Miles for Love Series Box Set, page 78
She looks at me and her mouth quirks up into a smile. “You really wanted to have a baby.” She says softly, as though telling me, in case I didn’t really notice it myself.
My eyes search hers for a moment. I nod, looking at the floor. “Yeah.” My voice is soft. “Yeah, I wanted one.” I look up at her. “I mean, I know it’s kind of silly. But…look at Mitchell…and Henry.” I hold her close, chuckling on exhale. “Yeah, I want one.”
She snakes her arms around my neck, kissing me softly. “Good. Because we’re having one.”
My neck cranes back and my eyes bulge as I look at her. “What?”
Looking down at the counter, she lifts the test up. She’d placed it on the counter face-down so I couldn’t see it before. Lifting it to my face, she shows me the clear positive sign. “It’s positive.”
My face brightens as my mouth opens wide. “Why did you lie to me, babe?” I chuckle.
“I…wanted to make sure you weren’t just putting up a front for me.”
“I told you I wasn’t.”
“I wanted to make sure.” She explains. “If I’m going to have your baby, I want to make damn good and sure that you really want it.”
I look at her. My mouth is still wide with a smile. “Oh my God…this is great. This is so great.”
She laughs. “God, you’re giddy.”
“I am, babe.” I look at her. “I know it isn’t ideal.” My smile hasn’t waned. “But…whatever…we’re having a baby.”
***
As we drive to mom and dad’s place for dinner, Ashley is looking at me strangely.
“What?” I ask her with a smile.
“We made an agreement.” She says, feigning seriousness.
“I know.” I say, knowing that we both know that I’m dying to tell people. According to her doctor’s appointment, Ashley only has a week left before she hits the three-month mark. She hasn’t even told Darlene yet, which she should win a prize for. If she can hold up her end of the agreement, then so can I.
“You’re about to burst.” She laughs, unable to contain herself.
“I’ll be the one saying that in about six months’ time, baby.” I wink. Placing my hand on her belly, I rub it softly. It feels hard, but no real bump is showing yet. It’s taking a little bit of time, but Ashley is getting used to the idea of having a baby. It helps that I’m over the moon. It’s almost contagious, I think. She’s reluctant to tell her dad, so we’ve decided to put that off as much as possible. We haven’t come up with a good way to tell him. Ashley fears he’ll worry about her education. The baby isn’t due until June, so she’ll get her whole school year in before he or she arrives. That fact might help.
As we pull up to my parent’s place, I unbuckle my seatbelt. “Hey,” I say, as she presses the door handle. “Hang on a second.”
Leaning over, I cup her face with my hand. “I love you so much, baby.”
“I love you, too.” She says.
I kiss her deeply once, twice, three times, and then I look deeply into her eyes. “You’re the…the best thing that ever happened to me.” a pause for emphasis. “I mean it.”
“You mean…everything to me, Christopher. If it weren’t for you, I’d be lost, and I certainly wouldn’t be…happy about this baby.”
“You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that.” I kiss her deeply again…like a dozen times. Then I bend down, lift her shirt, and kiss her bare belly. “Hear that? Your mommy is happy that you’re coming into this world. Watch out…she’s gonna be a tiger mom.”
She giggles. “Come on. Before your mother finds you kissing my belly. Good luck explaining that.”
“Here here.” I chuckle.
As we walk inside, hand-in-hand, I will never forget what happens at my parent’s place tonight for as long as I live.
Chapter 27
Ashley
It’s taken some getting used to, I’ll admit. But I am getting excited about having this baby. Christopher makes all the difference. He’s…amazing. It took a little bit of an adjustment period. To the point where we haven’t even made love since I found out I was pregnant. I’m so afraid and apprehensive about it all. It’s such a foreign thing to me. Christopher has been incredibly understanding. I don’t know how I would get through this if he wasn’t half as supportive. Not telling people has been hard for him, but he’s being respectful. Plus, I keep telling him that it’s bad luck to tell people until the second trimester.
