Thank you all for your condolences. I don't know what is happening. I keep burying people.
We're only two weeks into 2016, and I've already lost two relatives, both from cancer. 2016 is not starting well. Can we jump to 2017?
Anyhow, othfangirl (Ily so much) clearly understands where I'm going with WITS and the journey I'm taking Steffy & Liam on, so those of you who don't, you might want to read her reviews.
Ciara111: Thank you so much! That makes me glad. Sorry for the wait.
MK: If the chapters are getting painful to read for you, perhaps, you should take a break with WITS. I know where I'm going with this story, and with Steam, and yes, I'm taking my time going there, something that the show has failed to do. Steffy has serious insecurities as far as Liam is concerned, and she doesn't have to put them behind her and move on. Liam has to make her trust him again! He needs to fight for her, which is what I've been making him do?
Guest: Thank you!
Guest: Thank you, and you're welcome.
othfangirl: I love you and your comments so much. I feel like you really get me and this story, and it's amazing. I'll have to find a moment to PM you. I hope you enjoy this chapter, although it was quite painful to write.
Alulutho: Thank you. You'll find out next chapter.
bbgold: Happy New Year, sweetie. Thank you.
Guest: You might just like what I have in store for our faves.
Ok, enjoy the chapter.
Oh wait, I wasn't able to find ANYTHING about Liam's past before he came to LA, so for the sake of this story, he used to live in Edgemont. Alrighty? You can start reading the chapter.
Steffy was thinking of Liam and contemplating the status of their relationship. Some things had been done that couldn't be undone, like his kiss with Hope… but that didn't mean they couldn't move on from it. That is what she and Liam were trying to do, and Steffy felt more and more as though it was possible.
Three weeks ago, she wouldn't have bet much on the future of their couple, but today, she was quite confident they would end up together and in fact stronger than ever. Weird as it seemed, this period of trouble had brought them closer. It had forced them to look their issues in the eye and deal with them, instead of sweeping them underneath the rug like it was so tempting to. They were acting like rational, sensible adults. Finally. It had only taken them to conceive a child.
The least we can say is that they would have a lot of stories to tell their grandchildren. They had been through so much in so little time. It was crazy to think it had all started only three years before. Sometimes, Steffy felt like she had known Liam her whole life. There was such a strong connection between them… an unfathomable understanding.
Steffy recollected their impromptu wedding in Aspen. It was without question the craziest and most spontaneous thing either of them had ever done. In spite of the circumstances, it remained the best day of her life. It had marked the beginning of everything. It had been the start of her life with Liam.
She would never be able to describe what she felt when he said 'I do', when he consented to be with her forever and pledged his life to her.
What a battle it had been to get to this place. Steffy never knew she had so much fight in her until she had to use every ounce of it to win and retain Liam's affection. As she thought about it, Steffy realized she never gave up on Liam, ever… not even in their darkest times, not even when there didn't seem to be a glimmer of hope. She never lost faith in Liam or stopped fighting for him, but it just occurred to Steffy that he never fought for her. He was only now starting to.
This separation would have had the merit of revealing to Steffy a part of Liam she didn't suspect. Who knew the man had a romantic soul –and dare she say –poetic?
She refused to tell him, but his "operation reconquest" was a true success. She was fighting with herself not to fall back into his arms, and he was making it increasingly difficult. If Steffy listened to her heart, she would be back with Liam already. Hell, if she listened to her heart, she would have regained the conjugal bed the same night she left it, but she had to be uncompromising about this –and that meant listening to her head and her reason.
She had to give it to him though: Liam was definitely bringing out his A-game to win her back. Each of his letters was better than the previous one. Each of his declarations was more moving than the former one. Every time Steffy thought he had given it his all and there was no way he could affect her more, Liam proved her wrong by outdoing himself. He truly poured his heart and soul into those epistles, Steffy could tell. It meant more to her than he knew.
She was unashamed to admit that she remembered his last letter to her by heart.
My love Steffy,
I'm preparing for yet another restless night without you.
I don't know how I ever managed to sleep without you, without your head on my chest and your arm wrapped around my torso. The rhythm of your heartbeat slowing down, the comfort of knowing you were safe in my arms where nobody could hurt you used to be what lulled me to sleep.
Now, all I feel is void. I lay awake in our bed at night and there is a vacancy in my heart that you used to fill.
I hope you are taking this situation better than me, but knowing you, I'm convinced you aren't. I think it is even harder on you than it is on me, and I am so sorry that I made us go through this.
