"Where is my purse?" She looked around frantically, and he stood in the doorway, holding it up with one finger, waiting for her to notice. "Thank you," she said sheepishly, grabbing the bag and letting him open the door for her. They were headed to her second appointment. This time, they'd hear the heartbeat. He helped her into the car, waiting for her to get situated before he shut the door. She watched him closely as he walked around the car, feeling a sudden rush of affection for him. He started the car and backed out quickly, hoping no one had seen them. The covert living arrangement had been harder than they had anticipated, but there was no question that she needed help right now. Somehow, two months had flown by.
She held his hand while he drove, and he sensed she was a little nervous. "You know everything is going to be fine, right?"
"I know. I'm just excited," she said, putting her hand on her belly. Being as tiny as she was, she had started to show pretty quickly, and camouflaging her changing body was a daily struggle. Somehow, with all of the stress and the mental energy they'd invested in baby preparation, they'd managed to completely avoid any discussion about their relationship. He was there to hold her and rub her feet when she needed him to, but he generally didn't cross any lines with her. Sometimes she wished he would, but she figured it was probably for the best right now. She needed a best friend and support. More than that may have been too much to handle.
"Stephanie?" Her doctor poked her head in, finding Stevie laid on the exam table with Lindsey gripping her hand.
"Yes, that's me."
"Hi, I'm Angie. You ready to see your baby?"
"We are," she said, grinning at Lindsey.
"I'm going to need you to lift your shirt. Now this is going to be a little cold," she warned, smearing the clear jelly across her abdomen. Seconds later, they were able to see movement on the screen, and Stevie teared up a little, transfixed. Lindsey put his other hand on her shoulder and kissed her head, trying not to be emotional as he listened to the heartbeat. "Have you felt any movement yet?"
"No, not yet. Should I have?"
"Not necessarily. You're 14 weeks though, so you should feel some kicks any time now."
They returned home and she immediately retreated to the bedroom and went to sleep. He had converted one of the bedrooms into a makeshift studio and retreated there, giving her space. The sun set, and he realized he should probably wake her to eat.
"Stevie?" She stirred a little, and he sat on the edge of the bed and brushed her hair from her face. "Let's get some dinner. You need to eat something."
"Okay. In a minute. Can you lay with me for a minute?" Without saying a word, he swung his legs up onto the bed and cuddled up to her, wrapping his arms around and kissing her head. "Linds?"
"Yes, baby?"
"Have you thought about us? What we're doing?"
"Of course."
"What do you want?"
"I want to be with you," he said simply. "I wouldn't be living here if I didn't. I knew if we opened that door that everything would change."
"I think I kind of want it to change."
"How?"
"We're having a baby together. Don't you think we've already sort of busted that door down?"
"Fair enough," he laughed, his hand resting on her waist. "Should we try this?"
"I think that this is the best time to try it. It's going to be a lot harder to work through our junk once we have a baby."
"I love you."
"I love you, too," she said, touching his curls and grinning. He leaned in a kissed her, his hand running up her arm and tangling in her long blonde locks. It had been a long time since he'd kissed her without an agenda, and just as she started to let herself enjoy him, she felt a flutter in her belly. "Lindsey, she just moved."
"What? She?"
"I think it's a girl, don't you?" She was so matter of fact that he smiled and shook his head. "Feel!" She put his hand on the side of her belly, and sure enough, there was another kick. Neither one of them had any words, and Stevie grinned as she watched Lindsey tear up. He'd been such a rock, letting her fall apart for months. This was the first time she'd seen him really let down his guard. She kissed his neck affectionately, and they lay there silently for a long time.
"I'm a dad," he finally said, his hand seemingly glued to her swollen belly. She giggled a little and cuddled closer to him.
"I think she's done."
He kissed her again, his hand still planted firmly on her abdomen, slipping his knee between her thighs and wrapping her in his arms. "You're amazing," he muttered as he buried his face in her hair.
"Thank you for loving me so much."
"You make it pretty easy."
"Let's go get something to eat and then go to bed early."
"Sounds perfect," he said, kissing her one more time before he helped her out of the bed.
