of the bed, "I have a gift for you."

His right brow rises questioningly, "A gift? My birthday isn't for another six months."

"Think of it as an early birthday present."

He smiles, "But I don't need any gifts. You're all the gifts in the world wrapped into one."

My heart melts but I don't let his kind words distract me from the main objective, "I'm not sure if you're going to be saying that after I show you this."

Now both eyebrows rise, "I highly doubt that but okay."

"Close your eyes.", I say walking closer to him. He doesn't hesitate to close his eyes. Crawling into bed, I sit on top of thighs and straddle him.

Okay, here we go.

"Open." I simply say.

He goes quiet for a moment while registering for a moment the pregnancy test in front of his face. Mixed emotions appear in his eyes; confusion, surprise and finally happiness.

"No!" he exclaims while grabbing the stick. His eyes widen as he looks from the test then back to me, "Rose! Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack.", I respond.

He catches me off guard by launching himself at me. My back hits the mattress and he hovers over me. Tears swim in his eyes, "You're pregnant."