Four months after the wedding
Layla
I paced back and forth in the bathroom, biting my fingernails waiting impatiently for the clock to hit its mark. I had been pacing the length of the bathroom for almost five minutes now, and my nerves had skyrocketed. Why does the stupid box make you wait so damn long? The whole time I had to wait, I thought back to Ashton and I’s honeymoon and everything afterwards.
Ashton had surprised me with a trip to Barbados for our honeymoon the day after the wedding. He was so secretive about it that he didn’t even let me pack my own bags; he got Kacey to do it. The moment we landed, I jumped in his arms remembering months before that we were talking about places we wanted to visit. I had said somewhere like Hawaii or Barbados, since I’d never been to a beach outside of New York.
To say the honeymoon was great was not even close; it was incredible. Ashton and I spent the first two days inside the hotel room, him not letting me out of the room, not even for food; that was delivered to us. Finally, on the third day, we left the hotel and walked around the shops down the street, trying to find stuff to bring back for Kacey, Neena, Liam, Ariel, and Alex. I promised I would find something, whether it be a snow globe or shirt. We lounged on the beach for hours and had some of the best food I had ever eaten. Ashton even got me to try seafood, which wasn’t as bad as I thought.
We spent about a week and a half there before we had to leave. Work kept calling Ashton a few days before we left, and I could tell he was getting anxious to get back to work, wanting to make sure everything was going well. When we left I had a great tan, and was even more in love with Ashton than I ever thought possible.
He had changed so much from the guy I met over a year ago. He was more outgoing, affectionate, lively; basically, the total opposite of what he used to be. Of course, at work, he was still strict, but not too bad with me, thankfully. Even though sometimes he acted the way he used to, he soon came to realize it and apologized. Allie had broken him almost beyond compare, but over the last year I could see his blue eyes starting to shine again and he smiled more than he frowned.
Now as I paced the bathroom, I couldn’t help but wonder what he was going to do. Was he going to be angry? Was he not going to still want me? I knew these thoughts were probably stupid, but I still couldn’t help but think them. Yes, Ashton loved me and I him, but what would he think if this test showed positive? Were we even ready?
I was taking a pregnancy test. It had been too long since I’d had my last period, and I’d thrown up two days in a row. I tried to think of when we didn’t use protection weeks ago, but I couldn’t think of any. I mean, it’s not like I didn’t want children because I do, and I have even been thinking about it lately, but now that I was waiting for the results, I was nervous. Ashton and I just got married a few months ago, and he was busy with work, as was I. Layla, just see what the test says before even thinking anything. For all you know, it could be negative. The clock hit the ten minutes I had to wait, and I took a shaky breath before reaching for the stick. Okay, this is it. I looked down and took a deep breath.
“Babe, I’m home!” Ashton yelled from downstairs. I briefly heard him as he came toward the bedroom. I stared down at the pregnancy test, frozen. “Layla?” he called out again. “There you are.” He came into the bathroom and walking toward me. “What are you doing?”
I looked up at him, my mouth wide open.
“Layla, are you okay?” he asked, concerned now. He still hadn’t noticed the test in my hands.
“I-I, uh…” Swallowing, I forced out the words from my dry throat. “I’m pregnant.” As soon as the words left my mouth, silence surrounded us and Ashton stared at me.
“What did you just say?” Now that my own shock was starting to die down a little, I was now concerned about Ashton’s reaction. He stared at me in shock, his own expression matching mine.
“I’m pregnant.” With him not saying anything, the thought that he didn’t want children ran through my head. “Ash, please say something,” I pleaded.
“Y-you’re pregnant.” Ashton said it like a statement than a question. He was staring blankly off to nowhere. He doesn’t want children, I thought as a wave of sadness washed over me. The thought of Ashton not wanting a child with me cut me to the core. My hand moved to my flat stomach, almost like I could already feel the baby inside. I was just about to turn away, fighting back tears, when Ashton suddenly grinned widely and practically yelled.
“You’re pregnant!” he yelled, coming at me and lifting my feet off the ground, twirling me around. Once he had set me back on my feet, I looked up at him.
“You’re not mad or scared?” I asked.
“Why would I be? You’re going to be having our child.” He grinned at me. “I’ve always wanted children.”
