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“I’ll get it.”
He pushes me off him. I fall back onto the mattress, yelping in surprise as he bounces off the bed in excitement. I sit up, enjoying the splendid view of his glistening backside as he limps out of the room. He comes back quickly with my phone in his hand. I admire the tattoo just below his navel. Two birds flying along an infinity symbol.
“Here,” he says, handing me my phone.
“You didn’t have to go get it,” I say. “You’re injured.”
“It was worth it.” He lies on his side next to me. “Let’s see that bump.”
I sigh and swipe my phone on. As I scroll through my photo album, I feel my cheeks burning up. I’m suddenly finding it very difficult to find a flattering picture of myself, when before this moment I never would have cared.
I stumble on one Vincent took in the Muffin Top kitchen just a few days before I went into labor. The lighting is dim, so I don’t feel as self-conscious as Evey’s must-always-use-the-flash pictures. “Okay, here...”
Milo takes the phone out of my hands before I can change my mind. He clears his throat and settles in before looking at the screen.
His jaw drops. “You look so cute.”
I roll my eyes. “Shut up.”
“Not gonna lie to you, Anna. I’ve never looked twice at a pregnant woman, but I probably would have hit on you, anyway.”
I try to take the phone back, but he extends his arm. “Milo…”
“Are there more?” He swipes his thumb across the screen.
“Yeah, but I would prefer it if—”
“Aww!” he cries. “Is that a hospital gown? Is it happening?”
“Yes, that’s after I went into labor. Evey stayed with me in the delivery room and—”
He grows serious. “Did she take video?”
“No, she didn’t take video!” I grab at the phone, laughing. “But only because I threatened to shoot her if she even tried.”
He ticks his tongue. “Police brutality much?” He laughs at another picture. “You look mad.”
“I’m in pain!”
“Man, women get the short end, don’t they?”
“The whole process is a cruel, cruel joke.”
He looks at me. “Was it worth it?”
I gesture to the phone. “Swipe again and you tell me.”
He does it and looks at the next photo. The first one ever taken of me and Charlotte. I still remember every second of that moment. We’d both been through total hell and back, but I still smiled. She was what I always wanted and more.
“Wow,” Milo whispers.
“Yeah,” I say. “Wow.”
“She’s beautiful.”
“Yeah.”
“Charlotte’s not bad, either,” he adds.