A/N: There's no way Katie and Ned had the smoothest relationship before marriage... here's a possible bump in the road :) Enjoy xx Mariah
It was a surprise. Katie showed up two days earlier than when she told her folks she would be. There she was, smiling her skin sun kissed with color before him.
"Ravish me," she giggled and met him wish a kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. "We have two days before anyone will think about seeing me around her."
They hadn't been together in almost a month. A month too long for Ned.
She'd packed everything up in a day just to have two alone with him. How sweet of her. Now they would be together every single day, living together, like most couples do. It didn't take much of a push for Katie to come home, to transfer to Rockland and move in with him. It saved her parents money, it saved her money and the heartache of not being near every one that she loved. Well, almost everyone.
Hannah would still be in New York, with Brandon of course, but without her best friend that is.
"You'll get to see her every chance I get," he said and smiled at her as she looked up at him from his chest, one hand connecting with hers, the other tracing over the expanse of her skin. "We could make it a weekend getaway to see them once and awhile. Oh, and my mom needs your signature for our lease."
"Our lease," she smiled, moving over and straddling him again as she licked down his chest to his hip bones. "I like the sound of that. Sounds like we're adulting."
"And I like the sight of this," he hummed, biting his lip while he gazed at her destination. His hand ran through her hair, grasping it lightly. "Very much."
"I know," she laughed.
After Melinda rolled Lana's stroll into Delia's real estate office, she noticed she was on the phone and sat down at the chair in front of her desk quietly to wait for her to finish, playing with her seven month old Lana.
"My assistant is great with the clients, but she is organizationally impaired." Delia exclaimed, tossing a file down on her desk as she hung up her phone. "She put a W file where an M should be and the M where the W should be. Who does that?"
"An upside down person," Melinda joked as she smiled at her friend. "Oh Delia. You should get a new assistant."
"You know what, I don't even see the humor in that. My entire file system needs to be redone." Delia sighed, nodding. "I know. Janet has been slipping for a while."
"You know who is great at the stuff?" She leaned in to check on Lana, who was holding a teething ring to her mouth.
"Who?" Delia asked, going to her file cabinet behind her.
"Katie. You should see my file system," she boasted and smiled, touching Lana's soft cheek as she spoke with her friend. "I'm so glad she's coming back back. I have missed her so much."
"Do you think she would take the gig for the summer?" Delia asked, leaving the doors open as she came back around. The woman smiled at her goddaughter, stroking Lana's cheek. "Hey there girl..." Lana gleefully giggled as her godmother lifted her out of her comfy seat. "How's my little butterfly?"
"I know Katie's busy with prepping for student teaching middle school this year, but I don't see why she wouldn't." She shrugged, standing up and rubbing her daughter's back as her friend held her. "Your Auntie loves you so much miss Lana."
"That's why I love Katie. Always so generous," Delia replied as she placed Lana back into her stroller.
"I'll tell her to stop over once she arrives on Monday," she says, buckling Lana up and tucking the blanket around her. She gave her the teething ring again and sat back down as Delia went around to her desk again.
"What made me want to branch out into the rental business?" Delia muttered, sitting in her chair.
"Ned's college tuition?" She laughed, leaning back into her chair. "And then the police academy training. Why do you think I expanded the store before Katie entered middle school? I wanted to give the store time to flourish before she graduated."
"You're right. You're so right Melinda," Delia sighed, rubbing her nose as her headache pursed. Melinda could tell. "I'm so busy right now, it's crazy."
"I take it you can't go to dinner then?" She frowned, standing up. "I only ask because Mack's at a friend's and Aaron is on a date. I just closed the shop."
"I'm swamped with paperwork otherwise I would." Delia sighed, coming over to hug her and say goodbye to Lana one more time. "Where's Jim?"
"He's working a double tonight." She sighed, shrugging. "Tomorrow will work just fine though because then I can have Mack babysit. She's more the capeable and I'm holding you to this date."
"Please do. It's been forever since it's just the two of us," Delia gushed, hugging he again as the door clicked open and Ned walked in. "Hey! I thought you said you had training all day."
Ned closed the door behind him, coming over to the pair. "Yeah, but I had a little break and you sounded stressed on the phone. Hi mom," Ned said, leaning in to hug his mother first and then Melinda.
"So you came to save me? Oh honey, I love you!" Delia said as soon as he pulled away from Melinda, she pulled him back and kissed him on the cheek.
