Never Knew We Needed You

9

"Happy baby-is-due-tomorrow!"

I wake up to Mark holding a breakfast tray. I yawn and smile.
"Aw, thanks Mark. This is so sweet," I say as he sets it down. He's made me oatmeal with fresh berries, with a glass of orange juice and a tiny muffin. He sits down next to me, and plays with the sloppy bun I put my hair in before I went to sleep.
After I finished eating, he hands me a small gift bag.
I look at him. "Mark, really, how is this worth presents?"
"No! Seriously, how could I not get you something. Besides, I saw it and thought of you." I roll my eyes. He saw the chance and took it.
I pull out a soft, lumpy thing in tissue paper which turns out to be my own Tiny Box Tim.
"Thanks Mark! This is so cute."
"There's another one," he says gently.
I pull out another Tim, but this one is an actual box. Small, almost like...
I glance up at Mark, who's smiling softly. I flip it open.
A ring.
An engagement ring.

I just smile at in in disbelief. Underneath the ring he's put a little drawing of a spilled coffee cup. That seems to follow me everywhere with him.

"Will you be my player two?" He whispers in my ear. I laugh and draw away.
"Well I was going to say yes but that was so cheesy I'm going to reconsider."
"No!" He looks at me with big puppy eyes and pouts. I grab his face and kiss him.
"Of course. I love you," I whisper."
"I love you Paige," he whispers back. He slides the ring on my finger.

"Let's wait till she's a bit older, at least three months," I say that afternoon as Mark is helping me prepare for our daughter's arrival. We're discussing our wedding. I don't want a huge celebration, I've been to my brothers' eight hour weddings. The main reason they're so long is that they include two hour church services. And since I'm their sister, I get to help set everything up and take everything down.
We're just going to have a really small event. I'm debating whether or not to invite all my siblings, as awful as that sounds. But all of that is in the future, right now I have to focus on the biggest thing that's ever happened to me. My daughter.
Mark painted Copeland right above the crib. He's so excited about this. I watch all the videos he posts now, he's mentioned the baby a few times. It's really adorable.

Mark comes up to me and hugs me, resting his chin on the top of my head.
"You ready?" He murmurs, stroking my back. I let out a shuddery sigh,
"Absolutely not, but that's never stopped me before."