by Eva Luxe
There were so many different sides to my relationship with Greyson, and I saw them all so soon into the game. He wasn’t hiding anything from me and that made me feel like he meant every word when he said we were in this together. We were going to make this happen no matter what.
When we were done in the shower, we stepped out. Greyson wrapped me in a towel, taking care of me before he dried himself off. I towel dried my hair until it wasn’t dripping anymore. We left the towels in the bathroom and walked naked to the bed. The rain outside had softened to a drizzle, creating the perfect backdrop. We climbed under the covers and Greyson pulled me onto his chest. He ran his fingers over my wet hair and I lay with my cheek on his chest, listening to his heart beating in a slow and steady rhythm.
Even though we were calm and relaxed, my mind was still racing. There was so much to wrap my mind around, so much to think about, so much to still plan for. In the shower I hadn’t been worried about Greyson’s decision at all. I had been sure that everything would be alright.
Now that we were in bed together, it was quiet, and I could overthink everything again, I started to panic. I hadn’t wanted Greyson to give everything up for me, and in the end, it was exactly what he was doing.
“Are you sure about this?” I asked.
“I am,” Greyson said.
I looked up at him. “What if a couple of months from now you change your mind?”
Greyson shook his head. “We still have a lot to learn about each other but let me tell you this about myself. When I decide on something, I stick to it, no matter what. It’s a trait I’ve always had and I’m stubborn about it. I don’t give up.”
“But this is so much bigger,” I said.
Greyson nodded. “It is, you’re right. But I know what I want. I want you. And no matter what, I’m not going to change my mind. I have never been more certain of anything in my life.”
He looked at me, his eyes a bright blue again, and in them I saw a steely resolve. He was serious. He wanted this.
Finally, something inside me relaxed and accepted what he was saying. This was how it was going to be. I thought about Harper and what she had said. He would never ditch me.
I believed her.
Greyson dropped a kiss on my hair and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tightly against him. And this time, I knew he wasn’t going to let go.
Chapter 25
(6 months later)
Cara
I stood in front of the mirror, turning side to side, looking at my belly. I was almost thirty weeks along and my belly was growing. I couldn’t see my feet anymore, my ankles were swelling up and I craved churros every day.
With my belly as large as it was, I struggled to find clothes I felt feminine in. The truth was I felt as big as a whale, all day every day. I felt fat, even though I wasn’t because it was a baby. I hadn’t gained weight. Still, it was hard for me to find something I felt beautiful in.
Tonight, I had a dinner date with Greyson, and I wanted to look good for him. I didn’t know how to do that when the sexiest thing I was able to pull off right now was a waddle.
The dress I had put on was form fitting, showing off my belly and reaching down to my knees. I wasn’t sure if I liked it, even though it managed to make my pregnant boobs looks fantastic. I didn’t know if the dress made me look bigger because it traced my belly or if it showed that it was the only part of my body that was big.
When I had tried on a dress that was loose and flowing, I had felt like a whale in it.
“Hey, beautiful,” Greyson said, coming up behind me. “You look incredible.”
“Really?” I asked. “I can’t decide if I look fat or fatter.”
Greyson shook his head. “You are beautiful. You’re feminine, you’re glowing.”
He reached in front of me and lifted a necklace. “And I think this is what you need to complete your outfit.”
“Oh, it’s beautiful,” I said, looking at the necklace while he fastened it around my neck. It was silver, a delicate design with diamonds set in the intricate curls.
“I’m glad you like it, my angel.”
I smiled, pressing my finger tips to the necklace.
“Do I look okay?” I asked, turning to Greyson. He looked at me with an expression that suggested I was asking the craziest question.
“You look fantastic,” Greyson said. He put his hands on my belly and we stood together for a moment, foreheads pressed together, our child between us.
Since the second scan we had known we were having a girl. I had wanted to know. There had been enough surprises in our relationship, I hadn’t wanted more. We were still talking about names, throwing around ideas, and dreaming about what life would be like once she was born.
I, for one, couldn’t wait to get this pregnancy over with. I still had two months to go, give or take, but I was already exhausted. Every day was a little harder now as I grew bigger and bigger.
Greyson was there for me every step of the way. He never made me feel like anything I needed was too much. He made sure I had everything I needed, and that I didn’t overwork myself. Most of all Greyson seemed to think I was beautiful no matter what size I became. He told me time and again how beautiful I was, carrying his child.
Not once did Greyson make me feel like this was a mistake, or that he resented me for the baby. He never made me wonder if he regretted his choice to stay with me and build a future together. It only made me love him so much more.
Greyson was the perfect man. Sure, he had his flaws, and he was always speeding around on that death trap of his. But he was there for me in every way, and we worked so well together it was crazy to think that six months ago we met by chance and accidentally got pregnant, and that nothing about my happily ever after had been planned.
We climbed into the car when I was ready and headed to the restaurant. It was the same place we had gone for our first date.
