Only A Moment

New Beginnings... again

SOPHIE POV

"So?  What do you think?" Will asked with a bright grin on his face.

I looked around the large open floorplan of the house we were touring and set Milo down with his blanket on the hard wood floor.  He started doing an army crawl on his belly which made us laugh while I pulled Will into a hug.  "I think this is it.  We're less than a half mile from your school, right across the street from a big park with a playground, and the privacy fence is in good shape.  They already replaced the roof and water heater last year and the furnace has a good 2 years left so we would just need to get more furniture and have painters handle some cosmetic touch ups."  I smiled as he leaned down and kissed me softly.  "Should we place an offer?"

"Yeah, I'll do that when we get back to the apartment."  He reached down to lift Milo, "Let's head out."

We chatted about what to offer on the walk home before Will called the realtor.  It was a gorgeous day in March, daffodils growing with trees finally blooming as we took our time going home. The path back to our apartment was only a half mile walk thanks to a couple shortcuts through parks so the baby cooed in the stroller for a few minutes before falling into a peaceful sleep.

"One year ago around now I found out I was pregnant."

The words came out without me realizing it and Will stopped walking, his hand slowing the stroller while I stared at the ground.

"I am sorry I missed so much time, Soph..." his voice was soft and I felt Will gently wrap his arms around me, pulling my body into a tight hug. 

I looked up at him with a sad smile, "We're both at fault for that."

"What was the hardest part?"

"The fear.  Not knowing if I would ever find you, if you were really the man I fell in love with in a few hours... "  My arms wrapped around his neck as I sighed, "I was just scared.  So many days and nights fighting to keep pushing so I could build the life he deserves."

We looked down at our son at the same moment while he slept, cheeks rosy and dark mohawk blowing gently in the breeze.

Will chuckled then cupped my cheek, staring into my eyes a long moment before commenting, "It would have been so different if we found each other somehow, like social media or Bethany connecting us or something."

"I wouldn't have wanted you to find out except from me in person, though."

Will leaned in to kiss me, grinning when he pulled back after a moment.  "Milo is so lucky to have you as his Mom."

The rest of our walk was less emotionally charged but as I nursed Milo at home I was struck by a wave of gratitude.  We had a budget and knew what we were approved for with our bank, plus I had plenty tucked away for a down payment without dipping too far into savings. Will and I were on the same page with finances after settling down and digging into our budgets and accounts before my quarterly taxes were due in January. It was a great way to get an overview of where things stood for both of us. Between his school loans and my need for expensive graphics programs we were able to easily find a path toward common ground.

There were a half dozen great options we considered as well as the fall back that we could renew the lease in our apartment on a month to month basis, but knowing we chose our new home brought a new excitement to the process. We paid for both apartments through April but if we get the chance to move immediately that will change everything a bit.

It was time to keep growing.  Milo is already 5 months old and creeping everywhere so it was clear we needed more space for him to move.  He loved Aunt Addy and Raj, especially since Will's old apartment had more free space than ours.   Raj was smitten with the sweet brunette, but they continued to take their time. At this point it was a relief that his family adjusted to the idea of their relationship.