Eric stepped out of the steam-filled bathroom, a fresh pair of boxer-briefs riding low on his hips as he towel dried his short hair. After fishing a tank top and basketball shorts from the dresser, he made his way to his nightstand and hit the home screen on his phone to check for messages. He'd been kind of attached to that thing these days.
He and Calleigh had kind of been chatting throughout the day, every day, lately. It had started as a means of checking in on her and staying in the loop, but that had been like opening the floodgates to easy conversation and playful banter, to a relationship that both of them deeply missed without all the awkward tension that came with standing right in front of her in-person.
He was actually surprised she hadn't messaged yet, because now was about the time she was settling in at home for the evening and he was getting in bed, given the time difference. She'd tell him about her FBI-backed investigation into the cornershot and he'd keep her up to date on the latest lab gossip. He'd either tell her he was getting to bed with kept promises of talking to her tomorrow or he'd fall asleep in between messages, both of them desperately avoiding saying the "g" word. Goodnight was intimate; goodnight texts were for romantic relationships, not friends simply staying in touch… But the more they talked, the more it became a part of his day and he looked forward to it, came to rely on it to help him unwind.
As he glanced at his dark and silent phone, not for the first time he realized how dangerous this was. He was getting too comfortable waking to her messages and falling asleep after easy conversation every night. Maybe they needed to take a step back – because he was growing more and more sure that expectantly waiting for text messages and smiling at every ding of his phone wasn't really a staple of most friendships.
Sighing, Eric tossed his phone onto the bed, crossing back over to the bathroom to hang his towel up. As he did, just moments after he'd set the phone down, he heard the distinct buzz of it muffled by his comforter. He shook his head as a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
Making his way back to the bed, he found his phone waiting with a message from Calleigh.
"You still up?"
"Yeah," he typed back, and before he could begin to ask how the rest of her day had gone, his phone was ringing. "Hey," he answered, a little surprised.
"Hey…" Across the country, Calleigh sunk into her sofa and sighed, overwhelmed by how much the sound of his voice relaxed her.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah," she assured quickly, instinctively placing a hand over her slightly rounded abdomen. "I'm just tired and I know it's late there, and talking's quicker and easier…" And she missed him and wanted to hear his voice, she silently realized, swallowing hard. "How was your day? Get your swim in?"
"Long but yeah, barely," he answered, running a hand over his damp hair. Pulling the covers back on his bed, he slipped in and propped himself up with some pillows against the headboard. "I was at the lab late and had just enough time to hit them gym for a bit before dinner at my mom's. How about you?"
"Not bad. Kinda boring." They both smiled, but Calleigh quickly pressed her lips together. "I told a coworker I'm pregnant."
"Oh yeah?" He raised his brows, honestly surprised as an amused smirk crept across his lips.
"Yeah, I'd been dodging her invites to happy hour with everyone for weeks and we finally grabbed dinner tonight."
"I thought the plan was to keep it hidden til you couldn't, maybe not even tell anyone there before you left."
"Yeah, well, I kinda can't," she said, a hint of amusement in her own voice. "Hide it, that is."
"Really?" He chuckled a little, because despite everything, the idea of Calleigh visibly pregnant was very endearing and adorable to him.
"Oh yeah. Not unless I wear a paper bag, which isn't happening." She sighed a little then bit her lip, wanting to share but worried it crossed a line. Then she rolled her eyes, reminding herself that they'd been talking nonstop and a line had already been crossed with leaps and bounds when they'd gotten themselves into this situation. "Just a sec."
Pushing herself up, she switched her phone to speaker in case he said anything and navigated to her home screen, pressing the camera button. Finding the full mirror in the downstairs half-bath, she snapped a quick picture and attached it to their message thread, hesitating for just a second before she hit send.
Switching back to the call screen, she pressed the phone to her ear again and told him, "I sent you something."
Now it was his turn to navigate away, swiping and tapping until he'd opened up their texts to find a new photo there. The sight quite literally made his breath catch in his throat: a full side profile of her, long, curled blonde hair tumbling down her back, that very visible bump now rounding out black yoga pants and a casual shirt that probably used to fit her loosely, the rest of her seeming even smaller and leaner.
The reality of it suddenly hit him, as did the fact that he found her absolutely gorgeous like this. That he'd been completely unprepared for. He'd barely been able to deal with his feelings for her before, but this...this added a whole new emotional complexity. And this he wasn't sure he'd get through unscathed.
