Chapter Thirty-Nine
Caleb
I got up early and left Hailey in the bed to sleep. She would need all the rest she could get, being pregnant and all. I decided to go out to the kitchen and make her some breakfast. I still couldn’t believe that she was pregnant – the whole thing just completely blew my mind.
A few months ago, news like that would have caused me to run screaming into the night. But now that I was unequivocally in love with Hailey, it just seemed like the most perfect thing in the world. I certainly had all the resources in the world to care for a child, so why the hell not?
Hailey was a wonderful woman, and I was lucky to have her. I couldn’t imagine life without her; she had changed me so much in such a short amount of time, and I had never been happier. I couldn’t wait to tell people, so I sent a message to Matt telling him I had some huge news and I would tell him about it later.
My parents were next in line, and I wasn’t sure how they were going to take it. They would be shocked for sure, but I knew they loved the idea that Hailey and I would be together. They had been sad to see her go and worried I would just go back to my old ways. I pulled out my phone and made a call to my mother. She answered on the first ring. They were always up early, and I hoped that my father was home, as well.
“Mom, I have some great news; are you with Dad?”
“Yes, son, what is it? Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m better than okay. I’m with Hailey.”
“Oh, sweetheart, that’s great. I’m glad you guys stayed together.”
“She’s pregnant, Mom! I plan on proposing to her in a few weeks.”
“Oh my God. Are you sure? This seems awfully sudden. My God, she’s pregnant?”
“It’s okay, Mom. I love her, and it’s not going to affect either of our lives negatively.”
“What will the world think? You guys are so young, and you haven’t been together long.”
“I don’t give a shit what the world thinks. I’ve never been happier in my life, and I hope that you guys will support my decision.”
“It’s just so shocking. But, of course, we are here for both of you for whatever you need. My goodness, I’m going to be a grandmother.”
“What?!” I heard his father cry out, and I started laughing as she hung up the phone. I wished that I would have been there to see the look on his face. He was probably grilling my mother right now. He was a grandfather now, and he would have to get used to it.
Hailey came out of the bedroom, looking shy around me. I wondered if she had heard any of the conversation. I didn’t want her to be freaked out. I was there to stay; I would never leave her again. She sat down at the kitchen table, and I poured her a cup of tea. I watched as she added milk and sugar to the cup, stirring it slowly. She hadn’t even sad good morning yet, and I was starting to worry about her.
“How are you this morning?” I asked.
“Fine,” she said as she looked into her tea cup. She was acting very timid around me. I went over to her and kissed her on top of the head. She smiled up at me, and I bent down and kissed her on the lips, as well. I lingered at that moment, loving the fact that I could kiss her anytime. That was the best part of being with Hailey – I could kiss those beautiful lips anytime that I wanted to.
“Everything is going to be okay, beautiful. I don’t want you to worry about anything. You have a movie to make, and I know that, so in the meantime, we will travel back and forth between Miami and LA. I’ll come stay here with you while you work, and I’ll travel when I need to for tournaments.”
“You want to live here?” she asked in surprise.
“If that’s okay with you guys. I just want to be here to help you with the pregnancy. Plus, I don’t want to miss any of the appointments.” God, all those appointments. I would be able to see the baby at some point. It was all so unreal; it just blew my mind, but in a good way.
She smiled and leaned in to kiss me again. “I can find a place to practice here; it will be perfect. I promise you. It will be easier than you think, and I promise I will never ask you to give up anything, especially your career. I know you have a dream of being an actress, and I support you 100% because you mean the world to me.”
She nodded and smiled lovingly at me, “Okay, I trust you.”
“When the baby comes, and the movie is over, then we’ll start to make some decisions on where we are going to live and how to juggle our careers with the baby. I have a lot of money, so getting help won’t be an issue if that’s what we want.”
Her eyes welled up with tears, and they started to stream down her face, completely taking me off guard. I hoped that I hadn’t upset her.
“What’s wrong, Hailey?”
“Nothing, I’m just so happy,” she smiled through tears, “I’m so happy you’re here and that you want to have a life with me and our baby.”
“Oh, sweetheart, of course I do. I love you.”
“Do you?” she said, and now she was crying. I wiped at her tears.
“Yes, of course I do. I love you, and I love our little baby. We are going to have a wonderful life together.”
“Oh, Caleb, I love you, too. I’ve loved you for awhile.”
“I want to marry you, Hailey. I will propose to you later when I have rings and it’s more appropriate, but I don’t want you to worry about a thing. You are everything to me, and I want a life with you. We are going to be married, and we’ll have this baby. I’ve already told my parents.”
“Oh God, did they freak out?”
“A little, but they said they were behind us 100%. And once my mother gets used to the idea of being a grandmother, she will be starting to plan wedding showers and baby showers in no time.”
“I’m so happy.”
“So am I. That is if you are willing to try a life with a bad boy.”
She laughed, “Yes, of course I am. I would love to be your wife.” She grabbed my neck and pulled me in for a kiss. There was so much passion behind that kiss that I felt a little dizzy from it. Her mouth was warm and sensual, and I lingered in that kiss for as long as I could.