Engagement flashback? check
Bitta smut? check
Threw in some new college friends because I would like to think that despite everything that happened to them the girls would actually managed to make new friends outside of Rosewood.
I think I may have made up a new word in this chapter, tell me if you see it and you're just like no, that's not a word lol
Title named after 'Time' by Mikky Ekko aka Haleb soundtrack writer
Enjoy...
We Can Run Forever
"Mommy!" Logan Rivers gasped worriedly, stood on a giant mushroom in the middle of Central Park as he watched his Mommy start to cry, her body shaking as she turned and buried her head against Caleb's chest. "Momma," He called again, scrambling to get down as quick as possible.
"It's okay," Caleb tried to move over to him and help him down whilst he kept an arm around Hanna's back as she sobbed against his shoulder. "Lo, Mommy's okay," He tried to soothe him as he watched the little boy's eyes start to well up as he reached for Hanna. "I promise she's okay," He said as Logan's two feet finally connected with the ground and he started to cry too.
Caleb had not expected Hanna to suddenly start crying when he asked her their question, but he guessed all those hormones her Mom had been speaking about were still toying with her emotional stability. He hoped this was the final cathartic release she'd need before they could both try and put this past episode behind them.
She took a deep, shuddering breath and tried to control herself before she turned and knelt down to pull Logan into her arms, "It's okay," She whispered as he cried with her.
"Mommy," He clung onto her for dear life, all the love that emanated between them slowly starting to banish the tears.
Hanna closed her eyes and inhaled his scent, cradling his head against her shoulder, "It's okay baby, it's okay," She murmured again, pulling back and swishing her thumbs underneath his eyes to wipe away the few remaining tears. "Daddy asked me a question and it made me sad and happy at the same time," She explained gently as he played with her hair.
"Me!" Mila wailed, not understanding what was going on but not wanting to miss out. Caleb lifted her up and placed her safely on the ground, letting her run over to Logan and Hanna where she proceeded to wedge herself in between them.
"Are you sad or happy?" Logan asked her, looking down his fingers in her hair as he stayed as close as possible.
"I'm happy now," Hanna said, stroking his back slowly.
"Did Daddy ask you about Cheetos?"
Hanna fought a laugh as he asked her the question so genuinely, "What makes you think that?" She asked him, kissing his forehead reassuringly.
"Cheetos make me happy but sad when they go away," He explained, trying to hold onto her as she stood up.
"Daddy didn't ask me about Cheetos," Hanna told him, propping Mila on her hip and taking his hand to lead him over to the benches that encircled the statue. She sat down, Mila on her lap and Logan tucked into her side as Caleb followed them with Everly. He hadn't said a word; she needed to have this moment with their children and he didn't want to interfere. "Daddy asked me a question that made me remember how special this place is," She finally explained to them.
"Cos of Alice?" Logan asked as her pulled him in closer and then started to stroke his cheek.
"Remember how Mommy has her rings?" Caleb finally said something, laying an arm along the back of the bench as he turned his body into them.
Logan nodded and reached for Hanna's hand, tugging her gloves off so that he could see the bands that glintered in the sunlight. "When you and Daddy kissed," He said, toying with the rings.
"Daddy gave me this one first," Hanna explained, twisting her engagement ring, "When he asked me to be his forever."
"Forever?" Logan gasped in disbelief.
"That's a long time isn't it?" Caleb grinned, moving his hand forward slightly to squeeze Hanna's shoulder. "And it's a big question."
Logan nodded and Hanna smiled at him as he touched the diamond. "Daddy asked me that question right here."
"Caleb, where are we going?" Hanna moaned as she held onto her boyfriend's fingers. She'd been in her heels all night and her feet were killing her. All she wanted to do was sit down, not go charging through Central Park. "I thought we could go home…" She tried to say as seductively as possible.
He turned to look over his shoulder at her and he grinned. He knew exactly what game she was playing. "And what?" He asked, turning fully and starting to walk backwards.