"I was just bringing by you that lease you asked for," he replied and handed over the folder that he had tucked his jacket. "I did want to check in on you too. Don't worry."
"How'd you get it? She's not home yet," Delia asked, looking to Melinda, who blushed rolled her eyes.
"She faxed it over to the station. I thought you said you needed it pronto," he shrugged, kissing her cheek. "Do you have that second set of keys I asked for?"0
"I did say that," Delia picked the keys up off the desk, extending her hand to her son. He was being awfully suspicious. "Here they are." She almost wanted to pull her hand back, but he took them from her before she could. "Be sure to tell Katie thank you for being so quick with the papers."
"I will, but I better go." He smiled and turned to Melinda and Lana. "It's good to see you Mel and you too Lana. What a cutie, she is!" He smiled at the baby and she grabbed onto his finger for a moment before he left.
There was a moment of silence after he left before Melinda looked over at Delia.
"Katie is so shacked over there right now," she laughed, shaking her head as she pushed Lana toward the door.
"Ugh, I know." Delia crowed.
Two months went by, Ned graduated from the academy and was placed with an older cop. Jamison.
He worked early mornings for patrol, until about six most days. Katie worked part time at the Delia's office and helped out at her mom's store whenever she could.
Things were going great. Student teaching was starting soon for Katie and she couldn't wait to see what this year would bring into her life with Ned. Those were words she never thought would be a reality for her. Being with Ned was always a far fetched dream for her and now she was making dinner for him.
"Honey, I'm home." Ned said as he walked through their apartment door, it looked like he grinned wider as he saw her. "God, I love saying that."
"You're such a dork," she laughed and wiped her hands off, meeting him with a kiss.
"This smells great, babe." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist. He pressed his lips to the crink of her neck. "What is it?"
"No peeking," she laughed. guiding him toward the hallway. "You go shower. You smell from all the drills. Dinner is a surprise and almost done."
She was just like her mother, always wanting her dinner's to be a surprise. She could cook a mean chicken dumplings and her chili was phenomenal. She also could make these little cookies that were bite sized pieces of heaven, but she always kept whatever she was making that night a secret until it was on the table for him to see.
"Never mind. Stir this," she muttered and handed him the ladle before running past him and into the bathroom. "It's going to make me sick."
She closed the door from the floo of the bathroom, her guts spilling into the toilet. She grasped the porcelain, the sick taste in her mouth making it worse than the cramps in her stomach.
Her stomach had been churning since this morning, and even though she had managed to keep everything down since then, she knew that she was going to throw up sooner or later. She would probably throw up as soon as she looked back at their dinner.
"You okay?" Ned asked from outside the door. He knocked lightly. "Can I come in in?"
She took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes as she kneeled before the toilet. There it was. She felt her stomach churn in the familiar get to the nearest toilet sort of way. She breathed and then the contents of her stomach spilled out of her mouth again.
Ned knocked again because she didn't answer, but could hear her well enough to open the door and come in, holding back her hair and rubbing small circles on her back. After she was sure she was done, she sat back and wiped her hand across her mouth.
"Sorry." She muttered, leaning into her. "I was going to answer."
Ned moved and grabbed a washcloth from under the sit, wetting it before he kneeled and brought it to her face. "Don't apologize. I'm sorry you feel so rotten." He whispered and she touched his hands, taking it from him. He went and got her a glass of water, sitting back on the floor. "How you feeling now?"
"You tried the soup didn't you?" She asked as she wiped her chin before spying the chicken broth drop on his chin.
"No," he grinned, handing her the water before he looked at her. "It was delicious."
"I'm glad someone can eat it," she whispered before turning back to the toilet.
After Ned left for his evening patrol shift a little later than usual, Katie facetimed Hannah immediately.
"Hey, Han, it's me." She sighed, placing her phone on her bed after she finally answered. She stepped back, grabbing her jeans.
"Hey, Katie." Katie pulled on her jeans, grabbing her sweater. "That's a cute outfit."
"Thanks," she sighed, fixing her hair as she grabbed her phone. "I need to tell you something that needs to stay a secret. And not a secret that you can afford to tell my mom."
"That's definitely doable. Are you okay?" Hannah asked, concerned.
Katie smiled, trying to force her blue jeans to button as she sat on the bed. They were a little tight, but they fit.
