Caleb was sitting on the couch, causally scrolling through his emails when he suddenly came across a specific one. As soon as he clicked on it, he knew what it was. "Babe, come here!" Caleb called. Hanna came running from the kitchen and hung over the back of the couch as she read the email.
"No way," she said as she reached the end. "That's—no way."
"Yes way." Caleb looked up at her, grinning. "We got the apartment!"
Hanna's face lit up and she shot round the side of the couch faster than a flash of light. She fell onto Caleb's lap and began repeatedly kissing him on the lips, making a "mwah" sound as she did so. "This has been the best weekend ever," she whispered as she settled into a comfier position on his lap.
Caleb, still somehow on his computer, noticed an email he had received a few days back. "Babe, you know that job I applied for a couple of weeks ago?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
"I have an interview." The brunette smiled hopefully at his wife, and breathed a sigh of relief when a grin appeared on her face.
"That's great, Caleb!" Hanna exclaimed. She gave him another kiss, but this time made his longer, and more passionate. Hanna only stopped when Madelyn came wandering into the living room. The toddler was holding a book by its cover and chucked it onto the couch, before attempting to heave herself up. She struggled for a minute before either Hanna or Caleb tried to help her. "What's this?" the blond asked, picking up the ragged book. "Maddie, why have you brought a Doctor Seuss book out? Where did you even get this from?"
"Hey that's mine," Caleb said, grabbing it from Hanna's grip. "This was in The Cave. How did you even get in there, Maddie?"
The Cave was Caleb's "guys" room, which had a flat screen, a beer fridge, a foosball table, and a large blue corner couch. It was in the basement of the house, and even had its own bar. The Cave held all of guys' get-togethers, and it's usual sutlers were Ezra, Toby and occasionally Ted. But mostly, it was used when Caleb wanted to escape the stresses of life. And his was also under strict rules of having no-one under age inside, especially a toddler.
"Oh, I think I might have read that to her the other day," the blond said. "Don't worry. Maddie didn't go down to your man-space."
"It's not a man-space. It's The Cave," Caleb muttered to himself. Hanna heard and rolled her eyes, letting out a small chuckle. She snatched the book bag from her husband and opened it up. The first thing she noticed was the tattered, ripped pages hanging by a loose thread.
"Well," she began. "This has certainly been well read."
"It was my favorite book as kid." Just talking about it was making Caleb smile. He took over from Hanna and began reading to Madelyn, who wasn't actually listening, unsurprisingly. Caleb either didn't notice, or noticed but chose to ignore the fact, as he carried on reading. It looked like Hanna was the only one listening. "This next baby better be a boy and he better like this book."
The blond rolled her eyes; typical Caleb. He'd wanted a boy when they were having Madelyn, and for the exact same reason: so he could be just like Caleb. But although they had a girl, Maddie is very similar to her father, though Hanna doesn't like to admit it. Secretly, she wanted this next baby to be another girl so she could be a mommy's girl, but only secretly. To Caleb, Hanna didn't mind what she had.
"Did you book an appointment for a scan or checkup or whatever it is?" Caleb asked as he leant over and put the book on the coffee table. As he leant back, Hanna relaxed into his side and cuddled up to him.
"No, not yet," she replied. Her hand moved to Caleb's chest and rested there, moving up and down with his very breath. "I'll call tomorrow."
"Have you thought of any names yet? I know we found out yesterday but—"
"I quite like the name Eliza for a girl. Or maybe Zara. Or maybe even—"
"So you've thought of some names. I get it," Caleb interrupted. He didn't need to hear Hanna's ever-growing list of names; he'd heard it once before. "I swear you did this last time. You only ever thought of girls names. What if we have a boy? Are we naming our son Eliza?"
Hanna looked at her husband as if he were stupid—which at this point in time, Hanna thought he was. "You can name him if he's a boy." She moved her hand from Caleb's chest to the TV remote and flicked through the channels. Dance Moms was on—Hanna had been obsessed recently—and she was about to put it on when Caleb yelled out, "No!" The blond sighed and carried on until she came across Scandal and happily switched it over.
