"So I've been thinking..." Beck sighs one night as he and Jade are laying in bed
"That can't be good..." Jade snickers, turning the page of her book
"Hey now." Beck smirks "Come on."
"I'm sorry." Jade apologizes, looking up from her book "What have you been thinking about?"
"We should move." He says matter-of-factly
"Oh, so you've been thinking about serious things." Jade nods, placing her bookmark between the pages and then setting her book down on her nightstand "Alright, let's talk about it. Why is it that you want to move, exactly?"
"I guess for the past few months, I've just been feeling like it's the right choice." Beck admits "It's because of Alyssa mostly, I guess. This house...well I'm the one who bought it, but we kind of got it together, you know? The two of us were going to live here together to raise Chelsea, and eventually Aspen, and be a family. And I don't like having that memory, I'm sure you don't either."
"I've honestly never even thought about it like that." Jade admits "I've only ever known this as your house."
"I want it to be ours though, you know?" Beck sighs "And there's just...too many memories of her here. Not to mention that if she ever does try to come back, she would know exactly where to find us."
"She's not supposed to ever try to find us though." Jade reminds him "She surrendered her rights, remember?"
They have the paperwork to solidify it too. Alyssa officially no longer has any legal right to either of the girls, and if she ever tried to fight for custody again she would be instantly denied.
"I know, I just...don't trust her." Beck admits "I'm not trying to run or anything I just...like I said, there's too many memories."
"If that's what you want to do, then I support it." Jade assures him "I'll live anywhere as long as I'm with you."
"Okay, good." Beck grins "I have other reasons, besides Alyssa...if you wanted to hear them."
"Sure."
"Well, this house only has three bedrooms." Beck points out "And with your step-dad and your brother living out of state...I want to be able to host them. They shouldn't have to stay in a hotel. Cat and Robbie too, we should have a guest room."
"That's a good point." Jade agrees "It's also very sweet of you to consider."
"And one day..." Beck continues "Oh...I don't know maybe I shouldn't go there yet..."
"On day, what?"
"Well, one day we might want to have another baby." Beck shrugs "I know, I'm sorry. We haven't had that conversation yet, but...I've thought about it."
Jade is surprised. Like Beck said, they've yet to have a conversation about whether or not they would want to have more kids. She hadn't even thought about whether she wanted kids at all before she met Beck; she hadn't had any definite feelings one way or the other. After meeting Aspen and Chelsea and developing such bonds with them, she knew she liked children enough to want to keep them in her life...but hadn't really thought about whether or not she would want more on top of them.
"Let's have the conversation." She shrugs "Do you...want to have more kids?"
"I think I do, yeah." Beck smirks "I love being a dad, and I love seeing you be a mom. I think it would be great to have one or two more. What do you think...?"
"I guess I hadn't really ever thought about it." Jade admits "But...now that you mention it...I think I would want to have at least one more. Maybe try for a boy."
"Oh, I don't care about that part." Beck chuckles "I'm good at raising girls."
"You definitely are." Jade leans over and kisses him "But um...if this is something we're going to do...I need to tell you something else first."
"Okay..." Beck says "What is it?"
"I've..." Jade hesitates for a moment, searching for the right words to convey what she wants to tell him "I've been...pregnant...before."
"Oh..." Beck sits up straight "Uh, okay...let's talk about that."
He's more confused than anything. Obviously it's the first time Jade has mentioned anything like this, and she very clearly doesn't have any children. Or at least...he doesn't think she does? Maybe she had a baby and gave it up for adoption, or it lives with its father? If that's the case...why hasn't she brought it up before?
"I've told you I dated some real shitty guys before I met you, right?" Jade reminds him, and Beck nods "Well, one of those shitty guys was named Ryan. I dated him for a few months when I was 19 and well...we weren't careful. I was really pissed at my dad and was basically dating this asshole to punish him and then right at the end of my freshman year of college...I found out I was pregnant."
Beck nods again, but doesn't say anything. He wants to hear the rest of the story before he makes any comments.
"I didn't know what to do." Jade continues "But I knew I had to tell him, so I did. He was pissed, tried to accuse me of trapping him. Then he went out and got drunk off of his ass, got picked up by campus police...and called me to come and get him. And I did...because I felt bad that he didn't have anyone else. It was a big mess. We didn't speak for close to a week after that. But...I texted him that I had a doctor's appointment and said he could come if he wanted to, and he wanted to come to 'discuss our options'. He picked me up, we got in another fight on the way there, and we got in a car accident because he was too busy yelling at me to watch the road. I miscarried. There was nothing left to discuss, and we broke up."
