MERCEDES' POV

When the sun rose the next morning, Mercedes didn't feel the happiness she'd imagined she would. Instead, she felt heavy. And as she looked to the right of her, finding nothing but the space where Sam was supposed to be, she felt alone as well. She stood to her feet but as caught off guard when she almost doubled over, the heaviness pulling her down.

Something was different. She could feel it, but she couldn't see it just yet. It wasn't until she was standing before the full length mirror of this suddenly unfamiliar bedroom she was in, that she saw her fully rounded and pregnant stomach. She was confused but mostly terrified because where was Sam? She could see a few of his things lying around, but as she walked through the surprisingly large house, she couldn't find him. It wasn't until she walked into the bedroom again, sitting hopelessly at the end of the bed, that she noticed a door that she somehow knew to be the closet was cracked open. She approached, opening it and finding immediately that a lot of his things had been thrown around. But mostly she noticed that some of his things were missing. One big thing most importantly; his suitcase. She fell to the ground inside the closet, tears suddenly streaming down her face and soft sobs escaping her. He'd left her.

He was gone.

Mercedes woke from the dream with a mixture of sweat and tears dampening her face. She could feel Sam wrapped tightly around her. But it wasn't relief that settled over-instead it was that same heaviness from the dream. She peeled herself away from him, entering the bathroom and shutting the door behind her. Sitting on the side of the tub, she began to cry immediately. Last night had been amazing. They'd rekindled, made love, and held each other closer than ever throughout the night. Nothing had ever felt better. But the dream had felt all too real-too familiar, too possible. Suddenly Mercedes understood the heaviness she felt. It was a fear of his abandonment-a weight that she hadn't even known she was carrying until it threatened to drag her down.

Her crying came to a halt at the sound of him moving outside. She'd thought she'd been quiet but she should have known he would come looking for her the moment he realized she wasn't next to him anymore. She didn't know what seeing him would spark in her-anger or more fear? She wasn't sure, but she didn't know if she was prepared to find out just yet tried to stay quiet, hoping that her silence would make him figure she just needed to use the restroom. But she'd been wrong.

A soft knock came to the door.

"You alright?" he called, his voice clearly still lined with drowsiness."

"I'm fine," she said, and she might as well had not even lied. Her voice was thick with tears and she was sure he'd heard it. The door opened slowly, with his head peaking in, and looking at him set off a world of pain in her mind.

"Baby, why are you crying?" he asked, his voice suddenly alert as he stood in front of her.

"I had a nightmare," she admitted. "I had a nightmare like a seven year old and I couldn't go back to sleep.

"What happened in it?" he questioned. And she wanted to say it all, but her throat felt as if it was blocked, the dream strangling her until she couldn't speak. It wasn't until he knelt down, his hand resting softly on her cheek that she felt free again. "Tell me," he pleaded softly. And then the words were falling out of her.

"I was pregnant. And huge." she said, and his eyes widened. "By you," she added, amused by the way it seemed he suddenly started to breathe again at those words.
"Is that really so terrifying?" he asked and she shook her head as the tears fell again. Sitting down in front of her, he looked concernedly at her wet face.

"You weren't there," she finally said. "You left me alone in a house that I guess was ours. I saw your suitcase was gone, your stuff was thrown all over the place. You left." she told him. His brows furrowed.

"I would never do that to you," he replied.

"Are you sure?" she fired back quickly, and Sam's head dropped, undoubtedly remembering the two times he'd walked away from her in the past few days. "I'm so fucking stupid," he suddenly whispered to himself, his hand rubbing over his face before falling to the side of him again. "My dad told me-he warned me and I didn't fucking listen." he said, the words still seemingly only meant for him. As much as his leaving had hurt, it hurt her to see him beating himself up, too. "I'm so sorry, Mercedes." he told her looking up at her. "I was just frustrated and hurt and-"

"Sam," she suddenly interrupted him. "I understand all of that, I do. And I know the part I played in this. But let's not talk about any excuses right now."
Sam's head dropped low again.

"You're right, no excuses." he said, before chuckling quietly. "If I'd just stayed we could've probably figured this out sooner."

"Probably not," Mercedes said through a small laugh. "It took a few people besides you to help me understand what I was doing," she continued and he nodded. "But Sam, that dream," she began again. "It felt like I was watching my future with you happen."

"Mercedes, I would never leave you like that," he promised her again. "But it's my dumbass fault that you think I would-goddammit," he swore, standing forcefully off the ground, his arms wrapped around himself as he stood before her. He was quiet for a moment and Mercedes honestly didn't know what to say either.

"What did you father warn you about?" she asked, suddenly curious. Sam sighed as he looked at her again.

This," he said simply. "He warned me that leaving you when I was angry or whatever would change the way you see me, I can't believe I screwed this up." he went on, his eyes low.

"Sam, it's not over yet." she said, suddenly bothered by the hopelessness in his voice. He looked at her again and she sighed. "I know I'm stubborn and hard to talk to sometimes," she began. "But I just need to know that you won't leave and disappear just because I didn't say the right thing or what you wanted me to say."

"I won't, Mercedes," he told her. "But if you don't believe me," he shook his head as he trailed off. "How long do you think we'll last if you don't trust that I will stay with you?" he asked her, and she was quiet. She didn't know if she'd completely lost that trust, but she definitely felt that it had wilted. Sam suddenly moved near to her again, sitting next to her on the edge of the tub and breaking the silence between them. "Mercedes, I know that I did this and I know that it's not something you can just forget about. But I-I don't wanna let this go."

"Neither do I," she shrugged. "What are we gonna do?" she asked him. "I just don't wanna feel like I'm afraid with you."

"I know," he nodded. "Just give me time," he requested. "Give us more time together and I'll show you that I'm here. I'm not gonna leave you. I'm not." he promised her. She smiled as she listened to him, the words soothing her.

"I can give us time," she said, her hand resting on his on the porcelain edge of the tub as they looked at each other. His lips pressed softly against hers for not a moment too long before he pulled back.

"Can I ask you for something else?" he wondered and she nodded as her eyes opened slowly, still lost in the touch of his lips. "Don't close up on me again," he begged her. She was alert then, her eyes on his as she listened. "Sometimes you get so guarded and defensive that you just lock up and I can't reach you anymore. We need to be able to talk to each other." he said. "Just stay here, in this with me, alright?" he asked.

She couldn't disagree with what he'd said. Mercedes knew herself and she knew the description of guarded and defensive Fit her perfectly at times. Being with Sam had knocked those walls down for the most part but sometimes her pride still got in the way. She was quickly learning though that pride meant nothing when it came to love. She nodded as she smiled at him.

"Alright," she agreed, and he grinned, leaving a lingering kiss on her lips. And then suddenly he sat down in the dry tub, taking her hand and moving her to sit her in between his long legs. He buried his face deep into her neck, his arms wrapped around her and Mercedes relaxed into his touch.

"We're gonna get this right someday," he said and she laughed, her hand reaching up and landing on his cheek. She realized then that it didn't matter if they got it all right tomorrow, next month or next year-as long as she had a future with the man who sat behind her; because just being with him felt more right than anything in her life ever had. She turned her head up to kiss the bottom of his chin softly before blissfully whispering,

"Someday."