"So, Daddy asked me about you."
Rayna whipped her head around and looked at her sister sitting next to her on the couch. "He did, did he?" It was more of a statement than a question.
Tandy nodded. "Yeah. He asked how the baby is, how you're feeling."
Rayna mock-gasped, placing her hand on her chest. "Wow, my dad actually cares about me? It's because I'm giving him a grandchild, right?"
Tandy shrugged. "He's actually a decent person, Rayna. He does care about you." Rayna scoffed. "He asked about you and Teddy."
"And there's the kicker." Rayna nodded slowly. "Let me guess: he's just as upset as you are that I'm choosing to raise my child with her father." Rayna glared at Tandy before turning to look straight ahead, nursing her bottle of water.
"I never said I was upset, I said it's your life and you know what's best. That's your baby, not mine." Tandy threw her hands up in defense, and Rayna shook her head and looked back at her older sister.
"Oh please, Tandy; Teddy was your pride and joy. You wanted nothing more than for me to end up with him and forget about Deacon forever." Rayna shrugged. "Too bad for both of you, Deacon knows, and he's willing to work to get better and stay better. He's going to be a father to our baby."
Rayna didn't know where all this rage was suddenly coming from, probably hormones, or it could've been the mention of her father, but she suddenly felt like crying and really wanted to see Deacon.
"I have somewhere I need to be." Rayna said suddenly, nodding toward the door. "I'll call you later."
Rayna watched Tandy gather her things and walk out of the apartment before she grabbed the picture on the coffee table and stuffed it in her purse. She stood up off of the couch, grabbing her keys and heading out the door to make her way to Deacon.
XXX
"Hey, darlin'. Damn, you look beautiful." Deacon said, looking Rayna up and down before engulfing her into a hug, inhaling deeply. Rayna relaxed into his arms and they hugged tightly before Rayna pulled away and looked up at Deacon.
"So I have something for you. You wanna see it?" Rayna smiled mischieviously and Deacon grinned.
"Oh you do?" He gave Rayna a look she knew too well, and she giggled and shook her head.
"Not like that." Rayna looked around the hallway before looking back at Deacon. "Can we go somewhere private?"
Deacon gasped before nodding his head. "Yeah, of course. We can go out back. It's beautiful outside today." Rayna nodded and Deacon placed his hand on the small of her back, leading her to the place she told him she was pregnant just three weeks prior.
When they sat down at the patio table, Deacon turned to look at her and he instantly smiled. "I didn't think you could get more beautiful but damn, was I wrong." Rayna giggled and blushed, looking down at her legs.
"How are you feeling? Have you been sick?" Deacon asked, an overwhelming amount of concern in his eyes.
Rayna shook her head and shrugged. "Not really. Certain foods set it off for me, but it's not everyday anymore. Now I'm just tired all the time. I never knew growing a human being could be so exhausting." She chuckled and placed her hand on her still-tiny lower abdomen.
"If that little peanut is anything like me, we'll be in for a wild ride, huh?" Deacon asked with a smile, and Rayna nodded. "So what did you have to show me?"
Rayna nodded and reached into her purse, pulling out the black and white picture and holding it up to him. Deacon gasped when he saw it, and Rayna smiled slightly.
"There's your baby."
Deacon reached out and grabbed the picture, looking at it as tears filled his eyes. "That's my baby. Our baby." He chuckled and blew out a breath. "We made that."
Rayna nodded and giggled. "We did." Deacon tried to hand the picture back to her, but she shook her head. "Keep it. I have one at my place." Deacon nodded and put the picture in his jacket pocket before sliding off of the chair and crouching down in front of Rayna.
He leaned forward like he was going to kiss her belly, but he knew things were weird between them and he didn't want to push it. He looked up at Rayna as if to ask permission, and Rayna nodded slowly.
Deacon placed his hands on Rayna's hips, leaning forward and placing kisses along Rayna's abdomen. "Hi, peanut. It's your daddy. I already love you more than I can say. Your mama and I are going to do everything we can to protect you from the world."
Rayna smiled and blinked away the tears as Deacon stood back up, offering his hand to help Rayna off of the chair. She looked up at him, her eyes twinkling, and he exhaled sharply.
"Thank you for bringing that by. It makes everything seem so real now." Deacon sighed and nodded slowly. "I'm gonna keep this picture forever."
Rayna giggled. "I hope so. That's your baby."
"Our baby. We're going to be parents." Deacon breathed out.
The two of them stayed in a comfortable silence before Rayna exhaled and looked up at Deacon.
"I should probably get going. I have to meet Bucky to go over tour placs now that I'm...you know." Rayna gestured to her stomach, and Deacon nodded rapidly.
"Oh, yeah, of course. Go have your meeting." Deacon said before pulling Rayna into a hug. "Thank you for coming to see me. I know you're busy."
Rayna shook her head against Deacon's chest. "I'm never too busy to see you, babe." He kissed the top of her head before she pulled away and smiled up at him. "It was good to see you, you look good."
Deacon nodded and smiled. "I feel good. I'm doing it for you and Peanut." He sighed. "Go on and take care of business or I'll never let you leave." Rayna giggled. "I'll see you soon."
Rayna nodded and pulled away, forcing her legs to carry her away from Deacon and to her car. She swallowed hard and blew out a breath, trying not to cry as she left Deacon once again.
XXX
"Daddy," Rayna said breathlessly when she saw who was on the other side of the apartment door.
"Rayna. It's good to see you." Lamar Wyatt nodded at his daughter. "You look good."
"Thank you." Rayna said, placing her hand on top of her stomach self-conciously.
"You're not going to invite your old man in?" Lamar said and chuckled, and Rayna gave him a fake smile and stepped aside to let her father in.
"Nice place you have here. Cozy." Lamar looked around the apartment room and Rayna nodded her head slowly.
"Why are you here, daddy? I know you've been talking to Tandy." Rayna glared at him and Lamar threw his hands up in defense.
"You're pregnant with my grandchild, Rayna. I just want to make sure you're well and taken care of." Lamar said passively, and Rayna scoffed and shook her head.
"You want to know why I dumped Teddy. I'm not stupid, daddy."
Lamar shrugged. "I don't know, the way you're handling this situation makes me think that you are."
Rayna gasped and placed her hands over her stomach protectively. "This is Deacon's baby, and like it or not he knows. He's working hard and he's going to get better. For both of us. He wants to be a father."
Rayna's dad scoffed and shook his head, stepping dangerously close to Rayna. "How many times have you told yourself that, Rayna? How many times has he disappointed you? He's not good enough for you, Rayna. Call Teddy, get him back. He'll take care of you and that baby."
Rayna shook her head. "I don't want that. I want Deacon. I want a family with him." She looked down at her feet and swallowed hard. "I'm sorry you don't approve."
Lamar shook his head and sighed. "Can't say I'm surprised-you've never been one to obey me." He stared directly at Rayna for what felt like ever before swallowing hard.
"Do whatever you want, Rayna. It's your life, your child. I'm done trying to parent you." Lamar said coldly, turning on his heel and stalking out of the house, slamming the door behind him and making Rayna jump.
She wanted to cry, or maybe be a little upset, but she wasn't. She hadn't followed her father's rules since she was sixteen, and, now more than ever, she didn't care.
Rayna was about to be a mother, have a family with the man she's loved since she was sixteen. She wasn't going to let anyone, not Daddy or Tandy, not Teddy, tell her how to live her life.
She swallowed hard and shook off the recent confrontation before grabbing her keys and walking out of her apartment to go to her meeting with Bucky.
XXX