Falling For Her

by Mia Ford

  Elena assured me that practically never happened. She’d be surprised if they were there when the baby was born.

  We spent time between the apartment and the condo for three months, but I was itching to get her to move in with me. The baby was due in a month, and I needed to know that she’d be safe with me. I was back to working and could support her just fine, just like before. There were some questions from some of the other staff about Elena once the talk got around the campus and I denied seeing her when she was a student here. I claimed that we met after she’d left school and hit it off, and beyond the age difference, there was nothing wrong with that. They agreed, but I still felt the looks that I got walking to class, frustrating me as well as Elena. She wasn’t back on campus, but she heard from Ginger about all the gossip and let it get under her skin.

  It was one night when we were eating at my place that she was talking about the subject yet again. “Baby, stop. This will die down at some point because we’re going to keep being us. I don’t care what shit I get at school since I am just there to teach, and you’re not even back on campus yet.” She’d considered just doing online classes for the remainder of her time so she could be home with the baby. I urged her to do just that, even though I didn’t care if she finished school or not. She enjoyed writing, and I thought that she might end up doing something like that.

  “I just hate that everyone wants to treat you badly and talk about you,” she said as I took her hand and squeezed it. Elena looked at me and sighed, knowing that I was over this conversation.

  “Do you love me?” I asked as she smiled and blushed, nodding her head. “Good, because I am madly in love with you and I couldn’t be happier being together with you.” Another smile. “In fact, I’d really love for you to move in with me so we can bring the baby here to stay when she arrives.”

  Elena looked at me with wide eyes as I leaned into peck her lips. “It’s only been a few months since we got back together, Liam.”

  “I wanted you to move in the night after we got back together but I held back. It’s a month away, give or take now. I’d love you here with me, or we can even get a house. Anything. I don’t care.” I stared at her to make sure that she knew I was sincere. “I want you here with me.” We’d already set up a nursery here, and there was one at Ginger’s as well, which I was fine with. There was no doubt that Alanna would be spending a lot of time over there once she was old enough as well as with my own sister. I just wanted her main home to be here.

  “I…I have wanted that a lot lately, too. I didn’t want to sound possessive and needy,” Elena admitted as I shook my head at her.

  “Never. I love you, and we’re starting a family together. Move in here!” I urged her as she leaned in to kiss me warmly. Everything had been great apart from the rumor mill, but we even rose above that for the most part. We both knew what it was like to live apart from each other and never wanted that again.

  “Okay,” she said against my lips before kissing me again.

  “Yeah?” I asked playfully as she nodded. “Want to stay here or move?”

  “Here. This is a great place and Ellie would kill us if we moved this baby away from her.” Ellie adored Elena, and she was already acting as the honorary grandparent, or would that be great-grandparent at her age? I didn’t care. I liked seeing them get along.

  “Deal, baby. I love you.” I smiled as she moved closer to tilt her head to deepen our kiss. Sex was getting crazy at this stage of the game, but I loved feeling her body in my arms; being inside of her as she cried out my name and gave herself to me so easily.

  Epilogue One: Elena

  Once we agreed to live together officially, things happened fast. Liam got my stuff into the condo in the next couple of days. Ginger played up that she was upset even though I knew she was happy for me, and for Liam. She made it clear from the beginning that Ali was going to be at her place a lot, giving us the alone time that we needed. She also got along with her new boyfriend Ray a lot, since he was a high school teacher and just easy to be around. I suspected that he’d be moving in soon anyway since Ginger loved her place for the moment and had worked hard in the pink room for her niece. We loved spending time with both so living in separate places wouldn’t do a thing to our friendship. We were always at one place or the other, having dinner or just hanging out.

  I made the condo my own since I was in the nesting phase, decorating it with pictures and things from my apartment. It was always warmer than most bachelor’s homes in my opinion anyway, and I wasn’t out to change anything; just make it ours. Liam tried to tell me to take it easy, but I was too full of nervous energy to stay still for too long. Between being anxious about labor and worried about how good of a mom I was going to be once that part was over, my mind was racing all the time.

  He’d massage my feet on the couch as he told me how amazing I was going to be. He told me that I was a kind and loving person and that our daughter couldn’t learn from anyone better than me. He acknowledged that Alanna’s crazy aunts would shake her world up a bit with laughter in his voice, but was quick to assure me that I would be her everything when it was all said and done. We both would.

  I loved sleeping beside him every night. I felt safe and loved there in his arms, even if my body was too big for his hands to touch now. We worked on the nursery, painting it a pale shade of the most delicate pink, hanging beautiful cream lace curtains over the windows. The crib was a soft white and placed along the wall across from the window, along with a matching changing table. Everyone in our life was so generous, and it felt like Alanna had a room in everyone’s house.

