Sadie and Murphy heard the cars before we did, but the spinning and barking at the door clued us in. I stopped playing and Cori pulled her head off my shoulder. Jovie closed her laptop and stretched before pulling Lydia off the couch. The poor woman was going to be pregnant forever. Three days until her due date and nothing indicated the baby was ready to come. Harriet closed her book and ran to open the door before they made it up the walk. Her long skirt flowed behind her, swirling around her ankles as she stopped. Men poured in the house, greeting the dogs and I went to open the French doors and whistled. Both dogs froze and raced to the door, skidding across the hardwood out to the dark yard.

“You gents have fun?” Cori let Griff pull her up and he grabbed her ass to kiss her.

“Yeah,” Griffin leaned down to whisper in her ear and she shook her head laughing, “Mere, need a ride?” Beck was leaned against the doorway with the stairs behind him, shaking his head, looking too sexy.

“I got her, you guys get home. Enjoy being kid free,” Beck winked at Cori and Griffin growled like an animal. Beck didn’t mean it, but Griffin did not take anything lightly where my sister was concerned, “Come here, Doll.” I hugged Cori and followed Beck’s directions. Briggs and Harriet disappeared upstairs and everyone trickled out behind Cori and Griffin, leaving us alone.

“Was it terrible hanging out with other cavemen for a while?” I stood on my toes to kiss his chin and he slid his arm around my waist.

“Nah, it wasn’t so bad. Text Cori later and tell her you won’t be home.” He kissed down my cheek to my neck, and I tipped my head to give him better access.

“Bossy tonight?” He made it to my shoulder, then nibbled a path back up. I only got a nod and he squeezed me tighter, “You okay?” Then he shook his head, “What happened?” He kissed under my ear, “Beck?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I pushed him back and glared, “Don’t worry about it, Doll,” He tried to make me drop it with that sexy smirk and an ass grab, but I pushed him back and narrowed my eyes until he gave up, “Dennis was magically at the bar. Put me in a shit mood,” He pulled me back to him and inhaled along my neck, “Your smell makes me want to eat you.” I ran my nails down his arms. That sounded wonderful.

“Is Dennis why you text me?” Beck nodded and we started toward the steps, “Beck, please don’t try to distract me with sex. If this is bothering you, I’ll listen.” We made it to the second floor before he started unbuttoning his shirt, smiling. When I stopped to cross my arms and pout, Beck threw me over his shoulder, and charged up the stairs. I squealed and beat on his back, but it was no use.

Beck tossed me on the bed and I yelped, “Tell me you won’t leave me,” His pants hit the ground, and he yanked my shirt roughly over my head. When I didn’t answer, he tried again, “Tell me you’re mine, Doll.”

Beck tugged the button of my jeans, and pushed them down my hips, obviously in a hurry to get us both naked. He froze when I touched his face, “Beck, why would I leave you? We’re just getting started,” I kicked my jeans off and pulled him to lie down with me, “What happened?”

“I just need to hear it,” He climbed on top of me, gently pinning my arms over my head and kissed down from wrist to elbow, then to my shoulder, “I need to know that even if that bastard comes down here for you, that you’re mine.”

My mouth went dry and I pulled my hands out of his grip to shove at him, “Why would you ask me that?” My voice hit this weird pitch I didn’t recognize, “What is going on, Beck?”

I wiggled out from under him, suddenly not able to breathe, “Nothing, Doll. I… just got in my own head is all.” Beck pulled me into his chest.

“I’m not going back to Zeke, for any reason, and trust me, he wouldn’t want me anyway. I’m yours, Beck. It’s weird and too fast, but I’m yours,” I nuzzled into him and he dropped us back on the bed so I was laying on his chest, “Okay?” I rested my chin on his chest and looked up at him. I got a single nod and he pulled me back down on him.

“I can’t lose you, Doll,” He whispered in my hair, “I’m sorry.” I slid to the side and wrapped the blanket around us. We laid like that, in silence for a while. Beck stared at the ceiling, I listened to his heartbeat, and the clock on the nightstand ticked away the time, “Do you want me to take you home?”

“I get a choice now?” I said it teasingly, but Beck tensed.

“You have a choice, I just hope you choose me.” He rubbed circles on my back, smelling my hair.

“I have no idea why you want me and my baggage, but I’ll always pick you. I’ve started liking you a little bit,” I kissed his chest and he chuckled, “I need to keep insulin over here if I’m staying a lot though.”

