Partner (Micah Bell)

49. The Simple Life

Ashley and Micah tried their best, you had to credit them with that, but they were also fools trying to have a baby together.

They got married only a week or two after they moved into the ranch and the whole gang dropped by to watch the ceremony and celebrate with them afterwards. Afterwards, the gang had returned to their new home. A place where they were safe and comfortable, without people wanting to kill them.

For a little while Ashley took to wearing Micah's clothes, only because neither of them had thought about buying new clothes for when Ashley's stomach grew. Eventually Micah went into town and brought back clothes that Ashley could wear until the end of her pregnancy.

Then the baby was born, a beautiful baby girl with her mother's eyes and her father's blonde hair. Micah had his concerns about having a daughter, he didn't know how to raise a child but he really didn't know how to raise a girl. But as soon as he held that little girl in his hands, she became his world. They named her Naomi Bell.

When the baby was first born, the house was pretty chaotic. Neither of them really knew what to do but it seemed to be some sort of natural instinct with them. Micah never left Ashley to do all of the work, he did what he could do. He would even get up in the middle of the night if the baby was crying. Ashley smiled the first time he did that, she knew that he would be good at this because she knew that he would try. He was going to be better than his father.

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Naomi Bell, one month old.

Ashley held Naomi in her arms, watching her baby girl sleeping peacefully. Micah walked into the room, he had just been into town for some supplies. "She sleepin'?" he asked in a hushed voice, not wanting to wake up his daughter.

"Yeah, I tried to put her down but she woke up seconds later, crying" Ashley nodded, smiling up at Micah.

"Giver her here, you haven't slept. Go get some rest" Micah shook his head as he took Naomi into his own arms. He held the baby girl in one arm as he reached his hand out to Ashley.

"Thanks" she smiled as she took his hand and stood up from the couch. Micah nodded at her, about to sit down on the couch. "At least come sit in bed with me" she smiled, taking hold of Micah's elbow. Micah chuckled slightly before nodding and following her to the bedroom.

Micah sat up against the headboard on the bed while Ashley climbed under the sheets and lay beside him. They smiled at each other before Ashley drifted off to sleep.

Once Micah was sure that Ashley was asleep, he looked down at her and then looked at Naomi, who was still sleeping in his arms. He looked between them both, a warm and fond smile making its way onto his face. He never thought that he would find himself here,  there was a time when if you told Micah Bell that he would be happily married and have a daughter he would have laughed in your face and threatened your damn life.

But now, Micah sat here, happier than ever, with the two people he loved more than anything in the world. It was almost like he could see how their lives were going to be, and he found that he liked it.

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Naomi Bell, four years old.

"Where is Naomi?" Micah asked as he walked out onto the front porch, where Ashley was sitting with a drink in her hand. He took a seat next to her with his own drink, looking out at the front of the ranch.

"She is playing with Scout" Ashley informed him, pointing over to where Naomi was playing with the dog.

Naomi had been asking for a dog since she saw one in town. Micah had been quick to say no, since he had never been a fan of dogs, he never saw the point in them, they were just another mouth to feed. But after some pleading from Naomi and some encouragement from Ashley, Micah gave in and agreed to get a dog as long as he could choose it. Ashley rolled her eyes, sometimes it was like living with two children. Micah hated how these two could convince him to do anything, but he wouldn't change it for the world.