The Journey

Chapter Four

Robert closed the front door and walked over to Kym who was trying to hide the shocked and panicked look on her face.

"Everything okay Kymmie?" Robert asked as he kissed her.

"Yeah I just wasn't expecting you to be home until later."

"I was having a hard time focusing so I left early." Robert said as he sat on the couch. Kym glanced toward the dining room as Cheryl walked out with a grocery bag filled with the scraps of paper and wrinkled ribbon.

"I left something in my car, I'll be right back." Cheryl said as she walked out the door to get rid of the evidence. Kym sighed as Cheryl closed the door. She turned around and sat next to Robert and started rubbing the back of his neck as he sighed. Kym kissed the side of his head and looked at him, who stared straight forward.

"Robert, are you okay? Did something happen at work?" Cheryl returned and got comfortable in the love seat. She grabbed her phone and started checking it, eyeing Kym, then back at her phone. Kym continued to rub the back of Robert's neck as they sat there in silence.

"It's just been a hard day." Kym had an idea of what it could be, but she just kept the thought to herself. Robert looked up at her and noticed the worry in her eyes. He smiled at her and she smiled in return.

"I don't like that you feel this way." He sighed as he stared in her eyes, almost getting emotional, which she noticed quickly. He sniffled and looked down at his lap, taking Kym's hand in his and rubbing his thumb on her index finger.

"I'm okay Kymmie, really, it's nothing."

"Robert I know you're upset. You're getting emotional, I can see it in your eyes." He took a deep breath and sighed and started getting emotional again, but this time he turned his head away from Kym so she wouldn't notice. After a few minutes he wiped his face and looked back at Kym who still had the worry in her eyes.

"Today was just one of those days." Kym, still rubbing the back of his neck, couldn't stop thinking of the gift she had for Robert to surprise him with, and it had been killing her just waiting until the right moment.

"Hey, I have something for you." Kym said as she got up. "It'll brighten up your day." She said excitedly as she turned around for a second to face Robert, who had a confused but also curious expression on his face. Cheryl sat up in the love seat as Kym returned with the small-medium sized box in her hands.

"You didn't have to get me anything." Robert said as Kym handed him the gift and she sat back down next to him. Cheryl was more alert as he looked at the gift he had placed in my lap, up at Kym, back at the gift, suddenly showing a smile on his face.

"Go ahead, open it." Kym said as she situated herself in a more comfortable position and watched as Robert untied the ribbon off and opened the lid of the box. He moved the two layers of tissue paper and took out a pair of pink baby girl shoes, with a bow on the back of each, and on the front, a crown. He held them with his right hand, one with his index finger, the other with his middle finger.

"Are these for Lola?" Robert laughed as he stared at the little shoes. Kym looked over at Cheryl, who was giggling. Lola walked down the hallway and jumped on Cheryl's lap.

"Keep looking." Kym said as she took the baby shoes from Robert. He rummaged through the tissue paper and came across a smaller box. Robert laughed again as he took the box out.

"Is this what you and Cheryl were doing when I came home?" Kym and Cheryl glanced at each other and smiled. Kym looked back at Robert as he untied the ribbon and took off the lid. He moved the many layers of tissue paper and his jaw dropped at what he saw. He looked up at Kym in shock as she smiled at him. He turned back to the box and took out Kym's positive pregnancy test she had taken that morning. He held it in his hands, gripping the ends, and just stared for a few minutes. Kym noticed Robert tearing up.

"Robert, are you okay?" He looked up at her, as a tear fell from each eye.

"Is this-" he paused. "Is this for real?" Kym started getting emotional as she looked into Robert's teary filled eyes and nodded.

"Yeah." She giggled. "This is real." Robert turned back to the pregnancy test and within seconds the tears poured out. At that moment Kym couldn't tell what he was feeling. "I know we always talked about having kids, but we decided-" Kym looked over at Cheryl, who had a sleeping Lola in her arms, petting her while she slept.

"This is amazing." He looked back at Kym with tears running down his face. "I am so happy. I-I have no words. This is the most amazing news." By that time Kym had tears welling up in her eyes and Cheryl was getting emotional, wiping her eyes a couple times.

"I didn't expect this reaction from you. I thought you were-" Robert put the pregnancy test back in the box, turned towards Kym to where he was facing her, and took her hands in his.

"Kymmie," He looked into her eyes. "I know we didn't plan to have children yet, but this baby," He sniffled and took in a breath, "this baby is the best, most wonderful blessing. Being a father is the most rewarding thing and now I get another chance to be a father, and to share this wonderful experience with the woman of my dreams, the love of my life." Robert looked at Kym, who had broken down in tears, and glanced over at Cheryl, who was trying to hold her tears in. He turned back to Kym and wiped her eyes.

"I'm just going to take Lola outside." Cheryl said as she got up from the love seat, Lola still in her arms, and walked through the kitchen to the back door. Kym reached behind her and grabbed the box of Kleenex on the end table and handed Robert a couple and took a couple for herself.

Robert put the Kleenex in his lap and took Kym's face in his hands and kissed her. "I love you." She put her forehead against his and they smiled, still sniffling and wiping tears.

"I love you more." She moved to where they were face to face and returned her hand to the back of his neck, rubbing her thumb back and forth. She looked into his eyes, pressed her nose on his, and smiled with a bigger smile than before. "Happy Father's Day."

Sorry it took 3 weeks to finish this chapter. I had major writers block and other things happened but I hope you enjoyed this chapter!