His Fling, My Forever

•Chapter 25•

Elara Beck
The first night at Shawn's was the best sleep I had had in over a week. Shawn let me stay in his bed while he slept in the spare room that he had made up for Frances and I. I slept soundly as I knew that Shawn had Frances covered and I knew he was good with her.
As I woke up that morning I felt refreshed and I had more energy than I had had in a while. I walked into the kitchen and saw that Shawn was already making coffee.
"Morning." I smiled.
"Morning."
"How was she?"
"She was up a lot. I left her in her crib because she's actually sleeping." He sighed and I nodded. "You need an award. Coping with that sobbing is heart wrenching." He sighed again and wrapped his arms around me.
"I know." I said rubbing his back.

I took in the scent of his cologne and moved my face to sit in the crook of his neck. My lips brushed his neck unintentionally and he tightened his arms around me. It had been such a hard week and feeling this comfort was more than heaven.
I pulled away slightly but reached up my hand to cup his face. He put his forehead against mine and my heart started to beat hard. But I closed my eyes as our noses brushed together, my lips almost yearning to be on his.
But then the crying began.
I pulled away quickly and cleared my throat.
"I'll get her." I whispered before heading up the stairs, wiping my now sweaty hands on my trousers.

As I walked into the room Frances was screaming. It made me fearful as this wasn't just crying it was screaming.
I put my little finger in her mouth, coating her gums with the ointment I had been given when I felt something sharp.
I looked in her mouth and gasped, a smile coming on my face. Her first two teeth were now visible.
"Shawn!" I yelled and he came running within ten seconds.
"What's wrong?" He said and I scooped Frances out of her cot.
"Look!" I squealed and he copied my action of running his pinky finger along the inside of her mouth.
"Is that teeth?" He asked and I giggled. He examined her further and when he turned to me I saw tears in his eyes.
I pouted and wiped them away as they started to fall.
"What's wrong?" I laughed as he took Frances from my arms.
"She's growing up so fast. She already has teeth!" He cried and I couldn't help but laugh.

Though really I found it endearing that he cared so much about her. You could see how he thought the world of her already. It made me confident for the future. He loved her too much to just up and leave us. I knew he wouldn't stay for me, but for her he would.
I watched as he lulled her to sleep in his arms, looking at her with so much admiration. It made my heart swell looking at the scene.
I forgot about all the worry with Finn and just focused on my little family infront of me. I smiled and Shawn raised an eyebrow.
"What are you smiling at?" He grinned.
"You, and how you love her so much." I said and he laid Frances back down in her cot before taking both of my hands in his.
"I do. And I want to show her to my parents." He said and I felt my knees start to shake lightly.
"Do they know?"
"I, er, I haven't actually told them. No. And they haven't asked if the stories were true." He said and I felt even more nervous.

How would it look to show up to the house of his parents with their granddaughter they didn't even know about? I assumed they'd be annoyed. It wasn't even like Shawn and I were together. We weren't the perfect family I'm sure they would want for their son.

"Will they be judgemental?" I asked and half way through my question Shawn started shaking his head.
"They might be judgemental about the fact that I didn't take care of you but that's on my back." He said and I nodded.
"Well, they can't judge that we're too young because she's already out and here." I sighed and he laughed, brushing my hair behind my ear.
"So we can go and see them?"
"Of course. When shall we go?"
"Oh I already said I'd be going to see them in two days." He shrugged and I nodded.
But this just wasn't them meeting Frances, it was also them meeting me, the mother of their sons child.
They couldn't judge the baby, but they could judge me and my lack of experience and my obscure parenting, and that terrified me.