Hello Lovelies,

I hope you're all doing well and still surviving through these crazy times.

As always, thank you for your comments and support. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

More coming soon.

Much Love,

Chelsea xx


Christian's eyes were wide, staring blankly at me and empty of any emotion. Minutes had passed and still he hadn't said a word. He was just sat there, unmoving, barely even breathing.

I could feel my throat tightening, a lump building in my windpipe. My mouth grew dry.

"Please, say something?" I begged, shaking my head at him. "Anything?"

He blinked slowly.

His gaze dropped from mine and settled on my stomach, where my fingers were resting, one of the tests still in my hand.

"You're… pregnant?" he whispered, gulping hard. "Pregnant?"

"All of the tests are positive," I shrugged. "They can't all be wrong, can they?"

"No, I guess not," he shook his head. He clenched his jaw. "So… um… how do you feel?"

"About this?" I asked, lifting the test. He nodded. "I don't know… I'm shocked -"

"No, I mean, how do you feel about it," he said. "About being pregnant. Having a baby…"

Baby.

The word seemed to linger heavy in the air.

He needed to know where I stand.

What my thoughts on it are.

What I want to do.

Even though such a small question, it will have huge consequences no matter how I answer.

I licked my lips and blinked hard, trying to stave off the tears threatening to fall.

"I'm scared," I sniffed. I felt my knees start to buckle. "Really scared… we didn't plan this and… I don't know… it's there now and we…"

I couldn't seem to get the words out.

But Christian nodded, seeming to get what I wanted to say. At least, I hoped he did.

I'm pregnant.

I have a baby inside me.

Our baby.

And it was that single thought that was dominating my mind – that no matter what, the thing growing inside me right now is ours. It is a part of him and me.

Inhaling a deep breath, Christian covered his face with his hands.

My stomach lurched.

"I need a second," he mumbled.

"Okay."

"I'm trying… I'm really trying to keep calm but I need to –"

"Just let it out," I pleaded. "Say whatever you're thinking. Please."

In a beat, he leapt off the bed and started rushing around the bedroom. He moved frantically, his hands pushing deep into his hair.

I waited for the frustration, the anger, the disappointment to hit. Waited for him to start shouting and cursing.

But it didn't come.

Instead, he started laughing.

Loud, roaring laughs that hurt my ears.

"Christian?"

"You're pregnant," he breathed, shaking his head. A grin spread high and wide across his face. "For real? You're pregnant?"

I nodded slowly, confused.

"Oh my fucking god," he boomed. He ran towards me and seized me into his arms, lifting me into his chest. "We're going to have a baby. Oh my god!"

His lips found mine and he kissed me hard, kissing my lips, my cheeks, my forehead.

"Is this real?" he checked. "Tell me this is real, that I'm not dreaming?"

"It's real," I muttered. "But wait, you're not mad?"

"What?" he frowned, placing me back on my feet. He cupped my face. "Why would I be mad? This is incredible."

"But we didn't–"

"You're having my baby," he smiled. Tears formed in his eyes. "I don't care if we didn't plan it. Can't you tell how happy I am?"

"I didn't think you'd want this," I admitted. "Not now, anyway."

"Ana, I've wanted a baby with you for a while," he said.

I jerked my head back, stunned.

"What?"

"Ever since that shit with Leila, when Elena got her to pretend to be pregnant," he revealed. "That scared the shit out of me. Not the thought of being a father, but the thought that you wouldn't be the mother. I knew then that I wanted you to be the mother of my kids."

"But…"

"And when Joey arrived, that's when the feelings really kicked in," he added. "Seeing Rhian pregnant, the thought of you being pregnant, carrying our child… and then seeing you holding him. God, it killed me!"

"You never said anything."

"I didn't want to scare you," he shook his head. "I didn't want to pressure you."

"So you were just gonna wait?" I asked. He nodded. "Even if it was years?"

"Until you were ready."

My lower lip wobbled.

"Are you happy?" he asked. He wiped his thumbs under my eyes, catching tears. "Do you want this?"

I nodded.

I wasn't sure of much in life, but having a future and a family with my soulmate was something I didn't need to think about.

A part of me always knew this was on the cards for us. It's just happening a lot sooner than I thought.

"I didn't do this on purpose," I said, feeling the need to remind him of the fact. "I always take my pill…"

"I know," he smiled. "This is fate."

"You hate the idea of fate," I snorted.

"I know I do," he laughed. "But it's fucking fate."

He dropped a hand between us and placed it on my stomach. Suddenly, a million different images appeared in my mind.

My stomach huge, protruding and ready to burst. A foot pushing out, making us laugh and shake our heads in awe…

Christian holding a bundle of white blankets, singing sweet lullabies…

A small child running around, screaming with laughter as we chase them through long-stemmed grass...

It seemed too good to be true.

"Dr Greene is your OBGYN, right?" Christian asked, pulling me back into the moment. I nodded. "Good, I'll call her."

"Why?" I frowned.

"Because we'll need to see her," he smirked. "We need to see her and make sure everything's okay. Get confirmation."

"Oh…"

"It's going to be okay," he assured me.

"I didn't think about seeing a doctor," I shrugged.

"It's okay," he reiterated. He eyed me for a moment, screwing up his face. "Confession time?"

I nodded.

"I may have been researching what to do," he admitted, somewhat embarrassed. "Not that I thought this would happen now. I didn't even know you hadn't been having periods, I wasn't taking much notice… but I have looked at different websites. Out of curiosity, more than anything… What to expect, what you need to do in the early days, what partners can do to help…"

I stared at him for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"You…" I shook my head. "You've been wanting this for a while? Really?"

He confirmed it with a single nod.

"You should have said," I told him.

"No," he refused. "I wasn't going to put any pressure on you. I wasn't going to put ideas in your head. I wouldn't do that to you. I couldn't."

I hugged him tight, resting my head on his chest.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you too."

I squeezed him as hard as I could. "Will you be there with me, at the appointment?" I asked.

"You won't be doing any of this alone," he promised. He pecked a kiss to the top of my head. "I am going to be there for everything. I'll break the legs of any motherfucker who tries to stop me!"

"Okay."

"We're doing this? You and me?"

"We're doing this," I nodded.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"If it makes you feel better, I'm scared too," he whispered.

"That helps," I snorted.

"You know, I'm getting everything I never wanted," he said. "A wife, a baby, a settled and normal life. The old me would have cringed at the very thought."

"And the new you?"

"He's over the fucking moon," he laughed. "All the years of pain and suffering, it's been worth it. I'm so fucking happy."

"I am too," I agreed. "I'm happy and scared."

"We'll take this one step at a time," he assured me. "And we'll do it together. Just you and me."

It's not just me and him anymore... there are three of us now...