October, 2022 (same day as Chapter 1)
It was the first baby dream Quinn had since entering her third trimester. She was walking round, unable to see herself, yet somehow aware that she was herself. From a distance she heard, "Mom!" echoing out to her. She smiled to herself and then turned to share this smile with the little girl who had called to her. In previous dreams she'd seen her little girl growing up with a mix of blonde and auburn hair, Finn's brown hues and her nose and smile. But the girl who called out to her didn't have dirty blonde hair, nor did she have her nose or Finn's eyes. She looked to be about ten years old as she ran straight towards Quinn.
Quinn's smile faltered to a look of pure shock. Sure, a day hadn't gone by where she didn't think about Beth, but seeing a ten-year old version of the babe she once gave up was jarring. It seemed like she was running in slow motion; her gentle blond curls bounced with her steps and by God, did she have the most charming smile. Her hair looked like it hadn't ever been cut short, which is exactly what Quinn would have done. An innocent peal of giggles erupted from her tiny throat after, "Mom!" left her lips again. Quinn, previously rooted where she stood, broke into a run to meet with her long-lost child.
Before their fingertips touched, Quinn gasped and snapped her eyes open, hiccupping a sob. Her nose was running and her throat felt miserably itchy and raw. She flinched and gasped again when a large, rough hand touched her cheek. "Finn," she breathed. Quickly, she pulled her face away from his palm and sat up against the pillows so that she could snatch a few fresh tissues from her nightstand. Her tousled blonde locks spilled over her shoulders as she bowed her head and covered the lower half of her face with Kleenex.
"What's the matter?" she heard him ask.
"Nothing," she replied briskly, covering her nose with a tissue, "It was just a dream."
She saw him shift on the bed to face her while anxiously asking, "Well…what was it about?"
"I don't want to talk about it. And I told you, you shouldn't be in here with me while I'm sick."
Her eyes felt too heavy to cast him a sharp gaze, but he was now frowning at her hoarse but terse voice and it made her feel a pang of guilt. He looked like a puppy and she'd kicked him for cuddling up to her. She sighed, followed by a cough and then amended her words, "I just don't want to get you sick, Finn."
"I know," he replied, lifting his gaze to her again. "But…I just wanted to be near you, babe. You and Sophia. And look!"
He turned away from her, perking up slightly, and then picked up something noisy. When he faced her again, Finn held out the ribbon-bound flowers; Quinn lowered the wad of tissues from her pinking nose. Her dry lips spread into a soft smile, "Are those for me?"
"Yeah," Finn said with his signature boyish smile. "It's not much but—"
"But it means a lot to me," finished Quinn. She set the balled up tissues down on her nightstand so that her hands were free to accept the bouquet. Even though she could hardly smell a thing, she brought them to her nose anyway, letting the uniquely smooth petals graze her face. Her smile grew as she croaked, "Tiger Lilies."
"Yeah," Finn said again.
Without turning her head, Quinn's dark green hues glanced at him. "I love them, Finn."
His smile grew, "Good." There was a hopeful twinkle in his eyes as he proceeded to ask, "Can I have a kiss?"
Quinn rolled her eyes but couldn't fight the growth in her own smile. Removing one hand from around the bouquet, she bent her index finger to him in a 'come hither' manner. As Finn leaned across the bed, Quinn lowered the Tiger Lilies from her face. She softened her smile just before his lips neared hers, and before he could claim her lips, she seized his chin and turned his head to the side to plant a kiss on his cheek.
She bit her lip as Finn stared at her—a mix of displeasure and amusement on his face.
"I mean it Finn, I don't want you getting sick."
He sighed, "I know, I know. Just…get better soon, okay?"
"I'll try," she told him with a tired smile. "I just need some sleep, but between the coughing and Sophia's kicking, I don't see that happening."
"Well…maybe she's hungry. You haven't eaten since dinner last night, huh?"
Quinn shrugged, "No. I've been trying to sleep."
"Well," Finn glanced at the digital clock on his nightstand, "It's almost 1pm so you should probably eat something. I'll heat you up some soup."
One of her cinnamon brown brows arched suspiciously as she set the flowers down in her lap. Had she heard him correctly? "Finn…you don't cook unless it's going on a grill. Or should I remind you of Thanksgiving last year?"
He rolled his eyes and blushed—obviously he remembered his incident that nearly cost Quinn's mother, Judy, a new kitchen. "I'm not cooking the soup. I think I can manage heating up chicken noodle from a can."
Quinn giggled at his indignant tone, "I have faith in you."
"You'll have faith in me when I come back with a hot bowl of soup and didn't destroy the microwave making," he argued. But his lips slipped up in a knowing smirk as though accepting her subtle challenge. He got up from the bed and strode to the door, "I'll get you a vase too." Before leaving, he paused and looked back to Quinn, "And…if you decide you want to talk about your dream, I'll listen."
Her amusement vanished from her face. Her smile lessened and instinctively, her hands went protectively to her stomach. She raised her chin—a small but natural defensive inclination of hers—and whispered lowly, "Thanks, Finn."
She didn't know if her dream was something she would be discussing anytime soon. Beth was never a forgotten memory to Quinn, but she had long ago accepted that she would not have a relationship with her. She hadn't found the words to explain to Finn just how much his love and comfort has helped her in the few years that they had rekindled their relationship. She knew that she wanted to have a family someday, but after graduating Yale and returning to Lima, she started to doubt that it was going to happen any time soon. Now here she was, engaged and expecting. It not only looked like she was on the right track, but she felt it. Being back with Finn—preparing to share a life and a child with him, with no looming secrets or third parties involved—was as things should be. All she could ask for now was to get over this cold and fast.
Please leave reviews! Did you enjoy this drabble chapter? Is there anything you'd like to see happen next? Let me know!