“I can put a mini fridge up here, and you can stay forever. I told you the other night, whenever you get tired of disapproving looks, I’m all about marrying you.” His voice slowed down.

“You’re crazy.” I closed my eyes and settled in. Beck was getting into the bad habit of talking about marriage when he got tired. It was too soon to spend the night with him, too soon to think about moving in, or mini fridges, or getting married, but I could see myself spending forever like that. Me and Beck. In a few months, it wouldn’t be me and Beck, it would be me, Beck, and the baby.

* * *

I listened, sort of, while Mom and Dad lectured me, I had heard it all before, but Beck was different. No matter how right they had been about Zeke, they were just as wrong about Beck. Speaking of Beck, he was calling for the third time to ask how it was going, or tell me happy birthday, or see how I was feeling. He didn’t get to cook me breakfast, so was trying to make up for it with borderline creepiness. My twenty-first birthday was starting off fabulous. I woke up to my mom calling at six in the morning, and when she heard Beck ask who the hell was waking us up, she may have freaked out. Cori picked me up thirty minutes later and we went to ‘Casa De La Wallace’ at my mother’s insistence. Mom laid into me and Cori before we even made it through the door. I woke up a little dizzy and with a headache that was only getting worse.

“Meredith Kate, are you listening?” I pulled my head out of my hands to see Mom yelling and Dad smoking his pipe behind her. Cori was next to me, hand on my lower back in sisterly solidarity.

“Yes, Mom.” I put my head back in my hands when the light got too bright for my headache to handle. Stupid pregnancy migraines.

“Then are you going to answer me? I want to know why you are doing this again.” Mom yelled and my eardrums felt like bursting.

“Look, Mom, I know I’ve said some terrible things about Beck, but the guy is different now, really.” Cori tried to back me up, but Mom just threw her hands in the air, looking to Dad for back up. Dad only shrugged, then winked at me. It was like I was five getting caught stealing cookies before dinner.

“What does the man even want with a twenty-one-year-old pregnant girl?” Mom threw herself dramatically in the recliner just as my phone rang. Answering the phone was better than answering Mom.

“Hello?” I couldn’t tell if my speech was weird or if my ears were ringing.

“Hey, Doll,” Beck’s voice was too loud, “You okay? You didn’t answer.”

“Fine, just getting yelled at and have a migraine,” I sighed, “What’s going on?”

“You still dizzy? Do you need to eat? Have you checked your sugar?” Beck suddenly sounded panicked.

“Yeah, earlier, I think it’s just a migraine. Are you guys still coming over tonight? Then you can take some of this screaming for me,” I glared at Mom when I said it, “You know, share the love.”

“I’ll be there, Doll. I got you something, and if it would help, tell Momma Bear I plan on marrying you and keeping you forever.” The smile in his voice calmed my irritation about everything. Since our first date, Beck managed to work in some conversation about marriage every single day. I was starting to think he was serious.

“You can tell her that later. Bye, Beck.”

“Bye, Doll.” I tossed my phone down on the table and waited for Mom to start again. I understood her issues, I really did, but I couldn’t handle all the yelling. I fucked up, I made bad choices, and no one trusted me not to up and leave again.

Griffin appeared and Mom started on him, “How long have you known this man Meredith is with?”

He rubbed his beard, “Since we were eight or nine, I think. Forever.” Griffin sighed, “Look, Margo, Beck and I have had our issues. The guy spent a long time being a first-class douche, but he’s sober. He’s not the same, and you know I don’t sugarcoat shit. If I thought Beck was still having problems, I’d tell you. Meredith is mine too, and I wouldn’t let the fucker in my house if I didn’t trust him.” Griff dropped a tattooed hand on Cori’s shoulder. He had let Beck in the house, several times, and even let us watch the girls.

“Every one of you has gone crazy, but I’m outnumbered and will shut up now. It’s your birthday and we’ll go to Cori’s to celebrate without making a scene, but don’t you dare expect me to not question the man. I’m your mother and I want answers.” Mom shoved up and stormed past Dad to the back bedroom, slamming the door. I rubbed my forehead.

“What is this Beck fella telling her later?” Dad took Mom’s seat, speaking for the first time.

I felt my face heat up, “I told him I hated the looks I got when people asked about the baby and saw I wasn’t married,” I waved my left hand to prove my point, “Beck keeps telling me we should get married. It’s a joke to make me feel better.”

Dad winked at me, “Men don’t joke about marriage, baby girl.God, don’t tell your mother yet,” I leaned back into Cori and closed my eyes, “Did he call to check on you?” I peeked at Dad taking a puff of his pipe and nodded, “What did he say?”