  The closet was full of clothes that I’d washed and hung up or put away in the tall cream dresser in the corner of the room. I had blankets folded neatly and ready to go as well and Liam took a tour every day when he got home to see what I’d done. The closer it got to my due date, the more excited that I became. The last trimester of pregnancy was uncomfortable, and I was ready to feel like me again, even if that involved the constant care of a newborn.

  I packed the hospital bag just over a week before the due date and sat it in the dining room as I paced. Marie, Ginger and even Ellie checked up on me constantly, and I was never alone, but when I was my thoughts raced. It seemed like everything happened so fast and while I knew it did, I was madly in love with Liam. I knew that we didn’t start off right, but there was something between us that couldn’t be ignored. I tried to do the right thing and end it with him, but I knew that I couldn’t stay away from him forever, no matter how stubborn I was.

  I worried at first that he would be punished, but nobody could prove that we were together when I was in the class. I left quickly after the accident and wasn’t even a student there any longer. The baby was a topic of discussion amongst everyone that saw us, but I couldn’t care anymore. It was Liam and I that would be loving her, raising her, and showing her what love was, not the rest of the world. I didn’t share the story of the baby with anyone other than those that were close to us, the ones that wouldn’t judge me. It was ours, not theirs.

  I was sleeping when a cramp woke me one night, my eyes opening immediately. There had been a few Braxton Hicks along the way, and I took slow breaths as I tried to figure these out. I counted, and another one hit strong as I winced. I stood to use the bathroom, something that was a constant these days, and made it to the toilet just as I felt liquid gush down my legs.” I can’t even make it to the damn toilet,” I murmured, holding my belly as I turned to sit down.

  I felt myself continue to gush liquid and realized that I was beyond having to use the restroom. “Oh, my God. Liam!!” He was just a few feet away in the bedroom, and I looked down as reality hit me.

  “Baby? Where are you?” He called out as I started to cry. “Are you okay?” Liam stepped into the bathroom and stared at me, running a hand through his messy hair.

  “It’s time, Liam. She’s coming.” I could tell that there was a pattern with the contractions now and his mouth
opened and closed for a moment.

  “Fuck. What do you need?” He asked as he counted something on his fingers.

  “My yoga pants on the dresser?” I’d been sleeping in a large t-shirt lately, and he nodded and turned to get them. By the time he got back with the pants and a shirt to change into, I was making less of a mess, and I stood to change as he supported me. Liam gave me a huge smile as I pulled my hair back into a low ponytail, kissing me soundly. “We’re going to meet our daughter.”

  “We are. But let’s get to the hospital to do that. Deal?” I nodded and slipped my feet into flip flops before we made our way to the front door. Liam grabbed the bag and led me outside before locking the door. I slid into the passenger side of the Jeep and breathed deeply as pain washed over me, looking at Liam as he got in and started the car.

  “Are you sure that you want us?” I teased him as he threw back his head and laughed. There had been a proposal on the small deck when we were watching the stars one night, and I had a beautiful diamond ring on my finger now, even though Liam admitted to buying it a few months back. It was a beautiful band of diamonds with a center stone in the shape of a small heart, and I loved it.

  “I can’t wait to see her in your arms, Elena. I can’t wait to see her.” He pulled out of the lot and made the short drive to the hospital as I breathed in and out. I was scared, calm and excited as I reached out to touch Liam, clinging tightly to him. I couldn’t believe that I let him go to begin with.

  Epilogue Two: Liam

  I watched as the light turned red, easing down on the brake before looking over at Elena. She looked sleepy, and her smile was bright as she breathed in and out. Her hand was clutching my arm, and I reached over to squeeze her thigh as our eyes locked. “Ready for this, Mama?”

  “Absolutely.” She’d sent a text to Marie and Ginger, who were both waiting as anxiously as we were and leaned back as she winced. “Lord, this hurts. I know I said I want to do it naturally, but I might give in to the temptation of an epidural. I can’t imagine how this must feel closer to delivery.” I saw the light turn green and hit the gas pedal as she held tighter to my arm.

  “You do anything that you need to do,” I assured her as I saw the hospital a few blocks ahead. I never wanted her to go through pain voluntarily, to begin with, and I would never understand women that did that. The idea of seeing her screaming in pain made my stomach knot up, and I made it through another green light as I nibbled my lip. I was feeling so many things right now that it was hard to sort through the different emotions. I let out a sigh when I pulled into the lot and parked as close as I could before helping her into the hospital. A lot of people looked up, and once they saw her stomach, a nurse came forward with a wheelchair and the roller coaster ride had begun.

