by Tia Siren
My eyes were fixed on the piece of paper that I knew to be my test results. I assumed he was going to tell me what they said once he stopped dithering with small talk.
"Too true. I remember when I first moved out here. My girlfriend at the time, she was this fine little thing, too. A local. Found her in Phuket. Anyway, she got real sick one day."
"Ah, Doctor, I don't want to be rude, but I was hoping you could go ahead and give me my test results?"
"Oh right, sorry, sorry. Let me see." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pair of glasses. Putting them on, he took a few moments to adjust to the new vision, staring down at the piece of paper and scrunching up his face. "Yep, just as you suspected. Positive."
"Ah," I said, nodding my head.
I was pretty sure that was going to be the case. I had thought it might be for a few weeks now, but I wasn't one hundred percent sure. Seeing the doctor was the final step. Well, actually telling Liam would be the final step. I just wondered how he was going to take it.
"Like I said, I know why you came to me," Doctor Taylor said, smiling down at me. "But not to fear, it's not the end of the world. Not by a long shot. In fact, most might even see it as a blessing. I know that when I was younger, I would have. Here’s some advice."
"That's okay," I said quickly when he paused to take a breath. I got to my feet. "I plan on telling him tonight."
"Ah good, good. Best to do it straight away."
"And thank you, Dr. Taylor, I'm sure I'll see you around," I said, heading for the door.
"Oh, definitely. And when you do tell Liam, or afterwards anyway, let him know I say ‘hi’ and that we should catch up again soon. Just because I'm the enemy doesn’t mean we can't be friends." He chuckled to himself as I exited the small office.
I knew I wouldn't be telling Liam that last part. Liam wasn't a fan of Dr. Taylor. It wasn't that he thought he was a bad doctor. He just felt that the man should have acted more his age and spend less time at the bars trying to pick up younger women.
But that wasn't really a concern for me at that moment. Dr. Taylor had just confirmed for me what I was pretty certain to be true before walking through his doors. But now that I knew it to be true, the next thing I had to do was tell Liam. The only issue with that was that I had no idea how he was going to take it.
--
I spent the majority of my days on Phi Phi working, or at least, I had of late. A few weeks earlier, I had finally nailed down my new novel idea. Since then, I had been working furiously.
As far as work places went, I thought I had gotten pretty lucky. My office was at mine and Liam's house, a small hut just off the beach. My desk there actually had a view of the water, and I could sit back, relax, and type while staring off at the calm blue waters. And then, when I needed a break, I would run down to the water’s edge, dive in, and hurry on home. It was paradise.
Since moving to Phi Phi, my life had taken a dramatic turn for the better. Not only was I living in paradise, but I was doing it with the man that I loved. I loved everything about Liam, and I was sure he felt the same about me. The two of us got along so well together. I was never bored of his company, and I often found myself staring at the clock, waiting for him to get home.
In the last three months, we had evolved so much as a couple, both agreeing that the move to the island was the best choice we ever made. However, now I had something pretty big to tell him, and I feared what it would do to our relationship.
I couldn't work that day. I just had too much on my mind. Instead, I opted to go for a walk along the beach and clear my head. What was meant to be a short, thirty-minute walk soon turned to an hour walk, and then a two-hour walk. Every time I meant to turn back, a new thought came to mind, and I just kept going. It wasn't until I lapped the entire island that I realized that I better at least sit at my laptop and try and get some work done.
But the words never came, and when 4:15 P.M. rolled around and Liam walked through the front door, I realized that I hadn't written so much as a word.
He had booked a restaurant for us to eat at that night for some odd reason. We very rarely ate out anymore. There was only so much Thai food a person can eat. But a few weeks ago, I had highlighted a particular spot I wanted to try, and I guessed that for some reason, he was in the mood. So, as he went out for his routine afternoon swim, I started getting ready. The whole time, I was in my own head again, trying to find the right words by which to tell him the news. I was actually glad that he had booked the restaurant to eat at that night. The romantic atmosphere might help soften his mood and make the news easier to swallow.
But then again, maybe that was just me being hopeful? It was a pretty big thing I had to tell him, and he would be right to not take it as leisurely as I would like. But there was no use fretting. It had to be done, and dinner would be the perfect occasion. Best prepare.
--
It was probably my imagination, but Liam seemed to be acting kind of odd. I kept telling myself that it was just me, and the fact that I had a secret I was keeping from him was what made it seem that way. But then, he would do or say something that really didn't sit right, leaving me both confused and a little concerned.
For example, when he picked the restaurant for us to eat at, I assumed it was just because I had mentioned that I wanted to eat there. But when we arrived, there was a bottle of champagne already open and waiting for us, as if he had called ahead and arranged it. And then, halfway through our meal, the waiters came over and sang us a song, one which just so happened to be one of my favorites.
He didn't even seem put out when I turned the champagne down. I couldn't drink anymore, for reasons that he didn't know about, and I thought he might have objected when I told him no as he started pouring my glass. But he barely blinked. It was as if he had something else on his mind and was only half paying attention to me.