"Well…" She started, her hips sashing a little more as she realized the look that was starting to appear in his eyes, "We'd walk through the door," She whispered, "And then I'd take your hand," She gripped his hand even tighter, "And I'd bring it here," She brought it to her side, resting it right at the top of the zip on her dress, "And together," He'd stopped moving and she was closer to him than she'd anticipated, "We'd do this," She whispered in his ear, guiding his fingers to grip the zip and slowly start to pull it down.
He was grateful for the distraction – his heart was racing and the nerves that he'd managed to simmer throughout dinner were bubbling to the fore as the square box that had been in his pocket all evening reminded him exactly what he was trying to do. "No," He gulped, tugging the zip back up before stepping back.
Hanna's mouth dropped open, "Seriously?" She asked him. "I am offering you my body and you're saying no."
"I'm saying, not yet," He argued, taking her hand again and slowing down their walk. He pulled his fingers free for a moment to wrap them around her shoulders, tangling their digits again as one of her hands moved around his back and the other reached up to lace with his. "I just want to be here with you," He murmured in her ear.
"Me too," She looked up at him, digging her fingers into his side as their faces craned for a gentle kiss. It didn't take long for her to realize where they were going; the water, the trees were all too familiar as they headed towards the Alice in Wonderland statue.
It was one of her favourite spots in New York; she could sit there for hours looking out over the lake in one direction, her mind reflecting on her day, on her month, on her year as the water gently lapped. Or she could turn the other way and be lost in the greenery of the park, taunting, teasing her to take the path and discover what lay ahead. Sometimes, if she sat there long enough, she'd feel just like Alice.
"It's different a night," Hanna remarked quietly as they made their way up the long steps to the statue.
"Better or worse?" Caleb asked her, letting her go to lean on the mushrooms.
Hanna turned to look out over the water; the moonlight shimmering off the water and bouncing straight into her eyes, "Just different," She smiled, "Special," She murmured, turning back to the statue.
Caleb took a breath and reached into his pocket. This was it. He wanted to make it even more special and he just prayed to god she wasn't going to be disappointed.
There was no one else around. He had to do it right now.
"Han," His voice wobbling caught her attention and she spun round to see him stood there, an open velvet box gripped in his hand with a diamond ring sat right in the middle.
"Caleb," She whispered, her hand coming to her mouth as he took a step closer to her.
"When I moved to Rosewood, I thought it was all part of a journey to find my Mom," He started, "But it wasn't. I was there to find you," He took a shaky breath, "And I did," She was already starting to cry but she couldn't help herself, "Rosewood was our rabbit hole and you're my Alice; you're loving and gentle and curious and despite the craziness, we made it out of there."
She nodded and smiled at him with watery eyes, "We did," She whispered.
"And sometimes being with you feels like a dream."
Hanna nodded again, "I don't ever want to wake up," She whispered and interrupted him, stroking his hand as he reached out to cup her cheek.
"I don't want to either," He agreed. She could see he was crying and she felt the moment consume her, closing her eyes momentarily to try and control her emotions. "How long is forever?" He asked her, repeating the exact words Alice said to the White Rabbit.
"Sometimes, just one second," Hanna started to cry silently too as she quoted her favourite book.
"I want every second with you to last forever," He said softly, a trembling hand moving from her cheek to the ring and pulling it out of the box. "I love you so much," He murmured, looking straight into her eyes as he finally knelt down on one knee. "Hanna Marin, will you marry me?"
"Yes," She cried, nodding as she pulled him back up, throwing her arms around him as they held each other and tried to make the moment last as long as possible.
"Hanna," He pulled back, holding her shaking hand so that he could push the ring onto her finger. "If you don't like it we can change it," He started to ramble as she held the diamond closer to her face.
