Game Changer

by Amelia Whitmore

  Marjorie made what was possibly the most delicious chicken I’d ever eaten. However, the stuffing argued with my stomach to the point where I almost ran to the bathroom. Aiden noticed and subtly rubbed my belly which always helped with the sickness; I think the baby knew, and was comforted by its daddy.

  After dinner, Aiden pulled me outside after making sure I was warm enough. “What are we doing?” I exclaimed, as he forced me to the middle of the yard. It seemed like a waste to ruin the perfectly settled snow with our footprints.

  “We’re making snow angels and snowmen!” He was grinning like a child.

  I laughed, “I am not making a snowman. And I’m not lying in the snow only to flail my arms around like an idiot.” I said, putting my hands on my hips.

  “Please baby?” He begged, laying down and moving his legs and feet like he was doing jumping jacks while on the ground.

  “Aiden, I haven’t played in snow since I was like eight.” I said, shaking my head.

  He gasped and stopped the movement of his arms and legs. “You’re joking.” He accused. I gave him a confused look and shook my head, “Why would you joke about something like that?” He sounded appalled.

  “I’m as serious as a heart attack.” I told him, hoping that’d make it clear to him.

  “Emily Smith, Lay down NOW!” He demanded, apparently offended that I hadn’t played in the snow for ten years.

  “No.” I shrieked as he started chasing after me. He caught up with me since my legs were long, though much shorter than his. The next thing I knew, he was carefully picking me up, bridal style, and plopped me down on the ground, pushing me back and kissing me. I was laughing and the kiss drew it down to a smile.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck, not comprehending what he was doing to my legs. The next thing I knew, he was pushing my arms away and moving them in the snow for me.

  “What are you…” I started laughing when I realized without an answer.

  He was forcing me to make an angel. “You’re too adorable.” I announced, taking over the movement, making the wings and dress by myself. He pecked my lips once more before turning over and making his own beside me.

  The stars were high in the sky and brighter than I’d ever seen them before. In the city, you’d never know how many there truly were. It seemed that there wasn’t an empty space in the sky.

  “Wow.” I breathed.

  Aiden jumped up and helped me stand, then brought me over to fresh snow and started piling snow into a large ball, then he began to roll it.

  “You should start one too.” He said, pointing to the snow in front of me.

  I shook my head and smiled, but did it anyways. Within an hour, we had a very large, very creepy looking snowman. I named him Aiden Jr. which wasn’t too appreciated and got me tickled.

  Inside, Marjorie threatened our lives if we dragged snow through her house, which made us giggle like children and we stripped down to our long-johns before running upstairs to change. I pulled on a pair of Aiden’s sweatpants and one of his hoodies, which seemed to be so much more comfortable to me. Dressing took a while since we kept distracting ourselves with happy kisses. It’d been a fairly long time since Aiden and I had felt so carefree.

  “I think we should tell your family about Sobri,” I suggested, when we reached for the door.

  He nodded and kissed my nose, grinning. Once we were downstairs, we saw that everybody but Hailey, Marjorie, and Dale had left.

  “Hey guys? Emm and I need to talk to you.” Aiden said as we sat down on the couch.

  His arm was wrapped around my shoulder. Hailey seemed to realize that she should go upstairs, so she said goodnight and went upstairs.

  “What’s up?” Dale asked as Marjorie came back from the kitchen, where she was making hot cocoa for us.

  Aiden looked at me, silently asking if I wanted to be the one to tell them. My eyes widened and I shook my head, I was not going to tell practical strangers that their son knocked me up. That was his honor. He grinned understandingly and faced them.

  “Emm’s about two months pregnant,” he announced without preamble.

  Marjorie nearly dropped her coffee mug and Dale’s jaw dropped. I basically curled up in a ball, pulling my knees to my chest and burying my face to my legs. “What?” Marjorie gasped, looking between us.

  “I’m pregnant.” I whispered. “It wasn’t planned or anything, but we’re keeping the baby.”