I promise you that in the future, I will do everything in my power so as to have the least possible reasons to apologize to you. You and our unborn child are my top priority. You are my future; and I can't wait for the beginning of forever…
Hold on my love. It's just a rough time to go through. We have a long and blissful life ahead of us. With our own football team, our three dogs and our cat.
Someone once wrote "missing someone is your heart's way of reminding you that you love them". Well, if that statement is true, the English language isn't rich enough to describe how deep my love for you is.
I miss you. I love you. I love you with every single beat of my heart.
Yours, Liam.
Everyone who knew Liam and Steffy knew that they had had a rather uncommon journey. They had gotten together fairly quickly and unexpectedly, at the general surprise of their close and relatives, and had become man and wife less than a wife later. Consequently, Liam had never really courted Steffy, and now, through his letters, Steffy felt as though he was doing just that. She felt appreciated and valued, and in all honesty, it felt pretty damn nice.
A knock on her door knocked Steffy out of her thoughts. She sat up and turned her gaze to the door to see Hope's head hanging, waiting for her invitation.
"Hey. Is this a bad time?"
"No. Come on in."
She entered the room and closed the door, a sly smile growing on her lips. "What were you thinking about?" she asked.
"Sorry?" Steffy feigned oblivion.
"You had quite a pensive expression when I came in." Hope explained before asking again, "What were you thinking about?"
"Oh, I was making a mental list of the grocery shopping." Steffy blatantly lied. "The fridge is almost empty."
The blonde merely nodded in slow motion, not believing her at all but deciding not to comment on it.
"What can I do for you, Hope?" Steffy asked with a polite smile.
"As you know, I'll be presenting the new collection for Hope for the Future on Tuesday, so I've started working on what I'm going to say." She handed the piece of paper she had been holding to Steffy. "I came up with this statement, and I would appreciate it if you could read it and tell me what you think, where I can improve…"
"Sure I can do that."
"Thank you." Hope acknowledged.
Steffy hummed. "Do you need it today?"
"Oh no, take your time." Hope shook her head. "As long as I have it by the end of the week, it's fine."
"Alright. I'll work on it and get back to you then." Steffy said.
Hope nodded gratefully. She looked down and her eyes went round the room as she contemplated what she could say next. Making casual conversation with Steffy didn't come naturally to her. The silence grew heavier and feeling ill-at-ease, Hope ultimately cleared her throat. "So I'm gonna go…"
Steffy watched her walk away. She saw her hesitate moments earlier to add something and figured she didn't find anything to say, what was understandable. What did they have to say to one another really? They were far from being best friends. They could hardly have a polite conversation that wasn't to some extent related to work.
Most people thought that Liam was the source of tension between her and Hope, but they both knew better. They had been rivals way before Liam even set foot in Los Angeles.
As far as Steffy was concerned, her hostility towards Hope drew its origins from the fact that in Steffy's eyes, Hope had basically stolen her father away from her. This past decade, Ridge had spent more time with the blonde alone than with both Steffy and Phoebe combined. And there was the irritating feeling that since Phoebe's death, Hope had inappropriately tried to slip into her sister's shoes.
Still, this cold war between them was tiring and in her present condition, Steffy could not afford and did not want unnecessary stress and irascible feelings.
"Wait." Steffy said, and Hope turned around. "How are you?"
"I'm ok. I'm keeping busy, you know? Things are looking up for me, with work and…" she trailed off.
"Oliver?" Steffy raised a knowing brow at her.
A light flush tinted Hope's cheeks. "And Oliver." She nodded.
"Things are going well between you two." It was a statement, not a question.
"They are."
Steffy smiled courteously and just as she thought Hope wouldn't give her more than two words-answers, the blonde elaborated, "He's amazing. He's sweet, he's thoughtful, he makes me laugh... I have fun with him, you know?"
Steffy nodded slowly, almost imperceptibly, listening to her attentively.
"He's a really great guy." Hope concluded. "He's always been." She mused out loud. "But I was too caught up in a certain William Spencer to realize how much." She looked at Steffy again.
"I'm glad things are going well between you two." Steffy paused. "Not for my own benefit but because you deserve a good guy who only has eyes for you and is completely devoted to you. And Oliver is."
"Hey!" Caroline barged into the office and stopped when she noticed Hope. "Oops, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting?"
"No, no. I just needed Steffy's help with something. I was about to leave." Hope put her hand on Caroline's shoulder and whispered, "Talk to you later."
"Ok." The other blonde mouthed.
