Seasons (Ari AU)

Chapter 61

Ari POV

  The worst fire in history couldn't have kept me from agreeing to give this woman her request.  "Yes, ma'am," I tell her, placing one more kiss against her temple before climbing out of the bed.

  Of course I'm met with a look of shock and surprise from my sister, and also Joy whose jaw is literally sitting on the floor. I stroll to the window seat, tugging my boots back on my feet. When I'm finished I stand up, straighten out my shirt and look back at both of the women who haven't moved an inch.

  "You heard her," I assure them. "We're getting married today."  Shauna just blinks back at me as I wiggle my brows and smirk. I rejoin Holland, facing her this time as I crouch down beside the bed. "Give me a couple hours, alright?"  There's a flash of panic that alerts me. "Don't worry, I just want to take care of a couple things before then, alright?"  She gives me a nod, her eyes growing heavier by the moment. "Take a nap. When you wake up, I'll make you Mrs. Ari Levinson." 

  Oddly enough I walk out of the room without the weight of the world resting on my shoulders, the news of Jeremy's secret child no longer hanging over us.  I hear footsteps following me, and I know who they belong to which is why I pause once I'm outside Holland's room.

  "When do you get off?" I ask my sister who still seems to think this is all a figment of her imagination.

  "I was never on."

  "Awesome. I need you to take care of a couple things for me," I instruct her, my hand already digging out my wallet from the back pocket of my uniform. My brow furrows as I feel something else sitting next to it. I pull both items out, suddenly remember this is the paper that I'd found taped to the inside back of the frame with Mason's birth certificate.

  "What's that?"

  I look up from my hand, thinking she's asking what the errands are that I need her to take care of, but she's looking down at the folded paper as well. "It was taped to the frame. I don't know what it is, I just felt like I needed to grab it before I left."  I pass her my wallet and begin unfolding it.  As soon as my eyes beginning scanning the typed out words on the paper, I'm stepping back urgently, trying to find a wall to hold me up.

  "Ari?"

  My head shakes side to side, still focused on the words I'm reading as I begin to see red. "You need to get Dean on the phone."

Holland POV

  I've begged Joy the last couple of hours to please let me shower, wash my  hair, attempt to look even remotely bride like, only to hear the words 'No' and "Ari loves you no matter how you look."  While that may be true, I think I'd rather look at least a little less like a mother already in the throes of newborn life and a little more like someone that at least resembles a rested human being.

  I mean, I'm not either one of those things, but it's amazing what clean hair and a splash of concealer can do for you.

  Instead, I'm still laying on my left side, contractions having subsided to be more erratic than consistent which is a good sign.  At thirty-five weeks there's a strong possibility that the baby would be born fine and spend just a sliver of time in the NICU, especially since I'd been given the shot for her lungs. Of course, we want her to stay put for as long as we can which is the only reason why my pleas are finally given up on and I accept defeat that I'll look like a homeless person in our wedding photos.

  "Knock, knock!" is called out from the other side of my room's door leading me call out a come in. 

  It had actually been more like four hours since Ari had told me to give him a couple of hours, leading me to worry a bit, thinking maybe he'd changed his mind completely. That he'd come to the realization that what he wanted was just the baby and not the mother that will come attached to it.