A/N Sorry this took so long. I had a paper proposal due and on top of that
I really struggled with this chapter. Enjoy. I wrote the next two chapters
on the bus ride home tonight so hopefully I'll get those typed up and
posted sometime tomorrow. Thanks for reading.
Chapter 24
Sunlight drifted into the room and awoke Nathan from sleep. He turned on his side and was momentarily gripped with panic when he didn't see Haley next to him. For one horrible moment he couldn't breathe. Then he saw the note.
Calm down Nate. I haven't gone anywhere. I'm making breakfast.
Haley
p.s. This morning was wonderful.
He pulled on some pants and a tshirt and made his way downstairs. He breathed in the scent coming from the kitchen and smiled. 'I could get used to this.' He thought to himself. "Morning." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Mmmm, morning. How'd you sleep?"
"Great. It's still early, what are you doing up?"
"I had a craving for bacon and eggs so I thought I'd make some." She set two plates down on the table. "Sit and enjoy."
He obeyed and tossed her a smirk. "Bacon and eggs huh? Well at least you're not craving pickles and ice cream."
"We still have a while to go yet. Give me time. I bet I could come up with something even more disgusting than pickles and ice cream."
"I suppose it won't be long before you're sending me out at all hours of the night to satisfy your latest cravings."
"That won't be easy with us living on opposite sides of town. I suppose I can always call."
Nathan frowned and got quiet for a moment. "You know, I've been thinking. I hate that I can't spend every night with you. The babies are going to start kicking soon; I don't want to miss that. And what if you go into labour and we're on opposite sides of town?"
"Nathan, what are you getting at?"
"I guess that with out current living arrangements I worry about missing stuff. It's bad enough that due to my own stupidity I nearly missed out on everything. I want to be around for the three am feedings and diaper changes. I want to be a full time dad, not one who just stops by when he can."
"Nate, you're going to be a full time dad, even if we live in different houses."
"It won't be the same though. I want us to be a family."
Haley heart fluttered for a moment at the sound of the word 'family.' "What do you propose as a solution?"
"I haven't worked it all out yet but maybe we could talk to my mom."
"Talk to me about what?" Deb asked, coming into the kitchen.
"Oh, hi Mom."
"Good morning Deb"
"Good morning." By now she was unfazed at the sight of Haley and Nathan in her kitchen, still in pyjamas. "Now, talk to me about what?"
Both Deb and Haley looked at Nathan, who shifted nervously and cleared his throat. "The thing is Mom, I want to be around for everything in my children's lives. All the little moments and I can't be if Haley and the babies are living at her house and I'm here. So I was wondering...hoping actually that maybe Haley could move in here."
"Nathan, I know you and Haley are going to be parents in a few short months but that doesn't mean I'm comfortable with the two of you living together under my roof. You're not married and you're too young to get married."
"But Mom, what if Haley moved into one of the guest rooms. Then it wouldn't be exactly like we were living together. And we could turn another room into the nursery. This house is way too big for the two of us anyway."
"I don't know..."
"Mom, please...this is really important to me."
"Yes Mrs Scott please." Haley echoed, reverting back to the more formal title.
Deb looked into her son's imploring eyes and then into Haley's. Then she sighed. "Haley, I want you to call your parents and invite them over for lunch. "I'm not making any decisions until I've spoken with them."
"Fair enough." Haley and Nathan agreed in unison.
A few hours later
"It was nice of you to invite us over Mrs Scott but I have a feeling there's more to this than lunch." Mr James said.
"Please, it's Deb and you're right, there is an ulterior motive. Nathan and Haley have asked me to allow Haley to move into one of the guest rooms here...."
"Absolutely not." Haley's father interrupted.
"Please let me finish. Initially, I had the same reaction but Nathan made some good points. MY son wants very much to play an important role in his children's lives and he feels that if he and Haley are living on opposite sides of town, that he's bound to miss out on some important moments. I'm inclined to agree. I also believe it would be better for Haley if Nathan were around twenty-four hours a day to share the responsibility. I've never taken care of twins but I can't imagine it's an easy job, especially not for one person. You don't have to make a decision now but please think about it."
"As much as I don't like the idea of the two of them cohabitating when they're not married, I suppose there's no sense in kidding ourselves since they are having these babies together. What you're saying makes sense and would probably be best for the babies. If my husband agrees, Haley can move in here."
"Really Mom?" Haley asked, smiling. She looked at her father. "Dad?"
"Oh all right."
"Seriously?"
