Beautiful Mistake

xliii

First off I am so so sorry for being so laggy on updating but I just want to thank EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU for 5K! I will always get excited when I see that my book has gone up even 2 reads, like this is an amazing feeling to have guys. Ugh, I love you. Alright, enjoy the chapter <3

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I sit on the couch and wait for Collin to come back with dinner. A month and a half ago we moved into the apartment Collin showed me. It's a really beautiful complex. We have a bit of the nursery done and our bedroom is completely decorated in beautiful pastel blues.

I hear the door open and shut. Collin comes in with a bag in his mouth, one in his hand and his other hand is grasping to a cup holder. I cross my legs and take the bag from his hand.

It holds Chinese takeout and as I pull the containers out, he hands me my drink.

"You're so sweet," I say, taking a fork from the bag and twirling it around in the Chow Mein, "How's your day been?"

"Good, I still have some English homework to do but it's been good," Collin's been gone all day today, he just texted me about an hour ago asking me what I wanted for dinner.

"Wanna copy me?" I ask, looking over at him, the slightest smile on my face.

"Copy you? You've already finished the essay?" He sits down at the table and looks at me wide eyed.

"For one, I have a lot of time on my hands and two, you're always busy doing secretive things."

"Who said I was doing secretive things?" He raises his eyebrows as he takes a large bite.

"You're always gone, like all day and when I ask you about your day you answer vaguely," I sip on my soda and set it on the floor in front of me.

"You ask me how my day has been not what I've done," I roll my eyes and turn up the TV. I feel bad for being stubborn but it's too late to take it back now. Maury is one of my many favorite television shows. The people screaming at each other make me feel better.

"You ain't my baby daddy! You ain't my baby daddy!" The woman screams as a guy comes out from backstage. I chuckle and take a bite of my orange chicken.

Collin gets up from the table and blocks my view of the television. I look up at him and frown. He takes the food from my hands and pulls me off the couch.

"What're you doing? I was eating that." I look longingly at the food but Collin doesn't respond, he just takes my hand in his and leads me down the hallway and to the front door, "Collin! Maury is gonna come off commercial soon, I need to finish this episode," I whine, grabbing my sandals before we go outside.

"We're going to the gardens," He says finally as I close the front door.

"Why are we going to the gardens?" My heart beat picks up as we approach the large open space full of multiple types of flowers.

"Because," He says simply and then as we come closer to the gardens, I see the twinkling fairy lights. The lights compliment the flowers so beautifully.

"Collin? What is this?" Out of nowhere, the word 'surprise' is screamed from all directions. I nearly piss myself at the sudden change of volume. A few moments ago it was just the sound of the running fountain and now people are screaming in my ear.

"It's your baby shower!" My mom comes from the sudden crowd of people and she gives me a big hug.

"Baby shower? Don't these normally start at like eleven in the morning? It's almost eight!"

"Who said we're traditional? But, we do have something for the both of you, take a seat," My mom pulls the both of us down into a two person chair. A couple of guys from the soccer team bring these two black posts and hang a white bed sheet over them. From behind us, a projector starts and a video begins to play.

Beth's face appears on the screen, a big smile on her face, "What do I think of Collin being a dad? Holy shit, I never thought I'd be saying this. Uh, I know that Collin is one of the least responsible people I know, so Caroline, if one of those babies go missing, you know who did it."

It then changes to my mom, "Caroline is one of those people who face things when they come. She amazes me sometimes, especially with the way she handles things. Half the time I'm like if I went through that, I'd break down crying in the moment, but whenever I was with her, she always stayed strong, she always knew what to do. So I know for a fact that my daughter is going to make a wonderful mother."

Some pictures of Collin and I come up, us together, us apart, and then as the pictures continue, my dad's voice fills my ears.

"I don't know much about Collin, but I know that the way he treats my baby girl is good. All relationships have rough patches, some worse than others, but Collin and Caroline make a great couple." The video switches over to my dad in his uniform, surrounded by his army friends, "Congratulations Caroline!" They all shout while giving the camera a thumbs up.

I feel the tears well up in my eyes and I look over at Collin who's smiling at me.

"Did you know about this?" He shakes his head and I lean on his shoulder.

"So, how's your relationship going?" I hear Beth ask, but there's no video, there's still pictures going.

"It's going considerably good, you know the beginning was pretty bad but I think I truly love this girl. Caroline is the one person who gets me. She wants me to do the things I want to do and she's the reason I do some good in school. Care is like my own little mascot and she's always on my side."

"I thought you didn't know anything!" I lightly push him but he shrugs.

"I didn't know she was recording that!" He glares at Beth who just smiles brightly.

"Lastly, here's a message from Tessa..."

The images stop and it transfers to a video of Tessa, she's sitting in an airport, people are loud around her but I can hear her voice still, "Caroline being a mother is the most amazing thing that could ever happen. She's so caring and honest and just a plain amazing person. I have no idea how she could've gotten pregnant, I mean she's the most careful person I know, but it doesn't matter because she's just an outstanding girl. No matter what she does, she succeeds. So I know, that she'll succeed in being a mother and she'll succeed in being the most amazing person in the world. We got in a fight earlier today, kind of sucks honestly cause I could tell she was hurt, but we'll get over it and we'll keep living. I just want Caroline to know that I love her so much and that this baby shower video was all my idea." The video ends with a 'Congrats on the double trouble' from our entire high school class.