His hand is always in mine. His lips touch mine as we part, whenever, for however long the parting is for. I never get tired of it. Luckily, this baby is being easy on me. I’m just hungry. No nausea, no nothing…yet, I’m sure. With my luck, it’ll all happen after the first trimester. I wish my mom was around so I could compare notes with her, and know what to expect. Part of me can’t wait until I can tell Darlene, but the other part of me is utterly terrified to.
As we walk, hand-in-hand, into Christopher’s parent’s place, we see Mallorie sitting on the couch, next to a man I don’t recognize. He rises when he sees us, and Mallorie rises, too. “Hi, Christopher. Hi, Ashley. This is Aleks. Aleks, my little brother, Christopher, and his girlfriend, Ashley.”
Aleks pumps both of our hands vigorously. His genuine smile is contagious. “Very lovely to meet both of you.” He says.
“Wow, Aleks. You came all the way from…Latvia, is it?” Christopher asks.
“Yes, yes, I did.” He smiles at Mallorie. She smiles back.
Kayla, Daniel, Mitchell, and the rest of the Lynch clan are all in the living room. We all hug hello in a mess of welcomes, and the room is suddenly a disorganized cluster of family chatting and making small talk, and little Henry squealing as he gets tickled by almost everyone. Over the din, I catch a glimpse of Mitchell, sitting in his little bouncy chair. His eyes are actually open, so I kneel down to him. Seconds later, Christopher joins me.
“You guys can take him out if you want.” Daniel says, as he’s speaking with Aleks.
With that, Christopher unfastens the little tether strap, and picks him up. My heart swells. He’s going to be a world class father. He holds Mitchell up, being careful to support his head with his hand at the back of his neck. “Hi, little man.” he murmurs, and then kisses his chubby cheek.
Mallorie comes over to us. “He grew so much while I was gone.” She comments.
“He did. He’s a little champ.” Christopher agrees. The baby’s tongue dips in and out as he makes little bubbles. His eyes are so wide; they’re gorgeous. Like little gemstones.
“He is a beautiful baby.” Aleks comments, standing next to Mallorie. He places his hand around her, pulling her close.
“He is.”
I watch Karen walk into the kitchen, placing dinner plates on the table, and I go over to help her. “Oh, thank you, dear.” She says. “You’re a doll.”
“You’re welcome.” I say, putting the silverware down on the table.
“Kayla says you lost your mom?” Karen asks. Her face is solemn.
“Yes, she died in a car accident when I was twelve.”
“Such a shame, love. I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks.”
“And your father is gone, too?”
“My birth father, yes. But I never knew him. My stepfather is still alive. I’m very close with him.”
“Oh, that’s good.” She smiles warmly. “I’m so glad that you’re not alone.”
“I’m not.” I say, and I can’t help but add. “Especially now with Christopher.”
“He’s my favorite.” She says earnestly, raising her voice as Tyler approaches.
“I thought I was your favorite.” He says, kissing his mom on the cheek.
“When you bring a nice girl home, you’ll be my favorite, too.” She winks at him, and I notice that it’s the same wink that Christopher has.
Ignoring the poke, Tyler asks. “Is the grub ready? I’m starved.”
“Yes.” Karen says. “You can signal the dinner bell.”
“Food!” Tyler yells, which startles the baby. He starts wailing.
“Oh, man…did I do that?” he chuckles, but he clearly feels bad.
“Yes, he’s scarred for life, thanks to you.” Daniel teases, slapping him on the back.
“He’s just tired.” Kayla says. “I’ll put him in his chair and put the vibration on. He’ll be fine.”
Christopher is by my side, pulling a chair out for me. As we sit through an amazing dinner, we all chat happily about casual things; the weather, some politics, and then, as our plates are just about clean, Daniel asks Aleks. “So, Aleks, are you here for good? Did you decide to come out here?”
“No, I’m afraid not.” Aleks answers. “I came out here for a visit to see Malloriya. I will return home in a couple of weeks.”
“Ah,” Daniel says, and I notice that Aleks and Mallorie exchange a look.