"Everything's fine. You don't need to worry. I just have a theory and need it to be between us only. Not even Brando can know." She sighed, fixing her hair.
"Okay," Hannah stared at her, wanting answers. "Continue."
"I think I'm pregnant." She sighed, closing her eyes to avoid whatever facial expression Hannah made.
"I thought I heard a struggle with those jeans and I noticed the sports bra," Hannah sighed. "Did you get a test?"
"I am about to go get one right now," she said immediately grabbing her keys from her nightstand. "What if I am?"
"Then you'll manage. You always do. Just let me know how everything goes, okay?" Hannah smiled, trying to be positive. "I'm here for you."
"Of course." she said, standing up and walking out of her bedroom. "We'll talk tonight. Love you."
"Love you too," Hannah blew a kiss and her phone screen went dark and she tucked it in her back pocket.
Pregnant. She did not want to be pregnant.
Katie could easily admit that she was surprised at the thought that crossed her mind when she walked down the aisle in the drug store that men avoided like the plague. She didn't walk into the store thinking it, but she definitely started thinking it when she stopped in front of a shelf she'd never looked at seriously before.
PREGNANCY TESTS
She didn't know why her hand when to her stomach and a smile crossed her lips, but it did on both accounts. Yes, she was a sentimental woman and she loved children, but the thought of trying to pick out a test or two that would change her life, one way or another, made her a little emotional.
She wondered how many women had felt like that in this exact place. She wondered if Hannah had back in November. If her mother had when she found out about her and then she thought about how many men were shooed from their homes when their emotional significant other thought she was pregnant and made him come to get it.
Her smile grew at the mental image of her father standing here trying to do that. Or Ned. She laughed and let the scene play out in her mind for a moment just because she thought it was funny, but the line of thought didn't last long. She was on a tight deadline and needed to get home before anyone saw her and asked questions. Or told her mother. The second option was almost worse.
Katie quickly turned and headed down an aisle, stopping at the tampons. When she remembered she had a full, unopened box at home, she withdrew the hand that was reaching for her usual brand. When she did that, her mind started to count days and weeks those tampons sat in that unopened box. She turned back to the other side of the aisle where the previous objects of her attention sat in neat little rows.
Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, she slowly crept back to the shelves of pregnancy tests.
She did the math again and again and she realized that if she was counting so many times, she should just pick one up and take it.
Two ever. Just to be safe and if she was wrong, it was only ten dollars.
She stared a moment longer, not knowing if she was actually ready to pick the object up off the shelf and took a couple of deep breaths.
It wasn't as if she didn't want a family with Ned. She did, but there were only just getting starting in life. They had just moved in together. A baby was not even a thought yet. Hell a wedding was supposed to come first, but this was possibly a baby and she knew they would both adjust as necessary because it would be their baby.
She wasn't sure if she felt guilty for wondering if now was the right time for one. Every woman thought that, didn't they?
They hemmed and hawed and thought of themselves, their career, their significant other, right?
She couldn't be alone in this line of thinking.
Her hand moved back to her stomach as she stared at the plethora of tests in front of her. She wondered if there was one better than the other. The one her hand hovered over had caught her eye from the start and its name was very encouraging for someone who wasn't positive what the result was going to be once the test was take. And she needed to know for sure.
She couldn't handle it if she went home, took the tests and didn't have a definitive answer. Maybe it would be smarter for her to just go home and make an appointment with her gynecologist. Sure, she'd only been there four months ago, but this was something of an emergency. Right?
Did she really want to wait any longer to find out if she and Ned were going to have a baby?
Her decision was made when she grabbed two boxes and put it in her basket, nonchalantly adding some deodorant for Ned and some razors for her before heading up to the check out. She grabbed Ned a Snickers and herself a Reese's and tried not to blush when the teenager behind the counter looked from Katie to the test and back again. She paid and got out quickly, thanking goodness that she and Ned's apartment wasn't too far away from the CVS she'd gone to. When she entered their apartment, she wished Ned was there and that she'd told him at dinner like she'd wanted to.
Instead, she walked to the bathroom alone, unzipping her jeans and opened one box before she sat on the toilet.
She did as the instructions told her to and went to wash her hands. She placed a couple of tissues down and then laid the two tests. She set the timer on her cell phone and leaned back against the wall with her Reese's in hand.
