Until Her (Sequel)

chapter fourteen

A week had passed since I shared the news with Carter, and I was spending each minute at home with him as I could. We were doing everything together from ordering pregnancy books to dreaming up what the sex of our baby would be. We hadn't dreamed up any names but silly ones that we liked to joke about, and had a blast thinking about the future.

After another weird interaction with Cole at work, the only thing I wanted to do was come home to my husband. When I unlocked the door, I was greeted with Bailey excitedly wagging her tail, wrapped in a bow with a note attached to it. Confused, I giggled while I pet her. I grabbed the little note. Big sister, it read. I laughed, kissing and hugging her.

"Cart?" I yelled, following the clutter I heard near our bedroom. I opened the door, and it got stuck on a pile of things. I pushed the door harder, squeezing my way through. When I saw what was blocking the door, I gasped, almost in tears.

I shot up to look at Carter, alongside his best friend on the team, Frankie.

"What's all this?!" I beamed.

"Sicilia and I already popped out twins, as you know," Frankie said excitedly, hands on his hips. "So, we're done having kids! And with your news..." he smiled. Carter and I had decided to tell only our close friends as of now. Peyton screamed when I called her. We also had a special trip planned to tell my parents, which I was extremely excited for. "we decided that there was no one better than to give all of our old baby stuff to."

I looked around at the crowded room, filled with a crib, car seats, play pens, a high-chair, toys, clothes, stacks of picture books... it was overwhelming. It made everything feel that much more real.

"Frankie... this is too much! I'm touched, but..."

"But nothing. We want to do this for you guys." Carter smiled at me, hoping to convince me just like Frankie was. Sighing, I strolled over to Frankie and hugged him.

"Thank you." I smiled. "I don't know what to say."

He chuckled. "Don't worry about it. It was taking up space in my basement. Now I can have my man cave." He laughed wickedly, and Carter jokingly punched his arm.

I squinted. "Too bad we don't have enough room here for one of those." I joked, but then realized... we don't even have room for a baby. Our one-bedroom apartment was spacious and in perfect location for a young couple, but I began questioning if it was right for a newborn.

After thanking Frankie at least a dozen more times, Carter and I sorted through our new items.

"I can't believe they did this for us." I gushed. "Where is, um... where is this all going to fit?"

"I don't know." He puzzled. "When he said he had a couple things he'd like to give us, I didn't think it would take up over half our bedroom."

I plopped onto our bed, which was mostly covered in toys and onesies. "Cart... can we raise a baby here?" he came to sit next to me, the same look on his face as mine.

"In Atlanta, or this apartment?"

I shrugged.

He paused for a moment, hesitating before he said his next words. "In Paris I told you that one day, I wanted to get a piece of land with our names on it. With this baby...maybe today is one day."

I sucked in a breath. I knew he was right; it was in my gut all along that Atlanta might not be our forever home, but it hurt my heart to think about leaving it so soon. But with Adam so close to us, with Warren's possible release... is Atlanta safe for our growing family? Is it the best for our baby to live near two unreliable grandparents, or near my parents?