"No," She grinned and shook her head, "You chose it," She said, "It's perfect." He took her hand again and raised it to his lips in between them, pressing a kiss against the band before his thumb replaced and stroked where his lips had just been. "I love you," She whispered against his mouth before he held her in his arms and kissed her.
In that moment, she really did want forever to be just one second.
"Did you say yes?" Logan asked, breaking both of Hanna and Caleb from their thoughts.
"Of course I said yes monkey," She smiled, "And that's why I was upset," She explained gently, "Because thinking about what Daddy said to me and asked me makes me feel really happy, but it makes me feel sad too because it was a long time ago."
"Oh," He said simply.
Mila, who'd been sat quietly unsure as to what was going on, starting to squirm and point at the statue again, "Mama," She pointed. She wanted to get straight back on and start climbing again.
"You okay now?" Caleb checked with Logan, who sniffled one final time before nodding.
"Can we go play?" He asked, pushing himself down from the bench.
"Okay," Hanna let them go, "But be careful, especially with your sissy," She told him, making sure their hats were firmly on their head before they ran off back over to the statue. She moved up next to Caleb and tucked herself into his side, "I'm sorry," She whispered.
"You have nothing to be sorry for," He reassured her, "He just hates seeing you upset."
"I know," Hanna agreed, "I just… When you said those words to me, I think about everything," She started, "Where we've come from, where we're going," She said, "Where we are now."
"Now is not your nightmare," He said. His words were firm but tender and she nodded; that was why she'd been so upset. Accepting that meant all the negative energy associated with it had to leave her body and Caleb's words had been the catalyst.
She nodded, "I know that." From the look in her eyes, he believed her.
After spending the rest of the morning in Central Park, Caleb was finally convinced by Hanna to let them go shopping. It didn't help that she set Logan and Mila on him with their big eyes, begging to go to FAO Schwarz, which their Mommy had told them, was the best toyshop in New York City. He tried not to say anything as he watched Hanna quite simply spoil them, but by the time they'd ended up in SoHo, he'd had enough and stole Everly, telling Hanna he had to go and meet the guy who'd sorted out the flat for them.
By the time he got home, he had just enough time to grab a shower and get ready for the evening before he had to go straight back outa gain. He was taking Logan to his first basketball game – just the two of them for a boy's night – and he couldn't have really been more excited.
"Lo, are you excited like Daddy?" Hanna asked as she watched her little boy sit down on the floor without a top on, a look of concentration on his face as he did up his shoelaces.
"I love basketball," He exclaimed, moving over to Hanna who was curled up on the sofa with Mila tucked into her side.
"I know," She told him, "And Daddy can't wait to go to the game with you."
"Mama go," Mila pulled her thumb from her mouth and pointed at Logan as she looked up at Hanna, with her forehead creased.
"Daddy and Lo are having a boy's night," She explained, brushing the side of her hair back from her face. "They're going to the basketball together, so we can't go with them," She added.
"Oh," Mila stuck her thumb back into her mouth and gripped Hanna's top with her other hand as she squished herself even closer. An afternoon nap after a day of running around New York City hadn't been enough to banish the yawns and their toddler was decidedly tired.
"But we're having a girl's night instead," She squeezed her against her side, "And we're going to watch movies and eat pizza and read your new Princess books with Evvy."
"I want to stay," Logan pouted, leaning on Hanna's legs.
"But you don't like Princess books," Hanna reminded him, "And Daddy wants you to go with him. Where's your new jersey?" She asked about the Knicks top they'd bought him earlier that day.
Logan gasped, "My bedroom."
"No," Mila cried, reaching for Hanna as she stood up to go with him.
"Come on then," Hanna scooped her up and held her on her waist, "Shall we get into our pyjamas after we've helped Lo?" She whispered in Mila's ear. The little girl nodded eagerly before her thumb was back in her mouth and they were heading towards Logan's room.
"Mommy it's here," Logan said as she stood in the doorway.
"Good job," She said, "Bring it in here," She headed into Mila's room, putting a reluctant Mila down to help him Logan tug the material over his head.
