What We Are

I Can't Wait

6 months later
"Are you SURE you're ok? I can stay if you want me too. If you think it's best." I said stroking her hands. "I'm fine Lindsey, I just want to relax, and Karen is coming over at 11 anyway, you two go have fun." She said, ruffling Will's hair and embracing me before we left for the beach. Her bump was huge now and we were weeks away from the due date. The last six months had been hard, but beautiful. I'd moved in with Stevie, caring for Will 3 and a half days out of each week- Stevie loved having him around in her house. I'd still not gotten over the surreality of how lucky I was to have her back. "Oh and Stevie," I said, coming back into the room seconds later, Will scooped in my arms. "Huh?"
"I love you."
"Get out of here!" She chuckled, Will joining in.
***
I was strolling on the beach, as comfortable as I could be bending to hold Will's
hand. "Daddy?"
"Yes little man what's up?"
"Can I...Can I..." I smiled at my son's thoughtful expression beyond his years, as we stopped to sit on the dry sand. "Help babies? Help you? Stevie too."
"Of course you can Will, they're going to need a tough older brother like you to help them hey. As soon as they're born, me and Stevie want you to be the first one to see them?"
His face lit up with excitement and I lay back with him, enjoying the warmth of the setting sun on my face. However, soon it grew darker and I sat up. "It'll be your bedtime soon son, let's get you back. It's been a busy day." I'd last called Stevie while eating lunch at 2pm, and I knew Karen would have left by this time on a Sunday.
"Oh dadddddyyyy." I tickled him playful below the arms and he chuckled surprisingly loud for such a small being. "Cmon, you must be a little tired?" Will simply nodded and I picked him up, carrying him on my shoulders to the car. I drove him to Charlotte's place with The Beatles in the stereo system. Our divorce had been finalised a few weeks ago, and ever since I'd been desperately trying to find the right moment to ask Stevie to be my wife. Will loved 'Yellow Submarine' and I was about to skip a few tracks to that before he noticed his eyes were closed, his head tilted forward. I quietly unbuttoned our seat belts and carried my son to the front door, on which I rapped lightly several times. "Lind- oh." I could tell Charlotte was about to rant to me about something, but she went silent instantly when she realised Will was sound asleep. "I'm picking him up from school on Wednesday right?" I whispered.
"Huh, yeh." She replied, taking Will onto her shoulder carefully. I felt my cellphone vibrate in my pocket. "Gotta go."
"Bye," she let the heavy door close on me but I was already making my way back to the car, pressing the answer button on my phone. It was Stevie.
"I'm on my w-"
"No Lindsey, come quickly please, I'm bleeding."