Rookie Playing For Keeps #Wattys2015 #NewAdult

Chapter 9 Part 2

September 2013

            "Come on, Jackson. Tell me where we're going!" I cross my arms over my chest. He takes his eyes off the road for just a second to shake his head and watch my reaction. "Please," I whine, "So much has happened over the past couple of days, I'm not sure I can take any more! I still haven't recovered from your game yesterday." I thought watching him play in college was exciting, but seeing him take the field with his team in the NFL brought the thrill to a whole new level.

            Jackson laughs and speeds up a little, twisting us up a winding road on the edge of a hill. "I love having you in the stands. I know the flight home wore you out a little, but I hope the doctor clears you to fly the entire season. It wouldn't be the same without you there." His hand reaches across and squeezes my knee, causing warmth to spread through my whole body. I can't be mad at him no matter how tired I am. 

            "I think she said I could only fly through the end of this month. I don't remember exactly—I was a little distracted." I let my hand rest on top of his. We've just come from our first ultrasound, where we saw a grainy image of the little being our love has created. 

            "I don't want you to take any chances. That's precious cargo you're carrying." My cheeks hurt from smiling. I'm still holding the ultrasound print in my hand as we move toward whatever the surprise is that Jackson has planned for me. The sun is just beginning to set, turning the sky into a beautiful picture of yellow and red. We stop at a stop sign at the edge of a cul-de-sac before he turns into a long driveway right in the middle. He reaches into the center console, retrieves a remote and presses a button. Large iron gates open ahead of us, revealing a beautiful ranch-style house in the distance.

            The property is expansive, with fresh cut green grass and large trees lining the driveway. I'm speechless as Jackson stops the truck and gets out, running around to open my door and offer me a hand. I'm not very big yet, but my round belly is definitely growing. He guides me down safely and then tugs me toward the front door. 

            "Jackson," I gasp as he slides a single key into the lock and lets us inside.

            "We can't raise a family in that little apartment, Maddy. Our kids need room to grow and I need places where we can hide and make out where they won't find us." His teasing words make me laugh and I reach up on my tiptoes and kiss his lips quickly before stepping into our new home.

            "What if I can't be that far away from you?" From what I've seen so far, the house is fantastic, but it is still several states away from where he plays. 

            "We'll make our home here, but we can buy something there, too. There's no guarantee I'll stay with this team long-term and I want a place our kids can call home. I need to know that we always have a place that's ours." He takes my hand in his and pulls me down the hallway, stopping at each room on the way to the master suite. "You'll make it ours. I don't care what you do with the rest of the rooms, I just want to make sure you love this one." He swings open the door at the end of the hall and we step into the most amazing bedroom I've ever seen. The carpet is lush and the walls are rich in color. It's empty of furniture, but I can already envision the way I'd like it set up.

            His arms encircle my waist and he rests his chin on my shoulder, pulling my back to his chest. "You can see it, right? How great it's going to be." I nod my head, closing my eyes and taking a second to let the events of the day sink in. His lips press against my cheek and then he guides me back out into the hallway and toward the large open living area. There are no curtains on the huge windows, so the light of the setting sun shines in and bounces off the walls, making the moment seem even more surreal than it already feels.

            The floor is a deep dark wood, solid and luxurious. Jackson steps over to the fireplace, taps the screen of his phone a few times and sets it on the mantel as the opening notes of a familiar tune begin to play. It's the song we chose for the first dance at our wedding. He moves toward me and I reach for him, wrapping myself in his arms as he sways us to the music. He adjusts us so that his left hand holds my right, his right hand resting low on my back. We stay like this until the last note fades, lost in each other and in this moment that holds the promise of so many good things to come.

            When our dance ends, he scoops me up like a groom would carry his bride and walks me to the far end of our house. He opens a door that looks like it will lead to a closet, but instead there's a staircase inside that leads up to another door. I'm curious as to where the stairs might go; I didn't see a second story when we arrived.

            I hold on tight to his neck as he carries me up the stairs and opens the door, which leads outside to a little piece of heaven—an open deck at the top of our new home. He sets me down on my feet as the sun sinks below the horizon. We are tucked away from the lights of the city, and as darkness envelops the sky, the stars appear clearly above us, twinkling in all their brilliance. 

            "It's perfect," I manage to say through the emotion in my throat, my heart bursting with love.

            His clasps my fingers in his and leans forward, letting his lips brush mine softly and resting his other hand against my growing belly. "It is now." 

****What song did you imagine as they danced? Leave your thoughts in the comments below*****