"Yes but only because I trust Deb to make sure you sleep in separate rooms. That, and I can't say I was looking forward to hearing screaming babies all night long again." He laughed and looked at Deb in sympathy. "You'll probably be regretting this after week 1. You only had one child. We've been through it six times and sometimes I swear I can still here children wailing at night."
Deb grimaced, remembering all the sleepless nights she'd spent with a very colicky Nathan. "Maybe I'll look into sound proofing my bedroom walls."
Both Haley and Nathan watched the exchange with a degree of unease. Neither was sure what to make of the blossoming friendship between her parents and his mom.
"One more thing, Deb isn't going to be your on-call babysitter. You're not going to be leaving the babies with her any time you don't want to deal with them. You've made your bed, now you're going to have to lie in it..." realizing the potential connotations of the expression he added "separately of course."
"That's right," agreed Haley's mom. "As grand-parents we will be more than happy to help out and spoil them rotten but you two are the parents here, not us."
"We know," said Nathan, making a point of looking each adult in the eyes. "Thank you for trusting us. So when can Haley move in?"
Deb laughed, Nathan never had been known for patience. "You can start tomorrow."
"Really?" Nathan looked just like a child on Christmas morning. "Thanks Mom."
"Why don't you and Haley go over to our house to pack." Mrs James suggested.
"Honey are you sure that's such a good idea?"
"Seriously dear, this is the safest possible time to leave them alone together. It's not like she's going to get pregnant again now."
Deb suppressed a laugh. "Go on you two. If Haley is anything like I was at her age, you have a lot of work to do."
Later on, alone in Haley's room
"So that was kind of weird." Haley said. She was sitting on the floor, sorting things into boxes. Nathan sat across from her, trying to help.
"That's one way of putting it. I never pictured my mom and your parents becoming friends."
"I know. I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing."
"Well at least they're letting you move in."
"True. Are you sure you want to live with me? I mean you're going to have to put up with all my annoying habits on a daily basis."
"Yeah, and you have so many of them," he laughed when Haley glared at him. "But since I plan on living with you for the rest of my life, I might as well get used to them now."
Haley just stared at him. "What?"
"You're not really surprised are you? I love you. I'm always going to love you. I know we're too young now but I have no doubt that one day I'm going to slip a ring on your finger and watch you walk down the aisle in a beautiful dress."
"Really?"
"Of course. Why? You don't see us together in the future?"
"Of course I do. I just...I didn't think you thought about it. Most sixteen year old guys don't think about marriage."
"This one does. Are you crying?"
"No," she said, wiping a tear from her eye.
Chapter 24
Sunlight drifted into the room and awoke Nathan from sleep. He turned on his side and was momentarily gripped with panic when he didn't see Haley next to him. For one horrible moment he couldn't breathe. Then he saw the note.
Calm down Nate. I haven't gone anywhere. I'm making breakfast.
Haley
p.s. This morning was wonderful.
He pulled on some pants and a tshirt and made his way downstairs. He breathed in the scent coming from the kitchen and smiled. 'I could get used to this.' He thought to himself. "Morning." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Mmmm, morning. How'd you sleep?"
"Great. It's still early, what are you doing up?"
"I had a craving for bacon and eggs so I thought I'd make some." She set two plates down on the table. "Sit and enjoy."
He obeyed and tossed her a smirk. "Bacon and eggs huh? Well at least you're not craving pickles and ice cream."
"We still have a while to go yet. Give me time. I bet I could come up with something even more disgusting than pickles and ice cream."
"I suppose it won't be long before you're sending me out at all hours of the night to satisfy your latest cravings."
"That won't be easy with us living on opposite sides of town. I suppose I can always call."
Nathan frowned and got quiet for a moment. "You know, I've been thinking. I hate that I can't spend every night with you. The babies are going to start kicking soon; I don't want to miss that. And what if you go into labour and we're on opposite sides of town?"
"Nathan, what are you getting at?"
"I guess that with out current living arrangements I worry about missing stuff. It's bad enough that due to my own stupidity I nearly missed out on everything. I want to be around for the three am feedings and diaper changes. I want to be a full time dad, not one who just stops by when he can."
"Nate, you're going to be a full time dad, even if we live in different houses."
"It won't be the same though. I want us to be a family."
Haley heart fluttered for a moment at the sound of the word 'family.' "What do you propose as a solution?"
"I haven't worked it all out yet but maybe we could talk to my mom."
"Talk to me about what?" Deb asked, coming into the kitchen.
"Oh, hi Mom."
"Good morning Deb"
"Good morning." By now she was unfazed at the sight of Haley and Nathan in her kitchen, still in pyjamas. "Now, talk to me about what?"