"Why do I get the responsibility of naming it if it's a boy?" Caleb suddenly said, half way through the show. "I mean, why can't we both choose?"
The blond shrugged. "You're a guy."
"Well done, Hanna," Caleb answered sarcastically.
"So you can do it."
"We've already established that I'll be choosing it. I just want a reason why."
Hanna shrugged again and got up from the couch. She wandered over to the kitchen and pulled out a can of beer, then shoved it back in. It seemed to be hard to remember she was actually pregnant; Hanna still didn't believe it. She exchanged it for a bottle of water and headed back over to the couch as she opened it.
Hanna hadn't even sat down when Caleb suddenly announced, "Hey, Maddie, I think it's time for bed." Madelyn, who had been happily playing with Bella by the door to the backyard, looked up and pouted. "Come on," Caleb ushered. He stood up, walked over to her, and scooped her up into his arms. "If you want, I'll read you a story."
"Storwy!" the toddler exclaimed. Hanna rolled her eyes: stories were always the way to go when Maddie didn't want to go to bed. For some odd reason, she loved being told them—especially if they were about princesses. Hanna had never worked out why that was; she and Caleb had never been ones for reading. As Caleb carried Madelyn upstairs, Hanna could hear the toddler nattering on about what Hanna could only guess to be princesses.
She chucked to herself before picking up an Elle magazine and flicking through it. She stopped on a page advertising Prada sunglasses and folded down the corner. That was something she'd sure to as Caleb for later.
Caleb slowly descended down the stairs with his face focused on his phone. He was clearly reading something and not looking where he was going. As Caleb reached the bottom, he tripped over Bella's toy, and Hanna couldn't help but let out a loud laugh. She'd watched him all the way down, and it was inventible that was going to happen.
"Babe," Caleb said, still enrapt with something that was on the screen. He didn't seem phased by his tripping. "I need to go to New York on Tuesday."
"Just for the day?" the blond asked as she read an article on the London Fashion Week.
"Yeah." Caleb slumped onto the armchair and placed his phone on the coffee table. "I'll have to leave early in the morning. But I'll be back that evening."
Hanna dropped the magazine next to her and sighed before standing up and moving towards her husband. Without asking, she sat herself sideways on Caleb, so she was lying across his lap. Her legs hung over the arm of the chair, and Caleb rested his hands on Hanna's stomach.
"We're going to have a baby," Hanna whispered as she placed her owns hands on top. "I can't believe we're actually going to have another baby."
"Well believe it." The brunette smiled and leaned over to place a kiss on Hanna's lips. Hanna grinned and moved in for a more passionate, longer kiss. "I love you, Han. So much."
The next morning, Maddie was happily sitting opposite her mom, playing with Bella. Hanna tickled under the dog's chin, before tickling Maddie's feet. The toddler squealed and jumped up, giggling. She ran off with Bella excitedly following behind and headed through until she reached the backyard. The door was already open, letting in the summer warmth, and Hanna immediately ran after her.
"Swings, Mama," Maddie called, pointing to the huge jungle gym. As Hanna put Maddie into a swing, Bella began barking at her feet. Hanna shooed her away, but it didn't work.
"Bella, no," she ordered. "Go inside. Now."
The pup whined as she turned away and trotted across the grass, then the patio, and then finally inside the house. Hanna turned back around to face Maddie and rolled her eyes. Sometimes, Hanna found that Bella was a rather needy dog. It wasn't like Hanna was trying to not play with her, but she knew that Bella could wait to be played with, whereas Madelyn, on the other hand, could not.
"Ready…steady…" Hanna pulled the swing closer and closer towards her, before finally letting it go and yelling, "Go!" Maddie let out a loud equal and started giggling hysterically as Hanna continued to push her. "Should we go…higher?!"
"High, high, high!" the toddler screamed. Hanna did as she was told and pushed the swing harder. She couldn't help but laugh herself when she saw how happy her daughter was. "Yay!"