“We haven’t been back here in a while,” I said, when we walked to our table.
“I thought it would be nice,” Greyson said. “I’ve been thinking a lot about the weekend we met. I had no idea when I started traveling that I would meet the mother of my children.”
I chuckled. “Let’s just stick with one for now.”
We ordered our meals. When the waiter left with the menus, Greyson leaned forward on his elbows.
“I was thinking, we should go camping once all this is over. I miss being out there and I loved it with you.”
“I would like that,” I said. “But you don’t have to wait for months before we can head out. Why don’t you and Perry go on a camping trip one of these weekends coming up? You haven’t been anywhere since we went to Seattle together.”
Greyson shook his head. “What if you need me? I’m not leaving you.”
“I’m sure I’ll be alright for one weekend,” I said. Greyson had given up so much to be with me.
But he shook his head. “I’m not leaving you alone.”
“I can get Rachel to come stay with me. She’s bored out of her mind right now, anyway.”
Greyson gave me a look that suggested his decision was final and I chuckled. He always made me feel like I was at the top of his priority list. It was amazing of him but sometimes I felt bad.
I sighed.
“What’s wrong?” Greyson asked.
“I don’t want you to feel tied down,” I said. “I don’t want you to give up everything you love to be with me because of the baby. This is what I was scared of, that you have to sacrifice everything when you weren’t ready for this to begin with.”
Greyson shook his head. “I know you’re worried about that. But I know what I want. And I’m not sacrificing everything. I love camping and I loved my life when I was untethered and able to go anywhere whenever I wanted. But I also love my life with you. Since I met you, I have a goal again, a purpose. I didn’t lose everything, my interests only shifted.” Greyson took my hand and stroked his thumb over my fingers. “Don’t for one se
cond think that you’re holding me back. I am exactly where I want to be.”
I nodded. I often feared that this life that Greyson was in now wasn’t what he wanted. But he always reassured me.
Dinner was relaxing and Greyson and I had a good time together. We talked about everything, big and small, and I could share my life with him. We had decided I would take my maternity leave as late as possible, so I had more time with the baby afterward.
“You don’t have to go back to work, you know,” Greyson said. “We don’t need the money.”
I shook my head. Even though there was more than enough money and Greyson had invested a large amount of what he had so that we would always be secure, I wanted to keep working.
A new dentist had come to town and I had asked if could be transferred to her. The constant advances and innuendos from James had been bearable while I was single, but now that I was pregnant and I had Greyson in my life, I felt more uncomfortable than ever. It had felt only right to make a change. I liked working with Doctor Celine Meyer even more. She had two kids so we talked about children a lot.
I didn’t want to quit my job. I had worked hard to get where I was and I still had a career I wanted to build, even though everything had changed for me. I still wanted goals and ambitions. I loved the idea of having a family now, but I couldn’t let that define me. Greyson understood, but it meant a lot to me that the option was there to change my mind if I ever wanted to.
When dinner was over and Greyson had paid for the meal, we left the restaurant.
“Where are we going?” I asked, when he drove in the opposite direction of home.
“I’m taking you to where it all started,” Greyson said.
“The campground?”
He shook his head. “The trail.”
I frowned. I was heavily pregnant and it was nighttime. “The trail is closed.”
“I called in a favor,” Greyson said. No matter what else I asked him, he wouldn’t tell me anymore more. Why were we revisiting everywhere we’d been when we had met?
Eventually, I fell silent and let Greyson carry me off into the night. We parked at the visitor center which was quiet in the dark. Greyson took my hand and we walked to the trail where we had started when we’d been caught in the rain. Greyson carefully led me along. The trail was lit with candles that danced in the wind, giving only enough light to see, but not enough to spoil the beauty of the night. The river was a dark ribbon in the landscape, the canyon walls rising like sentries and it was magical to be out here when no one else was around.
“This is beautiful,” I whispered, not wanting to spoil the mood.
Greyson was with me every step of the way, making sure I was alright, and that I didn’t slip and fall.
When we came to the spot where the rain had caught us, Greyson turned to me.
“I didn’t know it then, but this was where it all happened for me,” Greyson said. “Right here is where you became more than just a woman I met at the campground. Do you remember?”
I thought back to how he had looked at me, to how we had been caught in a spell in the rain where nothing mattered but the two of us. I nodded.
“When I met you, I had no idea what road we would travel together. I didn’t know that we would come to mean so much to each other, that we would have a family so soon.” He put his hand on my belly. “But if I had to go back to that day and do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve fallen hard for you, Cara. I love you more than you know. You have colored my life in ways I had never thought possible. I started out looking for an adventure and life with you is the biggest adventure of all.”
I started crying. “Pregnancy hormones,” I said, and Greyson chuckled. He knew I hated crying in front of anyone. “I love you, too. I’m so happy we’re together.”
“I want to be with you for the rest of my life,” Greyson said. He kneeled in front of me and I gasped. Greyson produced a little black box and he opened it, offering me a ring that sparkled in the night light. “Marry me, Cara.”
