Healing Over Time

Chapter Thirty-Two

Thirty-one weeks after Lee's death.

Alex woke up feeling like she was on fire. Her whole body felt like it was warm, and she was even sweating. Kayce's arm around her wasn't helping matters as she tried to wiggle out from under his hold.

She stood up and pushed her hair out of her face as she stepped quietly over to the bathroom. The tiles were refreshing on her feet as she walked over to the sink. Slashing some cool water on her face and neck, she started to feel a little better. It wasn't warm in the house. Sure, there was a small fire in their bedroom but nothing that should make her burn up like this.

If anything, Alex was cool-natured for the most part. Kayce would always tell her that she was cold, fetching her blankets or giving her his jacket.

She looked up into the mirror and jumped slightly when she saw Kayce standing in the doorway. He rubbed his eye as he walked over to her.

"What's wrong?" Kayce asked.

"Nothing, I just got really hot," Alex leaned up, grabbing a towel to dry her face off.

"Hot?" Kayce asked confused.

"Yeah, but I'm good now," Alex said.

"You sure?" Kayce looked like he didn't believe her.

"Yeah, just your hot body needs to stay off me," Alex rolled her eyes and turned back around.

"You're mean when it's early..." Kayce mumbled as he followed her back to bed.

Alex sighed as her head rested on her pillow. She watched Kayce climb in and lay down on his stomach, his arms under his pillow. She waited a minute and then got fidgety. Pulling up the sheets, Alex scooted one leg over before Kayce spoke.

"Stay on your side, woman."

"What?" Alex frowned.

"You gonna be rude, then stay over there," Kayce hadn't opened his eyes.

"Kayce..." Alex rolled her eyes.

Kayce grunted and turned his head to face away from Alex. She smirked, knowing he was kidding but also pointing out she had been short with him. Sighing loudly for him to hear, Alex scooted over and tucked herself into Kayce's side. He didn't move though, so Alex leaned her head on his shoulder and waited a few seconds. She ran her fingers up and down his back as her eyes got sleepy.

Kayce eventually pulled his arm out and wrapped it around Alex. He turned his head and leaned his forehead against hers. Alex smiled as she snuggled up to him and sighed contently. She felt Kayce move to press his lips against her forehead.

"You ain't warm anymore," He mumbled against her skin.

"I told you," Alex said. "Just got too warm with you and under the covers.

"You have been sick a lot lately," Kayce yawned.

"No I haven't," Alex argued.

"A few times this past week," Kayce said. "Do you need to go to the clinic?"

"I'm a nurse, Kayce," Alex sighed. "I think I know when I need to see a doctor or not."

"Alright," Kayce pulled her closer and settled in for the rest of the night.

Alex blinked slowly as her eyes got heavy. She had been through a few weird days. There was the virus thing earlier last week, she got sick at the horse show too. Then last night she felt nauseous and now this hot spell. Alex pulled her arms out from the sheets and checked her pulse. She was a little elevated. Alex frowned, leaning to sit up. The movement caused Kayce to open his eyes and look up at her.

Alex felt the lymph nodes along her neck with her fingers. She then went up and under her ears. Then she moved her hands down to her breasts and that made Kayce lean up from where he was lying.

"What're you doing?" He asked her.

Alex then leaned back on the pillows and pushed her hands down to her abdomen. She felt around for a few seconds in the dark.

"Lex?" Kayce asked.

Alex's hands stopped as she laid them on top of her lower stomach. Her eyes went down as she looked at her fingers. Gently her fingers tapped against the t-shirt of Kayce's she had on to sleep in. Alex turned to look at Kayce. He raised his eyebrow at her as if to ask again what was going on. Alex thought back to two weeks ago.

"Kayce?" She said softly.

"What?" He asked.

"I-I..." Alex took a deep breath. "I think I'm l-late."

"Late?" Kayce looked confused. "Late for what?"

Alex sat back up and counted again. She was right though in her counting.

"I am," Alex ran her fingers through her hair.

Kayce sat up more and rubbed his face. He reached over to Alex, but she got out of the bed and went into the bathroom again. She pulled open the drawer and looked at her tiny pills. She had been taking them like clockwork since she was fifteen and her mom got her into the clinic. But they are only ninety-eight percent effective. Alex turned around and leaned back against the sink counter. Kayce stood in the doorway and when his eyes saw what Alex was holding, they grew.

