Love Under the Western Skies

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴ

ꜱᴛᴇᴠᴇ

➵➵➵➵➵➵➵❂➵➵➵➵➵➵➵

We arrived home earlier this evening.

Nathan and Rae joined us, keeping Rhett in the loft that was originally Madison's with them while I took care of my sick, pregnant girlfriend.

Pregnant, it was still wild to think about.

The tiled floor was cold on my back as I lay on the floor, cradling Madison's body against my chest. The poor thing hadn't been able to keep any food down, the baby wasn't taking kindly to anything. She was sniffling on my chest, trembling fingers trying to focus on anything but the nausea in her stomach. I pressed my lips to the top of her head, closing my eyes as I held her to me. "I bet this isn't what you thought pregnancy would be like," I smiled when Madison tried to joke. My girl was still in there, she was just tired. The plane ride home made her exhausted, and she was covered in a thin layer of sweat, "Seems to be the most glamorous sight. I'll be surprised if you wake up in the morning and still find me attractive."

I let out a small chuckle, running my hand down her arm slowly, "Baby, there's literally nothing in the world that could make me unattracted to you," I spread my palm across her stomach when she groaned, the warmth seeming to relax her slightly. "But I'd really like you to try and eat something. It's not good for you or the baby to be throwing up with nothing in your system," She let out a groan, the idea of food had been disgusting to her for the past day, "How about I run into town and get you a smoothie, think you can last that long in bed?"

She nodded, pressing up on the tile to a sitting position, and I noticed the shake in her arms, she was weak and completely drained.

"Come here baby," I lifted her with ease, one arm tucked below her knees while the other wrapped around her hips. She clung to me and I could feel the slight tremble of her body. "I love you," Madison's nose pressed against my throat, hiding her face in my neck. "And I want us to go public, I don't want to hide this pregnancy," I laid her down on the bed, smiling when she blinked up at me, "I know it's asking a lot, I know you don't want to be known as the next woman that Steve Rogers knocked up," I kissed her nose, "But I don't want to hide you, baby, I want to have you on my arm at rodeos and I want the world to see how beautiful you are with my child growing in you," I leaned down to kiss her stomach over the button up she was wearing. "Think about it?"

"I'm not ashamed of you Steve," Madison's voice was so gentle, her hand cupping my cheek as I watched her face, I could see the conviction in her eyes. She truly wasn't ashamed of me, she never has been. She had no problem bearing the weight of my reputation because I knew she loved me. And Madison's love was all-encompassing. She loved every part of me, took Rhett in like her own, and there's no one in the world I would rather have my child with, to have my son look up to. Madison was kind, she was loving, sweet, and compassionate, she was everything I wanted my kids to be and more. "If you want to go public we can," I turned my head to kiss her palm gently, seeing her real smile for the first time since she told me she was pregnant. "I love you, I don't care about your reputation, or what they'll call me. All I care about is you going to get me a smoothie and then getting your ass in bed so you can lay with me."

My head fell back with laughter, and when I looked at Madison her eyes sparkled, "I love when I make you do that."

"Do what?"

"Let go," She snuggled into the blankets, holding them up to her chin, "When you forget everything and just laugh because you're truly happy."

And my heart clenched because, before Madison, I hadn't known what true happiness felt like in so long. My parents dying rocked my world, then I was a single parent with no clue what to do, and the only time I found some relief from my stress was when I was buried between a random woman's thighs, but now, I wake up in the morning with a smile on my face because my son is in his room giggling waiting for me, and my girl is sleeping soundly on my chest. All I ever wanted for Rhett was a stable home life, and dating was terrifying because it was so turbulent in the beginning, I didn't want to bring any random woman into my house and have my son get attached only for her to leave in a week.