Sorry updating's taken so long, been very busy. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and the feedback!
They stood up on the top of one of Catalina Island's tallest mountains and looked over at the beauty of the ocean spilling over into the distant horizon. Tiny boats bobbled on its surface and the waves curled before breaking on the beaches below them.
Earlier, they had packed up a simple lunch, a blanket and had begun their hike up a well worn trail that snaked around the mountain to its very top. Matt had wondered if she would be up to such arduous exercise and she rolled her eyes at him, good-naturedly.
"Houston, you are not carrying me up the entire way," she said, "I'm pregnant…"
He smiled back innocently enough.
"I'm aware of that."
Her cheeks flushed a bit but she wasn't about to be deterred.
"I'm not sick…well not most of the day and I can handle a simple hike," she said, "Carol said it's important for pregnant woman to get enough exercise."
"We've been doing that."
She wanted to hit him.
"I mean outside the bedroom."
He winked.
"We've been doing that too."
Oh, she just wanted to throw up her arms at that point. But he didn't say anything more as they gathered up their supplies which he carried and they headed off. The walk hadn't been difficult at all because the trail inclined gracefully up the several thousand feet and they stopped to rest near some trees. The sunlight sparkled over the mountains and they both felt its warmth the further they hiked. When they had to step over a huge branch or cross a shallow brook, he took her hand and helped her across.
And occasionally they stopped to look at a patch of colorful wildflowers, which knitted each other into a tapestry that truly looked gorgeous.
"Oh the flowers…"
Matt tilted his head.
"So you'd like to live somewhere with plenty of flowers," he guessed.
She nodded.
"I like the wildest ones best," she said, "the way they grow even where they're not really wanted."
They had looked at how delicate little purple flowers had poked their way seemingly out of cracks in the rocky hillside. The sunlight nourished them as did the occasional rain and still they grew and they bloomed.
Matt wasn't all that into flowers really but he enjoyed watching the way C.J.'s face lit up while she looked at them. The quiet beauty of watching her sitting down to examine some of the smaller buds that soon would open to add to the plethora of colors caught his breath. He knew what he wanted in his life which was to spend it with his best friend but he sensed a resistance within her whenever he broached the subject.
She just seemed so caught up in this idea of them being friends and nothing more even though it would definitely be clear in a few months that there had been much more that they had shared. She had appeared much more relaxed than she had when she had left him…well not really him but the hectic lifestyle which constantly surrounded them back in L.A.
Hans hadn't called and his next hearing date was still a while off. None of his exes had called him or showed up looking for him. The time that he had shared with C.J. here on the island had been special, one of the few times lately they had spent together. Annie had given them their space, because she knew that they still had things to figure out, what steps to take next and how to move together towards their future.
"Houston…"
His eyes followed where she pointed down into a valley where a flock of bison grazed, descendents of animals that had been brought to the island for a movie production and then left there to save on costs.
"They look like they belong here now," he said.
She looked at him and smiled.
"I've really enjoyed the time we've spent together."
That went double for him.
"I'm in no hurry to go back," he said, "I think we both needed time away from L.A."
She sighed thoughtfully.
"Sometimes I wish I didn't have to go back."
He caught that tone in her voice again, the wistfulness, mixed in with her general contentment. She valued her career and the businesses they had built together, he knew that, but he realized she wanted to build something more than that like a family. He just needed her to understand that he wanted that too and he wanted that with her. Hard though with the parade of exes that had shown up lately, he thought ruefully not to mention all this drama and intrigue over the missing painting which still hadn't surfaced in all this time.
Matt had a feeling that Hans knew more about that not that he really cared anymore. How could any of that compare to the reality of his own child being born in a matter of months? The child that his father hadn't lived to see just like his mother hadn't lived to know her own son for long.
"I didn't mean I never want to go back…"
He put his arm around her shoulders.
"I know that sweetheart," he said, "I know exactly what you mean."
She looked at him.
"Do you," she said, "I mean I know that both of us are in this together but sometimes…well this baby, this new life is inside me…wherever I go it's there, there's no escaping that not that I want to do that…"
He rubbed her back.
"I'm going to be right there with you," he said, "The whole nine yards."
She smiled at his use of football vernacular, a reminder that he had once been a champion player of that sport while in college but had eschewed a professional career to enlist in the military with his cousin, Will who had finally returned to them after so many years in a prison camp.
"I know you will…"
"I mean it C.J.," he said, "I've never wanted anything more in my whole life than a family of my own and a woman to share that with me. I just never realized she was in front of me the whole time."
C.J. shrugged.
"Well you were always a bit slow to pick up on things," she teased.
He waggled his brows.
"Do you want me to speed things up?"
She shook her head.
"Oh no way," she said, "There's a lot to be said for slowness and you did finally figure it out. We both did."