It felt like the longest two minutes of her life.
She had too much time to think. She was scared and excited and picturing her boyfriend holding a baby and hearing endless screams at three am and she could feel herself clenching her fists because she didn't know which emotions were okay and which made her a bad potential mother. She did not want to be a bad mother.
When her phone beeped, she didn't look at the tests right away like she'd planned too. Instead, she turned to the wall and calmed herself. She briefly wondered if everything would be okay, though.
Were she and Ned ready for the responsibility that came with having a child? Was she ready to possibly grow three times her normal size? Was she ready to have strange cravings, intense mood swings, cramps in her legs and a complete lack of control of her bodily functions? Just as importantly as that, was Ned ready? Was he ready for her to call him crying in the middle of the night because she couldn't see her toes? Was he ready for two am food runs because she was craving something ridiculous that they didn't have at home? Was he ready for even less sleep that he got now?
She decided that even if they weren't ready, they would be able to get ready. They would have nine months, give or take, to get ready.
"Okay. Time to look." She breathed, rubbing her face before she turned. Her eyes were still closed. "Katie, go look and then call your mother because she always knows what to do. You know you shouldn't have kept this from her."
She opened her eyes leaned over them.
Both tests said the same thing, both had crystal clear results. Two solid pink lines.
Pregnant.
She grabbed the next box and did the next two just as she did the others, reaching for her phone dialing her mother's number as they started to show their results.
"Hello?" Melinda whispered.
"Mom, hi. Can you come over? Now?" She said quickly, her hand shaking as she looked at the next two tests.
"Katie..? It's kind of late. Is this urgent?" Melinda asked, yawning.
"It's only like eight thirty." She said, rolling her eyes. That didn't matter this did. "Mom, I think I'm pregnant." She said, looking at the two pink lines on the test she had in her hand.
"I'm on my way," Melinda replied and hung up.
Her heart was pounding and her head was spinning. She had no idea what the rest of her was doing because today did not go as she had expected. When she got up this morning, she'd expected a day of relaxing. A trip to the pharmacy, a late night pizza delivery and probablysex with Ned when he got home from his patrol in the wee hours of the morning. As usual.
That last one was the whole reason she's in this mess.
She didn't expect to bring home a pregnancy test, take it and get results like this.
It was supposed to be an easy, drama free day.
Melinda used her spare key in case of an emergency and walked right to the bathroom. Katie was on the floor, her legs no longer held her up, not in mess like this.
"How many tests did you buy?" Melinda asked, helping her daughter up. "Does Ned know?"
"Four. They are in the sink," she replied, blinking at her. "Did you like speed"
"Doesn't matter," Melinda sighed, hugging her. "Did you take them all?"
"Yeah, I took them all." She muttered, pulling back and walking toward the sink. "They're all positive and no, Ned doesn't know. I didn't want to tell him before I knew for sure. He's working."
"Okay, umm..." Melinda muttered and grabbed her daughter's hand, looking at the test. "C'mon. I'll take you to someone. We'll know for sure."
She followed her mother without a work and quickly locked the front door behind her.
"Where are you taking me? It better not be dad." She said, following her down the stairs and out the front door of the apartment complex.
"It's not dad," Melinda answered and ran to the driver's side of her car, getting in. "But your dad will find out sooner or later if you are pregnant."
"I know," she got into the jeep and glanced out the window. "Don't remind me."
The doctor's office was cold and clammy and white and sterile and everything that Katie hated. Katie wasn't used to the awkwardness of being at the doctor's. She had grown up with the environment. Her dad was the chief of the hospital for God's sake. When the nurse called her name, she almost jumped out of her seat. Melinda had to bite back a laugh.
The room was blue, with clouds all over the walls. Reluctantly, Katie sat on the table.
"Hi, I'm Dr. Chinn. I'll be taking care of you throughout this possible pregnancy." A woman said and she looked over uneasily at her mother. After the awkward handshakes were over, Dr. Chinn got settled on the doctors' stool and looked at her chat. "So Katie, you think you're pregnant? Did you take an at home pregnancy test?"
"I took four. They were all positive." She explained, biting her lip. "I just wanted to know for sure."
"I see. So, why do you think you're pregnant?" The doctor asked.
She doesn't know if it's unnatural for ghost seeing children to send their ghost seeing mother dreams from the womb, but Katie's pretty sure it isn't.