"Han?" She heard Caleb call.
"In here," She yelled back as she grabbed a pair of Mila's pyjamas. "These ones?" She held up a matching pink and green striped set.
"Hey," Caleb appeared, Everly in his arms with her back to his chest.
"Hey Daddy," Hanna grinned up at him as Mila started to pull her clothes off.
"Mila are you getting ready for a pyjama date with Mommy and your sister?" He gasped, letting Everly suck on his hand.
"Gewl night," Mila shrieked, holding onto Hanna's shoulders as she yanked up her pyjama bottoms.
"What are we gonna do?" Hanna cooed at her, a smile covering her face as Mila scrunched up her face excitedly.
"Moovies and Pwincess stories," She repeated exactly what her Mommy had told her.
"That's right," Hanna agreed as Caleb moved to sit on the bed whilst she tied the toddler's blonde hair up into a ponytail, "And what are we going to eat?"
"Pis-a!" She giggled as Hanna tickled her sides and she collapsed back onto her lap.
"I want to watch movies and eat pizza," Logan pouted, toying with Hanna's hair as he leant against her side.
"But you're going to the game with Daddy," Hanna stroked his side comfortingly, "You don't want to go?"
"I do," Logan quickly corrected her. "But I want pizza."
"We can get pizza," Caleb reassured him, kissing the side of Everly's head as she tried to grab his watch.
"Yay!"
"You guys better go soon," Hanna murmured, letting Mila go as she raced off to decide what books she wanted to read.
"I know," Caleb agreed, standing up and leading them out into the living area, "But," He started as he handed Everly to Hanna, "A small part of me doesn't want to go either," He grinned, pressing a kiss against Everly and then Hanna's head before disappearing off to go and grab his shoes.
"But it's girls night," She cooed at the baby, "And girls night means no boys," She grinned as Everly tried to talk back to her, a string of noises coming out of her mouth. "That's right," She patted her butt, nuzzling her cheek, "No boys."
"Mama!" A voice called in distress.
"What is it?" She called back, heading straight back to Mila's room.
"Mama," The voice called again, now muffled.
"What's your sister doing?" She whispered to Everly, brushing her hair gently as she made her way round the doorway into Mila's room.
"Mama," Mila voice whimpered, starting to become to distressed as the comforter that she had determinedly tried to pull off her bed swamped her frame and she struggled to free herself.
"Hey, hey," Hanna rushed over, holding Everly with one arm as she pulled the heavy material off the toddler, "It's okay," She soothed her, squatting down and hold an arm out for her little girl to run into as she saw the tears about to spill, "Was that scary?" She asked her, cradling her against her shoulder and kissing her head.
Mila nodded and clung onto Hanna, "It get me," She said, reluctantly letting Hanna stand up.
"Such a naughty comforter," Hanna agreed, taking her hand and squeezing reassuringly as she led her back out to the safety of the living room.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Caleb asked as soon as he saw them.
"She pulled her comforter on top of herself," She said, stroking the back of Mila's neck. "Can you go get it?" Hanna asked him sweetly, settling Mila on the sofa as Logan hovered around to see what all the fuss was about.
"Sure," Caleb muttered. He disappeared off to do as Hanna had asked and he grabbed Mila's new books too. By the time he came back, Hanna had managed to find a Barbie film on Netflix for them to watch and had settled Mila with her sippy cup and a snack. "Wow bug, Mommy's going all out for girl's night," He grinned at her, bending down to press a kiss against her face as he tucked her comforter in around her.
"Gewl night!" She shrieked, munching on a stick of cucumber.
"Babe," Hanna called him over towards her and Logan near the kitchen, "Come here," She insisted, Everly on her hip and her phone in her hand as she encouraged him to stand behind Logan for a picture. "It's his first game," She explained as he looked at her questioningly.