"Did it send?" he heard her ask as the moments of silence ticked on, and he reluctantly tore his eyes from the screen to press the phone back to his ear.
"Yeah." He took in a deep breath and released it, calming his racing heart. "You look good," he said against his better judgment, a smile spreading across her lips against hers. What exactly was happening here? "Feels a little more real now…"
"I know," she admitted as she relaxed back into the sofa, a cup of tea in hand this time. They both were still for a moment, the silence burning between them as they both considered the not-so-distant future.
After a minute, he heard her sigh. "Hey," she began. "About that appointment this week...I'm gonna wait until I'm back in Miami to find out what it is."
"Don't," he urged, repeating, "I don't want to make you wait."
"And I don't want to make you miss out."
He paused at that, his feelings for her bubbling to the surface yet again as he desperately tried to temper them down. "Look, this has been unexpected and crazy and you've been doing it mostly alone. You deserve to feel excited about it, you should go ahead."
"Eric," she said, her heart clenching at his words, at his compassion. "I want you to be there." If that hadn't been clear enough, she added, "I want you to be with me when we find out, so...I'm gonna wait."
His heart was pounding in his chest now, and as he sat there breathing steadily in and out, he agreed. "Okay."
If his acquiescence and silence were any indication, she knew just what her words had done to him and she sat for a moment, staring into her tea before she took a slow sip. Something was shifting between them. Despite her insistence on keeping things the way they were, on not making any sudden changes, and despite the miles between them, both of them were powerless to stop it.
"I should let you get to bed, it's late there," she finally said, the words taking a moment to register amidst the racing thoughts in his mind.
"Yeah," he agreed despite his desire to hear her voice a little longer. "I've got the early callout, if anyone gets axed in the middle of the night. I'll uh, talk to you tomorrow?"
"Talk to you tomorrow," she echoed back, the words feeling a little empty. Biting her lip, she added, "Goodnight, Eric."
He closed his eyes, swallowing hard as her voice washed over him. "Goodnight, Calleigh."
Ending the call, he tucked his arms behind his head and leaned into the headboard, breathing out heavily.
As Calleigh began to rummage through the box of long-forgotten maternity clothes Sarah had brought over and set on the coffee table, Sarah poured herself a glass of the wine she'd also brought and made herself comfortable on Calleigh's couch. It was late, the soft lamps of Calleigh's temporary living room providing a warm glow against the night, but Calleigh was off in the morning and Sarah had needed to escape after the kids had gone to bed.
"Ooh," Calleigh said as she pulled out a rather comfortable looking and stylish black-and-white striped top. "Thank you, this stuff is awesome. I can't believe you forgot about it."
"Yeah, I guess it got lost in the move," Sarah surmised. "I knew we still had a few boxes from the old house, but I figured anything pregnancy or baby-related got cleared out in the post-accidental fourth kid purge."
Calleigh smiled at her, shaking her head at the insanity of four kids as she began a pile of shirts on her coffee table.
"So you're really not finding out what you're having tomorrow?" Sarah asked, taking a sip of the red wine.
"No," Calleigh said, meeting Sarah's eyes over the black top she'd just unfolded. "I'm waiting until he can be there."
Her eyes instinctively flickered to her phone, sitting silent and motionless on the coffee table. It was a little strange that he hadn't messaged her back this evening or called – since that was their new thing – given that it was nearing midnight in Miami. She was trying not to think about it, trying not to consider why she'd come to smile every time her phone lit up or expectantly glance at it when it didn't. That was certainly a path she hadn't anticipated going down, and although it had started under the guise of keeping him in the loop, it was quickly and sharply spiraling. She kept telling herself that it was because she missed him as a friend – that the texting and talking was just in place of seeing each other day-to-day like they would've at work. But sometimes, when her guard was down, she wondered what it all meant.
"Even though you're just doing this as friends?" Sarah clarified, raising a brow.
"Yes," Calleigh assured. "I'm the one who came to Seattle and kept him away from everything, and he wants to be involved, so...I'm waiting."
"But you want to find out, right?"
"Yeah." Calleigh smiled, looking absentmindedly at the box. "Gives me something to be certain of and get excited about with all the crazy."
Sarah took a slow sip of wine as a mischievous look passed over her features. "I mean, you could find out and not tell him," she said, mostly joking.
"I don't think that would be a good way to start a co-parenting relationship," Calleigh pointed out, both of them laughing a little.
A phone buzzed and Calleigh's eyes immediately darted to hers, but it was still dark and silent.