“I was a little dizzy when I left, and my head hurts. He asked if I checked my glucose. That’s all.” I closed my eyes again and let Cori pet me.

“Did you check it?” Griffin spoke up and I shook my head, “Damn it, Mere. Do it now.” I shook my head and leaned harder into my sister. My head started spinning and I went back to the day I passed out in Beck’s lap. I heard voices, but my eyes opening meant the ground tilted. This is bad.

“Maybe I should check it. I don’t feel right,” I shook my head a little, “My kit is at Beck’s.” I leaned back again and listened to Cori talk to Griffin, or maybe Dad. Maybe Mom was there. I felt like I was falling asleep, not passing out, but the result was the same thing, and I drifted off.

I skidded up on the curb in front of the address Cori gave me, half scared, half pissed as hell. Why they thought calling me for her monitor was a better idea than taking her to the ER was completely out of my grasp. The people obviously had no business taking care of my woman. I jogged up the steps to the door and knocked. It swung open immediately and the world’s dumbest conversation hit me.

“Is this normal? To just faint?” Margo Wallace asked softly. Of fucking course not.

“She needs to go to the hospital! Why are we even talking about it?” Cori screeched at whoever was listening. At least one person is sensible.

“I’m sitting right here, Cori, I called my doctor. She’s good about calling back.” Meredith’s voice sounded off, “I didn’t faint.”

“I think you should go now, baby girl. Just get checked out to be safe.” A man’s voice came down and my jaw ticked. Griffin gestured up the steps and I ran up to find both of her parents, her sister and her in the living room. Thankfully the man calling her ‘baby girl’ had given her life, so I didn’t have to kill him.

I wasn’t going to take no for answer, not when her health and the baby’s was at stake, so I didn’t even ask, or acknowledge the others in the room, “Let’s go, Doll.” Her mom made some argument about me being there, but I didn’t give a shit. Fuck ‘em all for not rushing her to the ER.

“Oh, who called Beck to tell on me?” Meredith crossed her arms and checked her phone. Her face and lips were pale and her eyes seemed dull, “I’m fine now, it was just a spike and now I’m fine. My head doesn’t even hurt.”

I crouched in front of her, “I’m taking you to the ER. You gonna walk, or am I gonna carry you? I don’t care either way,” her green eyes narrowed, but she stood up, “We’re going to St. Mary’s. You can meet us there if you want.” I put my arm around her and kissed her head, leading her from the house.

“I hate you,” Meredith grumbled at my shoulder and I led her down the stairs, out the front door and into my car, “You don’t have to do this, Beck.”

I ran around the hood and hopped in, turning the key over, “Yes, Doll, I do have to, and I love you even when you hate me.” I peeled out from the curb and started toward the hospital. She tried to argue, telling me she felt fine, she didn’t need to go to the ER, her doctor would call, but her ass was going. Being pregnant meant everything was a higher risk and it wasn’t a risk I wanted to take. I suffered through her arguments, parked in the emergency lot, and ran around to open her door. I got the most pissed off look when I offered her my hand, but she took it and let me lead her up the sidewalk.

I hung back, let her check in, and tried not to be overbearing. It was a feat of self-control for sure. Meredith walked back to me and burrowed into my chest, “Just get checked out, Doll. Then we’ll go celebrate.” She nodded and sniffled.

“You left work.” Meredith looked up at me, blinking back tears.

“Yeah, in a hurry. You passed out, again. Stop taking this lightly. I’m pissed they called me instead of calling an ambulance,” She rolled her eyes, “Humor me, Doll.” Meredith grumbled about hating me and they called her name, pushing a wheelchair toward us.

The nurse gestured for her to sit and she shot me another glare, throwing herself in the chair, “Tell me what happened, Miss Wallace,” The nurse started pushing her toward the back and I followed. Meredith’s panicked eyes darted back to me, telling me not to leave her alone, “I’m sorry, sir, are you family?”

“He’s-”

“Her husband. Tell her what happened, Mere.” I used my professional commanding voice and straightened my tie, following swiftly behind them. I winked at Meredith before she started the story about her morning. She did check her sugar before leaving my house, took her insulin on time, and had eaten well for breakfast. According to Meredith, the episode at her parent’s was like when she fainted on my lap. We got her to triage, moved her to the bed and the nurse handed her a gown, saying she was going to get the equipment for her vitals, “She’s also pregnant, fifteen weeks.” Meredith shot me yet another glare, but I winked.

