The Best Years

9

"Come on. It won't be scary I promise." Holland laughed as she practically dragged Calum towards the doctor's office.

She had chosen one a little outside of Los Angeles in the hopes of being able to keep their baby news out of the spotlight for as long as possible and so far they had been successful. Only the boys knew about the baby, they hadn't even told their parents. That was, for the most part, Holland's doing. She seemed convinced that something was going to go wrong and was convinced that telling anyone else about the baby before the end of her first trimester was asking for trouble. She'd promised Cal though, that if things went well at the twelve week appointment they were walking into, they could begin to tell others.

Calum hated doctor's offices, he couldn't recall when that hatred had originated but it hadn't faded with age but his excitement about their baby trumped his disdain and he followed after Holland obediently into the small office. A nurse greeted them and they were quickly escorted to a private room to wait for their turn with the doctor.

Calum sat on the spinning stool instead of the provided extra chair, spinning like a child while Holland rolled her eyes and shook her head at him.

His play came to an end when the door opened and Calum stopped abruptly, nearly falling to the floor in his desperate attempt to move to the aforementioned chair.

Holland giggled as Calum's tan cheeks reddened.

"Hi, Dr. V." Holland greeted.

"Hello, Holland. Who've you brought with you?"

"This is my husband Calum." She introduced and Calum cleared his throat, shaking hands with the gray haired man.

"Dr. Tim Vaughn, but you can call me Dr. V."

Calum held back a chuckle at the irony but did his best to remain straight faced and on his best behavior.

"Alright, Holland. Just lean on back and we'll get started. Go ahead and unbutton your pants and lift your shirt.

Calum watched carefully as Holland followed the doctor's instructions. She flinched slightly as blue gel was squirted onto her lower stomach and Calum's face scrunched.

"It's just cold." She told him in response to his silent question and worried eyes.

"So if you guys just look here." The doctor said turning a small screen so Calum and Holland could both see. "That little blip there is your baby. Looks like they're coming right along."

A whooshing, wet sound echoed through the room and Doctor V clarified that it was the baby's heartbeat. It sounded nothing like any heart Calum had heard before but he was mesmerized by it none the less.

It was their baby. He was going to be a parent with the woman he loved more than life itself and that thought alone was enough to make him emotional. He wasn't much of a crier but a tear escaped and rolled down his cheek as he squeezed Holland's hand in his.

The Doctor completed a few sheets of paperwork and handed it to Holland. "Just drop that off at the front desk and I'll see you in a month. Have a great day!" The doctor said before shaking each of their hands and exiting the small room.

"What's wrong bub?" She asked him as she wiped the residual goo from her stomach.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. I'm so fucking happy, Holls. So, so happy."

She grinned and hopped off the counter, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. "Me too."

•

"Did they say which terminal?" Holland asked as she steered her new Escalade through the arrivals lane at the airport.

The car had been a present to herself after the Olympics. Typically she would have just let Calum drive but because they were at the airport to pick up his parents and sister, she had offered in order to let him get out and greet them properly.

"Nah, just keep driving. Mum said they're by the curb so we should see them at some point."

Holland followed his instructions trying to look for her in-law's and drive safely simultaneously.

"Look, there they are!" Calum exclaimed and Holland's eyes followed his gestures until she spotted Joy, waving at them. She turned sharply into one of loading zones and Calum braced himself against the dash as she narrowly avoided a Tesla.

"Yeah, go ahead and come around here. I'll drive home." He said exhaling deeply.

Her face flushed but she undid her seatbelt and moved to the passenger side of the car, taking a brief moment to greet Mali.

"It's so good to see you!" She told the blonde before taking her seat and waiting for the rest of their crew to pile in.

"How was your flight?" Holland asked, turning slightly in her chair to be able to see their guests as Calum pulled away from the curb and pointed the car towards their home.

"Long, as always." Joy mused. "But it's always worth it once we're here. I'm excited to see Calum and the boys perform, feels like it's been ages since the last time I saw him onstage."

"Should be a cool show too." Calum replied, one hand casually on the wheel while the other held Holland's on the console that sat between them. "Secret intimate shows always have a different vibe, plus it's been awhile since we've done anything like this."

"What's the show actually for again, Cal?" David asked, joining the co versatile.

"It's for the new single and the album announcement."

"What's it called?" Mail asked.

"Good luck with that." Holland laughed. "He won't tell me, apparently the boys swore each other to secrecy."

"Surprises are fun!" Calum rebutted.

Holland had no response so she merely shook her head as Calum opened the gate and pulled through to their garage. He put the car in park and climbed out quickly to help his family with their bags.

The unloading process was quick and with their bags situated in the guest rooms his family congregated in the living room making themselves at home.

"Are you guys hungry or are you too tired from the flight?" Holland asked as she braced against the back of the couch, and judged the reactions of her guests.

"I'm good to be honest." Mali stated and nods of agreement came from Joy and David.

"Yeah, probably just chat a bit and then head on up to bed." Joy added.

"Sounds good. My family will be in town tomorrow night and I was planning a big dinner for then anyways as long as that suits you guys."

"Aw, that'll be lovely! Are they going to the show Saturday as well?" Joy prodded.

"Yep! They love getting to see the boys play. Sometimes I swear my dad likes Cal better than me." Holland joked. "A far cry from the first time they met."

"What happened the first time you met?" Mali asked, turning to look at her brother.

"I was convinced they hated me." He replied with a shrug, popping a few cashews into his mouth from the stash he'd grabbed from the kitchen.

"What? Why?" Joy asked, obviously surprised.

"They're big athletes and they seemed unimpressed. Turned out they were just surprised Holland brought anyone home to meet them at all. Now they love me." He grinned.

"As they should." Holland replied.

An: I'm feeling soft 🥺 enjoy it while it lasts 🖤

My wedding is only TWO WEEKS AWAY 🥺

Ily,
Sav 🖤