"Speaking of co-parenting," Sarah began, eyes dancing over her phone. "It's very gratifying when your kid wakes back up and throws a fit at night while you're not there to deal with it." She grinned as she showed Calleigh the text message from her husband, which included a picture of an overly tired toddler who had thrown herself on the ground and appeared to be wailing.
"And speaking of things to look forward to," Calleigh said sarcastically. But Sarah noticed that even as she was lamenting the loss of her calm, quiet life, she'd laid a hand over the growing bump of her stomach, quite noticeable in her fitted v-neck shirt and sweatpants.
A knowing smile had just begun to spread across Sarah's lips when both of them were startled by the doorbell.
Calleigh's brows immediately furrowed in confusion. She wasn't expecting anyone, and the little cottage she'd picked as her temporary home for its quiet and private location along a hillside wasn't prone to solicitors or even friendly neighbors – not to mention it was nearly nine o' clock on a Thursday evening.
She made her way to the door, adjusting the shirt that was beginning to cling to her body much differently than in the past. As she passed the front windows, she caught sight of a car she didn't recognize parked alongside hers and Sarah's SUV, but it wasn't until she peeked out of the windows beside the door as she opened it that she realized who was standing outside her door.
"Eric," she said as she pulled the door open. They both stood there taking each other in, her eyes dancing over him in disbelief, his just tracing over her features: the fresh-from-the-shower waves of her hair he loved so much, the deep green of her eyes in the dim light, and especially the new rounding of her stomach that been both hidden and too slight to notice the last time he saw her.
"What are you doing here?" she breathed out, but she knew. Her eyes were beginning to water because she knew.
His eyes met hers again, the beginnings of a smile curving his lips. "I told you I didn't want to make you wait."
They could both still only stand there, her glossy eyes dancing over him with gratitude, his staring back at her.
"I mean, I didn't really want to wait either, so...not completely selfless," he added, grinning mischievously as a broad smile spread across her lips. Somehow, that kind of meant even more to her.
"Thank you," she said gratefully, urging him inside with a tug to the arm of his jacket. Immediately pulling him into a hug, she stood up on the tips of her toes to wrap her arms around his shoulders. For once, she threw boundaries and caution to the wind, her appreciation momentarily outweighing the tension between them. His arms encircled her waist and she sighed, reveling in the comfort of it for a little too long after avoiding each other's touch for the better part of four months.
In the living room, Sarah peeked around the corner, catching a quick glimpse of Eric's arms wrapped around Calleigh, the way he closed his eyes and tucked his head against hers, before she ducked back out of sight. Fighting a smile, she took a long drag of wine to finish her glass off and then stood to take her glass to the sink and grab both her purse and bottle of wine.
Hearing the movement, and already having seen a second car, Eric pulled back and Calleigh came to, quickly putting some space between them as she stepped back.
"Sorry, is this a bad time?" he asked, glancing toward the living room.
"No, it's okay," she assured, turning to search for Sarah. "Sarah and I were just catching up."
"I was gonna find a hotel nearby anyway, I can-"
"No," Calleigh insisted, brows furrowing as she interrupted him.
Thankfully, Sarah emerged from the living room just then, quelling a bit of the tension that was snowballing between them.
"Hi," she said as both their eyes landed on her. Adjusting the purse strap on her shoulder, she extended her hand towards Eric and smiled. "I'm Sarah."
"Eric," he said as he took her hand. "Nice to meet you. You and Calleigh are friends from college, right?"
"That's right. Nice to meet you, too," she echoed back, unable to help but size him up. He was friendly and open, strikingly handsome with a touch of boyish charm, much taller than she'd realized in that picture, and if the fact that he was here right now and could barely take his eyes off Calleigh were any indication, he was completely in love with her best friend and she wasn't sure either of them knew it. "I've heard a lot about you. Nice to put a face to the name."
Calleigh pressed her lips together and shot Sarah a look, which made her realize she really needed to get out of here before anything else Calleigh would kill her for fell from her lips.
"So I was just leaving," Sarah lied obviously, her mostly full bottle of wine tucked under one arm. "Gotta get back to the husband and kids." She stepped towards Calleigh, wrapping one arm around her shoulders in a quick hug. "Text me tomorrow and let me know what you find out," she said as she pulled back, glancing between the two of them and noting the glimmer of excitement in Eric's eyes.
"Will do," Calleigh assured as she followed Sarah to the door. "Drive safe. Tell Tim I said hi."
