New Beginnings ✅

31. "I Promise"

"Hey gorgeous" Josh says as he walks into the house. I glance at the clock and bite my tongue instead of pointing out that he's over an hour late. In the past month it's something I've gotten used to. I'm glad he stepped up and that he's there for Jackson but Tiffany was really beginning to work on my nerves with her constant dependency on my boyfriend.

"Hi" I reply, dipping my finger into the alfredo sauce I was working on.

"I'm sorry I'm late" he murmurs as he comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. "But it's not for the reason you think" he adds. I turn around in his arms and look up at him curiously.

"Wha-?" My question is cut off when I spot the roses sitting on the counter beside a pair of keys.

"I went by the apartment and picked up the keys and when I realized I was running late I made a pit-stop at the grocery store" he explains. My heart swells as I reach up to press my lips to his.

We had sent in our application for the apartment we decided on...with the pool and just a couple days ago we found out we had been approved. Neither of us wanted to have to move everything in one day so we decided it would be better to start renting now so we could start moving things little by little; I just didn't realize he had gone and gotten the keys.

"You're forgiven" I concede, making him chuckle as he presses another soft kiss to my lips.

"Josh" Liam exclaims as he runs into the room. Josh's eyes light up as he releases his hold on me and kneels down to pull my son in for a hug. "You weren't at school today" he scolds making Josh chuckle as he nods.

"I know kiddo. Jax had to go get some shots so I had to go and hold his hand. I'll be back on Monday though" he assures him. "And in the meantime how would you like to go to the zoo tomorrow?"

"Is Jackson gonna come?" he asks and Josh nods.

"Is she gonna be there?" I interject. Josh looks up at me and shakes his head.

"Nope. Just you, me and the kids. What do you think?"

I smile. "I would love nothing more."

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The next morning I wake up nauseous. I run out of the bed and rush into the bathroom, emptying the contents of my stomach for the fifth morning in a row. The first couple of days I had fought to ignore it and chose not to tell Josh but now that it had been almost a week it was beginning to weigh on me that I had yet to share my bouts of nausea with him.

"You sick sweetheart?" Josh asks as he takes a seat beside me and rubs my back. I shake my head.

"It'll pass. It's been happening all week" I explain, leaning back against the cabinets.

He quirks an eyebrow at me. "What do you mean it's been happening all week?" I sigh, running my fingers through my hair. Not having him here every night had made keeping this from him easy but having him here made it impossible.

"I don't think I'm sick. It's just nausea" I wave off. "I'm fine" I assure him as I stand up and walk over to the counter to grab a toothbrush.

"I'm not doubting your fine" he replies. "When you-when you had your miscarriage they didn't say you couldn't get pregnant again did they?" he questions. My stomach flips at the question and the underlying suggestion. Yesterday was the first day I allowed myself to think that a baby was the cause of my nausea and it wasn't exactly a thought I wanted to dwell on.

I spit toothpaste into the sink and look over at him. "No they didn't" I confess. "It was just stress. Under normal circumstances they were confident I could conceive and carry to full term. But Josh-."