“You have?”
“Of course, and having one with you is all I could ever want.” I smiled back at him, wrapping my arms around his waist and snuggling my head into his chest, his big arms wrapping around my own waist.
“We are going to have a baby,” I whispered to myself.
After we stood there forever in the bathroom wrapped around one another, we finally pulled apart.
“We need to get you a doctor’s appointment before we tell anyone.” Ashton said exactly what I was thinking. I nodded along. I didn’t want to tell anyone before we were a one hundred percent sure I was pregnant, and how far along I was. I knew the moment anyone heard about this they would go crazy, especially Kacey’s and Ashton’s moms. “I’ll call the best OBGYN in the city and made an appointment as soon as possible.”
“Okay, yeah.” Ashton’s hands worked their way down to my stomach. I smiled up at him, happy knowing he wasn’t freaked out.
The next few days were hectic. Just two days after finding out I was pregnant, Ashton called the best OBGYN in the city and I got an appointment later in the afternoon. Even though I told Ashton he could stay at work and I’d just go, he wouldn’t have it. While the doctor did the exam, it was very, very uncomfortable. She asked me a million questions. After the exam, she came back with the results and I was one hundred percent pregnant, almost two months to be exact; my due date was set for April twenty-seventh. She was fairly surprised that I hadn’t experienced any morning sickness sooner than I had, or any other symptoms. I was just as surprised, but I couldn’t be happier. We set up multiple appointments for the next few months to check up on my progress. Ashton wanted me to go almost every other week but with a firm no from me, he let up a little.
As we drove home that day, we decided we would tell everyone at the same time instead of separately. The rest of the week went by fairly quickly as I invited everyone over to our place this weekend, and I was busy at work. I wasn’t at all that far along, but Ashton was already treating me like I was fragile. He even tried to get me to stop working. I appreciated the concern, but right now I was fine; I still had a long way to go. After arguing with him about working and treating me like I was fragile, he agreed to tone it down some, but he made me promise that when it got closer to my due date, I would stop working.
The weekend finally arrived, and all of Ashton’s family was there, Nick included, as well as all of my friends: Kacey, Neena, Liam, and Alex. I had thought about telling them in a cool, fun way, but I wasn’t the greatest at doing that, and it was too much work. Instead, Ashton and I decided to sit them all down and tell them straight forward. I was in the kitchen finishing putting some crackers, cheese, and different kinds of meat on a tray when Ashton scared me by wrapping his arms around my middle and resting his head on my shoulder.
“You ready?” he asked, pressing a soft kiss to my bare shoulder. I had bought a cute sundress a couple of months ago and decided that since I wouldn’t be able to fit into it soon, I might as well wear it today, even if it wasn’t that warm outside.
“I think so. Do you want to say or it me?” I asked, turning my head in his direction.
“I don’t care. Whoever just wants to say it first when we get out there. It’s going to be okay.” He pulled away from me. Grabbing the tray, I stood on my tippy toes, giving him a small kiss before leaving the kitchen, Ashton on my heels. As I came to the living room, everyone was talking to one another, smiling. Setting the food on the coffee table, I took a step back relaxing a little as Ashton wrapped and arm around my waist and pulling me to him.
“Everyone,” I said, first getting everyone’s attention. Once everyone’s eyes were on us, I froze, suddenly nervous. Biting my bottom lip, I looked up at Ash and he nodded down at me.
“We have some exciting news…Layla is pregnant,” Ashton said. We stood there in silence as everyone took in what he just said. The first person to say anything was Kacey who jumped up yelling.
“I told ya so! You owe me twenty bucks!” she said, yelling down at Nick, Alex, and Liam. I stared at her confused, but the sound of a sob made me turn my gaze to Ashton’s mother. She stood up and all but ran toward us, engulfing me in a huge hug.
“You’re pregnant! I’m going to be a grandma!” She practically sobbed. I’d never seen Clare like this, usually she was the calm one.
“Congratulations, son,” I heard Ashton’s father say to him, but I couldn’t see over Clare. “Honey, let go. She can’t breathe.” He pulled his wife off of me.
“Oh, honey, I am sorry. That can’t be good for the baby!”
