Mira
It was our one-year anniversary, something that flew up on us before we even had time to think about it. After the end of the show, we lived in Los Angeles for another month, and then headed out to Indiana to begin our new lives. My mother had been more than ecstatic to get out of Los Angeles, telling me that she had dreamed of small-town life since she was a girl. She wanted her new life, complete with her new health, to be somewhere she could actually participate and enjoy it. She didn’t want to have to work two jobs to afford the California prices, and she wanted to make some friends, have them over for coffee, and just be a normal person for a while. She loved the idea of coming to our home for dinners and being there for me through anything I needed. I loved that idea too, and she’d really helped me get excited.
When we had arrived in Indiana, we got busy and completely renovated the house, not that it was too bad to begin with. We picked out furniture together, remodeled the kitchen, and made the place super comfy. Ryan even had the fireplace refurbished so in the winter I could have that fire I’d always dreamed about. By the time we were done, it was time to celebrate our first anniversary. Harrison and Evelyn had flown out to visit and to wrap up our section of the show. They were ramping up to film the next season, and even had the new cast picked out. The whole thing had turned out to be a colossal hit. The media was all over it, but we managed to keep a low profile out there in Indiana. It was strange being a local celebrity, but I was glad for the new season to start so they would take the spotlight away from us. We were happy with a quiet life, and Ryan was more than glad to go back to being a man of few words, except around me of course, because I demanded communication.
“So, we are so glad to be here with you,” Evelyn said, with Harrison nodding. “And we’re excited that you decided to do this update with us. It’ll be great for the new season starter. I know that has been a long few days, but this is our last day for filming and then I promise we’ll get out of your hair.”
“It hasn’t been that bad,” I smiled. “We just got so used to it when we lived there, it was like old times, minus the fighting and the drama, of course.”
“Today is Ryan’s day off, and your mom is coming over for dinner,” Evelyn read from her paper.
“And Miles, but he’s always late,” I chuckled.
“Okay,” she nodded. “This will be perfect. We got footage of Ryan’s new shops. He sure got them opened in a hurry.”
“It’s amazing what you can do when you have the money,” I smiled. “Plus, since he’d been dreaming of them for years, he already knew just what he wanted.”
Ryan had busted his butt between remodeling and getting my mom set up, and quickly got two new shops set up, opened and staffed. They were all within a twenty-mile radius and he had scheduled himself at a different one every other week. He liked to get his hands dirty, to work on the cars himself and develop relationships with his clientele. The show had definitely helped to give his business some recognition, and now with the update episode he would probably find himself lost in all the people who would be swarming the place. It was good though, he deserved it, especially after all the work he’d put into building up the first shop, before I’d ever met him.
“We also got some really good stuff of you, starting your first class at the college,” she winked. “And quality time with you and your mom. I have to say, Mira, Carolyn is amazing. She looks like she never had any health scares at all, and her recovery has been nothing short of insane. I’m so glad that it all turned out so good, and I know the viewers will be happy to see her so vibrant and doing well.”
We went over the itinerary a little longer, and then Evelyn stood behind the camera with Harrison. We just went about our day preparing for my mother’s arrival and dinner that night. I put the chicken in the oven and wiped my hands off, opening the fridge and smiling at the door.
“Honey, can you bring the paper in when you come back?” Ryan yelled.
“Sure, sweetie,” I replied, grabbing the paper and walking out into the living room.
I handed it to him and he kissed me on the cheek, sitting down at the table. I walked over to the couch and sat down next to my mom, nerves bubbling up in my stomach. My mom turned her head to the side and squinted at me, knowing me too well to not see something was going on.
“So, how is that new club you joined?” I changed the subject before she could ask me anything.
“It’s fantastic,” she said. “We do food drives, soup kitchen help, and we even go over to the senior center and visit some of the older folks. Though I may find myself there sooner than later.”
“What? You’re only sixty, it’s the new forty,” I said, as I laughed and rubbed her leg. “Besides, you don’t look a day over fifty.”
“Well, thank you,” she smiled. “I think when you reach a certain level of stress in your life the aging process reverses itself. I got old and then I got young again. It was magical really.”
“Ladies, I’m grabbing a soda. Anything for you?”
“No thank you, Ryan,” my mom said.
“Actually, there’s a plastic bottle on the top shelf of the fridge, could you grab that for me?”
“Sure,” he smiled.
Ryan walked into the kitchen and I could see him at the fridge. He grabbed a soda from the shelf and almost forgot the bottle. Then he opened the fridge back up and grabbed the plastic bottle, not even looking at what it was. He walked back out to the living room and finally looked down at his hands. He stopped and held the baby bottle filled with milk up in the air. On the bottle there was a sticky note that read, ‘For Daddy,’ on it. His mouth dropped open and my mom turned around, trying to see what I was smiling at. She froze and covered her mouth in excitement.
