Another side of Heartland

Chapter 68

-Caleb-

When the movie was over Badger bid everyone goodnight and headed to his camper. Georgie and Katie went to bed in what will be Lou's room, Josh took the couch and Jade stayed on the pallet she and Katie had been laying on and Mallory and I went to her old room to sleep. Mallory went to change for bed and I went to the kitchen to make sure everything had been put away and grab a bottle of water. When I walked into the bedroom Mallory had pulled on a pair of leggings and was just standing there in a sports bra and leggings looking in the mirror at the slight bump in her belly. I grinned wildly and walked up behind her laying my hand on her small baby bump. "It's so exciting that there is an actual human in there." Mallory looked at me through the mirror and nodded but something was rolling around in her mind and I could tell it was bothering her. "What's the matter?" Mallory took a deep breath and turned in my arms to face me. 'You don't feel like I trapped you right? I know we weren't planning on a baby yet and it happened and.. and..' I cupped Mallory's face in my hands and I placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Mallory, baby. Please listen to me carefully when I say this." Mallory nodded and looked up at me. "I have loved you since the first time I kissed you, I have loved this baby from the first moment that I found out you were pregnant. I was terrified that the doctor would tell us that the pharmacy test was wrong at that you weren't pregnant. I can't imagine my life any other way than with you here and now." Mallory nodded with a few tears dripping down her face but she stood on her toes and gave me a kiss. Mallory shivered and I grabbed my half zip sweater off the desk chair and handed it to her to pull on. "I will never get tired of seeing you rock my clothes" I grinned as she walked towards the bed. Mallory rolled her eyes and pulled the sheets back but I could see the slight pink tinge that started on her ears.

I woke up sometime in the middle of the night and I couldn't go back to sleep. I turned towards Mallory to find her sound asleep and facing away from me, I reached out at pulled her into me placing my head in the crook of her neck. I took a deep breath and slowly eased back to sleep. When I woke up again Mallory was just laying there looking at me and I could hear the hallway shower running. Mallory kissed me on the cheek and told me to get my butt up so we could go make breakfast, I grinned at her and slapped her butt on the way out of the bed.

-Mallory-

I passed Jade coming out of the shower and went in the bathroom to do all the necessary morning things. I then went to the kitchen and made some coffee and started making some pancakes. Josh came into the kitchen as I was pouring the first pancake into the frying pan. "Morning Mallory, is there anything I can do to help?" I gave Josh a sheepish look. 'Can you cook the bacon on the burner outside on the grill? If I smell it cooking..' I made a face and Josh held up his hand. "Say no more, I'm on it." Josh took the bacon and the frying pan outside and Jade walked into the kitchen and offered to cut up some fruit. Georgie went out the front door with Katie to help Badger do chores and Caleb walked into the kitchen dressed from the waist down and walking to the dryer to get a sweatshirt. My breath caught as I watched him. Caleb turned to me to ask me about Josh and he caught me checking him out and he smirked. "Josh is outside cooking the bacon" I stuttered out 'I'm glad I still have that effect on you.' I turned red and ducked my head but Caleb walked over and tapped my chin up. 'I think it's great' and he kissed me. I smiled at him and watched as he walked out the back door. I looked over at Jade and she grinned back. "You guys are truly couple goals" I flipped another pancake and then pointed the spatula at her. 'I would have never in a million years guessed that I would be this happy.' "But you deserve it and he does too. His parents deserve to have someone in his life that doesn't hate them" I nodded but didn't say anything else as Katie bounded into the kitchen followed by Georgie and Badger. "Georgie can you set the table please? Katie can you get the butter, syrup, milk and juice out?" They both nodded and set to work when Caleb and Josh walked in with the bacon. Josh was careful to set the bacon far away from me and I smiled at him grateful that he was that considerate. We all sat down to breakfast laughing and joking, enjoying the time and the food together.  Caleb and Georgie offered to clean up the kitchen and the dishes while we painted the trim in Katie's room so Josh, Jade, Badger, Katie  and I headed up the stairs to start on the process of peeling the painters tape off of the trim and taping off the lines to paint the trim. Once we had it all taped off Josh and Badger went next door and started doing the same process on Georgie's room while Katie, Jade and I started painting. I heard Caleb come up the stairs and stop in Georgie's doorway as Georgie was asking if she could start painting the places that the taping was done. Caleb walking down the hall to Katie's room and peeked inside. "Wow, you guys are making lots of progress" I nodded as I struggled to focus on the baseboard I was painting. Caleb shook his head but walked off once again and I finished up the section of baseboard that I was focused on.