“No, no, Clare, it’s okay,” I said, smiling at her. Kacey pushed her way through everyone before flying at me almost making me fall.
“You’re pregnant!” she yelled in my ear. She was hopping around while hugging the life out of me.
“Kacey, babe, she just said she is,” Nick said, coming up to us. He and Ashton did their man hug thing, with Nick congratulating him. When Kacey wouldn’t let me go, I looked over her shoulder to Nick for some help. He wrapped his arm around her waist and had to yank her off of me. “Babe, others want to hug her too,” he said to a squirming Kacey in his arms.
“Congrats, Layla,” Neena said, hugging me for a minute then stepping back.
“Thank you.” I beamed at her.
“Seriously, Lay, congrats. You’re going to make a great mom,” Liam said, coming up behind Neena and giving me a side hug. They moved on toward Ashton as Ariel and Alex came toward me.
“Layla!” Ariel exclaimed, enveloping me in a hug like everyone else. “You and my brother are going to make a gorgeous baby.” She pulled away from me so Alex could hug me.
“You guys really will,” Alex agreed, smiling at me.
“Thank you, guys!” Once everyone had hugged Ashton and I and said congrats, I turned to Kacey not having forgotten about her earlier outburst.
“Kacey what did you mean ‘You owe me twenty bucks’?” I asked.
“When you guys were on your honeymoon, I made a bet with the boys that you would be pregnant four months later, and I won, baby!” she yelled.
“You bet on us getting pregnant?” Ashton asked, looking at her and the boys.
“Hey, it’s not my fault! It was her idea!” Liam said, holding his hands out.
“What did you guys bet then?” I asked him, Alex, and Nick.
“Well, I said once you get back you’ll be pregnant,” Nick said. “Liam said in two months, and Alex bet six months. Kacey said four, the closest so she won twenty bucks from all of us.”
“You two didn’t bet?” I turned to Neena and Ariel.
“Well….” Neena started looking guilty. “I kind of went with Liam’s bet and Ariel went with Alex, so technically we did.” I shook my head at my friends. Of course, they would bet on us.
“I said five months,” John, Ashton’s father, butted in suddenly. I turned to him, mouth wide. Did everyone bet?
“Dad!” Ashton exclaimed.
“Sorry, son, I overheard these kids talking and decided to add in too,” he said with a shrug and a grin. Although Ashton’s father was in his fifties, he still acted like a twenty-year-old. So out of everyone here, Ashton’s mom was the only person who didn’t bet on us.
The rest of the day went by fairly quickly as Clare talked about everything we will need for the baby, and how she planned on decorating a room for it too. After John calmed her down from her baby high, we spent the rest of the day talking and visiting.
The next few months flew by in a blur as I worked, went to doctor’s appointments, and our new move. About a month or so into my pregnancy, Ashton came home from work saying we should get a house instead of raising the baby in an apartment. The idea of having an actual house was nice, since I was starting to think the same thing about raising a child here. With both of us on board with the idea, we started looking around at houses a little bit away from the city, but not too far where Ashton or I would have to commute too far to work. Two weeks later, a real-estate agent was showing us a gorgeous two-story with a big back yard that had a pool. It had four rooms and three and a half baths, so Ashton could have a home office. The moment I stepped through the front door, I knew this was the house. Ashton loved it too, so we put a bid on it and a two days later we got it. It was in a nice neighborhood where the people seemed nice.
A few weeks after we told everyone, somehow the newspaper and magazines caught wind I was pregnant, splashing the news on the front page. Some made up stuff about how the baby wasn’t Ashton’s, but some foreign guy’s. Of course, just like when me and Ashton got together, things slowly died down and more important news came up instead of the millionaire having a baby.
When I was eighteen weeks along, Ash and I went to our doctor’s appointment knowing we could see if we were having a boy or a girl. We had discussed not finding out and waiting until he/she was born, but as we drove to the doctor’s office, I decided, I wanted to know today. As the doctor took the ultrasound and we heard the heartbeat, I squeezed Ashton’s hand. Even though I had heard the heartbeat plenty of times, every time I did my heart would speed up. As the time came to know the sex, Ashton and I looked at one another before nodding; we wanted to know. We were having a little boy! Ashton was over the moon after finding out we were going to have a boy, and in his own words, “I will have a son to throw a football with and go to fishing!” I was just as excited as Ashton and couldn’t wait to see him.
