A tear rolls down his cheek. “Thank you,” he says. I smile softly.

“You see why I think we should do this now?” I say quietly to him while everyone else is giving us a little distance for our moment.

“Yes.” He sniffs. Then he smiles. “You are a very special person, you know? You don’t even stop to savour your own moment without thinking of someone else.”

After we have composed ourselves, Jen suggests tea and coffee as we are unprepared and have no champagne. I help her make it. For a minute or two we work in silence and then I catch Jen looking at me.

“I’m so happy for you,” she says .

“I know you are,” I say and hug her.

“I just…I don’t want you to think I’m just saying it. I’m so happy for you both, you will make wonderful parents. This is Danny’s dream, I love him, I know you understand that, so you must know that I wouldn’t have to fake this.”

“I do, I get it. Thank you.” We hug again. This is fast becoming emotionally exhausting!

After a pretty heavy afternoon, we all relax and digest the new turn in our lives. I watch in awe as Jen and Danny make us all dinner. They move around the kitchen like they are two parts of the same whole. They are so in sync and their bodies touch with practiced ease, it warms my heart and makes me feel smug at the same time. I doubt many spouses could stomach it. Scott is an understanding guy and came into this knowing their friendship…and me, well, just as I’m watching, Max comes up behind me, wrapping me in his arms and kisses my cheek. We’re just…different…and today has proved just how different we really are.

Weary from an emotional and mind-bending day, we all turn in early. Tomorrow, Danny has his blood tests and will make his first donation. I sigh contentedly as I flop onto the bed. Danny closes the door behind him and stands watching me. I look up to see what he’s doing after there is silence for a minute and realise that he’s just staring. I raise up onto one elbow to look at him properly and he moves towards me, not breaking the intense stare, he drops to his knees beside the bed.

He continues holding my gaze as he gently runs his hand across my midriff. It still makes me gasp even though he’s been doing it repeatedly all afternoon. I guess it’ll just take a while to sink in for both of us. He’s asked me how I’m feeling about fifty times and I haven’t lifted a finger since I told him, giving me some insight into how he’s going to be for the next eight to nine months. I honestly expected him to insist on carrying me the few feet to our guest room, fortunately, he let me walk.

Still with his hand on my stomach, he turns his eyes there too. I don’t know what he thinks he will see, but the look on his face is pure joy and I won’t take that away from him. I stroke my fingers through his hair and just watch him, lost in his moment.

He blinks and returns his eyes to mine, a smile lighting his face. “Are you feeling okay?” he asks again softly.

“Yes!” I giggle, a slight amused exasperation apparent in my tone. “I feel fine. Are you okay?”

He nods and that look of delirious joy comes over him again. I burst out laughing.

“What?” He frowns, although even that looks giddy with happiness, which makes me laugh harder. “Hey, what?”

“I blindsided you!” I laugh, pumping my fists in the air. “I did it!’

He laughs. “You did.” He smiles with adoration. “You really did. Thank you.”

“You've made me so happy,” he whispers.

I woke this morning with Danny in my arms, exactly as he fell asleep. I stare at him, his peaceful face, utterly relaxed, the past few days he has been the happiest I've seen him. He’s getting used to the idea that we have our dream come true and now that he is actively doing something to help Jen, he feels so much better. He has made a couple of donations so far. His last one for this trip is today. Unable to resist, I kiss his forehead and he stirs. We both stretch and he immediately reaches for me and then opens his eyes when he realises we are pressed together already.

“Morning.” I smile, snuggling into him tighter.

“Morning. How are you feeling?” His now standard question.

“Great thanks, stop worrying. You’ll be the first to know if I start feeling sick.”

“I know, I just want to take care of you.”

“Grace didn’t get morning sickness, neither did my mum, it could be a genetic thing. I might be lucky.”

“My mom got so sick, it’s the main reason I’m an only child,” he says regretfully. “I hope it’s not genetic, I could have just cursed you to a full nine months of not being able to stomach anything.”

“Well I feel fine so far, let’s just hope this baby has my genes.”

“That is what I’m hoping. She’ll be perfect just like her mom.”

“She?” I frown.

“Um, I don’t know, that just came out,” he says embarrassed. “I don’t care, as long as you are both okay.”