"Just a feeling," she replied.
"When was the date of your last period?" The doctor questioned.
"Can't remember. Late July, I think." She replied, biting her tongue.
"Katherine Ann!" Melinda gawked at her daughter. "It's September, you know."
Dr. Chinn doesn't seem phased, though. "Well, I guess the only way we can tell immediately is if we have a look. Lie back and lift up your shirt for me."
She laid back and did as she was asked before looking at her mother.
Melinda hated seeing her daughter in so must discomfort. The only thing she knew to do was to squeeze her hand, and lean in and kiss her forehead.
"Everything is gonna be okay," Melinda reassured her, smiling. "No matter the outcome."
"You think so?" She asked, sighing at the gel squirted onto her stomach and the wand pressed into it, beginning to move around.. "I'm so scared mom." Dr. Chinn moved the wand over her stomach and muttered to herself as she swiveled it around. "What do you see?" She asked, turning to look at the monitor.
"Well, Katie, you aren't pregnant." Dr. Chinn said pointing to the screen. "See? No baby. I can't be sure as to why the tests came back positive, but I have a hunch and would like to run some tests."
"Okay," she nodded, finally letting herself breathe as she sat up. "What do you need from me?"
"Just two cheek swabs," Dr. Chinn said grabbing two long swabs and motioning for her to open her mouth window. "Open," the doctor swabbed each cheek and put them in test tubes before smiling. "It was nice to see you Katie. You were just a little girl the last time I saw you... and Melinda, how's that adorable Lana of yours doing?"
"She's doing great," Melinda smiled, hugging the woman. "Thank you for doing this on such short notice and keeping it on the down low."
"Anything for my favorite patient," Dr. Chinn smiled and left.
Katie laid back down and sighed, wiping tears from her eyes. "What am I supposed to tell Ned?" She muttered. "I can't just keep this a secret."
"You'll know what to do. You always do the right thing Katie," Melinda held out her hand for her daughter, but Katie hopped off the table and hugged her mother instead. "Oh honey... it's okay." She sobbed into her shoulder while her mother's hands rubbed her back and whispered how much she loved her. It was always what she needed. Most of the time, at least. "Okay, enough sobbing for today. Let's go have some lunch."
Melinda pinched her daughter's cheek. "Okay," she smiled and wiped away her tears, adjusting her shirt.
Ned calmed the moment he got out of the car. There she was, sitting in her bed with her glasses on. Her hair was bedridden from the last few hours of louding, the chocolate brown strands falling in front of her eyes when she looked down and he didn't remember counting that many shades in it before. She caught his gaze and that warm shade of light brown turned to honey when the light hit it. And he's melting, melting in the of spring, melting in her eyes.
"Have a good day?" She said, smiling at him as he walked up the steps.
"Better now that I'm with you," he replied and smiled at her, lying down on the bed with her. She curled into him, soft and warm from being under the blankets. "It was a long shift."
She met his eyes with the brown of her eyes and there's those damn words again, words he couldn't form, words that he didn't even know, words that destroy his heart, choke his throat. Her fingers curled around his arm, pressing into the fabric of his jacket, her head resting on his shoulder. She was so small, such an insignificant part of this gigantic universe and yet, she was the most important part of his life.
"Oh yeah?" She smiled up at him, rubbing his sides. "Catch any bad guys ?"
"A few," he joked, but noticed the sorrow hidden in her voice. "What's the matter?" He already knew. His mother had told him about her suspicions of Katie being pregnant after an awkward conversation with Melinda. "Something you want to tell me?"
"Nothing," she lied and brought on that fake smile as she met him with a kiss.
"Katie?" He muttered, pulling back. He rubbed her cheek. "I already know that you're-"
"That I was pregnant?" She interrupted him, moving back to lay back on her pillow. "Who told you?"
His lips parted as he inhaled deeply, his brow furrowing. "I didn't know you lost the baby," he said. "My mom only told me that she heard from your mom that you might be pregnant."
A tear winded down her cheek, slowly, through a path of freckles. "Well, I'm not anymore." She angrily wiped the tears away and he winded his hand around her waist and pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
"Katie, I'm sorry." he whispered. "It'll be okay. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I only found out today," she replied, breathing softly as he pulled back to look at her. "I thought I was pregnant, but I wasn't. Not anymore. The hormones just were lingering long enough to still read on a home pregnancy test."