Nearing the five-month mark, I really started to show and none of my clothes fit. Ashton found me one day crying in the middle of the closet, surrounded by clothes. I cried that none of them fit me and then when he said we can go shopping for new clothes, I got mad at him yelling that he thought I was fat. Yep, pregnancy hormones were in effect. Ashton, bless his heart, had been a good sport knowing what I was going through and not taking most of it to heart.
He had been great, especially when, at nine o’clock at night, I wanted chicken nuggets from McDonald’s, and he went straight out and got some. Whenever I craved something, he was there to help. I tried being helpful when I could, and when my hormones started to die down I bawled on him, apologizing for my behavior.
One night while Ashton was still at work, I was sitting on the couch when a thought entered my mind. What if I’m just like my parents? What if whatever made them hurt me seeped into me and I’d do that to my son? I was a bawling mess when Ashton got home, and I could barely tell him what was wrong when he asked. When I told him my fears of becoming like my parents, he gripped my chin in a tight grip, forcing me to stare into his blue eyes.
“You are nothing like your parents. You are not going to hurt your son because that is not you. Your parents were messed up; you’re not. Whatever happened to make them the way they were has nothing to do with you and it never will be. Layla, you are going to be a great mother,” he told me fiercely. I kissed him hard after that and hung onto him for dear life. I knew he was right, but the thoughts sometimes still entered my mind.
I finally only had less than a month left, and Ashton forced me to stop working and stay home. I spent most of my days reading pregnancy books, hanging out with Kacey when I could as well as Ashton’s mom, and eating. Everything was ready for when the baby came. His room was decorated, thanks to Clare, the walls a blue color, a crib in one corner, and a rocking chair in another. We had clothes from my baby shower in a dresser on one side, and toys in a basket on the other. By the front door we had a bag that had everything we would need whenever I went into labor, so we could just pick it up and be on our way to the hospital.
It was five and Ashton walked through the door as usual. I waddled over to him like a penguin, giving him a kiss on the lips.
“Something smells good,” he said, taking off his suit jacket and setting it on the back of the couch.
“Thanks, I just finished dinner,” I said, grinning and waddling back to the kitchen. I dished out the food on our plates and set them on the table. Ashton grabbed the silverware for me, and I reached up for the cups. Just as I extended my arm, I felt a flash of pain and wetness down my legs.
“Hey, honey, need some help with that?” Ashton asked from behind me. I turned with wide eyes to him.
“My water just broke.” In a split second, Ashton was right in front of me, his eyes wide.
“Wait, what? Are you sure?” he asked, his voice panicky.
“No, I just like to get myself wet on purpose,” I couldn’t help but say sarcastically. He rolled his eyes but reached for my arm.
“We have to get you to the hospital!” He gently led me out of the kitchen, not even bothering with our food on the table, and grabbed the bag. “We are going to have our baby.” He opened the door and turned to me.
“We are,” I said, my eyes tearing up. He leaned down and kissed me before leading me outside and to the car. In just minutes, we were flying down the road to the hospital with him calling everyone. This was it. I was going to have my son.
Three years later
“Luke, be careful!” I yelled at my three-year-old son while putting down the plate full of hamburgers on the table outside.
“Luke, I’m coming for you!!” Liam yelled, bounding after my son toward the pool. I shook my head at him but smiled. We were having everyone over for a barbecue today for my twenty-seventh birthday and Ashton’s twenty-ninth. Since we were born only a few weeks apart from one another, we decided to celebrate it together this year.
These past three years were the greatest years of my life so far. After giving birth to Luke on April nineteenth, everything in my life changed once again. I quit being Ashton’s PA and started working on writing my own book, which was now out and has sold over a million copies. Ashton still runs his father’s business, but lets a lot of the board members help so he could be home with me and Luke. About a year after having Luke, I found out I was pregnant again, this time with a girl, little miss Carter Miller. She was the light of my life.