"Thank you! For everything, Steffy." Hope acknowledged, turning around.
Steffy merely nodded, smiling. She turned her attention on Caroline once Hope left. "Hi, Caroline, how are you?"
"Good, but shouldn't I be the one asking you that? How's my nephew or niece?"
"Amazing, driving their momma crazy, but definitely in good health." Steffy answered emphatically.
Caroline let out a big laugh. "It moves a lot?"
"It does not stop."
Caroline smiled, sympathizing with Steffy nonetheless. "Well, it seems you're hosting quite the party inside of you." The amusement in her voice didn't go unnoticed by Steffy who glared at her.
"It's a 24/7 party, Caroline. It's a 24/7 party."
"I'm sorry."
"It's ok, I'm exaggerating a little; it's not that bad. Just four more months to go. I can do it." Steffy said, resolute, with a serious expression.
Caroline giggled and Steffy joined her with a little laugh.
"Besides, I read somewhere that the more agitated a baby is during the pregnancy, the calmer he'll be after its birth."
"Uh, you believe that?" Caroline raised a skeptical eyebrow at her.
"Hey, I'll tell you something: it better be true, 'cause if not, I'm suing someone." She shook her head, smiling, and then heaved a sigh. "How about you?"
"Me?"
"You ever think about kids?"
Caroline's eyes widened out of their orbits. "Oh God, no. No, definitely not. Rick and I aren't even talking about marriage, so having a child is… not even a possibility right now."
Steffy pursed her lips to one side and looked at her quizzically. "Just because you're not talking about it doesn't mean you're not thinking about it."
"I'm not, and I don't think Rick is. We have so much on our minds right now, with Hope's new collection, and Fashionable Moms, and the phone talk with the suppliers we'll be making later today… Having children is the last thing on our minds."
"Wait, I thought the discussion with the suppliers was the 18th…" said Steffy.
"We are the 18th."
"No, we're not." She checked her phone, and her eyes widened in horror as she got confirmation. "Oh my God, we are. Oh my God!" she jumped out of her seat.
"Steffy, what is going on?" Caroline worried. "Did you forget about a meeting or something?"
Steffy threw her phone in her purse and carelessly arranged the files on her desk. "I, something skipped my mind. There's somewhere I need to be." She put her coat on and grabbed her purse. "I don't have anything important scheduled today, but if anyone looks for them, will you please tell them I took the day off?"
She skipped out of her office so fast she didn't even hear Caroline's response, "Sure…"
/
Today was the worst day of the year for Liam. Every year, it was as difficult as the previous one, and the pain was as vivid as the day it had happened. And every year, he tried to distract his mind by immerging himself in work, in vain… for he never stopped thinking about her. He wondered what she would think of him now if she could see what he had done with his life and whether she would be proud of him.
Today was the second anniversary of Liam's mother's death.
With it came an anthology of regrets and torments. There was a lot he hadn't said to her, a lot he wished he had an opportunity to make up for. But he knew he didn't, and he never would.
There was no getting used to not having a mum. Liam could tell you that. Time did allay the pain a little, but nothing could take it away completely. It was like a wound that would never heal no matter the medicine.
It was a pain that would be part of Liam always.
His only source of comfort was the thought that she was in a better place, worriless, away from all troubles. She was at peace now; and maybe, just maybe, she was looking down upon him and she was proud of who he'd become. Her mother had so many plans for him; she always told him what a bright future laid ahead. All his life, Liam had tried to live up to her expectations. He hoped he had succeeded.
Liam was far from being his best-self and he was acutely aware of that. There was so much room for improvement. But he was ready to become a better man. He wanted to be the best person he could possibly be, first for Steffy and their unborn child, then for his mother, and finally for himself.
He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Steffy's presence in the room until she was just a couple steps away from him. He raised his gaze to her. "Steffy? What are you doing here?" Surprise was laced in his voice.
Without answering him, she closed the distance between them, settling on his lap. She kissed his temple, and then wrapped her arms around him. Liam buried his head in the crook of her neck. The intoxicating and familiar scent of her hair was enough to appease him –a little. Steffy held him in silence for a while. There were few things she thought of saying, and she knew none of it would make him feel better.
Eventually, she slightly pulled away, just enough to look at him as she broke the silence, "I'm sorry. It skipped my mind." She apologized for not remembering sooner what an awful day today was.
As he didn't say anything, Steffy leaned her forehead against Liam's and sighed quietly. She put her arms around Liam again and ran one hand through his soft hair in what she hoped was a soothing manner while stroking his back with the other.
