by Elias Taylor
Kayla’s eyes widened as she saw Tristen appear from the hallway with the elevators. He was holding one last vase filled with red roses.
Kayla couldn’t breathe as Tristen made his way across the office. She could only look around at Clifford and at her silent co-workers. Was it some sort of joke?
If Tristen told Clifford that she was pregnant, Kayla was going to punch him.
No, she was going to hit him over the head with one of his stupid vases of flowers.
He couldn’t just show up here after everything he had said and done. Yes, she had ignored his calls and texts, but even so, he had to know her better than to make this kind of scene in her workplace.
And why was he here? What did he have to say?
Kayla felt like she was splitting down the middle. Part of her yearned to run into Tristen’s arms. She wanted him to say he would be there for her. That he would take care of her forever.
The other part of her was still seething over what he had put her through the last few days. That part of her wanted to never trust Tristen again.
Kayla felt the faintest pricks of tears behind her eyes. She cursed the stupid pregnancy hormones that made her so emotional. She did her best to stifle the feelings and put on her best poker face.
Kayla crossed her arms and frowned as Tristen moved closer and closer. He didn’t take his eyes off her.
His face remained calm and serene. He gave nothing away as he stopped only a few feet away from her. He just looked at her with an intensity that made Kayla’s heart skip a beat.
Kayla reminded herself to breathe. She looked down at the floor and then up again at Tristen’s face. She had to brace herself to meet his eyes, but she managed to do it.
She spoke with her most serious voice, and she tried to infuse every word with steel. She couldn’t break down, not here.
“You can not keep interrupting me at work,” Kayla said.
Tristen cocked his head, and a playful smile tugged at the corner of his lips. It was the same smile he used to give Kayla at club meetings, when they were just friends. It was the same smile that had made her relax during their early dates. The smile that had seduced her, drawn her in and made her fall in love. Kayla felt her resolve crumbling into a million pieces.
Her co-workers vanished. Her boss vanished. The entire world shrunk to just him, standing among all the bouquets of flowers.
Tristen took another step forward, and then another, until his face was only inches from hers. Kayla didn’t even dare to breathe.
All her anger at him evaporated. All the bitter memories from the other day drained away. She only cared about him and what he was about to say.
“I’d like to interrupt a lot more than your workday,” Tristen said. “How about we start with your heart?”
Chapter Twenty-Four: A New Plan
Tristen’s nerves reached a fever pitch when he stood in front of Kayla, his face inches from hers.
He had been nervous for the last twenty-four hours, ever since his plan began to take shape. No amount of nerves could keep him away from Kayla.
The last day had been a whirlwind. Tristen had made countless calls to plan out the delivery of flowers, and he had sent a carefully worded email to Kayla’s boss to make sure it was ok to do it at the accounting firm. He had made sure not to mention the pregnancy, but to make it clear to Clifford that he cared about Kayla and wanted to prove to her that he was ready for commitment.
Clifford had been a shocking ally. Not only did Clifford allow him to schedule deliveries to the office, Clifford vowed to help. He adored Kayla. He knew she was a star employee, but he wanted her to have a fulfilling personal life as well. He feared she would experience burn out if she didn’t have more to live for besides her job.
After Tristen had scheduled all the deliveries and worked out the details with Clifford, he had been restless. So he drove to the nearest bookstore and purchased nearly every book on pregnancy and babycare.
He read late into the night. He was fairly certain that Kayla wasn’t going to quiz him in order to see if he was worthy, but Tristen wanted to be more than just a loving partner. He wanted to be a knowledgeable partner. He wanted to help her with actions on top of words.
Tristen read until midnight. He took copious notes. Then he read them over and started to fret over whether Kayla had the proper prenatal pills yet. And if she knew to try and sleep on her side. He could order the special pillow for her right now. Even if she didn’t take him back, he could send her the pillow.
Then he started to wonder which children’s books he should buy. Some of the babycare chapters suggested reading to the baby while it was still in the womb. Tristen was certain that Kayla would want to get an early start on literacy.
He had fallen asleep with his notes on his chest, and he had dreamed of holding his newborn baby.
In the morning, he had barely been able to eat breakfast. He had gone to work and was jumpy all morning. He had requested an extra long lunch to go to an appointment (David had given him many sly winks but not let anything slip).
Everything had gone according to plan. Now he just had to make Kayla see how sorry he was and how much he wanted to be with her. The pregnancy wasn’t a catastrophe, and it wasn’t even an inconvenience. It was something he wanted. Granted, he had not anticipated this kind of timing, but he could put up with a few surprises if he got to spend a lifetime with Kayla.
Tristen was worried that Kayla wouldn’t give him a chance to speak. He feared she would storm out before he could even present her with the final bouquet.
As soon as he saw her face, he knew he had a shot. She was trying to keep her composure, but Tristen could see the amount of emotion behind her eyes. She could try to hide it, but she never could, not from him.