  Elena was only dilated to two, so they set us up in a private room. It seemed like someone was checking on this or that every five minutes and I stared at Elena as they got an IV going and told her to rest up before the baby’s entrance into the world. I dropped into the seat beside her, kissing her hand as she looked over at me. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you,” she replied as she frowned. “Whoever would have guessed that we’d end up here?” I saw a look in her eyes that took me back to the time when she wasn’t sure if I would be happy or not.

  “I wouldn’t change anything apart from being away from you for a few months. I can’t wait to see her,” I told her softly as I held tightly onto her. Her phone chimed from the table, and I grabbed it with my free hand and laughed. “Aunties are getting dressed and on their way.” I looked at her. “Want me to call your mom or anything?”

  “Text her. I think they’re gone, but you never know,” Elena replied as she smiled weakly. They’d been getting so much closer over the last few weeks, and I pulled up her number to let her know that the baby was on the way before setting the phone down. We took in the moment and the surroundings for a moment, cherishing this time to ourselves. We both knew that life was going to change from here on and I looked into her beautiful face for a long moment. “I can’t believe that there’s going to be three of us soon.”

  “I know. I am going to be there for you every step of the way, helping any way that I can.” She smiled at me, showing me that she knew that.

  Nurses came in to check Elena’s progress, and even Elena’s doctor stopped by to chat before the delivery. She made me proud with how positive she was and more than that, brave. Elena was everything to me, and I couldn’t help but stare at her as she spoke and laughed with everyone.

  We heard squeals, and I braced myself for the arrival of Ginger and Marie. They burst into the room and hugged Elena in turn before jumping into my arms. It turned out that the three girls got along great and were close friends in the short time they’d known each other. I hugged each of them, kissing Marie on the cheek as she smiled brilliantly at me.

  Everyone settled into seats and Elena smiled at us as her phone chimed. She reached for it, and her eyes lit up as she read the screen. “Mom and Dad are in the car headed here now. They might make it.”

  “That’s good, baby,” I told her as I reached for her hand. I couldn’t stop touching her, and she gravitated towards me just as much. We were crazy about each other, and I think that showed when we were out together, though that got rare towards the end. I appreciated that we had friends that would help us as needed and give us time to be a couple since so much time had already been wasted while we were apart.

  I think time started racing by once she started to dilate. Elena was just done getting her epidural at six centimeters, claiming that the pain was driving her crazy when he parents walked into the room. Elena looked at her mom as she walked forward to hug her tightly, whispering something into her daughter’s ear. Her dad stood back, holding pink balloons and roses as he watched the women in his life together with a loving smile. Something about this baby brought them all together, and after we’d all met for dinner and they saw how happy Elena was, it seemed like they wanted to be around more. The travel slowed down, and the phone calls increased, and the love that they had for Elena filled the room right now.

  Ginger walked over to me, and I glanced at her. “She was so lonely when she started college. They were never home,” she spoke low and looked back at Elena and her mom. “Look at them now. You brought them together.”

  “I don’t know about that,” I said as she laughed.

  “You knocked her up, Daddy. It brings out the best in people.” Ginger winked at me as I smirked at her. Elena’s father stepped forward to hug her, making himself scarce once another nurse came in to check on Elena. He looked a bit pale, and I chuckled as he excused himself. The nurse told us that she was getting closer and the baby should be coming within a couple of hours, and people excused themselves to get coffee and stretched their legs, allowing me to kiss Elena. We snuggled together, whispering, and talking as we forgot about everyone in the room for a few minutes.

  I looked up to see her mom smiling at us as she set up the flowers at the small table across the room. Elena looked a lot like her and I looked back at her as I stared into her eyes. We didn’t have long before she’d be delivering Alanna and our lives would be so different.

  I thought back to the first time that I saw her and how much I was already drawn to her. I thought about the time we spent at the coffee shop, how beautiful and sweet she was as we got to know each other.

  I thought about the first kiss and how she felt the first time I was inside of her. No woman had ever felt so sweet and perfect to me before Elena. The fear that we had of being caught by anyone the first time around was a bad memory as well as the way that we split up before I knew about Alanna.

  It all came together in a rush of thoughts as someone announced that she was dilated and ready to deliver as my heart raced. This was it.

  Her mom was on one side with me on the other as she pushed. Elena was strong and focused as she listened to the doctor, and I looked down to see my daughter’s head. I
held onto Elena’s hand as I bent forward, marveling at the miracle that was happening before me. Alanna had a head full of dark curls, and as Elena pushed her out, she started to cry right along with our daughter. When the doctor placed Alanna on her chest, I watched as Elena saw her baby for the first time.

  I knew that we were going to get married soon and that our life would begin, but for now, I wanted to memorize this moment. We were a family now, and I had never felt so full and happy.

  The End