But I continued to tell myself that I was imagining it. I mean, chances were that he thought I was acting strangely because in truth I was. I was only half in the conversation, barely paying him any attention as I kept on going over how I was going to spring my news on him. And then imagining what his reaction might be.
I decided that I would tell him after our main meal was over and we waited for dessert. This was the perfect time, as he would be a few drinks deep at that point and satisfied from a delicious meal. However, when we got to that point and I braced myself to begin telling him why I had been acting so odd, he beat me to the punch.
"I've told you how beautiful you look tonight, haven't I?" he said, looking into my eyes.
I smiled back and made some wise crack. I knew Liam, and I knew that he wasn't going to stop there. He had something he wanted to say and was about to launch into a speech. And sure enough, after a few more compliments, he began.
"And it's not just how beautiful you are. It's how perfect you are, in every way. I mean that. I look back at that year I wasn't with you, and I don't even want to think about it. You know what I mean?"
He was stalling, dancing around the subject as he tried to butter me up.
"I do," I said, smiling as I reached forward and took his hand. I didn't know what he was going to say, but I did know that I wanted to say my piece first. I didn't need him taking the wind from my sails. "Look, Liam. You may have noticed I've been acting a little odd."
"Wait," he cut me off. "Me first."
I was going to argue, but the way he looked at me told me that maybe I shouldn't. I couldn't imagine what was so important that he simply had to tell me right then and there. "Okay," I said.
"Like I was saying, I can't believe that there was a whole year that I wasn't with you. That I couldn't call you mine. I see it as a year wasted. Even the week I was out here felt like that. Did I tell you how glad I am that you decided to come out here with me?"
"I haven't regretted it for a moment," I said back, smiling as I lifted his hand and kissed the back of it. I didn't know where he was going, but his words had a comfo
rting effect. If anything, they just reminded me that Liam loved me, and nothing I said or did would change that,
"Neither have I. And it's because of that, and because of everything really, that I have something I want to ask. It's something that I've been meaning to ask for a while now and, well, I was waiting for the right time. I kept putting it off and off. But then I realized that every time is the right time. Because every time I will be with you, and that is what makes it right. It's what makes it perfect. So, with that in mind. Kate will you—"
"Wait!" I suddenly screamed. Like a bolt of lighting, it had just occurred to me what he was going to say. "Are you about to ask me to marry you?" I blurted, wishing the second I had that I'd asked the question with a little more tact.
"Well, yeah, I am. And, despite the botched delivery, what do you say? Will you marry me?"
I don't know why Liam's proposal came as such a shock to me. It really shouldn't have at all. We had been doing so well over the last few months that it was really the next logical step in our relationship. And, truth be told, if he had asked me even two weeks ago I wouldn't have hesitated. I would have leapt across the table and kissed him for all I was worth, all the while screaming yes, yes, always yes.
But this wasn't two weeks ago. A lot had changed that Liam didn't know about. I still wanted to marry him. There was no doubt about that. But I didn't know if he would still want to marry me.
"Liam," I began, preparing myself mentally for what I was about to say.
"Yes?" he asked, looking at me hopefully.
"There's something I need to tell you." I took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."
Yep, I was pregnant. I had begun to suspect that I might be only eight days prior. After buying the pregnancy test and doing it at home, I decided that I needed a second, more professional opinion. Hence my visit to Dr. Taylor's office earlier that day.
Personally, I was over the moon about it. I had wanted a child for such a long time but had never had anyone that I would want one with. Well, I had that now. I had Liam. I couldn't imagine someone that I would rather raise a child with. The man that I loved. The man that I was going to spend the rest of my life with. Well, the man I had planned to anyway, until this.
I just didn't know how Liam was going to react. We had never spoken about kids before. I had broached the topic once, barely, and he waved it off as a non-issue. As if the idea wasn't even worth contemplating. Or at least, that was how I read it.
So, once I discovered that I was pregnant, I immediately began to worry about whether Liam would want the child, or worse, whether he would want me with the child. Yes, he had asked me to marry him, and to that, I would say yes one hundred times and one hundred times again. But would he still want to marry me now?
I had been so deep in my own head, so worried about what I had to say, that I hadn't even noticed the reaction from Liam when I told him. Looking up at him and finally paying attention to him, the first thing I saw was a big, goofy smile. And, following that, actual tears formed in his eyes.
He was literally crying with joy.
"Are you serious?" he asked in a whisper. "How can you be sure? Are you sure?"
"I went to see Dr. Taylor earlier today. It's official. I'm, well, we're pregnant." I choked back a smile of my own.
"Kate that's fantastic." He was at a loss for words as he smiled at me. Rather than talking, he took my hand again and kissed the back of it. I had never seen him look so happy. "I can't believe it. I'm going to be a dad."
"And better than that," I said, a big smile of my own. "You're going to be a husband, too."
"Wait? So is that a yes?”
"Yes, Liam. My answer is yes."
