A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while! I've been out of town, so I haven't had enough time to write. NEW SUMMER WE BECAME INFINITE TUESDAYS AND SATURDAYS, EEKK! What did you think of the last chapter? Thanks for reading!
Chapter 14

August 23

Here's the thing about traveling with a baby: you have to pack almost everything in the house.
"Did you get the pac-n-play?" I asked Conrad through the phone.

"Let me check," I heard him rustling around.

I'm inside packing up the nursery while Conrad is out on the driveway packing up our new car.

I guess its not that new. We bought a fairly used 2005 Ford Explorer. My car finally bit the dust and his is getting there. He's refusing to buy a new car until he knows which one is the safest for Grace and I.

To be honest, I just roll my eyes and go with it.

"It's in here," he finally answered.

"I'm done in here whenever you are ready."

"Sounds good," I heard the front door open and close. I hung up my phone.

"Is she still asleep?" Conrad propped himself up against the door frame.

"Nope," I shook my head. "She's playing with that toy my dad bought her."

Last week Dad came to Boston for a business meeting, so he stopped in with a new toy for his granddaughter. It's a black stuffed cat that you can get at Build-A-Bear, and it purrs. Gracie just adores it!

I think Conrad's iPhone is still her favorite item, but the cat is slowly taking its place.

I know what you're thinking. Why would we let our one year old play with a very expensive electronic? I don't;Conrad does. Turns out he's a big softie when it comes to his Gracie girl.

What does she do with the phone, you ask? She chews on it, plays on it, and listens to music on it.

Spoiled, you say? I agree.

A while ago Anika, Ashley, and Taylor discovered Gracie's love for Taylor Swift. When Conrad found out, he played anything but Taylor Swift. That album Black by Pearl Jam he loves so much? He plays it a lot now, claiming Gracie needs to know good music.

Except it doesn't work. She's got Con wrapped around her little finger, so all it takes is a simple pout, cry, or no and Taylor is magically Shaking It Off.

"Ready to listen to Taylor Swift all the way to the summer house?"

Conrad grumbled and I gave him a big grin.

"Hi, Mama." Gracie reached for me.

I'm still amazed that my baby can say things like hi, mama, dada, and no. She can stand up alone now, but she can't walk just yet. She'll crawl everywhere she can, but she still clings to Conrad and I.

"Hi, baby," I picked her up out of the green and blue polka dot car seat.

I walked up on the porch with my daughter on my hip. It's hard to believe I was coming here when I was a baby and now I'm bringing my own baby and husband. Granted, my husband has been coming here longer than me, but it is still amazing.

"Gracie!" Mom walked up to us. "Let me see my granddaughter!"

"Nice to see you, too, Mom."

"Oh, shush. I haven't seen her in a week."

I rolled my eyes and passed the baby over.

"It's okay, Belly. She did the same thing to us." Jeremiah sat on the couch with a very sleepy Ashley on his lap. "She rocked him to sleep an hour ago."

"No one's gonna help me, huh?" Conrad walked in the front door with a bag on his back and two in his hand.

"You'll live," I leaned up an kissed him real quick.

"Tomorrow I want to take Gracie to the beach," I laid next to Conrad on his old bed wearing one of his old t-shirts. "And maybe to the memorial garden for Susannah."

"That sounds like a good idea," he burrowed his head in my neck. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I ran my fingers through his thick, partially curly, brown hair. "Tomorrow is our second anniversary."

"I know," he nibbled my ear. " I made reservations at some fancy hotel the next town over. Laur offered to watch the baby."

"You are perfect."

"We don't have to go if you don't want too," I love that he can still be my shy, vulnerable, quiet Conrad. I also love that he can be my sweet, loving, protective husband.

"I want to," I promised as I closed my eyes and breathed him in.

We drifted off to sleep just like that.

"Good morning," Conrad lifted Gracie out of her portable crib. "How's my girl?"

She snuggled her little face into the crook of his name and wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. They have such a great relationship and I love it. Conrad is the best dad to our little angel.

Most days Conrad works long hours at the hospital, and instead of coming home to sleep, he comes home to spend that extra hour he could have been sleeping with us. I admit it can be hard when he works long hours, but he makes up for it. It may be as simple as watching the baby while I take a nap or shower, but it can also be making dinner or making time for us. We never go to bed without kissing goodnight or saying I love you. He always knows when somethings wrong or when I need to talk. Same with him, I know when he's had a bad day at work and I listen when he talks.

When comparing teenage Conrad and husband Conrad, it's truly spectacular. I get a more open Conrad, though he still has his moments that he's too quiet, it is better than locked up teenage Conrad.

To strangers or even family he might seem like a jerk, but he's our hero. He's my Rhett, my love, the same boy I've loved since I was ten. To our daughter, he's daddy. He's the perfect guy.

"Happy anniversary," Conrad kissed my hand. "I love you."

"And I love you," I held his hand.

*** CONRAD'S POV

"You can do it, Gracie!" I used my phone to video my wife helping our daughter take her first steps. "Come see Daddy."

Gracie, the spitting image of Belly with her freckles and light brown hair, looked up and gave me a big smile.

That's when she took her first steps.

"You did it!" Belly smiled the same smile as Gracie. "Good job, baby girl!"
She kept taking tentative steps toward me with Belly, who was balancing her.

"Dada," she reached for my leg. I turned the video off and picked my girl up.

"I love you," I kissed her forehead. Gracie grabbed my phone and giggled, completely oblivious to the giant milestone she reached.

Belly hugged my waist and leaned her head on my shoulder.

"This is the spot we got married," I wrapped my free arm around her and held Grace with the other. "And now it's the spot our daughter took her first steps on."

"I never thought I could love somebody as much as I love the two of you," she whispered. "I've always known I loved you so much, but I think I love you more than I did yesterday, if that's even possible."

I kissed her head.

That night I took Bells to a Chinese restaurant, then to the hotel. It was exactly what we needed.

"I can't believe she took her first steps," Belly and I walked hand in hand out of the elevator. "It seems like yesterday we held her tiny body."

"I know," I sighed and dug the room key out of my pocket. "It also seems like it was only yesterday that we got married."

***2 YEARS AGO

"I don't know where to start," I chuckled softly. "I have so many promises for you, Bells. We had a hard go at things, but it brought us to where we are right now. My mom once told me with every bad thing comes several good," my eyes bore into hers. "I promise you, I will love you forever. I promise to try and make you happy every single day, Belly. Oh, and I promise not to make fun of your music taste."

She laughed a beautiful laugh that caused a few tears to drip out.

"All my life, Conrad Fisher, I have loved you. I loved you when I knew I shouldn't have, I loved you when you thought you didn't deserve it, I loved you through everything," she took a shuddering breath. "Susannah told me before she passed to 'look after him.' Now, at first, I chose to believe she meant Jere, but I knew she meant you, too. I remember all those memories, and I believed we finally ran out of chances." Belly took my hands. "Your mom also told me that love finds a way. No matter how messy, love will find it's way. And I know it may not have been the easy way, but it makes us all the more real and true. I know things may get rough, but I know I can do anything if it's your hand holding mine. I'll love you until I take my last breath, Conrad Fisher."

***PRESENT DAY

"You're so beautiful," I kissed her neck. "So incredibly beautiful."

"Always the charmer," she was breathless.

"Only for you," I grinned.

"Conrad?"
"Yes?"

"Let's make good use of that bed."

"Who am I to deny my wife?" I dropped her on the bed, only to quickly cover her body with mine.