Hi! This is my first multi-chapter story in a few years, so thank you to anyone who reads this!
Chapter 01
It wasn't planned.
That was her first thought as she stared at the stick on the counter in front of her. What if he hated the idea? They hadn't discussed the possibility of becoming parents since they had decided they were a 'maybe'. Did maybe mean if it happened then that would be okay? Or did it mean it was open for discussion at some point in the future?
The brunette shook her head and let out a sigh – logically, she knew Howie would never hate her, she knew he would accept whatever decision she made about their future as a family. But she was also scared, their relationship was strong and they were happy. She didn't want anything to ruin where they were right then.
And where they were right then was another spanner in the works – she had a drawer and most of his closet space – and that translated to Maddie lived with Chimney around 90% of the time. It had been gradual but the nights without him felt empty, and before she knew it, the only nights she spent in her own bed were the ones he was in work.
They were in love which was important. But the thing that mattered more than anything, was that Maddie finally felt safe. Safe enough to love, safe enough to be herself and safe enough to bring a child into a world that suddenly didn't seem as scary as it once had. Bad things happened, she knew and understood that, but she also knew Chimney would die before he hurt her and he would protect her no matter what life tried to throw their way.
She took a deep breath and looked up at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She was finally going to be a mother, something she had always wanted but had pushed back. She had seen too many beaten wives come into the ER, their husbands playing innocent as he kept a close eye on a child with a black eye. She felt like she had no choice but to stay in the marriage but she did have a choice who she brought into that marriage. Doug had asked, wondered aloud many times what was wrong with her, why she couldn't conceive. She had managed to play it down as just "one of those things" whilst she was secretly taking the pill behind his back.
Howie was the love of her life, she had realised that when she woke up next to him one night and just watched as he slept peacefully next to her. All she could think about as she watched him was how lucky she was and despite everything that had happened with her ex-husband, if all of that was the only journey she could take to end up in Howie's arms then she would.
"Maddie? You've been in there a while, is everything okay?" She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard his voice through the locked bathroom door, her fingers trembled as she picked up the test before she moved to open the door. It had to be quick, like ripping off a band-aid, she decided, because if she hesitated then she wouldn't be able to tell him.
"I think so." She managed to get out, a small smile on her face when his lips met her forehead. He was frowning, she could already sense his concern but that was gone the moment she pressed the object into one of his hands. Her dark eyes searched his face for a reaction, as he looked down and realised exactly what she was trying to tell him without words needing to be exchanged.
For a moment, there was nothing. He just stared down at the test, and Maddie let her mind go into overdrive. He didn't want to be a dad, or at least he didn't want to be right then or maybe she should have told him in a different way to ease him into the possibility. The silence was crushing and tears stung her eyes as she bit down on her bottom lip in an attempt to stop them from falling. It seemed as though an hour had passed, although it had barely been a minute before he finally looked up at her.
"Hey," He whispered as he saw the look on her face, he tucked the test in his pocket, unsure what else to do with it right then but he needed both hands free. One hand moved beneath her chin, tilting her head up to look at him whilst his other hand moved to her stomach. They may not have discussed it since they decided they weren't sure what they wanted, but suddenly he couldn't think of anything he wanted more in the world than bringing another life into the world with the first woman he had ever truly loved. The grin on his face was wide before he pressed his lips against hers, both his hands moving to her waist to pull her as close to his own body as he possibly could.
When they pulled away to catch their breath, Chimney was relieved to see the tears gone, replaced with a smile as wide as his own, "You're happy?" She finally asked, before she let out a squeal when he picked her up and they both laughed. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his shoulders, and she brushed her nose against his.
The way his eyes sparkled told her everything she needed to know but she still felt the relief wash over her when he spoke, "I'm happier than I've ever been, Maddie. Are you?" That was another thing she loved about him, how much he cared for her and her wellbeing. She had never experienced it before, Doug couldn't have cared less if she was happy or not as long as she appeared it to the outside world.
"Beyond." She finally whispered, their lips met again between laughter and touches, neither of them able to believe that their lives were around to change more than either of they could imagine.