“Are you — are you pregnant?” Ryan asked, walking forward and standing me up off the couch.
“Yes,” I said, excitedly. “I’m pregnant. Surprise!”
“Are you serious?” he said, laughing happily.
“Dead serious,” I said. “I had my suspicions that I was pregnant the same day that Evelyn asked to come down and do a follow up, so I planned the whole thing to put this in and surprise everyone at the same time, even the people who will be watching. I mean, they did watch the whole first half of our relationship, so I figured they deserved to be in on this, too.”
“Oh my God,” Ryan said, with tears in his eyes. “This is the most incredible news I’ve ever heard. Come here.”
He stepped forward and picked me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. He cupped his hands around the back of my neck and pressed his lips against mine. We were going to be parents, two people who loved each other more than anything, and we were now going to get to share that love with someone else. He leaned back and looked into my eyes, shaking his head.
“You are so amazing, Mira,” he said. “I love you so much.”
“You better,” I joked. “I’m gonna be your baby momma.”
“Mmm, the sexiest one ever,” he chuckled, kissing me again.
He set me back down on the floor and I turned to my mother, who was standing there holding the bottle. She looked up at me with tears streaming down her face and opened her arms, hugging me tightly.
“I am so excited,” she whispered. “Not so long ago, I thought I would gone before this day came for you. I thought I would never hold a little grandbaby in my arms, but because of this amazing man you married, not only will I get to do that, but I will get to do it with energy and excitement.”
“Oh Mom,” I cried out, hugging her. “I love you, Grandma.”
She giggled, hugging me again and pulling back to have a look down at my tummy. She pressed her hand against my belly and closed her eyes with a smile on her face. I put my hand over hers, and Ryan leaned over my shoulder, kissing me on the cheek.
“I can’t even tell you how proud I am to have the two of you, two strong, beautiful, intelligent women here to help me raise this child,” Ryan said. “I have been blessed beyond all measure. I can’t believe I’m going to be a father.”
He laughed and stood up, turning to the camera. “I’m going to be a dad!”
“And cut,” Evelyn said.
Harrison turned off the camera and I was pretty sure I watched him wipe a tear from the corner of his eye. He caught me watching him, my eyebrow raised. He smiled and shrugged his shoulder, coming over and hugging me tightly. He turned to Ryan and nodded, Ryan doing the same, which was all the communication the two of them had ever needed. Evelyn shrieked, clapping her hands over and over and running to Ryan, pulling him in for a hug. I laughed to myself watching him hug her back before she turned and squeezed me as well.
“I am so excited for the two of you,” Evelyn said. “You both deserve the happiest of lives together. And you, Ms. Mira, thank you for being sneaky and throwing that into this follow-up episode. It’s going to be a huge crowd pleaser. The ratings are gonna be—”
“Through the roof,” Ryan and I said in unison.
“Exactly,” she said, laughing.
“You will stay for a bit and celebrate, right?” I asked Evelyn.
“I’d love to,” she smiled. “We don’t catch our flight for hours anyway. Right, Harrison?”
He just nodded, making me giggle.
We spent the evening talking and laughing, eating some appetizers and gabbing excitedly about the new adventure we were about to step into. Parenthood. I knew it wouldn’t always be easy, but I knew with Ryan by my side we could do anything. Evelyn wanted to come back in a year and have an update from us, showing the world the new baby, and while Ryan was a bit apprehensive, already showing his nervous dad side, I thought it would be a wonderful idea. Besides, we would get to celebrate with the people who had really made all of it possible for us. Just then Miles came bursting through the door with a case of beer and a smile.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said, running over and hugging my mother, who he had grown very fond of since Los Angeles. “Did I miss anything good?”
“You want to tell him?” I asked, looking over at Ryan.
“Tell me what?” he said, excitedly.
“We signed you up for next season,” Ryan smiled.
“Wh—” he started to bluster, his jaw slack.
“I’m just kidding,” Ryan laughed. “Actually, the news is, I’m going to be a dad.”
“Oh my God! What?! You?” He put the case of beer down and ran over to Ryan, almost jumping into his arms, hugging him tightly.
“Congratulations! Man, you are going to be the best father ever.”
He walked over to me and put his hands on my cheeks, smiling as he leaned in and kissed me on the forehead.
“And you are going to be Uncle Miles,” I said, with a smile.
“That has a definite ring to it,” he grinned. “I’m honored as hell.”
I smiled and stood back watching the people in my life, so thankful for everything that had happened. It was wild, unexpected, and definitely a shock, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I finally got my happily ever after, and there was so much more to come.
***
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