He squeezes me tight, this is still so hard to get used to; I feel almost silly claiming to be something as monumental as pregnant. Apart from tight jeans and an odd feeling of my body being on overdrive at times, I really don’t feel any different. I feel like a bit of a faker. I even secretly did the spare pregnancy test yesterday to make sure. It was definitely positive. We’ve decided not to tell anyone else yet though. It’s not my normal MO. I’m all for full disclosure, but with this whole Jen thing going on, it might be best if we wait. Nobody knows we aren't even properly married, what's one more secret?

But we’re fixing the marriage thing, we’re flying to Vegas today.

“We should get organised,” I murmur, trying to ignore Danny’s insistent lips on my neck.

“Really?” He tries his husky whisper on me.

“Really...Or don’t you want to marry me?”

“I’d marry you every day if I could. But I just want five more minutes in bed with you first.” He slides his hand up my camisole and caresses the sensitive skin under my breast.

“Okay, if you think five is all it will take, I’ll get the cup.” I smirk.

“Shit.” Danny huffs, rolling over.

I sigh and turn to him. “I know it’s been full-on, but you only have to do it one more time before we go, then you’re all mine.” He just has one last appointment before we leave, but I think he’s starting to feel like a performing monkey, although he would never say it.

He turns suddenly and pins me beneath him. “I just want inside you.” He growls, kissing me hard.

I smile against his lips and he begrudgingly releases me. “You can have me any way you want me when we get to Vegas,” I purr.

He raises his eyebrows. “Any way…?” I laugh and push him off me.

“Come on, you have a date with a cup!”

Danny groans.

The afternoon sun on the strip is intense and so is the heat. You can never underestimate the cooling effect of being near the sea and out here in the desert, everything is so exposed. We pull into the Bellagio and our bags are loaded onto a bellhop’s trolley and my wedding dress, kindly flown out by Max and Charlie, is placed on top. I can’t wait to wear it again. Once we’ve checked in, Danny and I leave the guys and hop in a taxi to the Marriage Bureau, to get our marriage licence. I've been good and I haven't asked a lot of questions. I know Danny has fixed everything and I'm loving the freedom. I've been told the wedding will be happening tomorrow evening. So for now, we head back to the hotel and shower before meeting up for dinner.

The Bellagio buffet is extraordinary, then we hit the strip. I must say I never expected to spend my first trip to Vegas sober and watching both what I eat and how I take care of myself. But Jen is taking it easy, so that makes it easier. We do a whistle-stop tour of Caesars, The Mirage and Treasure Island, in the warm evening air, stopping at all the attractions. This place is like a giant Disney for adults; it’s great fun. We go back towards the Bellagio on the other side of the strip and call in at the Venetian to wander around the canals and take a gondola ride, then after stopping briefly in Paris, we cross back and watch the fountains do their show before retiring to our hotel for the night. We walk through the casino with only mild interest and stroll through Via Bellagio window shopping the designer boutiques, then settle in at the Lily Bar for a nightcap.

Exhausted, I smile at Danny laughing with his friends. He smiles softly back at me and finishes his drink.

“I think I’m going to take my beautiful wife up to bed,” he says finishing his drink.

“She’s not officially your wife yet buddy,” teases Scott.

“Hey, watch your mouth!” Danny snipes back with a wry smile, but I can tell he’ll be happier tomorrow when Scott can’t say a word. “Ready?” He offers me his hand and pulls me out of the oh-so-comfy seat.

We say our goodnights and find the lifts. I really am tired, it hit me like a ton of bricks as soon as we stopped moving. I stifle a yawn as we wait and Danny wraps his arm around me.

“Tired?” he asks, trying to conceal his real question, it’s been days.

I nod as we step into the waiting lift. I see his shoulders sag slightly from the corner of my eye and smirk. I may be on the verge of sleep, but for him, I’ll always find reserves. As soon as the doors close, I turn to him, deliberately and quite aggressively palming his crotch as I probe his lips with my tongue. He groans, surprised and overwhelmed, gasping when I break my seal of his mouth. “Jesus.” He rasps while I tease him through his trousers. The lift dings and I turn away from him, allowing him to pull me close to cover his obvious erection.

I nod at the older couple who join us in the lift and Danny does his best to look un-phased, bless him. He has his arms slung casually around my waist and my hands rest over his, only I can hear his laboured breathing as he pants softly in my ear. The couple are to our right and slightly forward, so I press Danny further into the back wall and swivel my hips against him.