With everything going on between iCarly and Ruthie, Carly had no time to think about her own life. She kind of preferred to stay busy, things hurt a little less when the things on her mind were pushed aside, but they still came back at night.
She felt a little like a pop up in a computer, that she just kept clicking "remind me later." Or "not now.". However, she knew she couldn't avoid it forever, especially when her pants had gotten tighter and tighter and her wardrobe felt smaller.
It hadn't been until early in the morning that she had realized that her calendar had jumped an entire month and a half. The father daughter dance was quickly approaching and she had nothing to wear, at least that fit anymore. She had simply been too busy mourning the grand finale of iCarly and the silence in Ruthie's end had been thick.
It concerned Carly that after the show ended it had been radio static. Maybe Nevel had thought that he had them off his tail and he had a false sense of accomplishment. Or maybe it was in order for their plan to work, they had to comply to Nevels wishes.
But even Ruthie didn't reach out and there was no attempt on Carly's end because she feared jeopardizing everything. She wanted Ruthie to know, and badly. For now though, they had to go along with everything Nevel wanted.
"Dang it! The dance is tonight." She whispers, a little exasperated.
Carly remembered quickly as she sat up in her bed, everything suddenly flooding back to her that she had tried to build a dam against.
She snatched her phone off the bed side table, turning down her brightness, not that it would wake Sam. It was five AM, and she only had fourteen hours left to get everything in order. Her calendar also showed that she had a doctor's appointment she forgot about. The day was already utter chaos and the rooster hadn't even crowed.
Should she wake Sam? Or Spencer? Should she call Freddie? He certainly didn't know about the appointment if she didn't. She had put it in her calendar at her last visit and forgot. She was gonna text Freddie she decided and would get ready while she waited for his response. Surely, he was still sleeping.
Carly slipped into her robe and tossed her tangled hair into the claw clip that had been resting in her night stand. It had been a saving grace to her from having to clean vomit out of her hair when she could instead pin it back in seconds.
The thought of vomiting made her want to, making her stomach churn. She was able to assuage her sickness instead of succumbing to it by snacking on small meals. It helped her nausea greatly, though some days she still had her moments. The morning sickness wasn't completely gone, but it was manageable.
Holiday break from school was more stressful than enjoyable these days. She remembers elementary school, all the foods and the crafts and the magic of the atmosphere in school during those times. It was nostalgic, and time felt like it didn't exist. She just simply felt happy. Those were simpler times. At least, until her mom passed away.
Spencer always did his best growing up to carry on traditions. He had done the same things their mom had, baked the same recipes and used the old decorations. But even if she was there in spirit, Carly still longed for her there. She longed for her mothers angelic church choir voice and soothing tone.
The holidays were hard but life wasn't gonna slow down. She missed her mom, and she wishes she were here for this. For her advice, to know how her mom handled her pregnancies. It didn't take away the pain, but she knew she had a wonderful support system in the people she did have. She would get through this, one way or another.
Homework piled on Carly's desk from the night before, including the make up work from when she was too sick to go, was scattered when she breezed by. She had been lacking energy lately and needed a little extra push of motivation to get it done.
She wanted to graduate early, she wanted to not worry when the baby was here. But mentally, she was struggling; pregnancy was taxing on her in all ways, shapes, and forms.
"Carls?" Sam whispered confused, rubbing her eyes to make sure she had read the clock correctly.
Her confusion quickly turned to concern, though lately it wasn't strange for Carly to wake up ill either.
"What the chiz are you doing up? Did you get sick?"
Carly looks apologetically to Sam, feeling guilty for waking her, but too anxious to slow down.
"The dance is today and I forgot that dad was flying in today for it. The days have just been blurring together that I can't keep my appointments and school work and responsibilities straight." She replies, rambling like she always did when she was anxious.
She sounded extremely uneasy as her voice broke. She didn't even realize Sam had crawled out of her sleeping bag on the couch and over to her until she felt a hand slip into hers.
"Carls, take a deep breath with me." Sam coached, trying to ground her spiral.
Carly looked at her, tears burning her eyes. She was overwhelmed and forgot the fact that she had other people to help. She wasn't on her own. Sam hated work but would do almost anything to find (the laziest way) to help Carly.
"Mrs. Benson can take you and Freddie to the doctor, and Spencer and I will help pick up your dress from the tailor."
"Spencer will find a way to set it on fire." Carly laughed facetiously despite having been so serious.