Once she was outside and there was just a little distance between them and Eric, his back to them as he gave them a moment and took in Calleigh's rental, Sarah's mouth dropped.
"Oh my God," she mouthed, then quietly whispering, "Do not let him stay in a hotel."
Calleigh's eyes widened, and although whispers were probably out of earshot, she stepped onto the porch and let the door closer behind her. "I'm not," Calleigh said softly with a glance back towards the door. "But nothing's happening, so stop with whatever you're thinking," she added, gesturing toward Sarah's overactive mind.
Sarah tilted her head, leveling with her. "Oh come on, he flew across the country to be here for you and this kid. He's completely smitten with you."
"Yeah, and we have this kid to think about now," she pointed out, thinking of the kind of the reckless abandon that had gotten them here. "And our careers, and friendship…" Her wide, pensive eyes implored Sarah to understand, but she didn't at all.
"I saw you hug him, Calleigh. You are not a hugger."
Calleigh pressed her lips together again, this time fighting an amused smile. "Goodnight, Sarah."
Sarah sighed, giving in for the evening so she could get out of their hair. "Goodnight," she said as she backed off, but as she made her way down the front steps, she called out, "You know I'm right."
Calleigh shook her head, pushing the door back open to find Eric wandering back to her after strolling through the first floor. Closing the door, she sighed and leaned her back into it.
"She seems fun," Eric said, that boyish smirk teasing the corner of his lips. Calleigh didn't have to wonder if Sarah had done any damage with her 'I've heard a lot about you' comment, because she clearly had.
"Mmhmm."
"I'm sorry for interrupting your evening, maybe I should have called…"
"No," Calleigh assured, a soft smile gracing her lips as she rested her head back against the door. "It was a good surprise."
They remained there for a moment, his eyes taking in the softness of her gaze, hers just staring back at him.
"You don't have to find a hotel," Calleigh began, breaking the silence as she pushed away from the door. "There's a little guest room here, off of the office," she said, motioning down the hall. "It's just a twin, but it's free."
"Free is good. My flight back isn't until the day after tomorrow though...I wasn't sure when the appointment was so booked it for Saturday."
"Well it's all yours while you're here."
He smiled, grateful for the hospitality but a little overwhelmed by the prospect of sleeping so close to her. The last time they'd been alone under the same roof...they'd been much, much closer and wearing significantly less in a very short time. Now they had to make it through at least a day and a half with that memory hovering between them.
Calleigh seemed to be battling similar thoughts, because she was biting her lip as she slowly walked across the foyer. "So I'd offer you a drink, but I don't have any alcohol for obvious reasons…"
Chuckling, Eric shook his head. "I'm good anyway, I'm actually about a minute away from falling asleep standing up...not that I'm not enjoying talking. I've just been up since 5am."
"And it's past midnight in Miami," she finished for him. "Here, you should get some sleep." She began walking down the hall, leading him through the office into the den someone had turned into an extra bedroom. "Help yourself to anything you need. If you want to shower in the morning, there's just the one upstairs." She leaned against the doorway, watching him settle in.
"I'm sure you'll be up before me anyway, time change and all," he said knowingly. She'd always been a morning person, filling the early hours with long sunrise runs and coffee along with a good book.
"Oh I don't know about that," she countered, eyes drifting down towards her abdomen and then flickering away before acknowledging it became too much. "My body is pretty big on sleep these days."
His eyes followed hers, lingering on her stomach and swallowing hard at the sight of her like this. As if the physical changes alone, the tangible proof of what they'd created, hadn't done him in, she seemed different, too – calmer, more open with him. Despite the unconventional circumstances and the chaos, she seemed oddly at peace with it and for whatever reason, he found that disarmingly attractive.
And just like that, the tension between them was nearly suffocating again. Calleigh shifted her weight to stand upright, tucking a strand of the hair she hadn't had the chance to straighten yet behind her ear. "I'll see you in the morning. Let me know if you need anything."
"'Night, Calleigh," he said, gaze remaining on her.
"Goodnight." A soft smile curved across her lips, reaching her eyes. "Thanks again for coming. I'm glad you're here."
With that, she ducked out of his room, tracing a finger along the wall as she made her way back down the hall. She paused at the base of the stairs, her chest tightening at the sudden and overwhelming urge that came over her to walk right back to him, Sarah's words coming back to her. But as always, her head won over her heart and she climbed the stairs to her own dark bedroom.