I clasped my hands to my mouth. It all made sense now, the trip down memory lane. Out here, with the world’s best view as our backdrop, Greyson was proposing.
I nodded, tears streaming down my cheeks. Greyson took out the ring and slid it onto my finger.
“As soon as I’m back in my normal body,” I said.
Greyson laughed and kissed me before he hugged me. I couldn’t hug him with my body pressed against his the way I liked to. The baby was in the way. But somehow, with our hug a little awkward and the baby sandwiched between us, it was perfect. Because the baby had brought us together, and it was only right that she was here, too.
Epilogue
Greyson
Cara and I sat down to breakfast. We didn’t sit at the table anymore. Cara’s belly was so big she couldn’t get close enough to her plate. She was embarrassed about it but I thought it was adorable. Cara was so big now she waddled when she walked, unable to move her hips comfortably with the baby lying on them.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, when Cara pushed the scrambled eggs I had made for us back and forth on the pate.
“I don’t know,” Cara admitted. “I feel weird.”
I frowned. “Weird how?”
Cara shook her head. “I don’t know. Something just feels off. It feels different than before.”
“Do we need to worry about it?” I asked. I knew nothing about babies and pregnancy. The doctor had told us that everything was fine, that Cara was having a healthy pregnancy, but I had been reading parenting books and somewhere I had read that at any time, something could go wrong. I was worried that time was now.
“Oh, I think it will pass,” Cara said. She scooped up a bit of egg and lifted it to her mouth, but she cried out and dropped the fork, leaning forward as much as her belly would allow.
“What is it?” I asked, concerned. I put my plate down and turned all my attention on her.
“I think it’s time,” Cara said, in a strained voice.
“Time for what?” I asked.
Cara shook her head. “God, Greyson,” she giggled. “The baby!” I noticed a wet patch growing around Cara and I realized what she was saying. Her water had just broken. We were having this baby. Now.
“Fuck,” I swore. “What do I do?”
I was immediately in panic mode. They books all told me what I needed to know before birth, but none of them had said that the baby could decide that it was time to arrive at breakfast. They hadn’t told me that it would hit me like a punch in the gut when Cara doubled over again, crying out, mumbling something about contractions.
“Tell me what to do,” I said to Cara, and my voice sounded tinny.
Cara shook her head. “Calm down, honey. It’s going to be okay. This is normal.”
I felt like an idiot that Cara had to talk me down from my panic attack, but I had thought we had at least another two weeks.
“Isn’t it too early?”
“No, it’s right on time. Listen to me.”
She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She opened her eyes again. “I’m fine,” she said. “But we need to go to the hospital now. I packed my bag last week. It’s in the bedroom.”
I jumped up and retrieved the bag for her. She was talking me through it all step by step, but I was nervous and I couldn’t think straight. Especially when she contracted again. It freaked me out to see her in pain like that, to know that it was supposed to be natural.
“What else do I need to do?” I asked.
“Let’s get going,” Cara said. “I think we better hurry.”
I wanted to make sure she was alright. I needed Cara to be safe and healthy. I helped her to the car where I had already installed a baby seat. Cara noticed it and smiled before another contraction hit her.
The hospital wasn’t very far away, but I stepped on it, driving as fast as I dared with her. When we pulled up in fr
ont of the hospital, I honked long and hard.
“We’re having a baby!” I shouted, when I jumped out and nurses ran to me with a wheelchair.
“Greyson, it’s okay. Calm down,” Cara said, when she was helped into the wheelchair. “It’s going to be fine.”
She was probably right, but I was still panicking. We were having a baby and I was in over my head. I had no idea what to expect. At least Cara was in the hands of professionals now, and they must know what they were doing.
At Cara’s insistence, I ran back out to the car and moved it to an open parking bay instead of leaving it running in the entrance to the emergency room. When I ran back into the hospital, I found Cara in a room, being prepped by a nurse. They were calling back and forth about how far she was dilated, and how quick the contractions were.
“This baby is coming fast,” someone said, and I felt lightheaded. I had heard of twelve hours of labor, or something crazy like that. This didn’t sound anything like that at all.
Was I ready to be a dad? I wasn’t sure. I’d had nine months to prepare for this, and I’d been convinced I was ready to take on this new life, this new role. I had been there for Cara every step of the way and had done everything I could to prepare for this moment, and every moment that would come after this.
But now that we were here I had no idea what to expect. I had no idea what the hell I was doing. What if I fucked it up?
Cara reached out her hand to me and I grabbed it. The moment we touched, I calmed down and it looked like she did, too. Our eyes locked and despite the pain that washed through her eyes when another contraction racked her body, there was so much love and happiness in the way she looked at me.
Today, our new lives started. This was where we headed toward our future. From the looks of things, we would have our baby girl in our arms in no time at all. None of this had been planned when I had met Cara, but even if I could go back in time, I wouldn’t change a thing.