"We will handle this; Let us help you."
"It's okay Sam; The dress I had tailored probably won't fit anymore anyway. I don't know what I'm gonna do." She sighed, defeated.
She had forgotten that she had a dress sent to be tailored months ago. Or at least she forgot to account for the fact that she would experience some drastic and some subtle changes to her body, specifically to her abdomen and chest. Now she really did have to go get new clothes.
Carly's hand fell to her abdomen, she didn't really have a bump per say, but it was more than just bloat. It was actually becoming kind of hard and in the right shirt, she feared you could tell. It was all becoming so surreal. She had even wondered a few times if she had felt any movement or if the butterfly feeling was just gas.
"I guess we could go to the mall after my appointment. Or maybe a thrift store. I really can't spend anymore money. I should be saving for-"
Carly paused. She realized before she had said it aloud that it sounded like she had made up her mind subconsciously. Or maybe naturally she just began to assume she was keeping it.
She hadn't pursued any other path this far, and she even began thinking about the baby as if it was already set in stone. But she didn't have a plan for keeping a baby. She thought she was unsure and all of a sudden now she was talking about the future. It was enough to bring reality back a little, shaking her from her blissful forgetfulness she had been in.
It hit her hard. In just about five months she'd have a baby, a whole new life that she had to parent from scratch when she herself was still learning to be a person. How could she possibly take care of another human when she was still healing her child? Was it a process they'd forever be stuck in?
"Kid? Are you okay? Do you need the bucket?" Sam inferred, slightly alarmed by Carly's sudden silence.
Sam had been referring lovingly to Carly's puke bucket she had kept by her bedside for months. Sam didn't necessarily enjoy cleaning it up for her, but she was intrigued by what was in the puke sometimes. It was weird, but it was also her thing.
"No, I just never really gave it much thought."
"What much thought?"
"The baby; Like obviously I know I'm pregnant, but it hasn't hit me this hard until now and I don't think it will ever truly feel real even after they're born. But they are real and I have to start making decisions for them before they get here. It's a lot."
"And you just wanna feel like a kid again? Is that why this dance is so special to you and you're freaking out?" Sam concludes and Carly nods.
"Today was supposed to be an escape. A day to pretend like I'm still my dad's little girl, not some knocked up little Internet ex-prude."
"Everyone on the Internet knows you're not a prude." Sam reassures her.
Carly glares at her and Sam laughs.
"Well not anymore at least. Baby Benson gave that away." She lightly chuckled.
"I suppose so." Carly admits, bearing a hopeless undertone.
"I'm sorry, I'm just teasing. You know getting pregnant doesn't make you a horrible person. We're all human and make decisions that don't always come with the outcome we hoped for or expected."
"I mean I had sex, what did I think was gonna happen?" Carly replies matter of factly.
Carly crosses her arms across her chest, closing off her body language and signifying she was done talking. She felt shame in this, slight embarrassment, and extremely overwhelmed. Everyone knew she and Freddie did it, and that was embarrassing in itself.
Sam grabbed her hands, uncrossing her arms and hugging her slightly.
"Cmon Carls. Let tonight be about you, and not your worries. I know it's easier said than done and I'm not trying to sound dismissive but you've got five more months of planning. Taking care of yourself is important too, try and let yourself have fun tonight and be that kid I know you're still deep inside."
"Yeah, having a baby doesn't mean you have to stop being you. You're constantly evolving as a person and learning, but also being a grown up doesn't mean you're not allowed to be goofy and have fun. Look at me, I'm a man child."
Spencer usually never woke up before noon so it had taken them by surprise when he was in the doorway, smiling at them both.
"I'm proud of you kiddo, and this doesn't change that. But Sam's right, do this dance tonight for you, you deserve to still do things you want. You care so much for everyone else, including Ruthie. It's your turn."
It was true. Ruthie hadn't been around long but she had been there long enough for Carly to care about her and the outcome of her situation.
She understood, but was still saddened that Ruthie didn't find a way to stay in contact. Carly was guilty of not reaching out too, but she didn't wanna risk the wrong person seeing that text considering her technology use was weirdly heavily monitored. And it didn't help that they hadn't dug up any dirt on Nevel or his mom yet.
"So your appointment is at eight, why don't you go get showered and ready and I'll make us breakfast." Spencer insists and Carly laughs.
