(((I know I promised I wouldn't upload another story until I finished Diary of a Pregnant Teenager, but this is a one-shot song fic, so I thought it would be okay.)))
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes…
Being happily married, Miley was okay with the decision. It had been one full year and they still hadn't done it yet. She was still so innocent. She thought back to the days when she would dawn a blonde wig with brown streaks, living a double life. Now, her double life was that of Miley Ray Ryan and a housewife.
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred moments so dear…
It had been five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes officially, and they were moments of love. Yet she was ready to go even deeper. Ready to start a family, even. Jake's career was settling down. He still made money for the two, of course, but he definitely wasn't doing anything major.
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes…
"You ready?" Jake asked.
How do you measure…
"Yes," Miley said, shaking slightly.
Measure a year…?
"Are you sure? You seem nervous."
In daylights, in sunsets…
"Jake, we've spent night and day together for a year, an entire year of just the two of us. I want kids, Jake, and this is the only way to get them. Unless you count adoption."
In midnights, in cups of coffee…
"What about when it's midnight and you suddenly want coffee? What am I going to do then?"
In inches, in miles…
"Coffee is bad for a pregnant woman. And let's just get this over with! My spine is crawling."
In laughter and strife…
That night, they laughed together harder than they had in years. It slightly troubled Miley that there was no turning back now, that whatever happened…happened.
In five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes…
It felt like a year. It felt like all those five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes were crammed in that one night, when in reality it hadn't lasted as long as Miley had hoped.
How do you measure a year in the life…?
"We're done," Jake said, sitting up.
How about love…?
"What?! No way!" Miley said. "I thought you loved me."
How about love…?
"I do love you, moe than words can say. I'm just…not ready to go farther tonight."
How about love…?
"Okay," she said, slightly disappointed. What if it didn't work? What if she still wasn't going to start a family after that night?
Measure in love…
"I love you, Jake," she said as she slipped into her pajamas. She leaned across the bed and kissed him.
Seasons of love…
"Love you, too, Miley," Jake said. He remembered the one year they had spent together. The night of their honeymoon he took off her purity ring. It was one year later that the purity had really been shed.
Seasons of love…
The seasons had changed rapidly in that one year. Summer brought her birthday. Fall brought his. Winter they sat at Starbucks everyday, sipping hot chocolate together. Now, spring again, they finally were ready to start a family.
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes…
Miley looked down at the stick a little antsy. It seemed like a year before the results came up.
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred journeys to plan…
She had the child's life planned out. She would definitely give the child a horse. In Tennessee she found out how much she loved them. She realized California wasn't the best place to have a horse, but they'd maybe move to a farm. A big one. Everyday she would listen to the bubbly spirit talk about school.
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes…
She looked down and smiled.
How do you measure the life of a woman or man…?
The man, Jake, would be so happy. It was her job as a woman to produce offspring, and that's what she was going to do. She wanted this child more than anything. They'd measure the child's life, for sure, in love—the love the child's parents would give it. Time to tell Jake.
In the truth that she learned…
She had just learned she was pregnant. Most women would be nervous or jittery, but not Miley. She wanted that baby more than anything at the moment. She sat down in front of Jake, slapping the stick on the table.
Or in the times that he cried…
That was the second time he saw him cry. Both times were tears of happiness.
In the bridges he burned…
"Miley, I…" he stopped speaking, looking at the thing. He wanted to keep it. His first child, and here was the thing that told them that the life existed.
Or the way that she died…
Miley thought back to the time her own mother died. Now, here she was fifteen year later, ready to do the same thing herself—be a mother.
It's all time now to sing out…
Jake grabbed Miley in his arms. He was ready to sing in happiness, then realized he didn't have the best of singing voices.
Though the story never ends…
Five months later at her baby shower, Miley opened a box from Lilly and Oliver. The happy couple just married themselves two months earlier. Inside the box were ten bedtime stories.