He listened to her and he wondered if it would be the right time…but something in her eyes made him put that thought away, though he tightened his hold on her as they both looked out into the sparkling sea below and in front of them in endless splendor.
Annie tooled over the stove, humming some country ballad to herself that C.J. remembered in terms of its haunting melody if not the words. Matt had gone to Avalon to pick up some paperwork sent by plane from Murray to sign and then send right back. C.J. had taken a nap and then gone to do some reading in Annie's living room in front of the fire.
Days had been quite warm but the evenings had started to cool, turning the outside nippy by the time darkness had settled over the valley.
"That view is just gorgeous," Annie said, as C.J. walked in to help her with a salad.
"Thanks for suggesting it," she said, "Houston wasn't going to let me walk it at first but I felt so good at the top."
"Exercise is great for expectant mothers," Annie said, "and you have the good sense to know the right dose."
"Houston knows that," C.J. said, "That's just his way. He doesn't want me to feel like I'm alone with this pregnancy. I guess it's hard for the father to experience it except through the mother."
Annie chuckled.
"Oh Houston's always wanted to be hands on person," she said, "but he'll be a great father."
C.J. nodded, as she sliced the tomatoes to put in the salad mix.
"I know he will be," she said, "he just doesn't have to worry all the time."
"That's common especially for first time fathers," Annie said, "It'll be okay…at least by the time your child's grown up."
C.J. tried but she couldn't even imagine that, what it would be like to raise a son or a daughter together, from the time of its birth to the inevitable day when he or she left home to go to college. She sighed, there was still so much they both had to figure out about parenthood not to mention their own complicated relationship which had grown even more so.
"I'm a bit nervous too," she confessed.
Annie reached over to pat her shoulder.
"That's common too," she said, "I remember I certainly was for a long time but you learn to roll with the punches and to just make do the best that you can do. Children are resilient and can handle a lot even inexperienced parents who love them."
C.J. thought that made sense and she still had time to prepare, would she be able to do so by the time her baby was born?
Still excitement filled her too, whenever she thought about being a mother. Something she had always wanted to be a part of her life…maybe not this soon…but still she wanted her baby more than anything she had ever wanted…well right up there with wanting its father.
But in L.A. which they would have to return to soon enough, awaited Matt's exes. Not that she felt threatened by them but the drama that they had brought for Matt to sort out had just gotten to be a bit too much. What they needed to do was to go somewhere far away and fix their own problems, and not rely on Matt to do it for them.
Matt walked into the kitchen and took her in his embrace and kissed her.
"Missed you…"
She smiled up at those simple words that said so much.
"I was right here working on this salad," she said, "It's not my strongpoint but I'm learning."
He left his arm around her waist as he inspected her medley of vegetables in the bowl, and she reached for the Italian dressing to sprinkle liberally over it.
"So you got the paperwork back to Murray?"
He nodded, and he rubbed his forehead with his free hand.
"I sent a note back that I'll let him know when we're ready to go back."
She arched a brow at him.
"Oh so you did," she said, "and when will that be?"
He smiled back at her.
"Whenever the lady says so…"
Later after dinner, they settled in front of the fireplace of their cabin, watching the flames dance over the wood. She had made them some hot chocolate and mixed in some milk. Matt had been worried about her getting all of her vitamins and minerals and so she added some extra calcium to her drink.
She cuddled in his embrace after finishing the soothing drink which they had shared on many an occasion since they were kids on camping trips with his father, uncle and cousin. He smelled the lilac in her hair, the cinnamon spice in her cologne.
"So what's on for tomorrow?"
She shrugged in his arms.
"I think I might do some knitting…"
He threw her an odd look.
"Knitting?"
She gave him a knowing look.
"Yes knitting and drop that incredulous look…"
He did but he still remained perplexed.
"But I never knew you to be interested in needlecraft."
"Why can't I take up a new hobby," she said, "and then after that, I was thinking of doing some fishing."
Now that sounded more like the woman he knew and loved most of his whole life.
"Okay, that sounds like a plan…"
She sighed.
"Except I need someone to carry the fishing gear," she said, "It's kind of heavy…"
He bit back a chuckle at that request, because he knew that the woman in his arms would have told him where to put it if he'd asked to carry her tackle box and pole.
"I think I can handle that," he said, "if just to keep your energy up for other things later on when we get back."
She chuckled.
"Who said anything about waiting until we get back," she said, "The one thing about pregnancy is that it increases all kinds of appetites."
Okay, well he had noticed that too, especially lately. But fishing was a serious matter and had always been between them in between the laughter and fish stories of course.
"I can see that…"
She nodded against his chest.
"We'll see who proves to be the best at it…the fishing part anyway."
He sighed as they relaxed on the couch, as he pulled her closer thinking of the interesting day that awaited them tomorrow.
And that nothing felt better than the way he did right now.