After several minutes, she stood up and seized his hand, leading him out of his office. On their way out, Steffy asked Alison to clear Liam's day and ask Bill what to do if he had any important meetings or events scheduled.
He was not working today.
/
"You missed the exit." Liam said absentmindedly.
"We're not going home," was Steffy's taciturn response.
He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Steffy, I'm not really in the mood to see anyone."
She glanced at him. "Do you trust me?"
Liam frowned. Was that a rhetorical question? "Of course."
She turned her head to give him a pointed look. "Then, trust me."
Steffy wasn't sure how to help Liam. He was her men and it was her duty to look after him and make sure that he was fine –like he always did with her – but she wasn't used to handling this kind of situation. There was no precedent, no set list of what to do. She didn't know how to ease his pain a little.
She just believed Liam needed to feel close to his mother.
Steffy put her left flashing light when she saw a gas station ahead. She pulled over and removed her seat belt. Turning to Liam, she asked, "Can you fill up the gas tank please? Thank you."
He frowned, confused, but didn't get to question her as she was already out of sight. Sighing, he removed his seat belt and went to do as told.
Steffy returned a few minutes later with two full plastic bags. After closing the door, she set them at the back of the car, fastened her seat beat and started the engine.
Liam turned to look at the bags. "Steffy, what is that?"
"Snacks and drinks."
He knit his brows in confusion and stared at her, puzzled. "Steffy, the fridge is full. We have tons of snacks and drinks."
"Yeah, but what's a road trip without chips and crackers?"
"We have –Wait, what?" he wondered whether he had heard her properly. Steffy's smile told him he had. "What road trip?" When she didn't answer, he insisted, "Steffy, where are we going?"
"Edgemont." She nearly whispered.
Several seconds passed during which he said nothing, so she chanced a look in his direction, and what she saw in Liam's eyes caused a shiver to run down her spine –not the good kind. She could have been scared.
"Liam…"
"Turn around." He was barely containing his anger.
"Listen."
"Steffy, turn around immediately."
She rolled her eyes, slightly annoyed with his stubbornness. The man just didn't know what was best for him. "You should really go, Liam."
Not wanting to force him to do something that he absolutely didn't want to do, she pulled over a few meters further and attempted to persuade him. "You need this."
"No, I do not." Liam shook her head.
"You don't."
"No."
She unfastened her seat belt and thought calmly. She had to go about this rationally. "Liam, when was the last time you were there?"
He remained silent, and a pained expression settled on his face.
Realization hit Steffy. Oh my God. It couldn't be…
"Liam?" she spoke softly, apprehension filling her. "Have you returned to Edgemont since you first left?"
His response was a mere whisper. "No."
"Oh Liam…"
"Because I haven't felt the need to, nor do I right now!" Liam brutally cut her off before she could say anything more.
Steffy held her tongue and crossed her arms over her chest, while Liam mentally berated himself for his outburst.
He sighed softly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you." He apologized.
"It's ok." She turned her head towards him and studied him carefully. "Can I say something?"
He nodded.
"I genuinely think you should go, Liam. I don't have to go with you if that's the problem, but -"
"That's not the problem at all, Steffy."
"Seeing the people you grew up with will be good for you, and most importantly, I think you need to visit your mother's grave." Speaking those words was not easy, but Liam needed to hear them and react. The fact that he had not been to his mother's grave in three years made this even more important than Steffy originally thought. This trip was necessary.
Noticing his resolve falter through his demeanor, Steffy used the argument she knew would make Liam cave. "You're going to be a Dad, Liam. We're about to bring another human being into this world. You can't tell me you don't feel the need to feel close to your mother."
He gave her a side look. God, she knew exactly how to talk to him to obtain whatever she wanted. It was no fair match. He voiced his thoughts, "It's not fair. You always know what to say to get me to do what you want."
"It's not about me."
"I know." He looked at her and his lips stretched into a thin smile. "Let's get going."
"Where to?" She asked, barely containing her smile.
"Edgemont."
/
Steffy briefly looked away from the road towards Liam. He was staring into the void, a blank expression, but she knew him so well he might as well have had pain etched on his face. She knew what was going on inside him. She could feel the heartbreak oozing from his every pore, and it was breaking her heart. She was trying to keep it together because she didn't think what Liam needed right now was to watch her fall apart, but she would have done anything to take his pain away.
There was honestly not much worse than to see a loved one suffer and not be able to stop it. It made one feel quite helpless.