"Boys night," He grinned, squatting down behind Logan and pulling him against his chest. "You excited?" He asked, wrapping his arm tightly around the little boy's waist as he nodded.
"Yes!" Logan shrieked as Hanna took a few more pictures.
"Mommy and Daddy got you a special present," Hanna said, moving to the countertop to grab the purchase she'd sneakily bought whilst Caleb bought Logan his jersey earlier.
"A present?" He gasped excitedly as Hanna handed him a plastic bag. "A hat!" He pulled it out as quickly as he could, "Mommy it's like my top!"
"I know," Hanna smiled at him, "Do you like it?"
"I love it," He agreed, quickly putting it on backwards.
"Okay, one more picture, then you guys need to go if you're getting pizza too." They smiled at the camera one final time before kisses and 'I love you's' were exchanged and they were finally out the door. Hanna shoved a pizza in the oven and waited for it to cook before she set her and Mila up with all the supplies they'd need to do nothing but cuddle on the sofa for the rest of the evening.
They read her new books with Everly and watched one more movie before the little girl finally gave into the pull towards sleep. Hanna tucked her in and spent some one-on-one time with Everly before she settled her too.
She tried to stay awake and make the most of the time she had to herself, but the flat felt empty without anybody demanding her attention. Deciding on a soak in the tub, she filled it up with all her favourite salts and bubbles she'd bought earlier that day before lying back and closing her eyes, just for a few minutes…
"Han, baby," Hanna jolted up in the water as a hand shook her body. "It's okay, it's just me," Caleb stroked her arm reassuringly.
"What time is it?" She asked sleepily, taking a moment to comprehend exactly where she was. The water was lukewarm and her candles were almost burnt down fully. She wiped her face, leaning forward to drain some of the water before turning on the hot tap to try and heat the water back up.
"Just after eleven," He said softly, standing up and starting to pull his own clothes off.
"Did you have a good time?" She asked him, shuffling forward to let him slide in behind her as she swirled the water around them to try and up the temperature.
"Yeah," He grinned, running his fingers up and down her naked back as she leant forward to turn off the tap, "Lo loved it, kept pointing at everything and telling me to look," He said, wrapping his arm around her ribs, tantalizingly close to the underside of her breast and pulling her back against his chest.
"Hi," She murmured, smiling as he ducked his head to press a kiss against her neck.
"Hi," He replied, his hand moving to cup her breast, "I'd ask you how girl's night was but I'm thinking about something else right now."
"Two content baby girls," She said, gasping and throwing her head back as his fingers teased her nipple, "But, I'm not thinking about that either," She whispered, letting his mouth continue it's assault on her neck as his hand left her breast and headed south. She could feel his growing arousal starting to press into her butt and it wasn't too long before his fingers found hers too. He toyed with her until he couldn't take it anymore and he turned her round, water splashing over the top of the tub as she straddled him and settled straight onto his cock.
"Han," He groaned, his mouth going straight to the curve of her breast as she started to rock on top of him. She laced her hands through his hair, their moans dipping and peaking simultaneously as they both craved release. He bit down on her skin as she took him particularly deep, working him with her inner muscles as more water lapped over the top and spilled onto the floor.
His hands went to her hips, guiding her slow movement as his mouth moved up and sought hers. They kissed, bodies caressing and goading as they tumbled as one in the water. It didn't take long before they both reached their peaks, stilling entirely as they clung to each other and tried to ride it out for as long as possible. Breaths tried to regulate and tired muscles relaxed as the high started to mellow, Hanna collapsing against his chest as he cradled her against him.
"I just broke every rule of girl's night," Hanna murmured, turning her head to see a wry grin spread across his face.
"They'll never have to know," He ran his hand through her wet hair, stealing another kiss. "Tomorrow's our last night here," He started, running his hand up and down her thigh under the water, "What do you think about inviting some of your college friends over tonight?" He suggested quietly.
Hanna sat back and shot him a nervous look, "I haven't seen them in ages."
