Finding You

The Second Year

"I just got an email from the realtor. Apparently, we have seen everything in the area that could fit our wants. However, he did a little digging and found something a little out of town and more remote." I look up at Bradley and he nods, layering butter on his toast.

"And?" He asks, looking at me as he bites into the crispy bread. God, how am I supposed to focus on anything when he's standing in the kitchen in nothing but his boxers.

"He, um, found a house on a lake. It's a gated community so private but the neighbors are spread out enough that apparently you don't even notice them most of the time. From the pictures, it's a little bit of a fixer upper. We'd have to go look at it though with our contractor."

"I'm up for a little road trip. It's been a while, hasn't it?" He asks and I smile. It has. We've been so thrown into work and looking at houses that we didn't make time for a vacation this year. Our last road trip was the concert right after we started dating.

"Did you want to see the pictures?" I ask softly and he walks behind me, leaning down so that his chest is grazing my back with each breath. I'll never understand how he manages to keep me so enthralled in him.

"Lots of natural light, very open, plenty of rooms. Does need some cosmetic work but I think as long as the foundation is solid, we should be okay. Do you like it?" He looks at me and I blush.

"I do. It has a lot of potential and plenty of room for the kids to run rampant. The dogs will actually have a huge back yard, which will be nice. I think once we see the place in person and hear what Cristina has to say, I'll be more decided.

"Set up an appointment for a Friday you have off and we'll make a trip out of it." He kisses my shoulder and I blush. Emailing becomes difficult as Bradley pulls the chair I'm sitting in back onto it's back legs so he can continue his torturous assault on my neck and chest. Once I press send, I wrap my arms around him and groan.

"I'm sorry I can't make good on all of my promises." He says and I shake my head.

"I don't care. Just kiss me." He moves around me, sitting the chair on the ground once more.

"I did get you something." I tell him and he smiles.

"Oh yeah? Is it half as good as last year?"

"Eh, I don't know. Depends really." I bite my lip.

"On what?" He asks and I shrug.

"I guess I technically got you 2 gifts."

"Now I'm curious." He looks at me skeptically.

"I got switched to the pill a few months back. Supposed to be an easier transition for when we're ready to start trying for kids. Had a checkup with my doctor who is confident that we'll be successful. When it's time." I grab his hands and he looks relieved.

"So that's why you've been so on edge."

"Yeah, I had to find the right pill that worked for me and then my doctor wanted to do a full check up with blood work to see how everything is going. I just didn't want to stress you out if there was nothing to stress about."

"And everything looked good?" He asks and I nod.

"Fertile Mertile."

"You know I mean more than that."

"Everything is perfect for someone like me. I am healthy as can be."

"Good. Good."

"Your other gift is something you've been talking about for a while but you refuse to buy yourself anything so I got it for you. You can't reject it." His face goes into shock.

"Natalie, tell me you didn't do what I think you did." I bite my lip.

"Depends on what you think I did."

"The new laptop." I half smile.

"They had a really good sale and I couldn't pass it up. I might have gotten one for each of us and traded my old one in." I scrunch my nose and he shakes his head in disbelief.

"You're making it very hard to keep up with you."

"Didn't I tell you that I give really awesome gifts?" I smile and he nods.

"Okay, Mrs. Claus. It's not nearly as awesome as my present but I put a lot of thought into them." He opens the coat closet and hands me 2 boxes.

I open the smallest of the 2 to find a bigger pair of diamond studs for my main earring hole. It'll match the ones he got last year and I will never have to worry about earrings again. Well, unless I get another piercing, which could be fun.

"These are beautiful. Thank you."

"Found those on a good sale myself. The other one is the big gift this year." I open the other box to see a charm bracelet. There's a paw print for the dogs, a B for Bradley (I'm assuming), a chain to keep everything from falling off if the clasp was to fail, and a beautiful heart that's jeweled. Oh, it's to die for.

"This is so thoughtful, Bradley. My God, you do love me, huh?" I ask and hold my wrist out. He grabs the bracelet and clasps it around my wrist. Then he brings it to his lips and kisses the inside of my wrists and it's a motion that I didn't think would affect me like this. I never thought something so simple would make my heart skip beats.

"You are something else, Bradley Lincoln Porter. Thank God, you're all mine."