by Ford, Mia
“I know, but it’s a good one.” I clutch the pregnancy test to my chest and smile. “An amazing one. Even if she isn’t pregnant now I might suggest it, see how she feels.”
“You better put a ring on it first, son, you need to know how to treat her right.”
“You really do like her, don’t you, Mom?”
She nods and smiles. “You know I do. It takes a lot for me to say that but I do. I think she’s the one.”
24
Mia
I blink my eyes blearily, still feeling terrible as the light fills my eyes. I don’t know where that sickness came from, it hit me so hard and seemed to last forever. I thought a nap would sort me out but now I still feel a bit like hell. I really don’t want my time in Paris to be ruined, I’ve been having such an amazing time.
“Hey,” I growl, my throat in agony as I try to sit up. “Sorry about that.”
Noah gives me a strange look, making me rub my eyes hard. “How are you feeling?”
“I think I’m better.” I take the water gratefully from him and sup it down rapidly. “Now I feel much better.”
“Good, good.” Still he’s giving me that odd look. What the hell is going on?
“Where’s your mom?” I glance around the room. “Did she come back with Alex?”
“She did, and now she’s gone back out again to give us some time…”
“Okay, I have to ask. Why are you looking at me like that? Did something happen?”
He sighs and raises to his feet, pacing the room and rubbing his chin which makes me think that he must be really deep in thought. I sit up even straighter, trying to brace myself for whatever is to come, even though I don’t have a damn clue what the hell is going on here. I’m too worn out to work it all out.
“Noah, you’re freaking me out here,” I warn. “What is going on? What have I missed?”
“Mom went to the drug store while you were asleep and got some things.”
“Oh right. I don’t know if I need anything really. I’m sure I might be getting a bit better.”
“Well, there’s more to it than that.” He sits back down and takes my hands. The way he looks at me sends a shiver of self consciousness shooting up and down my spine. “Mom brought a pregnancy test too.”
“What?” I’m totally shocked. “Why the hell would she think that?”
“Trust me, that was my immediate reaction, but then I remembered that we haven’t exactly always been…”
“Careful.” Ice cold realization strikes me. “No, I suppose not.” I might well be late as well, not that I’m going to say that aloud because I don’t really want to add fuel to the fire. “Why don’t you look freaked out?”
“I’m not frisked out,” he chuckles. “I don’t think it will be a bad thing.”
I gasp a few times, gripping on to my stomach… the tummy that might well contain a baby. It’s a bit fast, isn’t it? We shouldn’t be worrying about having a baby now, should we? This is crazy. But as I look into Noah’s eyes I can see that he’s totally come to terms with the idea and that he might actually like it.
Fucking hell, he wants to have a baby, and he wants to have one with me.
I know that things have been going really well between us, it’s obvious we’re going to go the distance but I’m totally scared by it all. I’m doing well with Alex, but adding in another child? This is scary.
“Don’t panic, you look like you’re really freaked out. I’m here with you, I’s going to be fine.”
“I don’t know… I suppose I am a bit.” My breaths are ragged and desperate. “How can I not be?”
“Remember, you ran a marathon.” His reassurance doesn’t work. “You can do anything.”
I leap out of the bed and grab the box from him, needing to know for sure now. The idea is in my brain and I’m utterly desperate to either confirm or deny it before I get too lost in my thoughts. I slam the bathroom door behind me and tug the contents from the box, spilling it everywhere.
“Fucking hell.” I scrabble around and gather it back up again. “Fuck.”
“Are you okay in there?” Noah sounds too happy for my liking. I need him freaking out with me.
“Yep. Fine.” My tone sounds forced even to me. “I will be out in a moment.”
I scan my eyes over the paper, reading the general gist of the instructions, before tossing it to one side. Everyone knows what to do, pee on the stick. It isn’t exactly hard, is it? Just one little pee that will change my life forever. Maybe. I shake my head and sit down, knowing that I need to just get it over with.
My heart hammers against my rib cage while I pee. I’m scared that I might start puking again while I do. I slide my eyes closed and try my hardest to cool the hot anxiety racing through me, but it barely makes a difference.
“Can I come in?” Noah asks. “I don’t want you to go through this alone.”
“Hold on a moment.” I sort myself out, flush the toilet, and clip the lid back on the test. I stare at my manic wide eyed reflection in the mirror, before I call him back in. Noah has seen me at my worst already, I’m sure he won’t mind now. Since I might be able to be the mother of his child… “Okay, come in.”
He clicks open the door and steps inside, looking a little sheepish as he does. He sees the test clutched tightly between my fingers and the color drains from his face which makes me feel a little better. He’s finally joining me. I slump down onto the floor and he joins me while we both stare at the test, waiting…
“This is nerve wracking, isn’t it?” He slides his fingers through mine. “A long scary minute.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s huge. I didn’t expect to be here when I woke up a moment ago.”
“I know. Me neither. Mom really landed it on me but she’s wise. She might well be right.”
“And…” I bite down on my bottom lip. “How will you feel if it is positive? That’s probably something that we should discuss before we get the result.”