"I know," He reached a hand out to soothe the worry that had graced her cheeks, "That's why it would be nice to have them over," He said, "And we have a kitchen that we haven't really used yet."
"I guess," She agreed, settling back against his chest. "I thought our last night would be just us though."
"We've been just us for all of this trip," He wanted her to see their friends. They'd meant a lot to them whilst they'd lived in New York and he didn't want that to dissipate or be forgotten. "And I'm not oblivious to the comments they leave on your Instagram begging to see Rivers number three."
Hanna smiled at him, "They are kind of desperate."
"So we'll invite them?" He asked. She nodded and took his hand, resting against his shoulder until the water went cold and they had to get out. They had one day left in New York and right now, all she could think about was clinging on to the feeling that only the city could stir up in her, for as long as possible.
After being convinced to let Logan and Mila help pick out the ingredients for dinner at the local farmer's market, Hanna spent most of the afternoon splitting her time between packing up and checking on Caleb who was cooking with the help of their two little assistants. They were just about ready to host when the doorbell rang, stealing Logan's attention completely as he raced ahead of Hanna to answer the door.
"Me Mommy," Logan begged her, jumping at the door handle as Hanna opened the top latch.
"Okay," She agreed as he pulled back the door to reveal Zoe and her fiancé Will.
"Oh my god," Zoe gasped, throwing her arms around her friend and pulling her in for a tight hug, mindful of the little baby in between them in Hanna's arms. "Oh Han, look at her," She whispered, brushing Everly's soft whispy blonde hair as she stared up at her. "Can I?"
"Of course," Hanna grinned down at Everly and bounced her a little, patting her butt gently before she handed her over to Zoe. She glanced past her formed to see Will knelt down, talking to Logan as he let the two women greet each other, "Will," She said, moving round Zoe to give him a hug.
"Mommy, he is a dentist," Logan pointed out as he looped his fingers through Hanna's belt loop.
"And what do dentists do?" She asked him as he suddenly became shy and hid his face against her leg.
"Look at my teeth," He said quietly, peeping his head up to look at Will.
"That's right," Will agreed, "I check to see if teeth are healthy and fix them if they're not."
"Wow," Logan said quietly, staring up at him in awe.
"You have a fan," Hanna laughed, stroking Logan's back reassuringly before they followed Zoe into the open-plan living room where she'd gone to find Caleb.
"Wish it was that easy to impress everyone," Will remarked as he moved over to greet Caleb with a typical man-hug. "Where's number 2?" He asked, looking around for Mila. Although they didn't see Caleb and Hanna very often, Zoe was obsessed enough with all their kids to make sure both her and Will were kept up to date on everything they did.
"Mila," Caleb called, looking over towards the kitchen island where two blue eyes were peering round the edge. "Come here," He beckoned her over, a reassuring smile on his face. "Come say hi," He encouraged her, holding his arms out. She looked at him with trepidation before running over in her black leotard and baby pink billowy skirt, straight into his arms so that she could get a proper look at their guest.
"Hi Mila," Will grinned, "I bet you don't remember me," He smiled.
She studied him, gripping onto Caleb's shoulder before she held the edge of her skirt up to show him, "I a bal'rina," She said bashfully, burying her head against Caleb's chest in embarrassment.
"A beautiful ballerina," Will said, prompting the little girl's cheeks to tinge with pink. "Will you show me your dancing?" He asked.
She nodded and scrambled to be put down, before reaching for Will's hand and leading him to some open space. "She'll never let you escape now man," Caleb grinned at him, leaning down to kiss Mila's head before he left them to it to check on their dinner.
He let Grace and Cash in when they arrived, completely unsurprised when Grace headed straight for Hanna and Zoe who were still going crazy over Everly. Cash loitered in the kitchen with him, letting the girls get on with their thing and watching in amusement as Mila latched onto Will and wouldn't let him go. "I think your girl's got her first crush," He nudged Caleb's arm, nodding towards Mila who was essentially dangling off Will's knee.