He shut his eyes at the brokenness in her voice, knowing that's how she must've been feeling when she found out she had pregnant, but wasn't. He reached between their bodies and found one of her hands, lacing his fingers with hers and she squeezed it tight.
"If I could change this, I-" he sighed and slowly, raised his other hand cup her cheek, leaning close to kiss her gently.
He felt her hands glide over his shoulder, pulling him close to her and deepening the kiss. "You can't repeat the past." She replied against his lips, wrapping her arm around his neck as she kissed him another time. They fell deeper into the cushioned bed, the sheets wrapping around them like close friends.
Only she would quote Fitzgerald to him in a moment like this.
"I love when you quote literature to me," he grinned, licking her lips as she grinned back at him.
"I know," she laughed.
Melinda and Delia walked toward the Clancy house, after having taken a short walk with Lana.
"He's never ran off so fast. I wonder what happened. He didn't answer when I tried to call him last night or this morning." Delia said softly, waving her hands around wilding. "I shouldn't have said anything about the possible pengnancy to Ned like you said. Do you think they are the real thing?"
"Katie is happy and so is he. I see it every time they look at each other." Melinda replied, checking on Lana who is asleep in the stroller. "It's definitely very real, Delia."
"They are both still so young and I'm afraid Ned's gonna screw it up somehow," Delia sighed, rubbing her forehead. "He always has one way or another. I worry about him every day Melinda."
"I know you do," she rubbed her friend's side as she pushed the strolled down the sidewalk. They were nearly to her home. They continued to walk, but in silence until they spotted Katie and Ned relaxing in the swing on the porch. "Oh to be in love... so cute!"
"Please don't make me look," Delia said and covered her eyes.
Katie leaned into Ned's chest and squeezed his hand, kissing him just to disgust Delia a bit more. Melinda crowed, laughing as they walked closer.
"These eight months with you have been amazing," Ned said, smiling at her. "I can't imagine another eight months with you. They will be even better."
"What are you saying Ned?" She asked then looked over at him. "I feel the same way. This has been a great time with you. I love you."
"I never want my time to end with you. I want to give you it all. The universe is never kind, we both know this, but together I think we'd make a good pair. I think you'd make an even more amazing mother..." He explained, scooting a little bit away from her on the swing, a smile on his face. "And when I thought you were pregnant," he pulled out a little black box from his pocket. "I caught myself looking at this and I was gonna ask you when I got home last night, but things changed." He looked up at her, studying her. She wasn't talking and yet, he didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing. He could see the panic in her eyes and he knew immediately what she was thinking, he touched her face, smiling. "But not the way I felt about you. I love you Katie. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. As a result, I believe it would be best if we were no longer boyfriend and girlfriend but rather husband and wife, so will you be mine?"
He got down on one knee and popped open the little black box. The ring was the one she'd always told him about. It was the ring that had sat in the back right of one of the many jewelers cases in the Brighton Family Jewelry Store since she'd first gone in there with her mother to get new jewelry cleaner when she was five. Not many people liked non-diamond engagement rings, but Katie had fallen in love with the ring.
It held a princess cut diamond in the middle with Ruby's all around it, her birthstone. That was how she'd learned about her birthstone. Her mother had told her that day when she was five. Her mother had also told her that she was a Cancer. She hadn't known what that meant when she was little, but being and adult she knew that being a Cancer was is all about home. Those born under this sign are said to have been the 'roots' kinds of people and take great pleasure in the comforts of home and family. Cancers are known to be maternal, domestic and love to nurture others.
"Ned..." She moved down to the ground with him and kissed him. She loved him. She wanted to marry him.
"Is that a yes?" He asked, pulling back and pulling the ring out of the box.
"Yes, I will marry you Ned." She said and wiped the tears from her eyes. "A million times yes."
He slid the ring onto her finger and then stood, pulling her into his arms tightly. He lowered his face to hers and their lips met, the moment she had dreamed of for so long. He placed his hand on her waist and drew her closer deepening the kiss. As they part she saw his eyes sparkle and his lips curved up into a smile. She couldn't help but smile back.
"Your mom screamed," he laughed, resting his nose against hers. "It was kind of adorable."
"So did yours," she laughed as well, smiling at him. "Ned... I love you."
"I love you too," he winked and then wrapped her in a tight warm hug.