"I got pregnant and now I have three dads and Mama Sam." Carly teases playfully but accepts his offer.
"Three?" Spencer inquires.
"Yeah, Freddie makes her soup and helps her steer clear of Mrs Benson if and when he can." Sam laughs.
It was true; Freddie had been the best. Their relationship was complicated. It wasn't supposed to be, she loved him. But she also loved him so much she wanted to let him go because she was afraid this would push him away. But so far, he showed no interest in leaving, on interest in being the best partner to Carly he could be and an involved father. He was there.
"She's not as bad as she was." Carly defends her against her better judgment.
Carly was always playing mediator or devil's advocate. That was the good in goody goody Carly Shay.
"His mom still insists on taking you to and from appointments so that you and Freddie aren't alone despite already being pregnant." Sam laughs.
"She's a basket case." Spencer laughs.
"At least the woman has an ambulance sized first aid kit and could have the ability to deliver the baby in an emergency." Sam added.
Carly felt her stomach knot and grow uncomfortable. She was working on boundaries but she still had to find a was to be reasonable without explaining herself because she needed all the help she could get.
Despite the helicopter mom approach, Mrs. Benson was willing to help and for that she was thankful because it could have been completely opposite. She was thankful that before helping them, Mrs. Benson only made Freddie let her disinfect him a handful of times. Just this week.
"Alright, can we just get ready?" Carly sighed loudly.
Everyone got ready and was out the door by seven thirty. Spencer and Sam went to the tailor to see if there was anything they could do without Carly. Maybe elastic or clips or anything to alter the dress that Carly had loved.
Carly waited inside the apartment for Freddie to come over, hunched over a waste basket by the couch. She had a relapse puking episode, praying it would subside. She felt it was much more than morning sickness, as she had been an anxious puke as a child. But it had been so long since those occurrences.
She knew she was pregnant, she couldn't deny it even before the test came back. She had been feeling off, and nauseous beside her normal nausea that accompanied her anxiety. This was seemingly different but she didn't know how to explain how. Something in her gut just told her to take that test, especially with a late period.
"Come in Freddie!" She had called when she heard his knuckles rapped against the wood door.
She was pleasantly surprised when it was him and just him. No Mrs. Benson in sight.
"Thank you for coming. I know you were looking forward to your train show today." Carly apologized and he smiled.
She felt bad; He was still that young teen that loved his trains and she felt like she had stolen that away from him when she got pregnant because now he had often come to her rescue when he knew she was struggling or had an appointment.
He insisted that's what boyfriends did and none of it was her fault, but she often took the blame out of guilt. Maybe that was just her anxiety talking. Freddie seemed to want to take responsibility, not many teenage boys would, and for that she was grateful.
"I'm here for you. I wouldn't miss being here with you for anything. Besides, you deserve the support, especially since I'm involved in…this."
He gestured to her stomach, making eye contact with her slightly protruding abdomen and her hand flew instinctively and protectively over it. She felt subconscious though he didn't mean to make her feel that way.
"Shall we?" He held out his arm and she gingerly took it after some nervous hesitation.
"Where is your mom?" Carly interrogated.
Freddie helped Carly into her pea coat before opening the elevator door for them. She nestled gently into his shoulder in the corner as the doors closed, feeling her stomach slightly drop as the elevator descended down.
"She had to go into the office this morning so she couldn't make it. Not to say I'm upset." He laughed and Carly echoed.
He had actually convinced his mom that Spencer would take them, and his mother had a fit. She'd have to deal with it though because he wasn't a child anymore and didn't need his mom to do everything.
So while it was true that she got called into the office, it wasn't an easy affair to get her to go in. She was upset and Freddie didn't want Carly to have to have to stress about it. They could deal with it later. For now, it was the two (or to her knowledge three) of them.
Telling her Spencer would go was only to appease her slightly, but hadn't been true. Freddie wanted a chance to prove himself and he couldn't do that with them around.
"It's nice, just the two of us. Maybe this isn't how I imagined hanging out, but it feels grown up. Like a taste of the real world since we'll be graduating soon." Carly pondered and Freddie agreed.
Carly realized she had left the apartment unlocked but wasn't worried. Her dad would be flying in soon and Spencer and Sam would hopefully be back soon. She was more and more forgetful these days, like her baby had been borrowing her brain.
When they got to the office and checked in they waited their turn to be called in. Carly quietly looked around, secretly hoping to be transported back to the day she first met Ruthie. She wanted her to waddle through those doors and sit beside them. She wanted to know she was okay.