"Do not go saying that," Caleb groaned, turning around to lean against the countertop and take a sip of his beer. "She is fighting so hard to stay awake," He shook his head, a grin on his face as she wiped her eyes tiredly. "Can you watch this?" He nodded his head at the simmering pan, before he headed over to Hanna.
"Is Cash scared of the babies?" Grace laughed as she watched her boyfriend loiter uncomfortably by the stove.
"He's being my sous chef," Caleb smirked, cradling Logan's head against his waist as he walked over and wrapped himself around his leg. "Bed?" He asked the little boy, although it wasn't really a question requiring an answer.
"I'll take them," Hanna tried, standing up from her place next to Grace to move over to them.
"No," He placed a hand on her back and a kiss on her lips. "You stay here with your friends," He whispered.
"They're your friends too," She tried. But he was adamant and moved in to pick Mila up, "Besides, I like putting them to bed."
"That's sweet," Zoe teased him.
Caleb frowned, but the glint in his eyes told her he was messing with her, "I'm not sweet."
"Oh, so you refusing to let Mila stop cuddling you in bed wasn't sweet? And you begging to feed Evvy this morning wasn't sweet?" Hanna shot him a knowing look.
"Okay, okay," He rolled his eyes, "Sometimes I'm sweet," He conceded as Mila settled her head tiredly on his shoulder.
Hanna moved over and lifted a hand to stroke Mila's hair back from her face, "Mila, do you think Daddy's sweet?"
"Chocco milk," She mumbled tiredly, thinking of the one thing she associated with the word sweet.
"Is Daddy better than chocolate milk?" Hanna teased her, resting a hand on her back.
Mila nodded, "Yes," She agreed as Caleb cuddled her as close as possible in his arms.
Hanna smiled as she watched the pair of them, "How much do you love Daddy?" Hanna whispered, stroking her little ankle.
"To da moon."
"To the moon and back?" He kissed her hairline. She nodded and sat up in his arms, "I love you that much too," He nuzzled her. "Now say goodnight to everyone before we go to bed," He encouraged her, grinning as she waved at them before happily disappearing off with him and Logan.
"Can we talk about how hot your husband is," Zoe started as she watched Caleb go.
"I am right here," Will rolled his eyes.
"But you're not my husband yet," She pouted, flashing the single diamond ring on her finger at him.
"Have you guys set a date?" Hanna asked, sitting back down next to Grace and reaching a hand out to stroke Everly's foot as the baby started to nap contently.
"Well..." Zoe trailed off.
"Well what?" Grace said, "You either have or you haven't."
"It's kind of on hold."
"You've been engaged for 3 years," Hanna frowned, "Why the hell would it be on hold?"
"I may or may not be pregnant."
Screams from the two girls reverberated around the room and Hanna threw herself at Zoe, enveloping her in a hug. Caleb reappeared, shaking his head in amusement at the girls before he stole Everly as she started to cry from all the noise. "Will," He grabbed his friend's attention as he held the baby against his shoulder, "Mila wants you to read her bedtime story," He said casually.
"Erm, sure," He grinned, "Need the practice anyway."
"She's almost out, she'll fall asleep after a few pages," He reassured him before heading back to Cash and their dinner. As the girls started to get over the news of a new baby, they finally sat at the table and started to eat. Caleb couldn't take his eyes off Hanna. She finally looked happy again, at peace with herself as they laughed with their friends about how crazy life was. The last time they'd had a dinner party in their flat in New York, they'd barely managed to fit enough chairs around the table. But as he kissed her ear and draped a casual arm around her shoulder, he knew that the apartment they'd been staying in was only a sign of how far they'd come. Yes, it was a good investment, yes it was an amazing apartment, but he knew that when he told Hanna he wanted to buy it, it would mean so much more.
"I don't want you to go back to Rosewood," Zoe pouted as she reached for her glass of water.
