Another side of Heartland

Chapter 55

-Caleb-

After we finished breakfast Mallory and I gathered up our things and loaded them in my truck and bid my parents goodbye.

I opened Mallory's door and helped her inside, reaching across her to buckle her seatbelt I stole a kiss and grinned at her before closing her in and walking around to my side. I waved at my parents who were standing on the porch as I climbed in the drivers side. I backed out of the driveway and pulled out onto the road, reaching over and holding Mallory's hand. "Thank you" Mallory turned to look at me. 'For?' She asked with her eyebrows drawn. I smiled and kissed her hand. "For being you, and being charming and being nice to my family." Mallory smiled. 'Isn't that what good future wives are to do?' I grinned and squeezed her hand. "Your damn Skippy" Mallory laughed and threw her head back.

-Mallory-

I laughed and held on tight to Caleb's hand. I smiled to myself thinking how much my life had changed so suddenly but in so many fantastic ways. I reached into the door pocket of the truck for my phone charger when I saw a tampon sitting there. I froze, my mind started to race as I realized it had been a very long time since I had needed a tampon. My eyes went wide as I counted and started to panic. Caleb looked over at me and must have noticed the startled expression on my face. Caleb quickly pulled over into the rest area that he almost drove right past and pulled into the scenic overlook. Caleb squeezed my hand "Mallory, Mal, baby" I quickly opened the truck door and jumped out feeling nauseous, needing some fresh air and walked to the overlook. I braced myself against the railing and took a deep breath. Caleb was only a few steps behind me and rubbed my back soothingly while I caught my breath. I gulped in a few more breaths of air before turning to face Caleb. I looked into his worried eyes and smiled slightly guilty letting him know that I was okay. "Can you tell me now why you panicked?" Caleb asked. I took a deep breath and nodded, I opened my mouth looking for the right words but I just couldn't find them. Caleb looked at me puzzled, trying to sort it out for himself. I took a long deep breath and stepped closer to Caleb placing my hands on his sides. "I think we better see about getting the house plans started" Caleb nodded and placed his hands on my lower back. 'I have the contractor coming out Tuesday morning. Once we pick the floor plan with the modular home we picked, he said we would be completely done and ready to go in six months.' I bit my lip nervously. "I think we better go with the three bedroom option" 'yeah that would be best, having two extr..' I shook my head. Caleb stopped talking and looked at me. "One extra room... I think it will only be one extra Mr. Odell" Caleb cocked his head and studied me, looking at me the way a puppy does when it's confused. Caleb's eyes went wide and he looked down and placed his hand on my still flat stomach. "Really?" I shrugged 'I am not positive, I haven't taken a test, but it's been seven weeks since my last period and I'm..' "I know Mal. Very on schedule." I flushed and shrugged. Caleb grinned and leaned down to kiss me. "I love you." I let my heart calm down that was hammering in my chest. 'I was worried you would be unhappy' Caleb gave me a look and pulled me tighter to him. "You know I want kids, who cares if this wasn't our exact plan. I never planned on falling in love with you Mallory and here we are 10 months into this and I've never loved anything or anyone the way that I love you." I smiled and hugged Caleb tighter. 'I think we should stop by the drug store and get a handful of tests. Just to be sure.' "Well let's go then Cupcake." Caleb took my hand and walked me back to the truck and opened my door for me before trotting around and jumping in the drivers seat.

About twenty minutes later we arrived at the drugstore and Caleb looked at me. "Do you want me to go buy them?" I raised my eyebrows and looked at Caleb. 'Wouldn't you be embarrassed?'
"Embarrassed? Because I'm starting a family with the love of my life?" I flushed and shrugged. 'Some guys would be embarrassed' Caleb grinned and shook his head, opening his door he headed into the drugstore. I laughed to myself at the goofy man that I get to call my own. A few minutes later Caleb reappeared and climbed in the truck handing me a Dr. Pepper and a bag of peanut butter cups and a bag with five, Yes FIVE pregnancy tests. I raised my eyebrows. 'I know how your brain works Mal.' He began ticking the reasons off on his fingers. 'One can't be accurate, two could be something wrong with two, three, well maybe one of them are correct. Right?' I laughed knowing that Caleb was right and he pulled out onto the road heading for heartland once again. To my surprise Caleb pulled into the next rest area we came to, this time parking by the rest area building. I looked at him questionably. "Mal, I love you dearly. I'm sure you'd prefer we wait until we are home, but the suspense is killing me honey." I nodded understandingly and gathered up the bag and exited the truck heading to the bathrooms. I walked into one of the handicapped stalls and took all of the tests out and set them up to do my thing reading the instructions on each one. Once I finished it was the longest three minute of my life waiting on them. When my phone chimed letting me know that it had been three minutes I took a deep steadying breath looking at the first test.
Negative. My heart dropped and I felt sad. I shook it off and moved to the next one. Positive. My breath caught in my throat moving to number three. Positive. I grinned moving to number four and number five. Both positive as well.  I grinned to myself and saved one of the tests that said positive and threw all of the others away. I looked down and the test in my hands and caught sight of the ring on my finger and I laughed. I was so lucky, I have no idea how I've gotten this far. I shook my head to clear my mind and walked out of the bathroom feeling good and looked for Caleb. Caleb was leaning against the hood of his truck watching the shadows dance on the ground. I walked up to Caleb toe to toe  and looked at Caleb with a solemn face, I handed him the pregnancy test. "Really?" I nodded and then he engulfed me in a hug.

Caleb once again opened my door for me to climb inside and reached across me and buckled my seatbelt. Jokingly I poked his shoulder. "I'm capable of strapping myself in" Caleb's hand landed gently on my belly. 'But now, but now sweetheart there is precious cargo.' I shook my head and went on about my situation.

Caleb climbed in the drivers seat and we had no longer pulled back onto the highway when I was asleep.