"Fuck, Jade..." Beck sighs "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry I never told you..." Jade shakes her head "You're my husband...I should have told you that. It was just...I don't know, part of a past relationship I didn't want to dwell on. No one wants to dwell on their exes. But...that was a major thing, and I should have told you."
"It wouldn't have changed anything." Beck assures her "But...can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Did you have a plan?"
"No." Jade admits "I mean, I knew I didn't want it. But not because I was against being a mom or didn't want to be pregnant. I just didn't want to be tied to him for the next eighteen years, and I knew that I wasn't mature or financially stable enough to provide for a child."
"That makes sense."
"There's no one I would rather have a baby with than you, Beck." Jade tells him, tears in her eyes "I just...I couldn't agree to without telling you that first."
"I'm glad you did." Beck wraps her up in a hug "Everything worked out the way that it was meant to. We're right where we're supposed to be."
"Thanks." Jade sighs "Sorry for getting all emotional on you."
"I'd be more concerned if you didn't." Beck chuckles "But hey, I love you, okay? Always remember that. And I can't wait to have another baby with you...one day."
"Me either." Jade agrees "But...I don't think we should start trying tonight or anything though."
"Oh no." Beck agrees "If we're going to move, that should be what we focus on first. Well, we should focus on our honeymoon first but-"
"But that's already planned." Jade reminds him
"I'm saying we should get through that before we start worrying about anything else." Beck clarifies "After the honeymoon, we can start looking for a house. Once we find a house, and we're settled...then maybe we can start talking about a baby."
"Alright." Jade smiles "I like that plan."
"Me too." Beck nods "See? I have good ideas sometimes."
"I could stay here on the beach forever."
Beck and Jade planned their honeymoon for the end of March, when Jade had a week off from work for spring break. Six days and five nights at an all-inclusive resort in the Florida Keys. Escaping the cold temperatures of Connecticut? Not having to be responsible for any tiny humans for a week? Alone time just the two of them? It couldn't get any better than that.
"You'd start missing Chelsea and Aspen eventually." Jade smirks, taking a sip from her water bottle "And we'd run out of money."
They've saved quite a bit of money on their trip already simply because neither one of them drinks. Jade blames alcohol for her mother's death, which is a fair action to take seeing as the car accident that killed her was caused by a drunk driver. Beck was turned off from it long before he was twenty-one because of Alyssa. Even now as older and much more responsible adults, neither one of them has been able to bring themselves to pick up the habit. Not only are they saving money, they're also saving their livers.
"You're right." Beck agrees as he adjusts the sunglasses on his face "Do you think they've driven my parents insane yet?"
"Not yet." Jade shakes her head "But they still have two days left, so anything is possible."
"Nah, my mom is probably spoiling them rotten right now." Beck chuckles at the thought "I bet they've been up past their bedtime every night and gone to Chuck E. Cheese at least twice."
"Would you expect anything less though?"
"No, I wouldn't." Beck laughs "I do miss them though."
"We'll see them on Saturday." Jade reminds him as she begins tracing circles on his bare stomach "In the meantime though...we still have plenty of adult time left together."
They've been enjoying plenty of adult time on their trip so far, as any couple on their honeymoon should. It's been nice to have the privacy to be able to have sex whenever the mood strikes them, which has been quite frequently given the nature of the occasion and the fact that they've been walking around close-to-naked in their swimsuits the entire time.
"Oh yeah?" Beck raises an eyebrow at her "What did you have in mind?"
"You know what I have in mind."
"If this wasn't a public beach, I would rip that bikini right off of you." Beck admits "Don't tease me, Mrs. Oliver."
"Say that again."
"Mrs. Oliver." Beck repeats, a smile forming on his lips as Jade leans over to kiss him
"I love the way that sounds." Jade grins "Y'know, I thought that being married made people old and boring but I guess it really just makes them horny."
"Is it being married that's making you horny? Or is it the romantic beach vacation without any kids?"
"Does it matter?"
"No." Beck laughs "No it doesn't."
"I'll race you back to the room." Jade smirks "First one there gets to rip the other one's clothes off."
"Oh, you're on."