Without Me

Evil twin

One month later

''Have you thought of any names yet?'' Ashley shook her head at the young blonde. Hailie had posed the question while leaning against the kitchen counter as Ashley fixes them some drinks.

''Not really I mean I have a girl name, but I got nothing for a boy yet,'' she replied placing the coffee Hailie had asked for on the counter in front of her, ''to tell the truth I'd prefer a girl.''

''Dad wants a boy,'' Hailie blurted out, before covering her mouth with the coffee cup, ''opps maybe I wasn't supposed to say that,'' she added.

''Don't worry about it. I think it's the notion that you already have one so you want the other so I want a girl cause I have Jamie and Marshall wants a boy because he's got all you girls,'' Ashley offered the explanation as she took a few sips from the water she'd put into a tall glass.

''What if it's both?'' The water Ashley had just drunk dribbled down her chin as Hailie's question surprised her.

''Um, I guess we'd both get our way, but twins. I dunno hay,'' Ash responded wrinkling her forehead as she thought about it, ''twins never really crossed my mind, you know,'' Hailie nodded and was about to give her own advice when someone, no need to know who wandered in catching the last words Ashley had just spoken.

''What never crossed your mind?'' Marshall asked as he moved to give his daughter a side hug before he rounded the counter to wrap his arms around Ashley's waist, resting his hands on her growing bump.

''Ash never thought about what would happen if you guys had twins,'' Hailie blurted out earning a deathly stare form Ashley, ''sorry,'' she muttered into her cup once again as she rose it to take another sip.

''No need, because ain't gonna be twins.''

''You seem very sure about that mister, what makes you so sure?'' Ashley raised an eyebrow as she twisted in his grip to face him.

''Just feel it in my gut,'' he pointed out.

''Really the same gut that thought you were allergic to Lizzy but turned out you'd caught a cold,'' Ashley shot back remembering when he'd come home from the studio one day complaining about how he was certain Lizzy was causing him to have coughing and sneezing fits. He was so sure that he'd made Ashley and Jamie go to the doctors with him. Needless to say, when it turned out all he had was a cold, Marshall felt just a tad embarrassed.

''Well it was a valid argument, to begin with,'' he shot back.

''Nah really don't think it was,'' Ashley teased bouncing her fingertip off his nose.

''Did you just boop my nose?'' He questions grabbing a hold of the finger she'd just used to do that precise action.

''Maybe, what does your gut say?'' She teased tilting her head to the side to see if Hailie was still there. To her exact guess, the young woman had in fact left. Her mug lay empty and abandoned on the kitchen counter.

''It thinks your a terrible girlfriend.''

''Hmm I think it's lying again,'' Ashley didn't wait for his reply this time. Instead, she raised her head to capture his lips.

***

''Wait she asked what if it's twins?'' Paul questioned, trying to get his head around what Marshall was telling him.

''Well she was talking to Hailie and she brought up about what if we were having twins and Ash said she hadn't thought about it,'' Marshall clarified as he flicked a ball of paper into the bin in the far corner.

''I mean if you do have twins It's not like you couldn't afford them right?'' Denaun pitched in.

''Well yeah, but it's extra effort and time we might not have. The pressure too,'' Marshall pointed, ''I just. Ashley gets stressed easily and when she gets stressed she gets ill, like the time she collapsed while shopping it was because of the stress of being pregnant and the ongoing murder cases,'' he added.

''She isn't exactly going to be alone this time right though, she's got your full attention. After Arthur's death, she didn't,'' Paul put in, ''I mean I'm not blaming you for what she did but...''

''I get your point man, no need to continue,'' Marshall waved Pauls words by before adding to the conversation himself, by changing the subject, ''so about this,'' he brought out the velvet covered ring box placing it on the little table that sat in the middle of the room, opeing it to reveal the ring that sat inside, ''I dunno when I'm going to do it. I mean I got two options before the baby...''

''Or babies,'' Denaun interjected, earning a glare from his friend, ''what we were literally just discussing the prospect of twins. Marshall just shook his head before finishing explaining what his options were.

''Or I wait for when the baby or babies are born,'' he emphasised the word 'babies,' glancing over in his friend's direction, who just shrugged his shoulders.

''I don't think it matters, either way, don't get married while she's pregnant because last time that happened she was the moodiest person there. Even Talia appeared to be having a better night than she was,'' Paul pointed out, causing Marshall to scoff.

''Talia was trying to get lucky with the studio technician from the studio. She ended up with a big bruise on the side of her face because his wife turned up right at the end and beat the shit out of her,'' Marshall couldn't help, but laugh as Denaun recalled the events of what happened at Ash's wedding to Arthur.

''Right so, so far we got don't get married while she's pregnant and don't invite Talia. Now, how about ya'll help me figure out a time to fucking propose to her,'' the voice that answered was not one he had expected mainly because he hadn't even heard them enter the room.

''How about now?''