"Gray…," She whispered. "I'm pregnant."
I felt my eyes widen as I looked at her. "W-What?"
"I'm pregnant."
I just stared at her for a long time, and she stared right back, her eyes strong like they always were and her ever-present scowl… er… present. She sighed after a long minute of staring and shook her head. She turned to leave.
"Wait. I-,"
"No, Gray. It's okay. I don't mind. I mean… my husband left me after I got pregnant, so I understand. I should get home. Nana will be waking up soon."
Then, I watched as she walked out of the blacksmith shop, not able to say a word. My grandfather punched me in the gut and then slapped me across the face. "You idiot!" He roared. "What did you do?"
"I… We… She… We w-were drunk. It all happened so fast. One minute I'm so drunk that my liver probably rolled over and died, the next I wake up in my bed with a face full of blonde! She leaves without saying a word and two weeks later comes up and tells me she's pregnant! What else could I do? I couldn't even speak!"
"Do you love her?"
"W-what? I don't know. She only moved here a year ago."
"Gray, just think. Use that brain that I'm assuming you have for just once in your life. Claire is pregnant. She has a two-year-old baby girl already from a previous marriage and a farm to take care of. How do you think she feels right now? What do you think you should do for her?"
"How am I supposed to know?"
My grandfather sighed and shook his head. "If you don't know, then you don't disserve her or the baby. Get out."
"What?"
"Get out, and go home Gray. You can come back when you know what to do."
I started walking towards the door and turned back once. "What if I never know?"
"Then you can never come back. Ever. You'll never see Claire again and you'll never get to meet your first child."
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
Nine months and a week later…I sat in a bar of Fifth Street with my friends. Laughing and drinking ourselves into a stupor.
"So, Gray," My buddy Bill asked. "Who's this chick that you've got on your mind so much since you came back."
I couldn't help but chuckle. "She'd punch you back to the second grade if she heard you call her that. And her name is Claire."
"She hot?"
"She's beautiful. She's blonde with blue eyes and she has a scar shaped like a crescent moon running down her temple. Her ex-husband beat her once when he found out she was pregnant. She didn't like telling the story, but she told it to me once. She punches him in the stomach that second he grabs her and he whips out a knife. You can probably guess how she got the scar."
"Wow. So, what's wrong with her?"
"Wrong?"
"Yeah, wrong. If she's so beautiful and she's on your mind 24/7, there must have been something wrong with her if you're not with her."
"There's nothing wrong with her! She's perfect. It's me. There's something really wrong with me."
He took a quick swig of his beer and sighed. "Maybe not. Depends on why you left her."
"She was pregnant with my child. I didn't know what to do about it, and my grandfather told me to leave town until I did."
"And did you figure it out?"
"The only thing I know is that I want to be with her. And maybe having a baby with the woman of my dreams isn't exactly a bad thing."
"Isn't exactly a bad thing? Dude, you're right. There is something really wrong with you. It's not a bad thing in the least. If you love the girl, then it's a great thing!"
I couldn't help but let a smile cross my face. "I think I do. I bought a blue feather a while back; I'm just scared to go back. She'll probably kill me."
"And she'd have every right. So, what are you doing man? Go get her." I nodded and jumped to my feet. My friend's voice called me back. "And if it's a boy, you name it after me!"
"No freaking way!" I was laughing and beaming like a fool as I ran down to the train station.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
Claire's POV…Oh, the pain! I felt a scream rip through my throat, but I was in too much pain to hear it.
"Come on Claire. You've got to push for me, now," Elli cooed.
I pushed and pushed, happy that Nana was a Ann's and couldn't hear my screams. I'm going to die! I thought as the pain rippled through every part of my body. I'm gong to die.
Elli looked at the doctor with a panicked expression. "Doctor. She's giving up. She's not pushing anymore."
"Claire? Claire, listen to me. I know it hurts. I've never seen a delivery this hard in al my time as a doctor. That baby of yours has a big head."
I smiled through the pain. "She takes after her father," I told him, a bitter note in my voice. "I can't do it, Doc. This has been going on for nine hours! I'm going to die, the baby is going to die. Nana's going to have to live with her jerk of a father. It's all my fault."
"Claire?" Asked a voice as my front door was thrown open.
"Gray?" I heard Elli ask. "Gray, maybe you can talk to her. She's giving up. We have to get the baby out of her."
I felt someone take my hand and squeeze it. I opened my eyes and looked up into the face that had haunted my dreams since the day he left. "Gray?"
"I'm so sorry Claire. I'm an idiot."
"No, really?" I asked sarcastically.
He smiled at me and brushed my hair from my face. "I should have been there for you. I don't expect you to forgive me, but please… just try again. I don't want you to be out of my life ever again. I want you and want this baby."
"If I do this, I get to beat you to a pulp? Multiple times?"
"As many times as you want."
"Talk about motiva- aahhhhh!"
"Another contraction. We need to get the baby out now Claire. Push for me."
So, I did. I pushed as hard as I could. I imagined beating Gray within an inch of his life. I imagined sitting on the porch with two children in my lap while Gray mowed the law. I imagined a kiss good morning as we woke up from the babies crying, but not minding the lack of sleep.
Then, I heard a real baby crying.
"It's out. I mean… She's out. And… Gray's out too."
That's when I noticed the lack of hand holding mine. I looked at the floor and saw Gray passed out. I was laughing and smiling as Elli handed me my baby.
"What should I name you? I'd wait to pick a name for when your daddy wakes up, but I don't think he disserves a choice in this, do you? No, I thought not. How about… Aera? Yeah, Aera. Welcome to the world Aera."
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
Gray was still passed out when Nana came home. She had my blonde hair, but had inherited her idiot father's brown eyes.
"Momma!" She laughed as she ran in and jumped on the bed. "Is it a baby brother, or a baby sister?"
"A baby sister. Her name is Aera."
She grinned and cuddled up to me. "Momma, what is Mister Gray doing on the floor?"
"Well, honey, it's something you'll understand when you're older, but basically, even though most men are stronger than you physically, there is no man strong enough to handle what we go through."
Gray groaned as he awoke, and when he seemed to realize where he was, he sat up quickly. "Claire! Is the baby okay? Are you okay? Why am I still okay?"
I shrugged. "We're fine, and I decided tat it wouldn't be as much fun to pommel you while you were passed out."
He stood up and sat next to us on the bed. "She's beautiful. What are we gonna name her?"
"We? I already named her. Her name is Aera."
He smiled and kissed Aera's forehead. "That's pretty. Oh! I almost forgot. I want to ask you before you're awake enough to remember you hate me." He reached in his pocket and pulled out something that I'd never thought someone would give me again. "Claire. Will you marry me?"
I looked at him with wide eyes as I took the blue feather in my hand and nodded slowly. "Yes," I whispered.
He grinned and leaned forward to kiss my lips. We both started to deepen the kiss until we heard Nana giggling. I pulled away from my fiancé and smiled at her. I reached over to tickle her and kissed her cheek.
"I'll put her to bed," Gray said, scooping her up.
"Yay!" She exclaimed as she threw her arms around his neck. "Mr. Gray is my new daddy!"
I smiled at them as they left and laid Aera in her crib beside my large bed. Gray came back in a few minutes later and started kissing me again. He pressed against me until we both fell back on the bed.
I pulled away just a little and smirked against his lips. "You realize that you're not off the hook, right?"
He sighed and nodded. "Yeah…"
I laughed and pecked his lips one last time before we fell asleep in each other's arms.