Let's celebrate…
She knew she was throwing the shower a little early, but she wanted to celebrate. The baby wasn't even named yet, though she already had a special place in her heart for it. She smiled at Lilly and Oliver. "Thank you so much!" she cried happily. Tears escaped her eyes at everyone who came.
Remember a year in the life of friends…
"I wonder what friends she'll have?" Miley asked. Jake frowned, wondering when Miley was so sure that their baby was a girl. It was after the baby shower and they were cleaning up when suddenly Miley asked.
Remember the love…
"Remember, this is the moment when we find out whether our child is a girl or boy," Miley told Jake, squeezing his hand a little.
Remember the love…
"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Ryan! You're going to have a healthy baby girl," the doctor told them happily. Miley squealed in delight.
Remember the love…
"You were right," Jake said, though he wasn't saying it in anger or shock, simply because he was too happy to be either. "A little girl. I bet she'll look just like you," he said, hugging Miley tightly.
Measure the love…
"Or you," Miley said rightly.
Oh you got to remember the love…
"Can I please get an epidural?" Miley said in pain. She knew the answer was no; she was in the delivery room having her daughter, and the head was already out. The pain was unbearable, even when Jake's hand was her own personal squeeze puppet. The doctor shook her head no and snapped at her to push again.
You know that love…
Miley pushed like the doctor said, and cried out in pain. Jake said encouraging words to Miley for the remainder of the delivery when…
Is a gift from above…
The baby's cries filled the room. Like the ultrasound proved, the baby was a girl. The doctor moved aside to let Jake cut the umbilical cord. Once that was done, the crying girl was placed on her mother's chest.
Share love…
"Ssh, don't cry, sweetie," Miley told the girl, tearing up herself. "What should we name her?" she asked Jake, at a loss.
Give love…
"I like Taylor," he told her. "Or Ashley."
Spread love…
"Taylor!" Miley squealed. "Taylor…"
Measure…
"Taylor Miley Ryan," Jake confirmed. The doctor took Taylor away for a moment to be cleaned off, measured, and weighed. She was nineteen and a half inches long, weighing in at seven pounds, thirteen ounces.
Measure your life…
Robbie Ray held his granddaughter in his arms. Jackson looked at his niece and saw the most beautiful face in the world. Her thin hair was a very dark blonde, halfway between blonde and brunette. She had Miley's eye shape, Jake's nose, and her mouth was a combination of the two.
In love…
Lilly held her goddaughter tightly in her arms and marveled at the little girl. Oliver stood next to her, gently playing with the baby's curls. Taylor seemed to like the warmth of Lilly's body; she curled up next to her, yawned, and fell asleep. Lilly handed her to her father. Jake gently took her, afraid to drop her.
Seasons of love…
"Hi, Taylor," he said quietly, careful not to wake the sleeping girl or her mother. "You don't know me yet, but I'm your daddy." Lilly and Oliver smiled at the new parents then left the room so they could be alone. Jake pulled up the green plastic chair next to Miley's bed and sat in it. He continued to look at the baby but talked to both of the girls at the same time. "Now I have two special girls I care about. I love you both." He kissed first Taylor's forehead then Miley's, then rocked Taylor gently to soothe her.
Seasons of love…
"I'm going to be the best dad possible, you just wait and see," he promised Taylor.
Measure your life…
Taylor cooed softly in her sleep, and Jake let go of his manly side and cried a little.
Measure your life in love.
Jake measured his life in love. He had the love of his parents, their parents, his aunts, his uncles, his sisters and their husbands, his niece and nephew, the Stewart family, some close friends, but most importantly Miley and Taylor. If all that mattered in life was love, Jake had had a terrific life so far. He leaned back in his chair and realized this was the way things were meant to be, the way he wanted things.
THE END
(((So, tell me, did you like it? Did you hate it? Remember, this is my first song fic, so I'm entirely new at this genre. Sorry I called Taylor the child over and over again before Miley and Jake knew she was a girl, I just don't agree with calling unborn babies its. Tell me truthfully if you liked it. I want to hear your honest opinion. So tell me. And yeah. That's it. So bye.)))