“Mommy!” I heard Carter say my name. I turned and grinned as my husband walked toward me with my two-year-old daughter in his arms. Ashton didn’t like to admit it, but Carter had him wrapped around her little finger. Anything she wanted he did, even if that meant dressing up in a princess dress and having tea. He denied that he ever did that, but with the photo, I took it was hard to deny. While Luke looked exactly like his dad, Carter took a little more after me. Luke was more loud and outgoing, while Carter was a little more shy and reserved. Both of my kids had brown hair, but Luke had my gray eyes while Carter had Ashton’s bright blue ones. Both were going to be little heartbreakers just like their father was.
“Hey, baby.” I pulled her out of Ashton’s arms and into mine. “Did you help Daddy answer the door?”
“Ywes! Auntie Kay is here!” I kissed the top of her head before setting her down as she ran toward where Luke was wrestling Liam on the grass.
“Move, people! Fat pregnant woman coming through!” I heard Kacey before seeing her. I grinned as she wobbled over toward me. She was eight months pregnant with her second child, which they already named Elizabeth. Nick was right behind her, carrying their adorable two-year-old daughter, Macey, in his arms.
“Hey, Kay,” I said, giving her a hug. “How are you?”
“Ready to pop,” she replied but grinned at me. “Where’s my favorite nephew?” she called out.
“On the lawn tackling Liam.” I laughed. She made her way toward Luke as I hugged Nick.
“Macey!” I said, grabbing her as she reached out for me. She had light brown hair, a mix of Nick and Kacey’s hair color, and green eyes she got from her father. After I had Luke, Nick and Kacey got married and, not soon after, were pregnant with Macey. Only two months after I had Carter, Macey was born. Just as Carter had Ashton around her finger, so did Macey. Nick loved his daughter and did practically whatever she wanted. At the age of twenty-seven, Kacey was working as the head designer at Vogue and Nick still ran his multimillion-dollar technology business.
I only held Macey a few minutes before Carter came running over, wanting to play with her. Since they were the same age they were the best of friends, just like Kacey and me. I looked over and saw Kacey sitting next to Neena, who was holding her one-year-old son, Mason.
Neena and Liam got married later than Kacey and me. They got married two years ago and got pregnant with Mason a little while later. They were slower at starting a family besides me and Kacey. Their son Mason took after Liam so much it was almost uncanny. He had blonde hair and bright blue eyes, just like both parents. Neena didn’t work at Miller Industries; instead, now she worked with Ashton’s mother as a wedding designer, mostly designing wedding gowns. Liam now worked at Nick’s company, helping him come up with new gadgets every month or so.
Our doorbell rang again, so I went inside and opened it, revealing Alex, Ariel, and Ashton’s parents. After I gave Clare and John hugs, they went out back to say hi to everyone and their grandchildren. Wrapped in Ariel’s arms was their new born son, Zach. These two dated for two years before Alex finally proposed and they got married. They just barely had their first child three months ago.
“Hey guys,” I said, smiling down as Zach looked up at me. Even though he was only three months old, he looked just like Alex. “Everyone’s out back,” I said, gesturing behind me. As they walked outside with everyone else, I shut the front door and followed.
I stood in the doorway watching as Nick picked up Luke, throwing him into the pool. Carter was off in the grass with Macey, playing with their dolls and having a good time. Neena and Kacey stood around Ariel, looking at Zach and making faces at him. John sat at the table talking to Liam and Alex, while Clare played with Mason. And my husband stood beside the pool, grinning over at Luke and egging him on to get Nick in the water.
I smiled as I looked at everyone having a great time. When I was younger, I wanted a family just like this and now I had one. I had two amazing children and an equally amazing husband who stood by my side. I had two great in-laws, three best girlfriends, and three guy friends who had come to mean everything to me. This was everything I had ever wanted since I was little.
“What are you thinking about, babe?” Ashton’s asked as he stepped in front of me, winding his arms around my waist as I wrapped mine around his neck.
“I’m thinking about how perfect my life is. This is everything I have ever wanted.”
“Me too. You are everything I have ever wanted.” He leaned down and kissed me. I kissed him back then turned us around, leaning against him.
I stared out to my backyard, smiling at everyone I love and knowing my life had turned out exactly how I wanted it, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.
THE END