  “You’re so young though.” Aiden’s parents looked so compassionate, I was expecting outrage.

  I nodded, “I know. It wasn’t easy deciding what to do, but as soon as my doctor confirmed that I was pregnant, Sobri was my baby.”

  “Sobri?” Dale asked, raising his eyebrows.

  “It’s a bit of a story, but basically it’s the name we’re calling the baby until it’s born,” Aiden explained.

  There was a few seconds of silence, as Marjorie and Dale absorbed the news.

  “So, are you guys okay with this?” Aiden asked softly, completely impatient. I elbowed him in the side.

  “Don’t rush them!” I hissed.

  “What? It’s not their baby,” he whispered back.

  “No, but you are. If my kid came to me telling me that he knocked up the girl he’d only known for less than two months, I’d be worried.” I whispered back.

  His eyes narrowed but instead of a smart comment, he pecked my lips quickly and focused on his parents. They were looking at each other intently, communicating in silence.

  “I believe we’re quite alright about it.” Marjorie announced finally.

  “Aiden’s been going on and on about you for so long that you’re already family. This only enforces it,” Dale added.

  I sighed and felt tears fill my eyes, feeling completely relieved. “Thank you.” I whispered. Aiden’s arms surrounded me and he pulled me onto his lap to hold me.

  “You two are adorable together,” Marjorie said whimsically.

  I blushed and buried my face in his shoulder. Aiden picked me up bridal style yet again and told his parents we were hitting the hay. He set me gently on the bed and went back to turn off the lights and close the door.

  The next morning, we woke up to our door being knocked on. I got up to answer it, feeling incredibly groggy. Aiden hardly even moved. As soon as I flicked the lock, the door swung open, nearly hitting me in the process and I was lifted off my feet into the arms of Seth, who had the biggest smile ever on his face.

  “Congratulations, Mommy!” He practically yelled.

  I laughed and thanked him, feeling happy that Marjorie had taken the liberty to tell everyone else, so I wouldn’t have to go through it all a second time. Seth set me on my feet and ran to the bed, flying onto Aiden, who grunted and attempted to do a pushup to get his brother off of him.

  “Aiden’s gonna be a Daddy, Aiden’s gonna be a Daddy,” he started singing as he messed up Aiden’s hair. Aiden swung his arms at Seth and it soon turned into a punch contest.

  “Boys, knock it off.” I said, trying not to laugh.

  “He started it!” Aiden pouted, making me burst out laughing.

  “You two are such children!” I said with wide eyes.

  “Am not.” Seth whined, getting off the bed and walking to the door.

  “Mom says breakfast is in twenty minutes.” He added before closing the door. I climbed into bed with Aiden and cuddled up to his chest. “You win.” I grinned.

  “I told you they’d be happy.” He brushed his hands through my hair.

  I kissed him and got out of bed again, this time I changed. I wore my jeans and a tank top and cardigan. I also wore my slippers that I made in home ec, back in the ninth grade. They were made of yarn and were warm and fuzzy.

  “Well that’s adorable.” Aiden said, grinning, as he looked down at my feet.

  I looked down and smiled. “They’re so comfortable.”

  At home, in Houston, I usually walked around in normal socks since it was always warm there. But here
in Wisconsin it was cold and I needed more layers to keep me warm.

  Downstairs at the table, I sat next to Aiden and Katarina, who was such a beautiful little girl. She was shy but sweet and honestly reminded me a lot of myself. I cut up her sausages and helped her mix them with some eggs, which is apparently the only way she’d eat them. I had done all I could do not to puke, but it was worth it for her.

  My pregnancy was apparently the main topic of discussion over breakfast, because people kept congratulating me and asking when I was due. I thanked them and explained that my appointment wasn’t for another couple of weeks. Katarina tugged on my hand and asked what ‘pegnat’ was.

  I did my best to give her a child version of pregnancy, “I’m having a baby.”

  She grinned and looked at her mommy, “The tork is commin to her!” She exclaimed, making us all laugh, it was so adorable. I forgot that some parents tell their children about storks… mine never did.