On the anniversary of Phoebe's death, Steffy would spend the day with Thomas and their parents, reminiscing and celebrating her life, focusing on her glorious achievements instead of mourning on the things she hadn't had the time to accomplish. She felt so close to her twin when that happened. She felt at peace somehow.
Maybe that's what Liam needed: to remember.
Steffy reached out to stroke Liam's hand. "Tell me about her." She asked, putting her hand back on the steering-wheel.
"What do you want to know?" He asked in a small voice.
She slightly shrugged. "I don't know. Everything. Anything. Just talk to me. How was she?"
Liam let out a soft sigh. "Beautiful, generous, warm." He seemed to pick his words with care. "Smart, strong and fiercely independent. She took bullshit from nobody. She was her own woman and her own boss. I was so proud of her."
"Seems like she was a match for your father." Steffy commented.
He emitted a small chuckle. "She was, but she never would have been able to handle him the way Katie does. She had no patience. One would have ended up killing the other."
Steffy laughed. "So they were better apart?"
"Most definitely, yes."
"Hmm. Well, it's true that no one can handle Bill quite like Katie, just like no one can handle you but me." She commented, smirking.
"Oh, is that so?" Liam asked, humor in his voice.
"That is so."
He pursed his lips into a smile. "That is so indeed."
She playfully nudged him in the arm, and he gave her a small nudge in return.
A few minutes went by and Steffy could feel Liam withdrawing into himself again. "Tell me an anecdote about her." She asked.
Liam thought about it, trying to remember a good anecdote. "When I was little –I think I was about 10 –I got extorted money from by two older boys at school. At first, they just took my lunch, and some of my pens, but then one day, they stole my jacket. It was a brand jacket and a gift from my mother's boyfriend. She was so mad at me when I pretended to have lost it. A few days later, they went as far as stripping my jeans of my belt to take it."
"Stop it, you're kidding. How old were they?"
"I wish. They were about 13 I believe. Anyway, I knew the 'I lost it' excuse wouldn't work this time, so when my mother asked me later in the week where my belt was, I remained silent. I think with the jacket and then the belt, not to mention the bruises I sometimes got home covered with, she suspected that I was being stolen from, but she couldn't do anything about it without me actually saying it, you know?"
"Mmmhh" Steffy hummed.
"And I couldn't tell her. I was afraid things would only get worse if I did. By the way, this is a story you can't ever tell anyone, and I do mean anyone, not even Thomas." Liam specified knowing Steffy told her brother pretty much everything.
She chuckled a little. "I will take it to my grave, I promise."
"Good. So I didn't tell her anything, but her boyfriend got me to admit that I was being extorted money from. The next day, at lunch time as usual, the two boys approached me and took my lunch box from me. At the end of the day, just as I was about to catch the bus to get home, they found me, gave me my lunch box back and apologized."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I found out later that my mother had videotaped them stealing from me and had shown the video to their parents. She never told me all the details, but I guess she threatened the parents to take the video to the headmaster if they didn't get a grip on the children."
"Hmm." Steffy hummed approvingly. "That was very smart of her, sounds like something I would do."
"It does, doesn't it?"
/
After a little less than an hour since they had gotten on the road, Liam decided that Steffy needed to rest and they switched places. Fifteen minutes later, he spared a glance in her direction and saw her staring out the window, her eyelids closing off, but she refused to let sleep take her.
"Steffy, you're tired. You should get some rest."
"No, who's going to keep you company?" She said, her voice sleepy, interlacing her arm with his and resting her head on his shoulder.
Liam smiled. "Your presence is enough for me, my love."
"But it's not ok for the co-driver to sleep while the driver is driving!" She protested.
He chuckled. "It is when said co-driver is pregnant."
Steffy merely hummed, already half-asleep. Liam looked at her and smiled. He missed having her so close. He wished it was happening in better circumstances, but it felt good, and she made him feel better. Somehow, Steffy always found a way to ease his pain. Disentangling their arms, he brought his arm over her shoulder and tenderly stroked her hair.
/
"Hi Mom." Liam crouched. "It's been a while. I'm sorry I didn't come for so long. I didn't feel ready. I didn't know what I would say to you. I still don't know." He shook his head and closed his eyes, sighing. "I'm so sorry, Mom. I wish I could have been a better son for you. I wish we would have had more time. I wish I could have saved you."
"I know you would want me to blame myself. I know that, but it's really hard not to. I'm your son. I was supposed to look after you. I was supposed to protect you; I always tried to. But how could I protect you from this? I would have given anything, everything to swap our places." He declared sincerely.
