“My turn,” Stanley tells his wife. She steps away, wiping her eyes, giving Stanley room to hug me as well. “Good to see you awake, darlin’.”
“How did you get here so fast?” Owen asks them.
“This one had a feeling.”
“A feeling?” I ask.
“Yep. I don’t know how, but she’s always been able to sense when something is happening with one of our kids. She said we needed to head over. We were already almost here when you called,” he tells Owen.
Owen nods, and when Lena asks about what the doctors are saying, he goes on to tell them what the doctor said. “She got sick,” he tells them. “So they took some blood.”
“Oh.” Lena’s face lights up. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Knock, knock,” Sawyer says, walking into the room, Royce behind her.
“I think there’s a limit for the room,” Owen tells them.
“Tough,” Lena tells him. “We’re her family, and we’re not causing a ruckus.”
Owen and his dad share a look, both shaking their heads, a smile playing on their lips. I hate that they’re seeing me like this, but even so, I can’t help but smile at them. It hurts to move my lips, but I can’t seem to help it. They’re all here for me, and they’ve accepted me into their lives, into their family regardless of the shit my mother pulled.
“I heard there’s a party?” Grant says, entering the room, Conrad right behind him.
“Where’s Marshall?” Stanley asks.
“He’s on his way,” I tell him. “I asked him to do me a favor.” Stanley nods, and understanding crosses his face. I guess it’s no secret Marshall has been blaming himself. Speaking of the devil, Marshall comes rushing into the room. He rushes to my side and hands me the giant cup of ice. “Thank you.” I smile at him the best I can with a busted lip.
“How are you?” he asks.
“Better now that I have this.” I hold up the cup. Owen takes it from me and pours some of the ice into a small cup that I can hold easier, and hands me the smaller cup.
“Thank you.”
He leans in and kisses my temple. “Love you, Lay.”
“Oh my God!” Sawyer shrieks. “What is that?” She’s moving and doesn’t stop until she reaches the bed and takes my hand gently in hers.
“Did we not tell you? We’re engaged.” Owen grins.
There is a chorus of congratulations, and each of them hug both Owen and me. We spend the next hour or so just talking about anything and nothing at all. They’re distracting me from the pain that seems to be getting stronger as time passes by. That makes me wonder what the test results are going to say. What else could be wrong with me that they missed?
“You hurting?” Owen asks. He’s so in tune with me.
“Yeah.”
“I’ll call the doctor,” he says as the door opens.
“I’m not even going to scold you about the rules you’re breaking right now.” The doctor smiles at each member of my family. “However, I have some results for Layla, so I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” she tells them.
“No,” I speak up. “They can stay. They’re my family,” I say, choking up at my admission. “You can speak in front of them,” I say once I have my emotions under control.
“Are you sure?”
“Definitely.”
Dr. Higgins nods. “Okay, well, we did some bloodwork, and I was able to determine why you were vomiting.”
“Okay?”
“Congratulations, Layla. You’re pregnant.”
“What?” I breathe, my hands automatically going to my stomach.
“You’re pregnant. I have ordered an ultrasound to make sure everything is okay with the baby.”
“Baby?” I whisper.
“When?” Owen asks her.
“They should be up soon.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Owen says.
She nods. “The obstetrician on call will be in to speak with you after the ultrasound.”
I nod, still unable to process what she just told me. She leaves the room, and it’s eerily silent. I look up to Owen, and he’s smiling. Not just smiling, his teeth are shining brightly through his beard, his eyes are squinted, and there are tears shining in his blue orbs. He bends so that our mouths are just a breath apart.
“We’re having a baby,” he says reverently.
“I’m so sorry. I don’t know how I let this happen. I promise you I didn’t do it to trap you. I-I’m so sorry.”
“Layla.” He shakes his head, grinning. “I already asked you to marry me, and you said yes, remember?” I nod. “We have to build a new house.”
“What? We have a house.”
“I can’t ask you to live there. Not after—” His jaw hardens. I take a minute to process what he’s saying. Can I live there? Yes. Yes, I want to live there. It’s my first home, and yes that’s where I was attacked, but it’s also where we’ve made our life. Owen loves that house, and so do I. I don’t want to move.
“I love that house. That’s my first real home. The first place I ever really felt like I belonged.”
“Babe, I don’t—” He starts, but I talk over him.
“No. Owen Riggins, you are not selling that house. I want this baby to grow up there. I want the life you promised me when you gave me this ring.” I wiggle my fingers in front of him. “I mean it.”
“Okay.” He nods, but I know I’m going to have a fight on my hands. I can see the concern written all over his face. I know we both have healing to do emotionally, and me physically. However, with Owen by my side, I’ll get through it. We both will. Together.
“What if the baby’s not okay?” I ask him.
“Oh, sweetheart.” Lena comes to my side. “I’m sure everything is fine. You getting sick was a good sign. Regardless of what happens, you have us in your corner.”
“All of us,” Marshall speaks up.
I nod, hot tears pricking my eyes.
“Damn you, Owen. You just had to beat me to the first Riggins grandkid, didn’t you? I’m the oldest, remember?” Royce asks. He’s smiling wide, so I know he’s trying to lighten the mood.
“You need some pointers, big brother?” Owen asks him. The room erupts into laughter, and I know that everything is going to be okay. I can feel it in the lightness of my heart, and the love in this room. Piece by piece, we’re going to figure it out, and everything is going to be okay.
Epilogue
Owen
It’s been three months since the worst day of my life. Little did I know forty-eight hours later, would be the best day of my life. My fiancée is resilient. She has a few bad dreams here and there, but she put up one hell of a fight to keep our house. We compromised on a remodel. New furniture, paint, flooring. Anything that won’t make the house match the one in our nightmares. The counseling also helped. Layla and I both sought the medical attention we needed to help us get past the hurt, the anger, and the pain that surrounded that night.