"Kayce..." Alex suddenly got very nervous.

"Oh...you mean that type of late," Kayce licked his lips and walked over to her. "How do you feel?"

"How do I feel?" Alex asked.

"I meant physically," Kayce reached up and held her face with his palm.

"F-Fine right now," Alex stuttered. "Kayce...I can't be pregnant, can I?"

"I don't know," Kayce shook his head. "But the way you and I go at it I wouldn't put it past us."

Alex sighed and sat her pills back on the counter. She was about to full-on panic when Kayce wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. Alex was slightly confused at first, looking up at Kayce. But the lazy smile on his face told her to relax some.

"Why are you smiling?" Alex asked.

"Because," Kayce said, starting to sway with her gently. "You may be pregnant."

"And you're not...freaking out?" Alex asked, resting her hands on Kayce's arms.

"Oh, I'm freaking the fuck out," Kayce chuckled. "But I'm also looking at you and I don't know...I feel pretty calm right now."

"Calm?" Alex asked. "From looking at me?"

"Mmhmm," Kayce nodded.

"Kayce, what if I'm pregnant?" Alex asked.

"Then you're pregnant," Kayce smiled.

"Exactly..." Alex huffed out some air. "Then we're...gonna..."

"Have a baby," Kayce leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"B-But we aren't...we haven't," Alex's mind couldn't form complete sentences. "I don't know if I can do this."

Kayce reached up and tilted Alex's face up to look at his. His hands were warm against her face.

"I think you can do this just fine," Kayce told her.

"This is a child, Kayce," Alex held onto his wrists. "I don't know if I can..."

"Yes, you can," He told her again. "Though...guess I should say we can."

"We?" Alex asked.

"Yes, we," Kayce smirked. "Unless there's someone else's it might be?"

"Screw you!" Alex hit his chest while Kayce laughed.

"Baby, breathe," Kayce smiled as he wrapped his arms back around her. "We'll go to the doctor and see for sure."

"And then?" Alex asked.

"Then...we'll figure it out," Kayce said.

Alex leaned her cheek against Kayce's chest as he hugged her tight. Her arms wrapped around his waist as she tried to breathe in and out slowly.

"I'm scared," Alex whispered.

"Me too," Kayce said, his hands rubbing up and down her back. "But we can do this."

Alex opened her eyes and looked up into Kayce's. He looked so sure, so confident.

"You want this?" Alex made sure one more time.

"I want you," Kayce told her. "If you're pregnant then I'll want that too."

Alex felt a small smile grace her lips.

"We ain't married," She said.

"No..." Kayce sighed. "But that doesn't mean we can't have a baby."

"Clearly," Alex raised her eyebrow. "What will everyone think?"

"Who cares?" Kayce said. "This is ours."

"But it's more than just us here," Alex said, though hearing Kayce say this baby was theirs made her heart flutter.

"Such is life," Kayce shrugged. "Alex...we don't even know if you are pregnant or not yet."

"I am," Alex said softly, her hands moving to her lower stomach. "I just...I know I am."

Kayce's hand rested over both of hers. Alex looked up at Kayce and saw that same lazy smile on his lips she loved. It sent a wave of calm over her, seeing Kayce seem so happy.

"I love you," Alex said gently.

Kayce moved to hold the back of her head as he kissed her lips. He peppered her lips with a few kisses before he pulled back.

"I love you too," He told her.

**

Alex sat on the exam table, her legs dangling off it as she waited for the results. Kayce was standing next to her, looking at some of the graphs on the wall. Her fingers kept twisting with each other as Alex counted the tiles on the floor. Kayce's hand came into her view and stopped her movements. Alex looked up at him.

"Relax," Kayce had told her this probably a hundred times since they left the house earlier this morning.

"Kayce-"

"Relax," Kayce cut her off.

Alex huffed but the door opened. A woman with glasses came in with a folder. She smiled warmly at both of them, and Alex knew.

"Alright, Miss. Reynolds," She glanced at the chart. "We have your blood work back and you are indeed pregnant."

Alex gripped onto Kayce's hand. The nurse walked over and stood in front of both of them.

"Is this your first child?" She asked Alex.

"Y-Yes," Alex nodded.

"I can tell by your face," The woman's eyes looked at Kayce. "But Dad here seems a little calmer, surprisingly."

"Ain't my first," Kayce said as if there was nothing but normalcy for his statement.