“You, too.”
“Bye, sweetheart.”
“Bye, Travis.”
She lies back down, and I pull the covers up. As I reach the door, she calls for me. I turn around, and while still lying in bed, she says, “I’m pregnant.”
Charlotte
“What did he say?” Mary is practically hopping up and down on the couch.
“He stood there for a minute, shocked. Then he smiled and ran to me.”
“Yeah? Then what?”
“Then we celebrated, and he was late for work,” I blush.
“Um, hmm. I bet you did.” She swallows the last of her wine, and I offer more. “Nah. I’m good.Thanks, though.”
Her phone rings, and she briefly looks at it before hitting silent.
“Who was that?”
“Guess.”
“Why don’t you talk to him?”
“Because he’s an asshole.”
My eyebrows naturally furrow. Brandon Parker is not an asshole. And I know for a fact he cares about Mary. As close as we’ve gotten over the past year, she still won’t tell me what is up between them.
“He’s not. And you know it.”
“I know.” She unlocks her phone and opens a text. Her lips curl into a smile, and her eyes brighten for a brief second, before she masks her features and looks back at me. “But it just won’t work out.”
“One of these days, you’re going to have to tell me what happened between you two.”
“I know.” She looks at her watch. “Listen, I’ve gotta go.”
After giving each other a hug and a promise to call soon, I pick up my phone to call Travis.
“Hey,” he answers on the first ring.
“Hey. Whatcha doing?” I grab the glass and my water bottle from the coffee table and walk to the kitchen.
“Just got done eating? Mary still there?”
“No, she just left.”
“I miss you.”
Sighing, I sit on a kitchen chair. “You, too.”
“How’s my baby?”
“I’m great, thanks for asking.”
“Ha. Ha. You’re a comedian. My other baby?”
“Perfect. Sleeping. Between your mom spending the night last night and Mary bringing us supper, she was exhausted.”
“Maybe you can get a good night’s sleep tonight.”
“Maybe you can, too.”
“I hope so. I’m fucking exhaust —”
The shrill of an alarm echoes through my receiver, and I have to pull the phone from my ear.
“Fuck,” Travis mutters. “Gotta go. Love you, sweetheart.”
I don’t get a chance to tell him I love him, too, because he already hung up.
I shut all the lights off and head upstairs. When I go to check on Caroline, her head turns, and her little lip is quivering. She doesn’t make a peep, but tears roll out of her eyes. I don’t care what Travis says, they look just like his.
“What’s the matter, Caroline?”
I pick her up and check her diaper. She can’t be hungry. Maybe she’s teething. I walk around the room and rock her in my arms, trying to get the tears to stop. She suddenly smiles, and I stay right where I am. You learn very quickly as a mother that when you find something that works, you stick with it.
I follow her line of sight to a picture of her and Travis. It was our first day home, and he was standing, looking through the window that overlooks the lake. He was holding her on his chest, one hand supporting her little padded bottom, while the other was on her back and neck. Kissing her sleeping head, his eyes were closed, but the love coming from his face is something too unbelievable for words.
“Is that Daddy?”
Her lip stops shaking and her mouth opens, unintelligible words coming out.
“Yeah? Really? What happened then?” I grab the picture off the dresser and move it to the stand next to her rocking chair. I set it down and sit, rocking her so she can see the picture. She laughs and kicks her feet, eyes never leaving the photo.
A silent tear rolls down my face at the love she has for her father. When he’s not here, I feel just as sad as she does.
As her eyes become heavy, I can’t take mine away from the framed picture. I didn’t think it was possible to love him any more than I already did, but seeing him as a father, his sincerity, his protectiveness, his love, adds a whole other dimension.
Now we’re having another baby. I never knew what I wanted to do with my life, and I still don’t. Maybe I was meant to be a mom. If I never accomplish anything else, I’ll be happy knowing I have the love of my children and a wonderful man who makes me forget there was a time in my life I thought I didn’t have a future.
Setting her back in the crib, I shut her door and wipe my eyes again. As I’m about to turn the corner for my room, a shadow comes up the stairs, and I stand still. I always thought I’d know how to react if someone broke into my house, but in this moment, I’m frozen. Shaking.
When the figure reaches the top of the stairs, I take a step back toward Caroline's room. I turn my back and run, I want to get to her and call the police. They’ll have to kill me before I let anyone hurt her.
“Sweetheart, it’s just me,” Travis whispers. “I didn’t know if you were sleeping. I didn’t want to wake you.”
I sag against the door and let out a sigh of relief. Then I turn with the intention of punching him in his rock hard stomach for scaring me, but he’s still wearing his turnouts and boots, with a navy blue t-shirt stretched against his chest. I stop mid stride and gawk at him.
He smirks and quirks a finger for me to come to him. I quickly walk over and hop into his arms. He leans down and puts his face in my neck.
“You always smell so fucking good.” He kisses my neck and trails his mouth up until it connects with mine, kissing me like he’ll never see me again. He growls and pulls back, setting me on the ground. I take a moment to gain my bearings again. He gets me so worked up.
“What are you doing here?”
“False alarm. We made a detour on the way back. I wanted to kiss you goodnight and sneak a peek at Caroline.” He walks to her room, somehow quiet even in his gear, and comes out a minute later.
He gives me a sweet but innocent kiss, smacks my butt, and heads back down the stairs.
“Night, sweetheart.”
“Night. Love you.” I stand at the top of the stairs watching him walk down.
He stops and looks up. “I love you, too, Charlotte. So much.”
Before he walks away, he winks at me, and I take off my sock and throw it at him, missing.
“You look creepy, don’t do that!” I yell as he laughs.
“Get some sleep. And be ready for me when I get home tomorrow morning.” His voice fades as he walks away, but that doesn’t stop me from yelling back.
“I’ve been ready for you since I was seventeen years old.”
I hear him laugh before the door shuts. I run to the window and pull the curtain open, peeking at him getting back in the fire truck. The guys all look up at me and wave, making kissy faces. Travis shakes his head and waves as they pull away. I watch until I can’t see the taillights anymore, smiling.
Travis has given me the happily ever after I always wanted, but never knew I needed.