Mallorie puts her fork down. “Since we’re all here, Aleks and I have an announcement.”
Christopher and I look at each other. His face is as blank as mine.
Aleks rises, taking Mallorie’s hand in his. Her left hand and say,. “I have asked Malloriya to marry me, and she has said yes.”
There is a roar of congratulations, as forks touch plates and people rise, giving hugs and kisses.
“Mom and I knew.” Warren, Christopher’s dad, says. “He asked us first, like a true gentleman.” He tips his chin as a gesture of honor.
Mallorie speaks over the din. “There is one thing that you don’t know, dad.”
Karen looks at Mallorie, and the look of worry is written all over her face. “We’re also having a baby.”
My eyes widen. Christopher’s eyes are on me. I’ve never seen him stunned, but this is it. “Holy shit!” Tyler says, hugging Mallorie.
Karen immediately starts crying clear tears of joy. “Oh my God! Another grandchild!” she cries out gleefully. She hugs Mallorie tightly.
Henry, who was sitting beside Mallorie, says. “I’m getting a brother.”
“Or a sister, Henry.” Aleks corrects politely. “We do not know what kind of baby your mama has in her belly yet.”
Karen can’t stop crying. She’s holding Mallorie so tight. “God, I’m so happy for you, Mal. I know how badly you wanted to get married and have more children.” She lets out a sob.
Mallorie is sobbing with her. My eyes are welled up, and tears start to flow down my cheeks. Christopher notices and rubs my back. Watching the exchange between Mallorie and her mom strikes a chord. I realize that I’ll never have that. I’ll never get the chance to tell my mom that I’m pregnant. And I start crying. Christopher pulls his chair out and holds me tight, giving me one of his famous hugs with one hand across the back of my neck, and the other rubbing my back in circles.
“Are you okay, love?” Warren asks me.
“She’s okay.” Christopher answers for me. When he pulls back a few minutes later, he looks at me, and his eyes are red. He searches my eyes.
“Christopher? Are you okay?” Warren asks. That gets Karen’s attention.
“Buttercup?” Karen says, taking a step towards Christopher. “Is everything alright?” her face is covered with tears but laced with concern for her youngest son. I can’t stand it anymore.
My hands are on his neck. I comb my fingers through the hair there and he looks at me. A tear pools in his eye and falls down his cheek. I’ve never seen him cry before. He’s still looking at me as I wipe the tear from his cheek. I give him a nod that only he can see, and he kisses me in thanks.
As he exhales, he sniffs. When he speaks, his voice is ragged as he’s holding back more tears. “Oh, Mallorie, Aleks, I sure don’t mean to steal your thunder here, but…Ashley and I are…having a baby, too.”
The look on Karen’s face I’ll never forget. Her hands go to her cheeks. “Are you serious?” she gasps, fresh tears forming in her eyes.
“Yeah, I’m serious, mom.” Christopher answers as his voice cracks. “We’re a couple of days away from our second trimester already.”
“Oh my God!” Karen squeals.
“Holy crap!” Grant comments.
“You dawg!” Tyler guffaws.
And a whole slew of other comments flood the room as we all fall into a mess of tight embraces. When Karen takes me in her arms and holds me so tight, I’m bawling so hard, I can’t even see. “You’ve made my boy so happy. I love you so much, Ashley.”
“I love you, too.” I sob. She’s holding me so tight, rocking me from side to side, when suddenly, the room is silent, and all we can hear is each other’s sniffles. When Karen finally pulls back, she looks around, as we both notice how quiet it got in here.
I look to my left, and see that Christopher is holding his hands up, while on bended knee. His elbows are on his bent knee…and clasped between his index finger and his thumb…is a ring.
My hands go to my cheeks. I didn’t think I could cry any more tonight, but I realize now that I can.
He can barely get the words out without gasping with emotion. ‘I figure now is as good a time as any.”
Karen steps away, but I can see that her hands are on her cheeks, too.