She wore the same expression that she had sometimes had on their early dates when he would press her about her reluctance to be in a relationship. It was the face she put on when she was trying to hold to her resolutions and maintain a firm line, but she wasn’t going to pull away. She was going to let herself be with Tristen. She cared about him too much. He could make her happy. He had made her happy since they had started dating, and he would make her happy again.
She was precious, and she was timeless, and he would never give up on her.
Her lower lip quivered ever so slightly when he spoke. Tristen knew that the rest of the office probably didn’t see it, but he could read her face like a book. She was wavering. She was giving him the chance to fix everything. And he was going to. He was going to show her his 100% effort, just as Fiend had advised.
“I know you’re angry, and that you’ve been angry,” Tristen said. “And I deserve that for the way I acted, but I also want a chance to redeem myself.”
Kayla kept her lips pressed in a frown, but she inclined her head. She was letting Tristen continue.
“I’m sorry I freaked out the other day,” he said. “But I realized this weekend that you’re everything to me. I care about you more than anything, and I want you to be the reason I wake up every morning, and I want to work every day towards a life with you. I panicked, and I didn’t think things through on Friday, but now I have, and I know what I want.”
Kayla inhaled sharply, and a tear slipped out of her eye and made a glistening track down her cheek. Tristen wanted to hold her in his arms. But he had to finish. He had to let her know just how dedicated he was to the next chapter of their life.
“Kayla, I love you,” Tristen said. “I want it all with you – I want you and a family with you.”
He saw Kayla’s eyes go wide when he mentioned a family, and in that moment, he knew she wanted it too. She had not intended to get pregnant, but once it had happened, she had realized, like he had, how amazing it could be. They could be a happy little family.
Kayla opened her mouth and then shut it again. Tristen felt a surge of satisfaction over the fact that he had rendered Kayla Carpenter speechless. She was always so cool and collected; she always
had something to say. But he had truly shocked her to her core.
“I know you might not be able to live by your old plan,” Tristen said. “But I could help you make a new one.”
The office was as silent as a tomb. Tristen waited for Kayla’s answer. He had said his piece. He had let her know that he was all in. Now she just had to answer. One word from her, and he would leave. If she needed space, he would give it to her. If she needed to consider, especially after what he had done upon first hearing the news, he would let her take the time to think things over.
Kayla stood there and stared at him for what felt like an eternity. Tristen held his breath as Kayla looked deep into his eyes. He hoped that she could read him as well as he could read her. He wanted her to see how much he meant what he said. If she could understand how much he wanted her and the baby then she would not hesitate to let him back into her life.
He saw the ice melt out of her soul. He saw the moment she accepted his apology. Her eyes softened, and her shoulders relaxed. She let out a deep sigh.
“I love you too,” Kayla whispered.
Tristen smiled and leaned closer.
“What was that?” he asked.
Kayla rolled her eyes and grinned.
“I love you too,” she said.
Her entire office burst into applause, and Kayla blushed a deep red, but she did not stop Tristen from gathering her into his arms and pulling her to his chest in a hug.
When Tristen looked up, he caught Clifford’s eye. The boss nodded at both of them, and Kayla smiled back.
Tristen was just happy to see her smile again. He had missed her joy, and he knew that for the rest of his life, he wanted to do everything in his power to bring her happiness.
Epilogue
One Year Later
Kayla waved at Clifford as she headed for the exit.
“Happy Friday!” she called.
“Have a good weekend!” Clifford said. “Great job with the Newsome client, and tell Tristen and Tristen that I say hi!”
Kayla laughed and hopped into the elevator. Four months since the birth of her baby and Clifford still couldn’t get over how she had named the baby boy after Tristen.
“You must really love that guy,” Clifford had joked.
It was true, Kayla had been the one to insist on the name. Tristen had objected a bit. He said he felt weird about it, but Kayla had argued that she wanted to remind Tristen that the baby was his miniature self. That she loved Tristen so much, she wanted her baby to look up to him. Tristen had cried when she said that. He had cried a lot during her pregnancy and birth. It turned out that beneath his joking exterior, Tristen Knox was just a big sentimental sap.
It had been a crazy year, but Kayla wouldn’t change a thing. From the moment he had showed up in her office with the bevy of flowers, Tristen had been as solid as a rock. He had devoted himself to helping in every way with the pregnancy. He had attended every doctor’s appointment. He overflowed with joyous laughter during the first ultrasound, and he had gone to every parenting class. He had even been determined to win every diaper competition. That had made Kayla laugh.
Kayla didn’t know what she would have done without him. She would have figured it out, but everything would have been much more difficult.
With Tristen by her side, Kayla was able to craft a perfect pregnancy plan. He had held her hand when she told her parents. They had been shocked but happy. Her mother had wept with joy at the wild plot twist. Her dad had been more hesitant, but when he saw how content Kayla was, he had been just as excited as his wife.
They found a little house that was right between their two workplaces. It had three bedrooms and a nice yard. Perfect for a growing family.
For months, Kayla and Tristen had worked together to make their home perfect. They had taken some furniture from Tristen’s apartment and some of the bedding from Kayla’s apartment. She had set up her desk in the study, and Tristen had set up his in the corner of the living room.