Or maybe it was the opposite. Maybe Ruthie was watching them with Nevel, spying to see how else she could blackmail them. But there was nothing left but to live forward. They no longer streamed iCarly, there was nothing left for them to take.
Maybe Nevel still had a personal vendetta with Carly, but didn't he have more important things to worry about? Carly shook her head like an etch-a-sketch, attempting to erase those thoughts.
"Good morning Carly!" The nurse had said as they finally settled into the cold, sterile, room.
Carly was handed a paper sheet to cover with and the nurse left to allow her to get comfortable. She hadn't thought she was getting any type of exam today so she was secretly a little pleasantly surprised when she found she was having another scan.
They wanted to closely monitor her as a young mom and Carly was excited at the chance to see the baby. She knew she was pregnant, but it didn't feel real. The fear was also a little overwhelming and attempted to outweigh the excitement. Freddie sensed her anxiety and offered her his hand, and she slipped hers into his.
"It's so weird to be back. This feels weird. And maybe a little wrong." Carly notes conversationally.
"Yeah, I feel a little outta place too. I didn't know what your plan was for the baby, you have time, but coming here kinda forced us to think about it."
"My plan?" Carly was stunned. "I'm not in this alone, Freddie." She snapped.
It was Freddie's turn to be stunned and he quickly jumped in for her defense.
"Of course, I take full responsibility. I'm just saying, it's your body, your choice."
"I think we're past that. It's more than less affecting both our lives whether we keep the baby. I know for sure I'm going to give birth, I just haven't thought about the after."
"You're right. I'm not trying to put your pressure on you. It's totally your decision. And I'll support you and help you look into your options if that's what you'd like."
Carly seemed a little cross that he brought it up, her face and body language a little cold towards him but yet she never let go of his hand.
"Carls, I'm sorry. Maybe we should talk another time-" Freddie insisted.
Carly was thankful when he had been cut off by the doctor knocking on the door, smiling at both of them as she walked in and closed it behind her. A young tech walked behind her and Dr. Schefield informed them that it was her ultrasound tech in training.
"Do I have consent for Morgan to assist today?"
"Yes, of course." Carly agreed politely.
She was nervous but she thought her being younger would make her more understanding and maybe the experience would help her learn about different types of patients. She was always down for the opportunity to learn.
"You ready for your ultrasound and blood work today?" Morgan warmly greeted them as she and Dr. Schefield washed her hands.
Carly rolled up her shirt to right under her breasts and shimmed down the table as instructed. Her doctor had warned her the gel was cold but she physically tensed up as it hit her stomach.
"If you look this way momma and dad, you can see everything is looking great." She smiled, turning the screen to face them.
Carly was in her fifteenth almost sixteenth week. She was measuring slightly ahead but all looked great. Her tension eased a little as the tech turned the sound on, allowing them to hear the heart galloping strongly and loudly.
"That's amazing. For lack of better words." Freddie half laughed, half gasped.
"It sure is." The doctor smiled, "The body is amazing. It can grow a whole human from scratch."
Carly was silent as she felt emotions rushing through her. She hadn't even noticed she had been crying until Freddie squeezed her hand to get her attention before handing her a tissue.
The doctor and tech had known their situation wasn't ideal so she was mindful in how she spoke to the young teens. She was cautious and mindful of how she presented things and explained things and avoided things that may be a trigger and didn't push for things they didn't consent to.
She was very good about consent with all patients but she knew she had to be firm and direct yet gentle with the teens. They were scared and she knew that, it wouldn't keep her from telling them the truth, it just changed the way she worded things in consideration of them and not overstepping.
The mom part of Dr. Schefield felt her heart ache. Her heart hurt for all patients struggling but it didn't stop her from being a good doctor. It just made her a better one.
"It's a little earlier, however you could get it double confirmed at twenty weeks if you'd like to learn the sex." Dr. Schefield finally informed them and they just stared at each other.
The doctor hands it to her assistant, offering her the opportunity to scan. Before she had just talked Carly and Freddie through it as well as Morgan, but now was her chance to teach.
"Morgan, do you wanna try?" She hands off the wand.
"Carly, are you okay with me performing the sex reveal today?" Morgan asked as she was taught and Carly froze.
Freddie jumped in, not to give consent again, but to speak for what Carly was thinking too. He could read his girlfriend like a book for the most part.