“I’m going to tell you, Mia, I am very excited. I would love to have a child with you.”
“You would?” God, I can tell that he’s serious. “That’s… incredible.”
“How do you feel?” he asks me, curiosity flooding his face.
“I feel… well, I’m shocked at the moment, but it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.”
An image comes to mind, one of me, him, Alex, and the new baby as a real family. I never saw myself as someone maternal, but since Alex has come into my life I’ve opened up more. it wouldn’t be the worst.
“You look like you’re imagining it now…”
I can’t stop the heat from creeping up my cheeks. “I am actually. It’s crazy but nice.”
“I know, that’s how I feel about it as well. It isn’t expected, but it feels right. For me and you anyway.”
“Right.” He nods downwards. “I think that might be a minute passed now.”
I suck in a deep and panicked breath before I turn the white stick over with my future attached to it. My fingers shake, I can’t stop them from trembling, so I really have to pull it up to my eyes to see.
And there it is… the sign that officially will change my life forever.
“It’s positive,” I whisper, barely able to make sound. “Oh my God, it’s positive.”
“You’re having a baby. We are having a baby.”
He jumps up and yells with glee which makes m laugh loads. He’s geuninly really excited about this which makes me feel a whole lot better. The nerves melt away as I watch him. I know I won’t be in this alone, he wants this. I can be truly safe in the knowledge that he’s a good father too.
“Oh, Mia, you have no idea how happy this makes me.” He falls to the ground and wraps me up in a deep and intense hug. “This is amazing. You know, I wanted to ask you to move in with me while we were here?”
“You did?” I cock an eyebrow. “You actually want to live with me?”
“You pretty much live with me anyway.” He shrugs with
a smirk. “Why not?”
“Oh wow, well, I suppose that makes this much easier.”
I point to my belly and he immediately rubs it lovingly. “Yes, we can make a lovely nursery.”
“Oh wow, I don’t know what to say about all of this. It’s very overwhelming.”
“But in a good way, right? This is a yes? You do want to move in with me?”
I pull him towards me and kiss him, all the passion and love flowing between us. “Of course it’s a yes. I love you, don’t I? Nothing would make me happier. Luckily for you, I don’t have much stuff…”
“You can have all the stuff you want. Fill my house up as long as you’re there too.”
“I don’t think I would ever be able to fill it up. It’s absolutely massive.”
He smiles lovingly at me, brushing his finger lightly down my cheek. I melt against him, turning into a puddle of jelly between his fingers. A bubble surrounds us, blocking the rest of the world out.
“You know what? This is silly.” He pulls back from me a little bit.
“What do you mean, silly?” The icy panic shoots back through me. “Noah, what are you talking about?”
“I don’t just want you to move in with me and to be the mother of my child.”
“What do you mean?” I sit up straighter. He looks serious now and I’m nervous.
He reaches into his trousers pocket and shows me a little box. “I’ve been carrying this around for a while now, waiting for the right moment to ask it. I didn’t want to put pressure on you and push you away, but now the moment seems right.” My eyes widen in shock, this is crazy. I think I know what’s going on here, but I can barely accept it. “Mia Clark, I love you more than I ever thought possible. Like I’ve already told you, you crept under my skin without me wanting to, but now I couldn’t be happier. We’re about to go on this amazing journey together and I want to take that one step further. I want you to make me the happiest man alive and I want to spend every day for the rest of my life taking care of you too. You are creative, beautiful, stunning, funny… I want you to be my wife.” He pops open the box and shows me the most incredible ruby ring I’ve ever seen. Red like my hair, fiery like my personality… or the person I’ve become since I’ve come out my shell anyway. The person that this wonderful man has helped me to become. “So, what do you say, my beautiful, Mia Clark? Will you marry me?”
I nod along, all of a sudden noticing tears streaming down my face. Happy tears though, this is the craziest, happiest day of my whole life. And to think, I’m in Paris for it. The most romantic city in the world.
“Yes,” I gasp out. “Of course I will, I would love to be your wife.”
He slides the ring on my finger and it fits perfectly, proving just how wonderful we are together, then he scoops me up for the most incredible kiss of my life. Maybe this is a little rushed, but we both know that it’s right so why hold back? Just so other people don’t judge us? I don’t care about that and I don’t think he does either. The most important people will be happy for us. I know Kayleigh will. She wants me to get my happy ever after, and this is really it. Everything that I want and so much more.
Epilogue – Noah
One Year Later…
“Are you sure I look okay?” I ask Trent anxiously. “I feel all weird now.”
“You look very handsome, my friend,” he chuckles. “Charcoal really is your color.”
I’m not convinced as I try to sort out my tie to get it a bit straighter. When I tried this on in the shop, it felt okay but now I’m not so sure. I feel all out of place. It must be the nerves.
“How is Alex? My little best man?”
Trent smiles. “He’s doing really well, helping your mom and her man with baby Alia. She is a gorgeous little baby, by the way. She will end up being a heart breaker when she’s older.”
