Prompt: Reacting to the other one crying about something
Paige glanced down and forced a smile on her face. "Okay, so that's that," Paige said. Blinking back tears, Paige avoided Mike's gaze as she tossed the pregnancy test in the trash.
"Paige," Mike softly said and moved to stand behind her.
"Don't," Paige whispered. "It's negative. It's what we both wanted. We're not ready to have kids. It's the one thing we can both agree on." She and Mike were barely hanging on to their relationship. Being pregnant would only complicate things. This was really for the best. And if they couldn't find a way to fix things, they could make a clean break.
"Maybe," Mike said. He gently rested his head on her shoulder and hugged her tightly when he started to feel her shake.
Paige turned around and buried her face in his chest. "I'm sorry. I - I shouldn't have told you until I knew for sure."
"It's okay," Mike said as he smoothed his hand over her hair. This wasn't Paige's fault. She was more freaked out than excited about the possibility of having kids. He wasn't sure how he felt. He supposed he should feel relieved. And he did, but then he felt guilty. Paige was right. They weren't ready to have a kid. Their relationship probably wouldn't be able to withstand the additional stress of having a baby. Or maybe it would've. Maybe it would've made them stronger. Shown them what was important. Not that it was fair to pin the fate of their relationship on a baby. A baby they weren't having. "I'm glad you turned to me."
He wasn't sure when things started to go wrong with him and Paige. If it was when they moved out of Graceland. When he proposed and she said no. When he took a big promotion without talking to her first. There was more than enough blame for the both of them. But Paige coming to him first was something that hadn't happened in a long time. Maybe this could be their chance to start over.
Paige looked up at him and offered him a small smile. "I love you," Paige whispered. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears.
"I love you too," Mike said and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Tell me what you need. Whatever you want, it's yours." He wasn't sure what was going through Paige's mind right now. He used to be able to read her just by looking into her eyes, but he couldn't anymore. He didn't know if she was upset about not being pregnant. Or if she convinced herself this was a sign to end things. He braced himself for her response.
"Just hold me, okay?"
Mike nodded and led her across the room. He settled down on the couch and smiled as Paige curled up next to him. Just a few nights ago she slept in the guest bedroom after a fight. Now, she was seeking him out for comfort.
It gave him hope that they could get through their latest rough patch. It wasn't much, but right now, it was all he had.
THE END