Hanna smiled sadly, "I know," She said as she held her glass of wine close to her lips. "But Logi's already missed two days of school."
"Can we just keep Mila then?" The redhead tried, "She loves Will, he can just read her stories all the time."
Hanna bit her lip before smiling, "You are so her first crush," Grace laughed, "Daddy how do you feel about that?"
"Seriously, not good," Caleb grimaced, taking a sip of his beer.
"She loves you baby, you know that," Hanna squeezed his thigh and tilted her head for a kiss. She thought he'd been a bit quiet for some of the night and she didn't want him to be put out by the thought of their baby girl growing up.
"I know," He shot her a small smile, squeezing her shoulder. "You guys want another beer?" He asked, standing up as they nodded to head to the fridge. He came back and placed the bottles on the table before he couldn't resist going to check on Everly who was still napping in her travel cot.
Zoe sauntered over to them as Hanna started to clear up the table. "She is so gorgeous, Caleb," She said, watching as he gently stroked her leg.
He looked up at her and grinned, "Sometimes I look at her and I can't believe we made her."
"I'm pregnant, do you want me to cry?"
"Sorry," He laughed, "Just telling the truth."
"What are you two laughing about?" Hanna pouted as she came over to them. Caleb could tell she was slightly tipsy, but this night was all about her and he wanted her to enjoy herself.
"About how soppy your husband is," Zoe grinned as Hanna wrapped her arms around Caleb's waist.
"He is pretty soppy for our girls," She agreed, smiling up at him deliriously happy. He didn't say anything, just squeezed her tight as she reached for his arm to check the time, "5 minutes and she'll be awake," She murmured.
"Is that like some weird internal Mommy clock that I've now been programmed with?"
"No," Hanna looped her arm with Zoe's. "She's just like clockwork."
"So how'd you find this place?" Will asked Caleb as he sat back down, "Airbnb?"
"No," He shook his head and took a sip of his beer, "It's on the market and I've been thinking about investing for a while," He said casually as Hanna sat back down next to him, "Wanted to test it out before we buy."
"What?" Hanna froze, "Caleb, what are you talking about?"
"I think we should buy this place."
"Are you serious?" She asked him quietly.
"I'm serious," He nodded, reaching out to cup her jawline, "We can come up here whenever we want," He said softly, "If you want it," He added, waiting for a reaction.
"Hanna, say yes," Zoe told her.
"Yes," Hanna frowned, still taken aback, but there was a smile on her face, "Yes, of course I think we should buy it," She threw her arms around him.
He cupped her cheek and looked into her eyes, "Everything makes sense financially, but I want this because of us."
She nodded, "Me too," She agreed, pressing a gentle kiss against his lips. Everly started to cry, interrupting their moment as Hanna stood to pick her up and bring her back to the table.
"You are putting us all to shame, dude," Will slapped Caleb on the back jokingly as he went to grab another drink for Zoe.
"Can I marry you instead of him?" Zoe tried.
"No," Hanna pouted as she sat back down with Everly in her arms, "He's mine," She said possessively, curling an arm around his the front of his jawline.
"Can I steal her?" Grace begged, holding her arms out for the baby.
"You're obsessed," Cash rolled his eyes as the baby was placed in the arms of his girlfriend.
"And now they're going to have a place here, I can become even more obsessed."
"This is so exciting," Zoe clapped her hands together as Hanna moved herself onto Caleb's lap.
"Yeah, it is," She grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing a hard kiss against his lips.
"We've come a long way, Han," He whispered, kissing her exposed shoulder.
She cupped his cheek, looking into his eyes as her hair fell around them, "And I can't wait to see where we're going."
This kind of kills me to say, but this feels like a very NATURAL place to end this story.
I write for myself, but of course mainly for you guys, so if you still think this story has somewhere to go, let me know.
I love every single one of you who has ever reviewed this story, it has a special place in my heart.
