"Just push," he soothes, stroking her hair. "Push with all your might."
It's 2023. He's expecting his first child with her. He's wanted this for years. Nine or ten, actually. When they first started going out. It was his birthday.
December 29th 2013
They're all at the studio, even though it's Sunday, and nothing work-related happens on Sundays. They all got together for a surprise birthday party. He knew his family and Austin & Ally cast were going to be there, but the surprise was about 30 other people there celebrating with him his 18th.
He had walked in with his mom and dad to meet everyone, because they told him they had some setting up to do. He hadn't expected a thing. Why would he? He knew what was going on. Sort of.
He walked in and there, in front of him, was everyone he loved. His family, his friends and her. He grinned sheepishly at the sight. His Teen Beach Movie costars were there, the Shake It Up cast (minus Davis. For some reason that kid hated them), Kevin Chamberlain, Debby Ryan, Lucy Hale, the Houghs and of course, the Austin & Ally crew and his immediate family. He smiled widely.
Everything was a blast. Lots of people sang to him and his presents were incredible.
His parents bought him a new car.
Riker gave him floor seats to Bruce Springstein.
Rocky gave him a Target gift card – honestly, he had no idea what to get him. Ross laughed for an hour but still loved it.
Ellington gave him a limited edition model plane.
Rydel gave him a special edition box set of the Star Wars saga signed by George Lucas.
Ryland gave him a real hockey puck signed and played by the Colorado Avalanche.
Calum gave him two tickets to SNL – one for him of course.
Raini gave him a pogo stick (part of an inside joke between the two of them. No one understood).
But she, she gave him something money can't buy. Something that to this day has meant the most to him. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and a card. The exact same as the card their characters exchanged on the show, with a different message:
Yes. I'll go out with you. -insert an expertly drawn heart here-
He smiled and laughed and neared bursting from emotion. He couldn't believe it. It was the best birthday ever.
"Push, honey," he urges her again, trying desperately to not tense up at the sounds of her painful cries.
He remembers when he asked her to marry him.
November 28th 2019
"It's your birthday tomorrow," he says to her while they lie in bed together peacefully. He twirls a lock of her amber coloured hair on his finger delicately. "Is there anything you want?"
She gently shakes her head against his chest. "Just to be with you. Like this. Forever."
"Forever," he agrees.
She sits up to look at him and her expression is one of all seriousness. "Do you remember in the season 4 finale of Austin & Ally when Ally is accepted in to MUNY? And Austin is devastated because he doesn't want her to leave? But he applies so they can be together and finds out he's accepted in to the school too?"
He sits up slightly, recalling. He nods.
She continues. "I remember being scared when we shot that because we didn't know if we'd be renewed for a fifth season. They ended it so we could come back for another one, but it also finalizes the story if we weren't. I remember being really scared we wouldn't get renewed because I was afraid we wouldn't be together anymore. But I also remember you telling me that even if Austin & Ally ends, the magic doesn't have to. And ours wouldn't ever."
He smiles at her, reminiscing.
"Well it's 2019 now, and I think that if a scripted relationship will last in the fans' hearts as well as ours for this long and beyond this, our relationship will, too. And as long as it lasts forever and it's like this – perfect, fun and beautiful – that's all I want for my birthday. I want to be able to continue loving you the way I love you now. I want to know that you'll always love me too." She sits up and looks at him, eyes twinkling as the sunset beams through the window and reflects off her chocolate eyes.
He takes her hand and sits up. "Do you remember the Austin and Ally movie we did after the five short seasons?" She nods. "Do you remember when Austin tells Ally he loves her? Remember how I accidentally said 'I love you Laura, now and forever. We're meant to be together' and I finished the whole piece of dialogue I was scripted before either of us realized I screwed up?" She nods and giggles. "Well despite the fact that it was an accident, it was the honest-to-God truth. I meant it. We belong together. And we will be." He kisses her hand slightly.
"I love you," she whispers, teary-eyed.