Both Deb and Haley looked at Nathan, who shifted nervously and cleared his throat. "The thing is Mom, I want to be around for everything in my children's lives. All the little moments and I can't be if Haley and the babies are living at her house and I'm here. So I was wondering...hoping actually that maybe Haley could move in here."
"Nathan, I know you and Haley are going to be parents in a few short months but that doesn't mean I'm comfortable with the two of you living together under my roof. You're not married and you're too young to get married."
"But Mom, what if Haley moved into one of the guest rooms. Then it wouldn't be exactly like we were living together. And we could turn another room into the nursery. This house is way too big for the two of us anyway."
"I don't know..."
"Mom, please...this is really important to me."
"Yes Mrs Scott please." Haley echoed, reverting back to the more formal title.
Deb looked into her son's imploring eyes and then into Haley's. Then she sighed. "Haley, I want you to call your parents and invite them over for lunch. "I'm not making any decisions until I've spoken with them."
"Fair enough." Haley and Nathan agreed in unison.
A few hours later
"It was nice of you to invite us over Mrs Scott but I have a feeling there's more to this than lunch." Mr James said.
"Please, it's Deb and you're right, there is an ulterior motive. Nathan and Haley have asked me to allow Haley to move into one of the guest rooms here...."
"Absolutely not." Haley's father interrupted.
"Please let me finish. Initially, I had the same reaction but Nathan made some good points. MY son wants very much to play an important role in his children's lives and he feels that if he and Haley are living on opposite sides of town, that he's bound to miss out on some important moments. I'm inclined to agree. I also believe it would be better for Haley if Nathan were around twenty-four hours a day to share the responsibility. I've never taken care of twins but I can't imagine it's an easy job, especially not for one person. You don't have to make a decision now but please think about it."
"As much as I don't like the idea of the two of them cohabitating when they're not married, I suppose there's no sense in kidding ourselves since they are having these babies together. What you're saying makes sense and would probably be best for the babies. If my husband agrees, Haley can move in here."
"Really Mom?" Haley asked, smiling. She looked at her father. "Dad?"
"Oh all right."
"Seriously?"
"Yes but only because I trust Deb to make sure you sleep in separate rooms. That, and I can't say I was looking forward to hearing screaming babies all night long again." He laughed and looked at Deb in sympathy. "You'll probably be regretting this after week 1. You only had one child. We've been through it six times and sometimes I swear I can still here children wailing at night."
Deb grimaced, remembering all the sleepless nights she'd spent with a very colicky Nathan. "Maybe I'll look into sound proofing my bedroom walls."
Both Haley and Nathan watched the exchange with a degree of unease. Neither was sure what to make of the blossoming friendship between her parents and his mom.
"One more thing, Deb isn't going to be your on-call babysitter. You're not going to be leaving the babies with her any time you don't want to deal with them. You've made your bed, now you're going to have to lie in it..." realizing the potential connotations of the expression he added "separately of course."
"That's right," agreed Haley's mom. "As grand-parents we will be more than happy to help out and spoil them rotten but you two are the parents here, not us."
"We know," said Nathan, making a point of looking each adult in the eyes. "Thank you for trusting us. So when can Haley move in?"
Deb laughed, Nathan never had been known for patience. "You can start tomorrow."
"Really?" Nathan looked just like a child on Christmas morning. "Thanks Mom."
"Why don't you and Haley go over to our house to pack." Mrs James suggested.
"Honey are you sure that's such a good idea?"
"Seriously dear, this is the safest possible time to leave them alone together. It's not like she's going to get pregnant again now."
Deb suppressed a laugh. "Go on you two. If Haley is anything like I was at her age, you have a lot of work to do."
Later on, alone in Haley's room
"So that was kind of weird." Haley said. She was sitting on the floor, sorting things into boxes. Nathan sat across from her, trying to help.
"That's one way of putting it. I never pictured my mom and your parents becoming friends."
"I know. I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing."
"Well at least they're letting you move in."
"True. Are you sure you want to live with me? I mean you're going to have to put up with all my annoying habits on a daily basis."
"Yeah, and you have so many of them," he laughed when Haley glared at him. "But since I plan on living with you for the rest of my life, I might as well get used to them now."
Haley just stared at him. "What?"
"You're not really surprised are you? I love you. I'm always going to love you. I know we're too young now but I have no doubt that one day I'm going to slip a ring on your finger and watch you walk down the aisle in a beautiful dress."
"Really?"
"Of course. Why? You don't see us together in the future?"
"Of course I do. I just...I didn't think you thought about it. Most sixteen year old guys don't think about marriage."
"This one does. Are you crying?"
"No," she said, wiping a tear from her eye.