The nurse scurried out, closing us in with a curtain. I sat next to her on the bed, handing her the gown, “Stop looking so pissed. This is quickest way to get you checked out.” I pushed the gown at her again and she stripped, handing me her clothes to fold while I tried to focus through her gorgeous state of undress. Meredith dropped back on the bed just as the nurse came back with a cart of supplies. I held her hand, playing the dutiful husband, while they took a vial of blood, checked her temperature and her blood pressure, saying everything looked good so far.

“Lie back, so we can check on this baby,” Meredith did as she was told, not looking at me, “The doctor will be in to talk to you in a moment.” I watched with my complete attention while the nurse took a box attached to a small rounded stick and squirted gel on the end of the stick. Meredith gathered the gown up, lifting it over her stomach and I pulled the sheet over her bare legs. Meredith tried to pull away, but I tugged her hand to me, kissing the back. The nurse put the stick on the growing bump of her lower stomach and the box made a static feedback noise. After moving it around a few times the nurse stopped and the steady rhythm was loud and clear.

I closed my eyes, listening to the sound, and licked my dry lips, “It sounds like a washing machine,” I laughed. Meredith stared up at me, tears in her eyes, “All good?” I cleared my throat.

“A healthy one-thirty-eight,” She stood up and wiped the gel from the contraption, “The doctor will be right in.” I nodded, Meredith mumbled a thank you, and the nurse left.

I kissed the back of her hand and watched Meredith clean the gel from her stomach. She covered herself and leaned back, glancing over at me curiously, “That was incredible.”

“Cool, huh? Dopplers are neat.” Meredith pulled her eyes back down to her lap, picking at the gown.

“Not the machine, hearing the baby,” I slid my free hand to her stomach, resting it over where the heartbeat was. Meredith shifted uncomfortably and picked up my hand, “Stop pushing me away, Doll. Why do you keep doing that?”

“This isn’t your baby, Beck. None of this is your responsibility. Don’t get me wrong, I’m having fun, but this can’t work long-term. You say you want it, but what happens when you don’t? It took me all of a day to fall madly and stupidly in love with you while I’m having someone else’s baby. It’s all fun and cute now, but what about when I’m in labor, up at two in the morning, or have a sick kid?” She took a shaky breath, “And you keep saying you want this, but this is a lot, Beck, and I know you can stay sober, it’s not that, it’s you realizing you don’t want to raise a baby that isn’t yours,” At some point the tears started and it broke my heart, “If I don’t push you away, you’re going to destroy me and not even mean to.” I crawled up in the bed with her and let her burrow into me.

“Meredith, I need you to listen,” I stroked her hair, “I’m not arguing this with you again. You are mine. The only way for me to prove it is to just do it, so I will. I’m thirty-two, Doll, and like you said I fucked up, but I’m not a fucking child, so stop telling me what I want,” she laughed a little, “I know everything is so fucked up right now, you can’t seem to catch a break, but if you give me some of these issues, I can handle it. I want this so bad. So, you keep pushing, and I’ll just keep pulling you back, and eventually, you’ll see.”

Before Meredith could answer, a doctor poked his head in, “Oh, do you need a moment?”

Meredith shook her head, wiped her eyes, and sat up, “No, sorry, today just scared me.”

“Very understandable. So, I understand you had a fainting episode. With diabetes, pregnancy, and all the changes happening to your body makes glucose regulation very difficult. Sometimes it’s too high, other times it bottoms out, and it doesn’t matter that you have done everything right. Everything looks fine as far as vitals and such, but you are going to need to test more frequently, and possibly change dosing a little. Any sign of a headache or dizziness, and you need to check your levels again. Your A1C is pretty unstable I’m guessing, but it’s not unmanageable and once you deliver, I would highly recommend a pump,” The doctor took a breath and Meredith nodded, “Now, you need to follow up with the OB as soon as possible. I also don’t recommend driving for the next few hours, or showering alone. And if you feel like this again, definitely don’t get behind the wheel. A fall or an accident would make the problems worse. I’ll get your papers together.” Well, that was quick.

“Thank you,” Meredith whispered as the doctor left us alone again. I kissed her temple, “I told you this is a mess, Beck. A big ugly mess, and I don’t want you dragged into it.”

“You’re my mess, now get that ugly gown off and let’s get back to your birthday celebration.” Meredith rolled her eyes, but did what I said and kissed me as soon as she was dressed. Eventually, she would learn that pushing me away was pointless.