The Best Years

4

Calum cursed under his breath as his keys rattled against the door of his home as it swung open. The house was dark and silent as he flipped the kitchen light switch.

His eyes caught on the dining table, set with their wedding china and unlit candles. He furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to understand why it would be dressed that way.

Fuck.

Holland had told him she was going to plan something for his off day. He'd completely spaced after their recording finished up and then lost track of time with Ashton working on a song idea.

It was nearly midnight now, Holland was surely already asleep. He'd have to make it up to her the following day. He filled a glass of water and noticed the dishes in the sink. She'd cooked? Oh, he was well and truly fucked. A glance in the microwave revealed two untouched plates of the mushroom ravioli he adored.

His shoulders drooped as he sighed. She'd obviously gone out of her way in the hopes of actually spending time with him and he'd blown it tremendously. He had no doubt the morning would bring with it an argument, one he sorely deserved.

He quietly loaded the dishes into the dishwasher hoping the small gesture would be a hint at the apology he knew she was owed and tiptoed to bed. Thankful that her quiet snores never ceased as she slept undisturbed by his entrance.

The morning did not bring about the fight he expected but instead brought with it a calm and quiet house. It was half past nine and he slipped from beneath the covers and did a film search of the house racking his brain for where she could be but he couldn't recall what her plans had been.

He scribbled out a quick note on their counter, apologizing for missing the dinner she had prepared and promising to make it up to her soon. He wanted to talk to her face to face but he was due back in the studio at ten and he had no clue where she could be so the handwritten apology would have to suffice for now.

He fed Duke who seemed agitated with him, no doubt a reflection of his mother, and grabbed his backpack heading for his car.

His day at the studio was much the same as the past few weeks of them had been, long and tedious, trying to force out songs that seemed in no rush to be written.

By the time he walked back through the door after eight that night, Holland was already home.

"Holls?" He called out softly, not completely surprised when she didn't answer him. She had a habit of receding when she was upset in an effort to avoid confrontation.

He searched her favorite hiding places of their home, the guest room she'd filled with books that housed her window reading nook, the master bath that held their claw foot tub she adored and he finally found her in the back yard. She held a glass of what appeared to be lemonade in her hand as she sat deep in thought on their outdoor sofa, beneath the rope lights that hung between the pool house and the main quarters, her eyes staring blankly ahead.

"Hey, Holls." He said again as he took a seat next to her, his eyes trained on the concrete beneath his feet and his hands clasped in front of him, his elbows rested on his knees.

She startled and cut her eyes in his direction. She was definitely upset with him. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at him in silence.

He knew this reaction too, she was a big proponent of "if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all." Calum's throat worked as he gulped. Quiet Holland was scary, terrifying really.

"Holls, I'm so sorry. Ash and I were inspired last night, which we haven't been in days and we got caught up in work, and just completely lost track of time. I totally forgot that you had said you were going to plan something for us."

"Did you forget today was the first competition of the season too?" She asked him pointedly, turning her head to stare directly at him.

Fuck.

"You've never missed a competition when you were in town, Calum. Never."

"Holls, we've been so stressed and busy. It completely slipped my mind. I'm sorry."

"A lot of things have been slipping your mind lately." She said back, failing to hide her displeasure with him.

"Come on, Holland. You know that's not fair. I told you we were going to be busy. I told you I wouldn't have a lot of time at home until this was done. You promised to be understanding." He said, growing agitated.

"No, I promised to be understanding of the band taking precedence of your time. I did not promise to be understanding of you bailing on plans we established without giving me any notice. You basically stood me up, Cal. That's not you." She shot back.

"Fuck, Holland. I don't know what you want from me. I'm being pulled from all directions right now and I'm under a lot of stress. I'm sorry that I let last night slip through the cracks. I've apologized a hundred times. What more do you want from me?" He asked, raising his voice.

"I want you to fucking show up when you say you will. Or, God, at the very least have the decency to call and cancel on me so I don't wait up for hours the night before competition or spend the whole damn day distracted from the girls because I'm looking in the stands for you." Her eyes watered, her emotions all over the board.

"Christ Holls, you act like I've done it on purpose. None of it was intentional, it's nothing to cry over."

"Well sorry that I'm upset. Last night was important to me, I've barely seen you and it's a little disheartening that you seem so unaffected."

"I'm not unaffected but it was just a dinner, Holls. We can do it any night."

"But we cant. Because you're busy. Constantly. And it wasn't just a dinner!" She said louder than she meant to, a tear falling down her cheek. She wasn't really crying from sadness, more out of frustration.

Calum gave a confused look, his face contorting oddly so that his eyebrows dropped dramatically and his mouth hung slightly open.

"I had something to tell you." She said after a moment when she'd managed to get her emotions a little more in check.

"Okay?" He said, waiting for whatever it was.

Her blue eyes hardened for a moment before she shook her head. "Fuck it." She said annoyed and he wondered what he'd managed to screw up now.

"I'm pregnant."

Whatever he had been expecting her to say, that certainly wasn't it. His eyes widened and he stared at her shell shocked for a moment as if waiting for her to tell him it was a joke but she didn't. She stared at him expectantly only relaxing when he forced his face into a smile.

His hands reached forward, grabbing hers and pulling her against him. He pressed kisses into her hair before tilting her chin up and kissing her properly.

"I'm sorry I messed up. I'll make it up to you."

She gave only a half hearted smile before detaching from him and heading towards the house.

"How'd you guys do?" He called, hoping his interest in her team would soften her mood towards him.

"We got killed." She told him sadly before disappearing into their home.

An:

Yay: baby

Sad: Cal fucked up

What now?

Ily,
Sav 🖤