  The next day was Christmas and it was so much fun to see Katarina, Hunter, and Ryder get excited over their presents. Aiden had bought them a snowmobile at one of the local shops the day before. It was specifically made for younger children.

  Everybody found my gift to Aiden adorable and I blushed. He kissed me several times at the thoughtfulness of it all. I could have killed him when he gave me my present.

  Did the guy have no concept for me being on a budget and that getting me such an insane gift would make me feel like I gave him a pile of crap?

  Apparently not, because he got me a car, a freaking car. How were tokens supposed to compare to a damn car? It wasn’t even just any car, it was a brand new Ford Explorer; A car I’d casually mentioned liking when we watched a commercial for it.

  “Aiden, you can’t be serious.” I said with wide eyes as I covered my mouth. I was staring at the picture he’d given to me; apparently it was still at the dealership, waiting for us to pick it up when we got back home.

  “I’m very serious.” He said. This told me he was telling the truth. “When the baby comes along, you’re going to need a bigger car. I’ll be busy with practice during the day and the Ford will have more room than my truck.

  I exhaled before I spoke, “You can’t just buy me a car. That’s… I don’t know what that is. It’s crazy.” I said, rambling.

  “I want you in something safe, and I feel like this is the perfect car.”

  “Okay, but I can’t afford insurance on a brand new car, let alone the gas that it’ll take to fill it up. I can barely handle the car I’ve had since I was sixteen.” I shook my head.

  “I already thought of that; I added the car to my insurance and a gas card is in the mail already.” He was smiling like the idiot he was. I wanted to smack the smile off his face.

  “I can’t accept this, it’s too much. I got you freaking tokens and you bought me a car. You can’t just buy people cars, Aiden!” I was freaking out just a little bit. It’s not that I didn’t like the car, I really did. But it was just too much.

  Aiden, like usual, seemed to sense that I was overwhelmed and he grabbed my hands and led me to the front door, where the boots and coats were. Aiden’s hugs could make any day a brighter one, and now was no exception.

  “You can’t deny the car, baby. I intend to marry you sometime in the future anyway, so why not start supporting my family now? I can’t have you driving my kid around in that clunker you call a car.” He whispered and I shrugged, understanding what he meant, but still unsure about what to do.

  “It’s a car though. It’s not even a used one, it’s brand new.” I said, sighing.

  He started kissing up my jaw line until he reached my ear, where he started nibbling. “I want you to take it Emi. I’ve been so excited to give it to you, so please, be excited to?” He whispered in my ear. I sighed breathily and gripped his shoulders; he knew my ear was a weak spot for me.

  “This isn’t fair.” I moaned, tilting my head to the side to give him better access.

  “It’s perfectly fair.” I could feel his grin against my skin. “Now, say you’ll take it and act super happy,” he demanded playfully.

  I pulled back and narrowed my eyes at him, but as soon as I looked into his baby blues, my knees felt weak and I knew I had to give in.

  “Thank you for the car.”

  I sighed as I wrapped my arms around his neck before kissing him, showing my true gratitude.

  If we hadn’t been in the entryway, I’m sure things would have gone much farther, but as it was, we pulled apart with a groan and rested our foreheads together.

  “I can’t wait for you to see it. I’m actually pretty jealous.”

  Aiden was smiling like a child and it made me happy.

  “Yeah, well…” I paused, thinking of something to tell him, “If you ever buy me something like this again, I’m kicking you where it hurts and you’ll never be able to make a child again.”

  He didn’t seem too worried about my threat as his arms rested around my shoulders while he led us to the living room.

  “No you won’t. There’s no proof yet, but I’m pretty sure I make cute babies; you’ll be begging for another one in no time.” I snorted and elbowed his side, secretly thinking that he was probably right.

  Chapter 21

  "Are you sure you have to leave now?" Marjorie asked, hugging me to her chest.