"We haven't even given that much thought. Just the thought of a baby of either sex is overwhelming." Freddie explained.
"I understand that it's probably a lot to take in, momma." The tech student turned to Carly.
"It's up to you, I just need your consent for each step." Morgan reminded them.
Carly was thoughtful. Knowing the sex wasn't gonna change anything. She hadn't made up her mind about adoption, but even so, this wouldn't influence her decision. It was just another fun fact about who this baby was as a person. A more intimate detail.
"I mean, it would be kinda cool to know. And your mom isn't here so it could be just kinda like, our secret since so much of this journey has felt public so far between our families knowing right away and the iCarly fans."
Freddie lit up a bit, nodding to everything she said. It would be kind of a grown up and nice moment to share with her as a couple. So at their approval the tech did so, revealing to them what they wanted to know.
"It's still early and I'm kinda new at this, but I'm ninety percent certain it looks like the baby is a girl! Congrats you guys!" She smiled supportively.
"Well that didn't sound very reassuring anymore." Carly thought to herself.
The exam had gone well, blood work would be good, so why did Morgan sound so uncertain even though she told them it was early? Was it because she too was new at something and every day was a learning experience? Or was Carly projecting her uncertainty of all this into the student tech? Either way, she felt her heart rate quicken and she looked to Freddie for reassurance.
Freddie hadn't said much and she feared he was disappointed even though there was nothing they could do. The sex wasn't in their control, actually it would technically be Freddie's doing. But he wasn't, and much to her relief, he smiled as he teared up a bit.
"Wow. Oh, wow." He squeezed her hand and she let out a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding.
Carly suddenly felt herself back to the place she was in at the first appointment. The nerves, the anxiety, and the nausea. Oh shoot, the nausea. She felt it creep up as quickly as the thought passed. Luckily for her, she was in a room of professionals.
"Are you okay, momma?" Morgan asked.
Freddie saw the paleness on her face and put his arm on Carly's back, helping her sit up and lean into the bag they had quickly pushed under her chin. She yaked, feeling her stomach lurch and a punch to the gut.
Freddie handed the bag back to the doctor when she was done, rubbing her back in small circles. Carly wiped her chin, feeling heat in her cheeks from embarrassment. It was all too much and she wanted to leave, she wanted it all to stop.
She no longer liked how grown up she said she had felt, she wasn't sure she ever liked it. She just likes how it sounded, she had always wanted independence. But never had she pictured it would look like this.
She didn't want to grow up so fast, she just wanted to transport back to that little girl whose brother baked her treats and helped support her when she was a goody teen starting a web show. To be thirteen again, or even who she was before the stick turned pink.
"I think we've got everything we need today, we can schedule some of the other stuff for next time if that's okay with you."
Dr. Schefield handed Carly a tissue and hung up the ultrasound probe. She could sense that she had been overwhelmed and had enough. There was always room to be flexible, and they could wait until another day to resume. The NIPT blood work testing for genetics could wait.
"Thank you, Morgan." Dr. Schefield smiled at her assistant as she left.
"Your ultrasound will be at the front desk." Morgan informed them before following.
Carly made a mental note that if Morgan was there next time, she'd like to ask for her. She was polite, and despite her uneasiness around the inexperience, Carly knew that everyone had to start somewhere. She decided she'd dismiss it, chalking it up to nervousness. It wasn't Morgan's fault Carly was uneasy.
Carly and Freddie grabbed their paperwork and ultrasound at the front desk. On their way out Carly paused, glancing around in one last hope that she'd be there. Ruthie wasn't though, and her shoulders dropped. She felt slight disappointment creep up. She realized she still cared and was angry there was nothing they could do.
"Carls? Are you okay?" Freddie asked, taking her hand.
"Yeah, I'm just- yeah, I'm okay." She sighed unconvinced and they left.
"What's wrong?" Freddie had pushed again once they started walking again.
Carly's breathing was a little shaky, and Freddie wasn't sure if it was the cold or the anxiety or both. He grabbed her hands and noted they were freezing so he fished his pair of gloves out of his pocket and handed them to her.
"It's my dad." Her voice nearly broke.
"What about him is worrying you?" Freddie longed to soothe her.
"When I told him, he didn't seem as upset as I thought. But I thought that'd be it, no last dance for us because why would he wanna take his pregnant daughter there. I've probably embarrassed him."