“I know… she’s lovely. Such an adorable little baby.”
My heart warms with joy as I think about my four month old little sweet heart. She looks so much like her artist mother that it makes my heart ache. I really do have the perfect little family, and with Hayley in jail and absolutely no parental rights there isn’t anything that will come in our way again.
“I just saw the bride too by the way, she looks absolutely incredible.”
“You have? What is she wearing?”
“I can’t tell you that! Her best friend, Kayleigh, is she called? She yelled at me. She’s scary I don’t want to get in any more trouble from her! You better not ever screw Mia over, she will kill you.”
“Trust me, I have absolutely no intention of doing so. Who else is here?”
“Erm, some of the girls who used to work at the bank with Mia, some of her art friends, all the people from the gym… everyone you could possibly want. It’s going to be an amazing day.”
“You think so?” I breathe deep a couple of times. “I’m all freaked out about it.”
“Dude, stop it. This is it, what you want.”
“I know, I know. I’ve just never been married before and it’s scary.”
“I can imagine so. I haven’t ever been in a place where I’m ready for marriage, but I bet it’s terrifying. At least you know that she’s the one for you. You can see it a mile off.”
I smile, thinking of the beautiful woman that’s about to become my wife. It’s taken a long time, I wanted to marry her a year ago when I first asked her, but I really respected her wish to have our baby first. Now I’m glad. It’s better for her to be comfortable as we declare our love in front of everyone. All the important people in our lives. Everyone who contributed to our love story, even if they didn’t realize it.
“Right, are you ready? We should get in the room now. It’s traditional for the bride to come last.”
“Alright, alright.” I pant a couple more times. “Let’s do it. I’m ready now, I think.”
Trent walks with me into the hall and I grin at everyone who has come to share our special day with us. The effort that everyone has put in is really nice. They really do care.
“Hey, Alex.” I hold out my hand to my son and he races to join me. I stay there for a moment to smile at Mom. She’s loosened up a lot since our talk and she’s much more open about her relationship which is good. She’s happy, which is all I’ve ever wanted anyway. And she looks delighted with her red haired granddaughter in her arms. “Are you ready for this today, little man?” I return my gaze to my son. “I need you to be brave.”
“I have the rings,” he reassures me in a very grown up voice. “I’m ready.”
He stands beside me at the front of the aisle and we wait impatiently until the music starts up. I suck in a breath and stare intently at the door, waiting for her to come through. The kick of her white dress comes first, already stripping my lungs of air, and her beautiful face comes into view. She looks absolutely radiant with her face all made up and her red hair cascading down her back. Her body is slightly curvier now that she’s just had a baby, but that makes her even sexier to me. I love every damn inch of her.
“Oh, wow,” Trent whispers to me. “You done good, kid.”
I’m punching way above my weight, I know that, and I’m grateful for her every day. Now she’s going to be my wife, and everything will really be perfect. “I know. She’s wonderful, isn’t she?”
Her veil cascades down her back, lace trickling around her delicate features, her smile lighting up the whole room. As she walks down the aisle in time to the music, her eyes remain only on me as if no one else is here. We’re in a bubble, just me and her, my favorite place to be.
“Hi,” I mouth at her as she gets closer. “You look beautiful.”
She blushes. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”
As she takes my hands and we stare at each other with pure love, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today,” the priest begins. “To join in with the most important moment of this wonderful couple’s lives. Noah and Mia are spending
today committing to one another, trusting one another to love each other for the rest of their long lives together…”
I tune his words out because I can feel them about to send me into an emotional break down. It’s hard for me to hold it together when I have the most gorgeous woman in the world in front of me, loving me with everything that she has. I have my vows to get through at some point and I don’t want to lose my mind.
Instead, I lose myself in Mia’s eyes, knowing that I will do whatever I can to make her life awesome. It’s already amazing, but now we’re official, now I’ve claimed her forever and she’s claimed me. We’re so strong I know that nothing will ever be able to come between us. She really is the one. Mom was right.
I vowed that I would always listen to her, and now I’m so glad that I did.
“Now, the couple have prepared their own vows. So, who would like to go first?”
The words choke in my throat, I know I need to speak before she does or it won’t happen. I’m pretty sure it’s traditional for the guy to go first anyway which works out really well for me.
“Mia,” I blurt out before she can say anything. “From the very first moment you crashed into my life I knew that you were different. You were this beautiful red head sweating in my gym, preparing yourself for the biggest run of your life. I was smitten right away. I tried not to be, but I was, and that only got worse the more you were around me.” I chuckle, my heart swelling at the memory. “And then we had some… crazy times, I should call it.” Everyone laughs this time, they all know about the insanity between me and Hayley and how supportive Mia was. They all agree that just shows how wonderful she is for me. “After which, we found out that our beautiful little Alia was coming, which was the best thing ever. And now… we’re here.
You have made me so happy up until this point, and I know you’ll keep making me happy. I want to make you happy too. I want to make you breakfast in bed, to rub your feet after a long day, to be your art assistant whenever you need me to be… to be the best husband, the man you deserve.