One year later.

My fingers quickly move against the keyboard as I type out emails to my friends. One to Lyra that’s filled with stories about her mother and me in college. The second to Chloe. And the last email is to Stephanie. Though I stayed in Prescott with Ethan, she ventured off with Bruce and they currently resided in Savannah.

Dear Steph,

So, I just left your mother’s office. My heart is pounding. I’m both fearful and excited to tell Ethan. I really should learn to take my pills at the same time every day so this doesn’t happen. Anyway, how’s Georgia? And Bruce? I can’t believe you guys spent a weekend in the Bahamas because you were bored. Must be nice! Your mother misses you, of course, and I miss you tremendously. I can’t wait to see you at Thanksgiving!

Love, Les.

“Babe?” Ethan’s voice bellows through the house.

“Babe?” Charlie repeats after Ethan.

Smiling, I close my laptop and head out to the living room. “Yes?” I say when my eyes land on Ethan.

“Gray or Taupe?” he asks before placing a small kiss on my lips. From the corner of my eyes I see Charlie scrunch his nose and I smile.

“For what?” I rest my hands on my hips. Over the last few months, Ethan and I decided it was time we got a place that wasn’t in the center of town. It wasn’t that I didn’t love his apartment. It made my commute to work a hop and a skip across the street. But living over a restaurant and bar meant that falling asleep at a decent hour was nearly impossible.

“Tiles in the master bathroom.” He opens up the cabinet and pulls out three plates.

“Neither. I would like to have an all-white bathroom.”

“Told ya,” Charlie says, and opens the white paper bag that is sitting in the center of the island. “Leslie said that two weeks ago.” I hadn’t noticed the food earlier but the second Charlie’s hands pull out the tray of food my stomach turns and I’m gagging.

My hands rush to my mouth as I sprint to the bathroom. Once I’ve emptied out my stomach and rinsed my mouth, I find a concerned Ethan waiting outside the bathroom door. “You okay?”

A grin grows on my face. “I wasn’t going to tell you till later.”

“Tell me what?”

“I’m pregnant.” I watch Ethan’s eyes widen.

“Does that mean you’re having a baby?” Charlie asks, and I nod.

Unable to pull my gaze away from Ethan, I watch his every move. We’ve talked about having kids. We both want them but we’ve talked marriage first, a home, and then kids. His Adam’s apple bobs and he shakes his head.

“No.”

My lips pursed in confusion. “What do you mean, no?”

“No, you can’t be pregnant.” He walks over to the console table and grabs his keys.

“Are you serious?”

He turns back and a grin grows on his face. “You can’t be pregnant unless you’re my wife.” He drops down on one knee and presents me with a ring.

Butterflies flap their ginormous wings in my belly. Ethan always seems to amaze me. “Leslie Sutton, my best friend, love of my life, mother of my child. Will you do the honor of being my wife?”

With a few short strides I’m standing before him. Tears fill his eyes and I nod. “A million times yes.”

* * *

Four years later.

Warm water trickles down my leg. The feeling is all too familiar. Standing in Logan’s bedroom, I wince from the pain that shoots around my large belly.

“Mommy, Mommy, are you okay?” He looks up at me with his daddy’s green eyes.

“Yup, honey, everything is fine. I’m going to need you to be a good boy, okay?” I tell him as pain shoots straight through me. “Can you grab, Mommy’s phone?” I ask and point to it on the other side of his carpet.

“Okay.” He nods and walks it over to me.

Breathing in slowly, I unlock my phone and call Ethan. “Hello?” I can hear screaming and crazy fans all around him. He’s taken Charlie to see the Arizona State Sun Devils play UCLA.

“Hi. I’m so sorry to bother you.” I wince from another contraction. “But it’s time.”

“Fuck!” he screams.

“Ooooh, Daddy said a bad word,” Logan says, pointing to the phone. 

I quickly smile and take in a deep breath. “Language.”

“I told you I shouldn’t have come to this game.”

“It’s okay. I’ve done this before. I’ll call my mom.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Ethan says and I hang up the phone before he has a chance to argue about me forcing him to take Charlie to the game since I was thirty-nine weeks pregnant.

“Hi, Mom. My water just broke. Do you think maybe you can take me to the hospital, and Lindsey can stay with Logan?”

I feel another contraction coming and slowly let out a breath. Tiny hands find mine. As I open my eyes, I see perfect green eyes staring at me with concern.

“Yes, of course. I’ll be right over,”

I thank my lucky stars every day that Ethan took the time to teach her how to drive again.

Tossing my phone to the side, I grasp Logan’s hand. “You don’t need to be scared. Mommy is okay. It’s just your little sister throwing a fit.” I kiss his forehead and run my hands through his light ash brown hair.

“Was I throwing a fit when I was in your belly, Mommy?” he asks

“Oh, yes, except you decided to do this to Mommy at two in the morning.” I walk over to my bedroom and pull out my hospital bag along with Logan’s book bag. It was then reality set in—our little family was gaining one new member.

* * *

I make my way up the maternity wing. My mom is at my side as I’m greeted at the nurse’s station. They wheel me into my room. Aside from the contractions every once in a while, I feel fine. There is pressure but nothing too painful. 

“Are we ready to do this again?” Mrs. Carey says as she walks into the room.

“It was a long summer. I’m so very ready.”

Mrs. Carey examines me. “You’re about five centimeters. This one might be faster than Logan,” she jokes. When I came into the hospital to give birth to Logan my labor from beginning to end lasted eight hours. Ethan and Charlie were two hours away.

“Can we slow it down? Ethan’s on his way. He took Charlie to an ASU game.”

“That depends on your body,” she says before checking my blood pressure. “I’ll make my rounds then I’ll come back to check on you.”

I nod, unable to speak as another contraction curls up my stomach.

* * *

At the six-hour mark, I was ten centimeters dilated and ready to push.

“Wait, I’m here!” Ethan runs into the room.

Finally,” I say as I gasp for air. “I’ve been holding this baby in just for you.”

Ethan places a sweet, wet kiss on my lips and grabs my hand. “I’m here now. How about we go and have us a little girl?”

It takes five pushes after her father arrives before Loren Joyce Prescott is born.

Like Logan, her name symbolizes the flower we’ve tattooed on our body along with a grandmother’s name. Mrs. Carey places her on my chest and Ethan cries as he kisses me. She’s perfect with ten little toes and ten little fingers, and a full head of chocolate brown hair.

“You did good, Freckles,” Ethan says as he brushes my hair back.

When we’re ready for visitors, Ethan steps out and brings Logan in to meet his baby sister. I hold her as Ethan sits on the bed with Logan in his arms. “Logan, this is Loren, your baby sister,” I say to him.

“Hello, Loren. I’m your big brother,” he say and gently touches her hand.

A tear drips from my eye and I’m filled with joy. This is the family I have always dreamed of having.