They stand outside, the wood from the rail cutting into her hip as she leans against it, thinking through her options. She hears her friends behind her. Jennifer's laughter barely breaking into her thinking. Nathan's shy smile as he watches the two flirt back and forth happily. She doesn't remember her past fully, the girl they tell her she was but she loves the man in front of her and she doesn't want to risk that. He's so good to James and it's hard for her when he tells her it's because it's his son, but she tries not to question it. "Nathan," she speaks and his eyes find hers, the slight crinkle to his skin warming her heart.
She absently twirls the ring on her finger, wondering if his reaction will be elated. She hasn't even known for that long, maybe a week or two. It's only been a few months since he proposed over pancakes; that memory alone makes her smile. James is walking now, going to daycare, at least they would just be a few years apart. His hands covers hers, stopping her fiddling. "I'm pregnant." It comes out as more of a stutter and his smile seems warmer. He pulls her close, enveloping her in a hug and she holds tight to him.
"Do you think it's a boy?" He whispers in her ear and she has to fight the giddy bubble of laughter threatening to release her tears? How could she even believe he'd be mad about this?
She curls her fingers into the soft cotton of his shirt and pulls back to look into his eyes, "You think it's good then?" The happiness radiating from his eyes is answer enough but the soft yes and the comforting pressure on her lips is even better.
He watches her with questioning eyes as she brings the cup to her lips, daring him to say a thing. "Paige, should you really be drinking coffee right now?" Nathan leans against the car door, waiting for his fiancée to answer as she quirks her eyebrow in return. Her brunette hair ruffling in the wind as she comes to stand in front of him, her shirt curving over her stomach just enough to hint as to why she shouldn't be drinking another cup of coffee.
His hand tries to snake around the cup but she holds it strong. "Paige, you know you shouldn't drink coffee in your condition."
She holds it closer to her chest, shooting him a look, dancing away from him. "It's decaf." She defends, "besides what's the worst it can do?" She rests her other hand on her stomach, cradling their firstborn... in a way.
"It can cause premature birth, miscarriages, a bunch of- Paige, just give me the damn coffee." He says, full of worry, running a hand through his hair. She wonders how she ever doubted that James wasn't his. It took awhile for the memories to return and she still doesn't have them all... maybe she never would. but she remembers her time as Sarah, Nathan smiling at her on the beach. She still teases him about it.
"It might be our kid but this is my drink." She shoots at him, sticking her tongue out as she goes for the passenger door. They would be late in picking up James at this rate.
"It is our kid and you are my wife," He shoots back, sliding into the driver's side seat.
"No," She says, "the pregnancy book says I can have up to two cups a day." She dares not to put it in the cup holder between them. "This is my first and it's decaf." Nathan sighs as he lets her have this battle because he knows he won't win.
"Paige!" He calls up the stairs of the bar, wondering where his wife had wandered off to. "Paige!" He calls again, walking around the outside of the bar ready to hang his head in defeat. She had told him that the barn was deactivated now, that it and the troubles were no longer a problem to any of them but... he sighs, running a hand down his face. When he opens his eyes again, he sees her walking toward him, her hand holding Jame's, her eyes echoing annoyance.
"Go to your dad," she says, repositioning her hands to support her full stomach.
James runs to him, full of giggles as he totters on his unstable feet. "You yelled for me?" She asks, her quizzical look making all his worry disappear as he scoops up James. He smiles as he walks up to her, her annoyed look already fading as she lets his free arm rope around her waist, "I was worried." He says quietly, leaning down for a quick kiss, before letting her go and taking their son to car so they could go home.
"I was moving the last box to the bronco when Duke brought James back from the boat." She crosses her arms across her chest, daring him to scold her for lifting boxes in her condition but he wouldn't dare.
He buckles in their son as she slides into her seat with a huff. "Nathan," Her voice really quiet, "Do you think anything bad will happen to the baby?" Her hands rub across her stomach, she won't look at him.
His voice is just as quiet. "What do you mean?"
Paige can't bring herself to meet his eyes and she continues to caress their baby, who has barely a month left before it meets the world. "Well, James... James was targeted or something and now we're having another baby and I can't help but worry if it will suffer the same fate." She voice trembles, "I can't help it." Nathan reaches across the seats to wrap his trembling wife in his arms, holding her close as her worries settle.
"It's all over now, Paige. They won't hurt any of us anymore." She clings to him. It's all she can do.
"It's so striking." Jennifer smiles at the little girl being chased by Paige around the yard.
"Trust me, I know," Nathan smiles as he watches his wife catch their little girl around the waist, giggles and screams thrown into the air as James, now four, chases too.
"Two years," Duke whistles as he comes to stand beside Jennifer, her hand already wrapping around his. "It's still weird to me, you know? I've know you since school years and now you have a wife and two kids, the white picket fence..." He trails off but Nathan understands him. It was strange in a way, something they never imagined. Hell, they were even friends now.
"Don't sell yourself short, Duke." Nathan cracks back as his little girl runs up to him.
"Daddy, daddy! Up! Up!" He loops his arms under her tiny ones and propels her upwards, raising her onto his shoulders.
"Where's Mommy and James?" He asks as she giggles, her hands resting on his head as she watches the town of Haven from her perch.
"Mommy said to go to daddy," she tells him in her broken words. He looks around the year, the park vast and empty.
Duke's hand touches his back. "I'm sure she's fine. We've had no troubles for a long time." He says but no matter how much they know it, it still scares them. They remember it so clearly, even Paige. She knows more than any of them, knows that the troubles are gone for good and even she worries.
"Daddy, where did mommy go?" his daughter asks as he takes her down, handing her off the Jennifer.
"Can you take her for a bit?" She nods. "I'll be back soon, baby. Stay with Aunt Jen," He places a kiss on her head and runs down the road. They weren't far from the beach and knowing Paige, Audrey, Sarah and their affinity for the beach, she would be there.
He jogs for a bit before coming up to the beach where his dad died, where he told her that he could feel her, where they found out she was a reincarnation, and where she was standing now looking out to the sea, Jame's hand in hers falling her pointing finger, his smile relaxing his tensed father.
He breathes a sigh of relief. "Paige!" He yells out, rushing toward his wife, his arms wrapping around her instinctively as James stares up at her. Her hands make comforting circles across his back and he breathes her in. "Don't do that," he begs.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think," she replies and he pulls back, looking at her clear eyes and the purple beanie holding her hair down from the wind. "He wanted to see my favorite place." She explains and Nathan sweeps his thumb across her cheek, looking down at their son.
She repeats his motion and he fond her face again as she rises on her tiptoes, her lips pressing into his. "I'm never leaving you," she mumbles against his lips and it's the first time he's ever believed that the troubles would never come again.