Before I could blink, Liam was on his feet and at my side. He scooped me up from my chair, lifted me up, and pulled me into a hug. As he did, I could feel his body shaking, and I was certain that he was crying. I began to cry, too. We didn't speak. We just held each other as happiness poured from our bodies.
After some time, he finally put me down. Liam held my hands and stared into my eyes. "I'm going to do this one more time. Properly." He then fell to one knee, still holding my hand. "Kate Monroe, the love of my life. The future mother of my child. The only woman I have ever loved and ever will love. Will you marry me?"
"Of course, I will, Liam Morgan. I can't imagine anyone I would rather spend the rest of my life with."
He was on his feet a second later, pulling me in for a kiss this time. And as he did, the waiters again surrounded us, singing us the same song as before. It was probably the most romantic and perfect moment of my life. The perfect way to begin the rest of my life as Kate Morgan.
--
We got married on Phi Phi island six months later. Both Liam and I decided that it was best to have the baby after we were married. The wedding was a lavish and beautiful affair, as a wedding on the tropical paradise that was Phi Phi Island should be. All our friends from home came to the wedding, of course, and it was a perfect day spent with perfect people.
I had our first child three months after that, back in New York. We moved back there for the first year of marriage so that we could raise our first born amongst friends and in a cleaner, safer environment.
It was a girl. Little Lilly Morgan. She had her father's deep eyes and smile, and my nose and brown hair. I just hoped that when she got older, she would take after me over her father. And he told me he hoped for the same thing.
Back in New York, Liam didn't return to his job at the hospital. Instead, he took the year off to be with me and his daughter. The three of us spent every day together, growing as a family. It was never too much, and I never once felt overwhelmed. In fact, every single day was better than the last. Some days, I would wake up and smile all day, unable to believe how lucky I was.
My romance with Liam had been a strange one. We had dated and then broken up. He had tricked me into dating him, fallen in love with me, and then we broke up. We then got back together for a week, before again, breaking up. And then finally, we ended up together. And there we stayed. It had been a roller coaster. But looking back on it, I had zero regrets as to how it all went down. It was only through everything that happened that I was able to end up where I was now. With a husband that loved me and a daughter to call my own.
Liana was right when she said that love wasn't easy. But she was also right when she said that, if you do love someone enough, then, in the end, it will be worth it. True love was something that most people never found. I was just glad that I had found it with Liam. It was a love that I was happy to experience and would never get enough of.
***
END OF THE FOURTH STORY
Sneak Peak: The Daddy Dilemma
I never thought Brock would ever want me back.
Now that I’m coming home, there’s so much I need to tell him.
Will he ever forgive me so that my son can have his daddy?
Brock:
Ashley left me standing at the alter six years ago like a jackass, and then skipped town.
All I’ve thought about ever since is getting even.
F*ck me if she had her reasons.
And now that she’s returned, the least she can do is tell me what happened.
There’s no f*cking way I’ll ever take her back in my arms.
It’s too late for that.
But one look at her and my head’s flooding with memories of the good ol’ times.
I’m tempted to make her regret ever having left.
Kiss her all over.
Touch her where it makes her legs shake.
Make her scream out my name.
But there’s just one thing I gotta know.
The kid she brought back with her… is he mine?
*
Chapter 1
Ashley
No. This couldn’t be happening. I had to be stuck in a dream—no, a nightmare. I was convinced I would wake up and everything would go back to normal. I could resume my regularly scheduled life an
d forget it had happened. I closed my eyes, willing it away, took a deep breath, and then opened them again.
It didn’t work. I was still standing in my office, my phone in my hand, and life still sucked.
My world felt as if it had tilted with that one phone call. Everything looked duller, as if a wand had been waved and all the life had been zapped away. I looked down at the phone in my hand. My sister’s name was still on the screen. It wasn’t a nightmare. It was real. The phone in my hand was the evidence.
I stared down at Leslie’s name. A picture of her smiling face with her two daughters squeezed in close was saved in the contact information. I loved that picture, but now it would always haunt me. Her face would always remind me of that moment everything had changed. It all seemed unreal. My dad was sick. Very sick. Leslie begged and then demanded that I get my ass home to help get things sorted out. Not only was dad sick, but he was losing his farm, my family home.
Leslie, being the oldest, had taken the role of mother to me, my other sister, and my brother. She was thirty-two, six years older than me, but very mature. Our mother had died when we were young, and Leslie had stepped into the role as our pseudo-mother. I was the baby of the family, and they all made sure I knew it, which was why I lived in New York and stayed as far from that small-town life as I could possibly get.
Looked like I had to go. I had to get back to West Virginia. My dad needed me. I looked around my small office filled with framed magazine covers and various awards. My pictures were starting to gain national attention, but all of that would have to be put on hold. I had to go home. The thought scared me to death, but it had to be done. I would have to face down the people from my small hometown. It had been six long years since I had been back. No more running. As my dad would say, it was time to face the music.
Taking a seat at the desk, I opened my laptop. My full calendar was something I was proud of. I was booked, which meant I was doing great. Now I had to cancel all the jobs I had worked so damn hard to schedule.
