𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭, ᵐᵃᵗᵗʰᵉᵒ ʳⁱᵈᵈˡᵉ

bonus chapter

charlotte and mattheo spent many augusts in france after that summer years ago. her favorite though, was the august that came right after her nineteenth birthday. mattheo always made her birthday special. maybe it was because he knew they weren't exactly celebrated in her childhood. whatever the reason, charlotte didn't mind. he made each and every one of them special, and she did the same for his. that summer was marked with memories of the fresh breeze, sand in her hair, and vance.

it wasn't the plan to have children so young, but to them, vance was a gift. her nineteenth birthday was a birthday unlike any other. she woke up at nine, as she normally did, and when she made her way downstairs, mattheo had prepared a large, delicious smelling breakfast spread. she ate until it felt like she couldn't eat another bite, and then, like they did every year, they went down to the sea. her flowy white dress blew in the wind behind her, and despite not being able to see him, she knew mattheo was right behind her. once she reached the sand, she ran into the water, not even bothering to take off her dress. ever since she came here for the first time when she was fifteen years old, charlotte knew no matter where she went, she would never love a place as much as she loved the french sea. after hours of swimming, mattheo led her stumbling to the shore, sand sticking to their salt water coated bodies. he wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her around, holding her like she was something precious. the rain was a pleasant surprise. charlotte had always loved the rain, and mattheo loved what charlotte loved. she threw her arms upon, tilting her head toward the sky as pellets of rain hit them. she laughed, and mattheo laughed with her, kneeling to put an arm under her knees and scoop her into his arms, running up the trail that led back to the house. she laughed the whole way.

she didn't realize anything was amiss until after dinner. esmeralda made her favorite meal, spicy shrimp pasta, and of course, she gobbled it up without a second thought. it wasn't until after she ate her double chocolate cake that she felt it. her stomach hurt. not a small pain, either. it hurt like she was dying. they were done eating anyway, so she bid esmeralda a good night and made her way upstairs, mattheo following closely behind her. she made her way into the bathroom, and as soon as she opened the door, she sat on the cool tiled ground, throwing up into the toilet bowl. after a few minutes, it was over. she brushed her teeth and climbed into their king sized bed, wrapping the blankets tightly around her.

mattheo frowned, "are you sick?"
charlotte smiled as he climbed into the bed next to her, "guess so," she said, though something was nagging her. it wasn't until the sun had set that it had dawned on her. her back was to mattheo's chest, and he was holding her gently as they got ready to drift to sleep. she wasn't sure if he was awake or not, but she couldn't bear to keep the thought to herself.
"mattheo," she broke the silence that had settled over the room, "i think...we're having a baby."
he froze behind her, "what?"
anxiety filled her. would he be upset?
"i think we're having a baby," she repeated, firmer this time. she sat up, turning to look at him, to gauge his reaction, but when she turned, she was met by a wide smile on his face and love shining in his eyes.
"a baby," he repeated, kissing her on her forehead, her cheek, and eventually her lips. he pulled away slightly, still smiling at her in that adoring way, "our baby."
she nodded, sharing his joy. he was right. it would be their baby. a baby for them to raise together. their family.
"what are we gonna call it?" he asked, clutching one of her hands in his, looking at her like she was the center of his universe.
she thought for a while, leaving him to wait in anticipation before smiling up at him, "vance."