Bella's in bed holding the kaleidoscope I made her last Christmas to her left eye.

I lie down next to her and she immediately adjusts to me and rests her head against my chest while still looking inside the kaleidoscope.

"You know what," she says. "I don't need this anymore."

She places the kaleidoscope on the nightstand and then looks at me.

"Oh?" I say.

She nods.

"It's the most beautiful gift I've ever received and I love it, but life now is more beautiful than any artificial night sky."

I smile at her and she smiles back.

"Suddenly real life is more appealing," she says.

"That makes me very happy," I say. "Come here."

She smiles and settles into my embrace. I have one arm across her waist and my hand gently placed on her bump, our baby, who we now know is a boy.

He'll arrive any day now. We're going to name him Charlie.

I inhale Bella's scent, her hair that smells of strawberry shampoo.

I can't imagine ever getting used to this.

It all feels like a dream. A very good dream.