Falling for the Rockstar

Chapter 25 - Grace

The ride back to the stadium is surprisingly quiet. Louis holds my hand the entire time, his thumb tracing soothing circles on my skin. I let my gaze wander out the window, the impressions from the doctor's visit still fresh in my mind. The baby feels so much more real than I had imagined. The sound of the heartbeat still echoes in my thoughts, a tiny rhythm carrying so much meaning.

"Everything okay?" Louis murmurs softly. I turn my head toward him. "Yeah," I whisper, even though my chest feels heavy. The argument with my parents and the new life I just saw weigh heavily on my mind.

After a few minutes, the car pulls up in front of the stadium. Paul leads us inside.

"There you are, finally!" Niall shouts, his broad grin as infectious as ever. "So, how was the doctor?"

"Boy or girl? Or don't we know yet?" Harry immediately jumps in.

Louis shakes his head, laughing. "You have no patience at all. We don't know yet—it's way too early."

"But you have pictures, right? Tell me you have pictures!" Zayn leans forward, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

Louis pulls the small ultrasound photo from his pocket and holds it up. "There's the little Tomlinson," he says proudly.

"Awww!" they all exclaim at once, and before I know it, Harry, Liam, Zayn, and Niall have gathered around us, inspecting the black-and-white image.

"I'm telling you, I'm gonna be the godfather!" Liam declares with a grin.

"Hold on," Harry interrupts, shaking his head. "I'm clearly the coolest uncle here."

"Please," Zayn chimes in. "The best uncle is obviously the one with the best hair."

"So, me," Niall fires back with a laugh.

I watch the scene quietly for a while, and I can't help but feel grateful. I never expected this kind of support, and I can't ignore the warmth in my chest—a feeling of family.

"Stop arguing!" Louis finally says. "Nobody's getting to be the godparent at this rate!"

Harry glances at me. "And how's the mom doing? Everything okay with you?"

I nod. "Yeah, all good. Thanks."

"Good, because we're here for you, okay?" Liam says seriously. "No matter what happens, you've got us. You know that, right?"

The warmth in his voice and the nodding faces of the others bring tears to my eyes—the ones I'd been holding back all day. Before I know it, Niall's arm is around my shoulder, and Zayn is handing me a tissue.

"Okay, okay, no tears," Harry says quickly. "Otherwise, I might start crying too."

I sniffle and laugh at the same time, and the guys join in. The lump in my throat feels a little smaller, and the warmth from these five crazy boys pushes away any lingering doubts. Louis wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me closer, a silent reminder that he's by my side—no matter what comes next.

"Alright, seriously," Niall grins, "what's the plan now? Are we taking the little one on tour with us? A tiny roadie can't hurt."

I glance uncertainly at Louis. The new tour was already being planned.

"As long as I don't have to deal with diapers and the baby stays on your side of the bus," Zayn jokes, "I'd like to get some sleep too." Everyone laughs.

"You're all talking so casually about our baby," I finally say quietly, unable to keep the slight tremor out of my voice. My gaze shifts from one to the other. They're all smiling at me, and no one disagrees.