"I've met my father, and I have to admit I understand why you kept his existence a secret from me. He certainly wasn't a role model when I was conceived. Some would say that fact hasn't changed. I'm still debating." He let out a small laugh. "He can be a little overbearing. Nothing like you." He added ironically.
"He's amazing, challenging, upsetting… but amazing. I had no idea what to expect when I went to LA to look for him, but I'm really glad that I did. I would be lost without him. He takes good care of me. So does Steffy." Liam paused, letting guilt and regret feel his heart. He felt so bad for everything he had put Steffy through. "You must be so ashamed of me for the way I've treated her. You raised me better than that. I am so sorry. I'm trying as hard as I can to make it up to her. She's deserved more from me since the very beginning." He mused out loud. He didn't know that he would ever fully forgive himself for all the hurt he had caused Steffy. "I love her so much, and I know you would too. I adore absolutely everything about her. She's kind, funny, smart as hell, strong, and insanely beautiful…" Liam listed, realizing as he spoke how similar his mother and Steffy were. "She could have any guy on the face of the planet, but for a reason that is beyond my understanding, she chose me. She wants me, in spite of all my imperfections..."
"She's offering me the greatest gift a woman could give a man too." The mere thought of his unborn child made Liam so anxious. To say he was terrified at the thought of becoming a father would have been the understatement of the year. He could barely take care of himself, how was he supposed to look after a baby? God forbid it turned out to be a girl. He would lose all his hair before he reached thirty years old.
Liam knew it was Steffy's dream to have a girl, but he was so not ready for that. He already knew his daughter would have him wrapped around her little finger and would do with him as she pleased. Not to mention how protective he would be! He could already see himself driving her to and from school every single day. He wouldn't allow her to even look at boys before she was twenty-five. In short, Liam wasn't looking forward to having a daughter.
"We're finding out the gender of the baby on Monday. Fingers crossed for it to be a boy." He said, crossing his fingers as he spoke. "Truth is I'll be thrilled either way. With that said, I do not see myself handling two ladies at a time."
Liam voiced his insecurities, "I'm going to be a good father, right? I mean -I never really had one until recently, but I did have you. You set the greatest example for me, so if I just apply everything you taught me, I should be just fine, right?" He tried to reassure himself. "God, I could really use your advice right now, Mom. I miss you. I miss you so much."
/
Steffy was anxiously staring at Liam's figure from the front seat. He had been on his mother's grave for a solid twenty minutes, which was nothing considering everything he probably had to say to her, but constituted an eternity for Steffy who had no idea what Liam was telling his mother.
She wondered how it was going and apprehended the effect this visit would have on Liam. Would he go back to LA lighthearted or feeling more terrible than ever? She could only hope it would be the former.
Getting things off one's chest and speaking from the heart had a liberating virtue and always made one feel better according to Taylor.
After another while, Steffy watched Liam stand up and lay the bouquet of peonies on his mother's grave. She diverted her gaze when she saw him turn around and come back to the car. She took her phone and pretended to be busy with it when Liam opened the door and slid inside.
He turned his head to look at Steffy and answered her unvoiced question, "I'm ok."
Steffy's lips curved into a small smile. She knew that wasn't entirely true, but he did seem to feel better, and she was glad about that. She reached out for his hand and squeezed it.
"What do we do now?" She asked. "Heading back home?"
Liam shook his head. "No. There are people I need to see."
Steffy exhaled an exaggerated sigh of relief. "Oh God, I was hoping you would say that. I really need to use the toilet." She said, buckling up and starting the engine, and that earned her Liam's first wholehearted laugh of the day.
She joined him in laughter. It had definitely been a good initiative on her part to bring him here.
/
Liam and Steffy went to see Rachel, his mother's best and oldest friend, her husband and their two children. Surprise and astonishment were displayed on Rachel's face as she opened the door and saw Liam. He greeted her and introduced Steffy as his "life partner", causing them all to burst into laughter and thereby breaking the tension. Rachel welcomed and invited the couple in. Steffy said a general "Hi" to everyone before asking Rachel's daughter, Cassie, to show her the toilet.
When she returned, she spotted Liam and Rachel talking in the living room and decided to leave them alone, figuring they had a lot to catch up on.
"Is it your first?" A voice behind her asked.
Steffy turned around to find Cassie staring at her. "Sorry?"
"Your pregnancy."
"Oh, yes, it is."
Cassie nodded. "It looks good on you. You're really beautiful." She appraised before she added, "Although I'm sure you look beautiful in every circumstance, pregnant or not."
