Lauren sat on the porch steps, sighing to herself. It had only been a few weeks since her and Raylan decided to take a break, and she was already depressed. A life without Raylan was killing her slowly. She had become so attached to him over time, and not having him there, broke her heart.
A familiar voice approaced, and Lauren's head sprung up. There he was, talking on his cell phone as he walked past the gate. Lauren sprung off the steps and ran over to the gate, unlocking it so she could get out. "Raylan!" She called after him, letting a smile creep on her face.
Raylan shook his head and kept walking. He wanted to talk to her, but the whole 'taking a break' issue got in his way. He wanted to give her space, no matter how much it hurt him inside. Pretending he never heard anything, he began his conersation again. A sad expression took over Lauren's face as she looked at the ground. He didn't want to talk to her, how was that possible? The two used to be closer than anybody around them. The loved they shared for each other, was stronger than everyone elses. And now it was getting thrown away? Lauren couldn't let that happen.
In an attempt to gain his attention, Lauren placed her hands on her lips, getting ready to say something she might regret. "Raylan, i'm pregnant!" She called after him once more. A shocked expression formed over Raylan's face, as he hung up the cell. "You're what?" He asked, almost whispering. There was no way Lauren could be pregnant, or he didn't think there was. "I'm pregnant with your child, Raylan." Lauren let out a sigh, as she watched the man turn to face her. His expression scared the hell out of her, she didn't know what he was thinking.
"Baby? You? Pregnant? How?" He mumbled to himself, walking over to Lauren. "You're really pregnant?" He asked, trying to grasp everything. The questioned earned a nod from Lauren. "Yes." She whispered, letting her smile return. Since the day she found out, she had been jumping for joy. Her and Raylan had always wanted a child, and now they were finally having one, nothing could be better.
"We're having a baby." He said, letting his hand rest on Lauren's stomach. A smile formed over his lips, as the idea finally sunk in. Him a father? He never thought it was going to happen. He never thought that he's be blessed enough to take care of a baby, but he was obviously wrong. "We're going to be parents, Lauren!" Raylan exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her. "We have to do this right." He said, kissing her forehead. "What?" Lauren asked, raising her brow. What could he possibly be talking about?
Letting go of Lauren, he looked down at her with an expression that could only resemble on thing; nervousness. "Lauren, since day one, i've loved you. You are truly the best thing to ever happen to me, and when I found out you married Matt, it crushed me. I was supposed to be the one you marry, not him. I was supposed to be the one you love, not some ivy league asshole." A sigh escaped his lips as he adjusted his hat. "We're having a child now, and I want things between us to change. Call me selfish, but I want us again. I want you to be with me, just like the old days. I want us to live a long happy life with our child, something i've wanted for years now. So, Lauren Allison Milligan, will you be with me?" Raylan asked, looking at the ground, preparing himself her her to say no.
Thoughts rampaged throughout Lauren's mind. Did she really want to go through her past again? Did she want to worry day in and day out about him getting hurt? No, she didn't. Lauren did want to be with him again, but she didn't know if she could do it, especially with a child on the way. There was too much at risk. After several minutes of silence passed, Lauren finally nodded her head. She was giving in, and hoping that she was making the right choice. She didn't want to regret it later. "Yes." She whispered, smiling softly.
That small three letter word, brought joy to Raylan. The two things he only ever wanted, were coming back to him. His life was beginning to look brighter. "Lauren, I love you, more than anything in the world." He said happily, as he kissed her lips softly. Pulling away slowly, Lauren smiled up at him. Her green eyes sparkled in the sun, as she looked deep into his eyes. "I love you, and our baby." The words brought a sense of happiness to her. She truly did have everything she could ever ask for. She had her country prince, and a baby on the way, nothing was going to get better.