“I love you,” he shakes his head. “More than anything else in the world, Ashley. And now, there are two reasons for us to be together forever, because now, we’re having a baby.” He licks his lips. “You are the bravest, smartest, most hard-working and the most beautiful woman I know. There is no one else in this whole world meant more for me than you. Will you marry me?”
Without hesitation, I nod, squeezing my eyelids shut as tears pour down my face. He places the ring on my finger and rises, taking me in his arms. We hold each other tight as the rest of the room claps for us. I hear Tyler whistle and Grant start howling. Christopher pulls back and kisses me full on the mouth, and then presses his forehead against mine. “Thank you.” He says.
“For what?” I ask.
“For letting us have this moment together with family. I think you and I both needed that more than anything.”
“I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” I say, kissing him.
“And…baby, your dad knows. I asked his permission. Fortunately, he’s always made it really easy for me.”
Fresh tears start. “Oh, I’m sure that meant so much to him. Thank you.”
He kisses me in answer.
Kayla interrupts, wiping tears from her face and sniffling. “Okay, so, now that we’re going to have two babies and two weddings, how are we going to pull this off?”
Daniel pats her on the back. “Way to go, babe. Always the planner.”
“Well, it’s true.” Kayla says.
Mallorie interjects. “Well, Aleks and I already decided to get married in Latvia. He’s already booked a church. I hope you can all take some time out of your schedules to fly out there.”
“What about you two? Are you planning on getting married before or after the baby comes?” Kayla asks us.
I look at Christopher. He looks at me. “Up to you, baby.” He says. “It’s more of a girly thing to have the big wedding and all.”
“Fortunately.” I guffaw. “I don’t know enough people to have a big wedding. A small wedding would suit me fine.”
“Christopher,” Kayla says. “Your backyard is probably big enough to have a wedding.”
“Oh, that would be nice.” Karen says dreamily. “I love backyard weddings.”
“We could do that.” Christopher says, frowning, looking at me.
“Sure.”
“And…before or after the baby is born?” Kayla asks.
“How about a weekend wedding? That way you don’t miss school?” Karen suggests. “Then you can go on a honeymoon during Christmas. You’ll be in your second trimester, so you’ll still be able to fly somewhere if you want.”
“It depends if she wants to get married before or after her belly pops.” Tyler adds.
Everyone looks at me. “Kind of…yeah...yeah, that’s probably best.” I nod.
“You’re already almost three months, Ash. It’s probably going to happen overnight.” Kayla adds.
Mallorie nods emphatically. “Happened to me with Henry, remember?”
“How about we let them decide.” Warren interjects.
Christopher’s hand is on mine. “Yeah, that’s a good idea, dad. Ash, we don’t have to decide anything right now. We can get married whenever you want. Before or after, whenever. It’s up to you.”
“Well, what do you think?” I ask honestly.
“I’m a fan of tying the knot before the baby comes. But I’m also okay with doing it after. Really, it’s okay, either way.”
“You guys decide later. There’s a lot to discuss.” Warren says, rising to clear the table. Everyone mirrors him, as we all rise to bring our plates up to the sink.
“Before we decide anything, we need to tell my dad about the baby. And I need to tell Darlene everything.” I say.
Karen hears this. “Yes, that’s true. Your dad should know before you make any decisions.”
“Fair enough.” Christopher nods. “When do you want to tell him?”
Chapter 28
Christopher
What a night. Ashley is so exhausted from all the excitement, she can’t even stay awake on the ride home. As she’s passed out against the window, I can’t help but look at her. The ring glints from the porch lights as she lays there completely asleep. Mallorie was right. Her little belly is starting to show, even though it’s only been a couple of hours since I last looked at it. I can’t believe she’s going to be my wife. It’s surreal. This beautiful, smart, loving woman I get to spend the rest of my life with.
Undoing my seatbelt, I lean over and kiss her temple. She doesn’t move. I kiss her cheek and she only stirs. She must be so tired. Emotional and hormonal exhaustion…here it is. Placing my hand on her belly, I rub it gently. She turns her head and looks at me. “Hey,” I whisper. “We’re home.”