Steffy arched an eyebrow, taken aback by the compliment to say the least. "Uh, thank you."
"Just stating the truth." Cassie casually shrugged her shoulders. "How far along are you? Do you know the gender yet?"
"Cassie, stop bothering the lady with your questions." Her older brother, Nate, reprimanded her.
"No, it's ok, she's not bothering me." Steffy said and took a seat across Cassie at the kitchen table. "To answer your question, I am 21 weeks along, and we'll be finding out the gender next week."
"What do you think it's going to be?"
"I have no idea." Steffy answered, smiling, amused by the little girl's interest in her pregnancy. "I'm hoping for a girl. Liam wants a boy. It doesn't really matter. We'll love him or her equally."
"Maybe, but a boy would look just like Liam." Cassie mused, a dreamy expression on her face.
Steffy's eyes widened a little as a grin spread over her face, and she wasn't able to stop herself from bursting into laughter.
/
"You have no idea how glad I am to see you." Rachel told Liam.
He smiled and looked down at his lap, seeming slightly embarrassed. "I'm glad to see you too. I missed you. All of you." He confessed.
She made a face. "You could have fooled me."
"I know." He cast her a shameful glance. "Listen, I owe you an apology: It was wrong of me to leave the way I did, and it was wrong of me not to keep in touch. I'm sorry."
"You had your reasons for leaving. You wanted to find your father. Given the circumstances and after two decades, it's understandable, but you could have at least let me know that you were alive." Rachel said, making Liam feel even more guilty than he already did. He looked down, abashed. "You didn't call, you didn't text. For God's sake, Liam, you didn't even send me an email."
"Rachel, I am sorry. I apologize." He felt like all he did lately was apologize; it was getting seriously tiring. "There's nothing I can say to justify my actions, but I needed a break, a clear cut between before and after. When I went to LA and met my father, everything changed for me. He introduced me to a whole new life and struggling to adapt sort of prevented me from thinking about you guys, about… Mom." His gaze got lost into the emptiness as he continued, "I wasn't ready to deal with all these emotions."
Understanding filled Rachel. "And you are now?" She asked, worried.
"I didn't think I was. But fortunately," he raised his gaze in Steffy's direction who was helping Cassie in the kitchen in the opposite room. "I live with someone who knows me better than I know myself."
Rachel followed Liam's gaze to the other room. She had read all about his lively love life -or at the least the tabloids' take on it -consisting essentially of fashionistas Hope Logan and Steffy Forrester, but her trust in that kind of media was pretty low, and she was aware that she was a complete outsider to Liam's life now. However, seeing the way he looked at Steffy -as if the sun rose and set on her radiant face -one would have had to be blind not to realize that he was madly in love with this woman. As a matter of fact, if the way he looked at her was any indication of his love for her, Rachel didn't understand how Liam ever hesitated between Steffy and any other woman. She was clearly the one.
"Well, I'll have to thank her."
Liam looked back at Rachel and smiled.
"Did you visit your mother's grave?"
He nodded imperceptibly. "Yes."
"Did it help?"
"It did."
"Have you been to see Bradley?"
Liam narrowed his eyes, shocked by the casualty with which she just asked this question. Choosing to keep his calm, he cleared his throat and looked around the room. "You know, this house hasn't changed a bit. Everything's the same."
"Okay. I'll take that as a no. You don't want to talk about -"
"No, I don't care to discuss that." He dryly cut her off.
Rachel nodded in understanding. "Well, you know I hate change."
"Right."
"Tell me about your life in Los Angeles. Is it as perfect as the media makes it out to be?" Rachel inquired.
"It's not perfect. I have my bad days like everyone, but I have a job I'm passionate about, I live in a huge house with an extraordinary woman, and we're expecting, so… I'd say I have a pretty amazing life."
She smiled. "You're leading a good life, I'm glad. If anyone deserves to be happy, it's you." Rachel brought her hands together on her lap and looked at Liam. He was like a son to her, and she owed it to herself to speak to him as such. "Now, I know you do not want to talk about it, and we do not have to." She reassured him before he could interrupt her again. "But for what it's worth, I think you should talk to Bradley. He's your step father, Liam."
"Was." He corrected.
"Whatever. You need to have a conversation with him."
"Do I?"
"Yes." She answered pointedly. She sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Hear me out, ok? Just hear me out. You have got to get rid of this dark weight you've been carrying around. You can't afford it any longer. You have a wonderful woman and soon a beautiful child depending on you."