By now her shakes her more noticeable and a few people in the building had stared. Freddie wiped her tears with his sleeve and shook his head.
"He loves you, and this doesn't define you. And he still wants to take you to the dance tonight."
He brushes her hair from her face, looking seriously and firmly in her eyes despite her avoiding eye contact. She was clearly upset and hormonal, and Freddie wanted to comfort her but despite dating for almost a year now he worried he forgot how.
This was a different version of Carly, but it didn't mean she didn't long for the same affection. He thought it was less physical now because of her growing body, but he loved her and she allowed him to in this moment instead of shutting down. He embraced her and she fell limps in his arm, sobbing into his shoulder.
"He ranks so high in the US Air Force that this has to be embarrassing because I'll never measure up." She whimpers.
"Carly, he doesn't expect you to. That is his life, his choices, you don't have to be a hero for him to love you. His career is not a reflection of what you should have to be. He's your dad, his love is unconditional. Look at Spencer, he dropped out of law school to be an artist and your dad still supports him because it's what makes him happy."
"Being an artist isn't embarrassing. Being a pregnant teen is. He's probably gonna see me in my dress tonight and not wanna take me."
Carly sniffles loudly, feeling her cheeks grow flush and she realizes she didn't wanna walk out of the elevator like that. She hits the emergency stop button against better judgment and Freddie is surprised. But he still grabs her, waiting for her permission to hug her and she nods.
"You know that's not true. He's made it clear he'll stand by you. The opinions of others aren't gonna change that. No dad that loves you is gonna be embarrassed of you and the choices you've made."
"Yeah, but what if I can't love our baby that way?!" Carly challenges.
Freddie was quiet for a second. He would admit that that stumped him because how do you love someone you never met? His mom did it. And it came so naturally, even if it took a little time to figure out who he was as a human.
Lots of patience and learning and even if there wasn't or hadn't been an immediate bond, they survived. And even though his mom was over the top, she loved him.
"I think any mother who worries about being a good mom is already a good one because only someone who wants the best would care. It may not come right away, but this human is learning to be a person from scratch just as much as you are about becoming a mother and still a person. You're never gonna be perfect at it."
Carly smiled slightly. It had been a little comforting but she also wondered how much Doctor Phil he watched and how many parenting books his mom had checked out from the library already.
"It's all so overwhelming. If I choose adoption I'll always wonder if she's okay and if I did the right thing, and if I do keep her I'll always wonder if I'm doing okay at the parenting thing."
"You're not alone. No matter what you choose, I'll help you. There's pros and cons to each side to consider, but no matter what you choose, it'll be alright in the end."
Carly smiled before pressing the button on the elevator. She felt a little better knowing that he was in this with her. But for now as much as she wanted to believe him for as long as she knew him, she was afraid of getting hurt.
She was afraid that someday he'd resent her even though she knew they could come through this as friends too. She didn't know what to believe, her brain was constantly feeding her lies. But she knew she cared about him too, she just didn't know if he knew that.
"So much of this pregnancy journey has felt public, are you cool with keeping her sex a secret too?" Carly asked him before he went into his apartment.
"Oh absolutely! It'll finally give me something to tease Sam about." He laughed.
She smiled sheepishly at him. It occurred to her that before she let him in his apartment she should slip her hands in his one last time, facing their bodies to connect in order to thank and reassure him properly. Gently, Carly put her lips on his and she could feel his smile as they synced with every movement.
One hand tangled through her hair and his other trailed across her waist, holding her tighter. It had been awhile since the two of them had shown any kind of intimacy beside hand holding. His lips brought her safety, feeling her almost transported back to a time when life hadn't been so overwhelming.
She loved him but was afraid to go back to how their relationship had been before in fear that it would be over this time. Would this make it better? A baby wasn't meant to fix anything, but she hoped it would make them stronger. The beginning of their relationship had been so easy, what happened to those versions?
Eventually when they broke apart, he brushed the side of her cheek with his thumb before feeling something slip into his hands.
"It's her ultrasound. I figured you should have one copy too." She whispered and he lovingly accepted it.
She slipped into her left apartment before he could say anything let alone "I love you." But her words still lingered and somehow he knew they'd be okay. Carly though, was only optimistically cautious. Especially in pursuing motherhood. But he made her feel calm, and that was a good thing, right? To be with someone who loves and supports you know matter what. A feeling of home and safety.