Until The End

Dinner was nice, as it usually was with Johnny. We went to a local place that served typical steak-and-potatoes-type dishes. We were seated almost immediately, as the place was just starting to catch the dinner rush. The food was great, and I was with the man I loved, so it made for a great night.

The next morning, I awoke to an odd feeling in my stomach. I pressed my fingers along the base of my bump and felt a thumping. I shook Johnny, and he groaned, turning over.

"Johnny," I hissed. "Johnny, wake up."

He yawned, "It's early, Liss, go back to sleep."

"Johnny, feel this," I said, taking his hand.

I held it over my stomach, keeping it there for a minute. He pulled it back.

"Lissa, go back to sleep-"

"There!"

I took his hand again, laying it over where I felt the thumping. I felt it again, and he did as well this time. He sat up, looking unbelievably at my stomach.

"Is that...?" he laughed.

"She's kicking!" I giggled. "Johnny, that's her! That's Emma!"

"Holy shit, Lissa," he sighed. He put his lips against my stomach and said, "Hi, Emma. It's daddy."

I smiled. This dream was becoming more of a reality every day.

"You're gonna have the best family in the world," he continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "A mommy and a daddy, and four uncles that you can beat up when you get older."

I laughed, running one hand through Johnny's flattened mohawk and keeping the other on my stomach.

"And just to warn you," he said, "you're probably gonna be a short little girl, but you'll be my short little girl."

He looked up at me and smiled, and I grinned at him. He seemed more excited than I did at this point, growing more and more excited to be a father every day. He put an arm around my waist, keeping his other hand touching my stomach. He kissed my cheek.

"She's gonna be just like you, Lissa," he whispered. "I can already tell."

I smiled and said, "But I can tell she'll be a daddy's girl."

"Of course she will be," Johnny scoffed. "Just look at me."

He held his arms out, casually putting them behind his head. I laughed and kissed his cheek, and he took my hand. I sighed, feeling another kick. It didn't hurt. It was actually comforting, to know our baby was perfectly healthy. It's like she was letting us know she was still here.

"I mean it, though," Johnny said. "She's going to have the best mom of them all."

"Only because she's got the best dad in the world," I replied.

I looked over at him. The corner of his mouth threatened to turn up in another smile, and I poked his nose. He touched my stomach again, feeling Emma kick again. I saw him beaming with excitement, and it made me twice as happy.

"You know, I've never been happier in my life," Johnny said.

"I couldn't agree more," I said quietly.

I closed my eyes, Johnny still cradling my stomach. I drifted off some time, but I don't know when. I woke up with Johnny still smiling and waiting for Emma to kick again.