Liam looked at Rachel and she saw her words sink in through his expression. Finally, he said, "I'll keep your advice in mind."
/
"You seem really young." Nate said to Steffy.
"Um, I like to think I am?" she replied, her brows knit in confusion.
"And you feel ready for all of this? Marriage, children?"
Steffy thought about it. Everything had happened so fast, and they hadn't planned any of it. It was pretty scary to think that she and Liam were about to become parents when they were barely starting out to figure out who they were themselves. They were supposed to grow up still, enjoy their youth, live carefree lives just the two of them, and then eventually settle down and have children. But God worked in mysterious ways, and Steffy trusted that this was all meant to be.
"Yes, I do."
Nate nodded."It's impressive. I can't imagine myself having a kid until I'm thirty at the earliest."
Steffy smiled. "That's understandable. I didn't think I'd have children so soon, neither did Liam I'm sure. But you know, when you're with the right person… when you've found THE one, there is no wrong time to start a family."
Nate stared at Steffy, completely subjugated by the woman that she was and everything that emanated from her. "Liam is one lucky bastard."
She raised a surprised eyebrow at him and started laughing. "We're both very lucky."
"He's luckier." Before Steffy's not so convinced expression, he insisted, "He is. You're smart, you're lively, you're… crazy beautiful."
"Are you hitting on my fiancé, Nate?" Liam's voice behind them startled Steffy.
"God, you scared me."
"Sorry, babe." He kissed the top of her head. He nodded his head to Nate. "So, Nate?"
"No, I'm not. I was just stating a fact. Steffy's obviously stunning, isn't she?"
Liam narrowed his eyes at his childhood mate in a worry look, and Nate defiantly met his gaze. Steffy looked from Liam to Nate and back again, feeling the tension in the air intensify. She rolled her eyes and repressed a sigh. Men and their fragile ego… Ok, so Nate had told her she was beautiful, what was the big deal? It was a sweet, innocent compliment from a boy barely entering adulthood.
Fortunately, Rachel came to her rescue. "Steffy, why don't I give you a tour?"
She stood up. "Gladly." Before leaving the room, she kissed Liam's cheek and spoke into his ear, "Be good."
Rachel led Steffy upstairs and into her bedroom. "Thank you, Steffy." She said, closing the door for privacy. At Steffy's confused expression, she elaborated, "Thank you for bringing Liam here."
Steffy lightly knit her brows, not understanding where this was coming from. What had Liam told her?
"I know Liam. It was not his initiative to come here." Rachel said with certainty. "I don't know what you said to him to convince him, but I am very grateful. He needed this trip."
"I thought so too."
"It must not have been easy. I'm sure he put up quite a resistance."
"A little, yes."
"Well, whatever you said to persuade him, thank you."
Steffy shook her head dismissively. "I only acted in what I believed was his best interest. That's all I ever do."
"I'm sure." Rachel studied her intently. "You truly love him, don't you?"
She nodded. "More than anything."
Rachel smiled. "I'm glad he found you. I'm glad you found each other."
/
After an early dinner once Rachel's husband, Jensen, returned home, Liam clapped his hands. "Thank you very much for a lovely meal, but we're gonna have to get going."
"Already?!" Cassie protested in a whiny voice.
"They've been here for a while, Cassie, and they have a two-hour road ahead of them." Her mother told her.
"We do." Liam said.
"Yes, and I'm getting tired." Steffy added.
Rachel immediately felt sorry for the pregnant woman. It had been years, but she painfully remembered how exhausting pregnancy was.
"Ok, let us walk you out." Jensen said and stood up.
Liam and Steffy said goodbye to Nate and Cassie, and then the latter got down to clearing the table while their parents walked the couple out.
"When are we seeing you again?" Rachel asked.
"Um," Liam looked at Steffy, deciding on what to say. "Before three years for sure."
Jensen chuckled.
"Ok, fair enough. How about not too long after the baby is born?" Rachel suggested.
"That's reasonable." Liam said.
"Steffy," Rachel held her by the forearms. "I'm counting on you."
"We will be back before you know it, I promise." Steffy vowed.
They all exchanged hugs, and Steffy and Liam were on their way back home.
Soooo?
How amazing was Steffy in this chapter? Did you like Rachel, Jensen and their family?
I can't wait to read your thoughts. This is close to 8k words. I deserve a review.
You should find out the gender of the baby next chapter.
Also, warning: I will be accelerating the timeline in the upcoming chapters.
Ok, 'till next time.