"I love you... Which reminds me. I got you a birthday present anyway." He stands up to retrieve his coat.
"Ross, you didn't have to," she protests.
"Yes I did," he grins. He takes the small velvet box from his bag and hides behind his back before going back to the bed, where she's watching curiously. He clears his throat. "Laura Marie Marano. We've been through hell and back. We've gone through bullshit publicists, promotion, anti-Raura shippers, interviews, fights. All of it. But I never ever thought twice about our relationship. I knew I loved you in the winter of 2012. When everything started dying from the cold, my heart started blooming like daffodils in the spring from the warmth I felt around you." He gets down on his knee.
She starts crying as she realizes what's happening.
"I want you to know that I love you, and I'll continue to love you for the next eternity. You've brought out the best in me." He opens the box to reveal the most beautiful engagement ring she has ever seen. "Will you marry me?"
She nods slowly and jumps off the bed in to his arms. He swings her around and puts the ring on her finger. He kisses it slowly and joins her in tears.
It was the happiest moment of his life.
Until the wedding day.
That, so far, has been the happiest. But he doesn't have time to think about the past anymore because this is the present and Laura needs him.
She squeezes harder as she gives one last push. In a rush of activity, the baby is delivered and doctors are running around like crazy to clean him and her and he doesn't know if he should cry or jump of joy when he hears the baby cry for the first time. He knows this is a good thing, because it means it's healthy and alive and it exists. But he's never been good with pain and since all he hears is crying, from the baby, Laura and himself, he's scared. He's scared to be a father. And scared to fail.
But then she's handed the baby.
"It's a girl," they're told. They kept it a secret for the entire pregnancy. They wanted it to be a surprise. He grins through his tears. He has a girl. A little girl to raise and watch grow up and hold is index finger because her hands will be too small for the first ten years of her life. He leans down and gently wipes away Laura's tears as she looks in to their baby's eyes. She has the beautiful chocolate eyes like her mom but the wide nose like him. Her hair is light and blonde. She's absolutely beautiful and he's falling in love again as his mom promised he would.
The nurse comes over and smiles at them. "What are you going to call her?" she asks softly.
He looks at Laura and smiles. "Rachael Ellen Lynch." He squeezes her hand.
"Lovely," the nurse replies happily. "I'll get the paperwork in a second. Want to hold her, Dad?" she asks.
He looks from Rachael to Laura to the nurse. "Okay," he says shakily. He takes a deep breath and sits in a nearby chair before she's given to him. He adjusts his hold and is careful to balance her head. He watches her closely for a moment while she stares at him. She starts to make cute baby noises and he sighs peacefully. She is the most wonderful thing he's ever seen in life. The tears start to fall again.
He looks at Laura and laughs through his tears. "I love you," he says. "I love you so much. And I love you Rachael."
"I love you too," Laura replies warmly from the bed.
And then he remembers the first time she tells him she loves him.
August 5th 2014.
It was a really hot day in California. They were sitting in his dressing room on set sharing a Get Shaved ice cream. Nothing special, really. They did that all the time.
This time was different. She was in a particularly good mood that day. She takes a small spoonful of ice cream and bops him on the nose with it, leaving a white blob. He squints at her and she sticks her tongue out at him mischievously. He – at an alarming rate – takes a spoonful of ice cream and does it back.
It turns in to a game, back and forth. It lasts a while until he drops his spoon and is forced to either pick it up and drop his guard or find another attack method. Well he finds it. He dives in and tickles her and she laughs hysterically. They do this for about thirty seconds until he's laughing too hard at her laughter and they have to stop.
"I love you," he says carelessly. They both stop dead in their tracks and stare at each other.
He regrets his words immediately and it's silent for at least two minutes.
But then, out of nowhere, she replies. "I love you too."
And his life has been an emotional roller coaster since 2012. He can't explain how much he loves roller coasters now. And he can't explain how much he loves Rachael.
And he can't explain how much he loves her.