  Aiden was out putting our bags in the car since I wasn't allowed to even touch them. Yesterday I slipped on the last step of the stairs and landed on my butt, sending Aiden into a panic which resulted in me hardly being able to move without him hovering over me. I swear, you'd think that as the mother I'd be the one who was flipping out, but instead it's Aiden.

  "Mom, don't squeeze her too tight." He called from the door. We both rolled our eyes and laughed with each other. Marjorie was an incredibly amazing person, especially once I got to know her. She taught me some tricks for the kitchen, which were pretty useless considering I hate to cook, but I didn't tell her that.

  "Aiden, what are you going to do if there's turbulence on the plane?" I asked with a smirk.

  He blanched and groaned, "I didn't even think about that. Maybe we could return the rental car in Houston and just drive home." He suggested. I snorted and shook my head.

  "No chance in hell." I crossed my arms. "I'm going to go wait in the car." I told him, kissing Dale on the cheek before I left.

  A few minutes later, Aiden came running out of the house, gliding on the ice until he slammed into the side of the car. "Smooth." I said once he got in.

  "I try."

  Several long hours later, we were pulling out of the Houston airport. Aiden took the wrong exit and I sighed, I was so ready to be home in my own bed.

  "Why did you do that?"

  "Because we have to get your car!" He'd been so excited about it since Christmas that I should have expected that.

  "Like, right now?" I asked, looking around.

  He nodded and took my hand into his and rested them on his lap. I yawned and leaned over the console between us until my head was resting on his arm. Aiden unlinked our hands and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, keeping his left hand on the wheel so I could sleep on his chest. "Thanks." I whispered.

  I woke up when I felt Aiden's hands rubbing my arms and his lips against my forehead. "Wake up honey, we're here." He said softly as I opened my eyes slowly. I looked around and saw that we were, indeed, in a car park. "Mm, where is it?" I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.

  Instead of answering with words, Aiden put the car into drive and pulled up to the front of the dealership where a shining white Ford Explorer was waiting for me. Seeing it in person, I couldn't help but feel the excitement Aiden had been experiencing all week.

  "Where are the keys?" I asked, grinning.

  He dug into his pocket and pulled them out, explaining that he'd run inside when I was asleep. I took them and waited patiently for Aiden to come around and help me out, knowing he'd throw a hissy fit if I didn't wait. On the ground, we both pract
ically ran to the car and hopped in. It had that exciting new car smell and the leather felt silky beneath my fingertips.

  "This is so amazing." I said in awe.

  "So you like it now?" He asked knowingly.

  I smiled and pulled him in for a kiss, showing him how much I enjoyed the gift. After a few minutes of that, Aiden pulled back reluctantly and said, "I'll follow you home." And slipped out of the car, running back to his truck.

  I bit my lip and rubbed the steering wheel. Slowly, I put the keys in the ignition and turned it over, giggling when I heard it purr to life. I definitely had the best boyfriend ever.

  Back at the house, Ethan and Kira were waiting for us outside. We all hugged, and then they attacked my car.

  "Ethan, why can't you buy me nice things like this?" Kira asked, fake pouting.

  Ethan threw a glare at Aiden which made me burst out laughing.

  By that point, I was so tired that I was practically falling asleep standing up. Aiden noticed this though and picked me up, carrying me bridal style up to my bedroom.

  "You don't have to carry me." I told him softly, although I made no move to get him to stop.

  "You're exhausted." He said quietly as he set me on the bed and helped me into my pajamas.

  I had no idea if every pregnancy felt this way, but I felt wiped out all the time. I got under the covers as Aiden de-clothed down to his boxers and climbed in behind me. We fell asleep with his arms holding me tightly with my head on his chest.

  The next day, I had to repack my suitcase, this time only with three daytime outfits and one formal one for New Years. Aiden was once again taking on the role of bellboy and carried all of my things downstairs for me. Luckily, this bag was smaller and therefore lighter.

  This time when we left the house, Ethan and Kira were in the backseat. We were riding in my new car, but Aiden was driving. I preferred it when he was behind the wheel. We spent hours in the car, literally, and pulled up to Erica's new house at around 9:30 at night.