They had spent an entire Saturday afternoon putting a crib together. To Kayla’s surprise and delight, Tristen had been good at it.
He later told her that he had studied the pamphlet rigorously the day before. He had wanted to impress her. The confession made Kayla ridiculously happy.
The day they finally finished setting up the new house, Tristen had drawn a bath for Kayla. He had filled it with sweet-smelling soaps and let her float in the luxurious bubbles for hours. He had sat by her side and gently caressed her baby bump.
Kayla had told Clifford about the pregnancy early. She had decided it was silly and immature to slink into the office hiding a baby bump beneath layers of clothing. In their meeting, she was adamant that she could continue to deliver high-quality work. Clifford didn’t doubt her for a second, and they agreed on a fair amount of maternity leave.
On the day of her son’s birth, Kayla had been terrified. Her water broke a full week before her due date. Every aspect of Kayla’s plan depended on the due date. She had not even completed some key tasks.
She had called Tristen and started sobbing into the phone.
Within twenty minutes, Tristen had arrived at their home. He found Kayla sitting with her big bag of supplies and tears streaming down her face.
He laughed out loud. Kayla shrieked in indignation.
“I’m in pain, and my plan is ruined!” she had yelled.
“We’re about to meet our son,” Tristen said. “And you’re crying about it.”
Kayla froze and stared up at Tristen. Just like that, he made her forget about her plans and schedules.
Once Tristen had changed Kayla’s perspective, he had been the picture of sympathy. He had massaged her tense shoulders during the long hours of labor. He had whispered words of love and encouragement when she thought she couldn’t push anymore. He reminded her that she had the strength.
Tristen held her hand throughout the delivery and wept tears of joy when he saw his son.
Kayla had been nervous about the first few weeks with the baby. He was so small, and there was so much to remember to do. She had read endless articles about how challenging feeding could be.
She ended up enjoying every second. Even when the baby wouldn’t eat or sleep. Even when Kayla had been dead-eyed with exhaustion. She had still loved it. Their child was a little miracle, and Kayla had savored the glorious time she got to spend with him.
Tristen had loved it too. He had been with her for every late night when the baby couldn’t sleep. He had woken up to change diapers and rock Tristen. He had talked Kayla through every panic about the baby’s diet and weight gain.
And he had helped Kayla when it came time for her to return to work. He supported her career, and they had worked together to find the right balance. It had been challenging to be away from the baby for a whole day after getting to spend weeks at home with him, but Kayla adjusted. She learned to enjoy the sanctuary of work, where she could focus on her other skills outside of singing an infant to sleep.
She had even worked out a schedule with Clifford that allowed her to work from home two days a week. He had said it was fine as long as her productivity didn’t slip. Kayla promised it wouldn’t, and she had been good on her word.
Kayla was loving a balance between her work life and her personal life far more than she had ever believed possible. The baby wasn’t a distraction from her goals. It only added to her motivation.
Plus, her new little family made her happy. Far happier than going to work and doing nothing else had made her. Kayla liked having a personal life.
Kayla had done so well when she transitioned back into working full-time that Clifford had even offered her another promotion. She had turned it down. For the time being, she still wanted to be home to feed her baby his dinner and see him take his first steps. Promotions would always come, but her baby would only be young once.
In fact, he was growing so fast that Kayla was already considering another one. Not right away of course. But soon.
It was a Friday, and Kayla was leaving right at 5, and she didn’t feel a drop of guilt about it. She was going to go home and cuddle her son and then kiss her amazing boyfriend.
As soon as she was in the door, Kayla heard her baby’s cooing, and her heart swelled.
Her mom was in the living room, helping baby Tristen on the floor. They had a schedule that allowed for Kayla’s mom to babysit during weekdays.
“How’s my beautiful boy?” Kayla asked.
She kicked off her work heels and swooped down to gather Tristen in her arms. He giggled and waved his chubby fists, and Kayla smothered his cheeks with kisses.
Her mother watched her with glee.
“He was good today,” her mom said. “And he took a nice long nap, so he’s in a good mood.”
“Awesome, I think the afternoon naps are really helping him sleep through the night,” Kayla said. “We just got to keep him on the schedule.”
Her mother sighed and grabbed her bag.
“Will you ever abandon all your schedules?”
“Never,” Kayla said.
She gave her mom a playful wink as her mother left. Kayla would never give up making schedules, but these days, she knew how to adjust and adapt to unforeseen circumstances. With an infant son, there was an unforeseen event pretty much every day.
Kayla sat down in an armchair and bounced Tristen on her knee. He had her dark hair and Tristen’s blue eyes. Kayla thought it was the perfect combination. Cleo, who had been the obvious choice for godmother, liked to joke that the baby looked like his parents, but he had her easy-going personality. She was always reminding Tristen and Kayla about the stressful few days when Cleo thought she was going to have to be a second parent to the baby if Tristen didn’t step up.