"Is that fun?" she cooed. Hanna was made, by Madelyn, to carry on for ages — too long for Hanna. Just watching the swinging motion was making her feel nauseous, and eventually she couldn't hack it any longer. "Mad, come on. Should we play in the pool?" the blond asked as she gently pulled the swing to a stop.
"No," Maddie groaned. "Gen, gen!"
Hanna shook her head and heaved the wriggling toddler out of the swing. Maddie squirmed and wiggled as she attempted to break her mother's hold on her. Hanna somehow managed to get Maddie out, and placed her on the ground, only to have the child start screaming and crying.
"Swing, Mama," she cried. "No pool."
"No more swinging, Maddie," Hanna said in as much of a calming voice as she could. Though, Madelyn was definitely pushing her patience. "We can go in the pool, or go on the slide, or we can…go and see Grandma!"
"Ganma!" Well, that seemed to cheer Maddie up. She started jumping up and down with a big, wide grin on her face. Hanna chuckled and immediately pulled out her phone, scrolling through her contacts until she reached her mother's.
"Mom, hey. Are you busy right now?" The blond tapped her foot on the ground as she listened to Ashley's reply, and smiled when she—thankfully—said she wasn't. "Can I bring Maddie over?"
"Of course!" Ashley exclaimed. "Now?"
Within 15 minutes, Hanna was walking along the sidewalk, with Madelyn gripping her hand. The toddler was happy skipping along, but every so often, was looking up and watching the birds in the trees above. In Hanna's other hand, she was holding Bella's leash. The dog was eager to play, so Hanna thought that putting her in her mom's garden with her two pups would hopefully burn out Bella's energy.
Hanna and Maddie turned around a corner, and Maddie let out a squeal when she recognised Grandma Ashley's house. It was a large, modern house, with a reasonable sized garden that Madelyn loved to play in.
As they reached closer, Maddie let go of Hanna's hand and tottered off in a fast walk. The toddler headed up the front yard and began walking around the side of the house, towards the backyard. Hanna wasn't far behind, and stopped Madelyn before she went any further.
"Do you want to knock on the door, baby?" Hanna asked as she picked up the little girl. Maddie nodded enthusiastically and held out her arms. She gave a weak knock on the green front door, so weak that Hanna was sure no one would be able to hear it. When Madelyn wasn't looking, Hanna quickly rang the bell.
"My little Maddie baby!" Ashely cried out when she opened the door. Maddie threw herself into Ashley's arms and wrapped her own chubby ones around her neck. Hanna stood back, smiling, but was distracted when Bella began tugging on her leash. Bella had noticed Dot, one of Ashley and Ted's Schnauzers, trotting up to the front door to see what was going on. Dudley, the second Schnauzer, followed shortly behind. When Ashley and Maddie had finally stopped hugging, the redhead gave Hanna her own hug, and then welcomed them both—and Bella—inside.
"Hey Maddie, hey Hanna!" Ted's hearty voice called as everyone wandered into the kitchen. He was standing by the stove, cooking up something that smelled delicious. Hanna walked up to her stepfather and gave him a warm hug, whilst trying to hide her rumbling stomach. The food smelled so good, Hanna just wanted to eat it up right there and then. She didn't even know what it was. "I'm just making guacamole to go with the chips." Ted pointed to a bag that were lying on the side, and Hanna nodded. Since when had guacamole smelled so good?
"Maddie, what do you think about going outside and eating some chips?" Ashley asked, crouching down to Madelyn's level. The toddler's eyes widened; if there was something she loved more than anything in the world, it was chips—which Hanna found a bit odd. She was more of a chocolate kind of girl herself.
As Ted rested the bowl of homemade guac onto the large table that had once hosted Hanna's baby shower, Hanna dug right in. She made an accidental moaning sound when she tasted it: it tasted even better than it smelt.
"Ted, this is amazing," the blond said as she ate. She didn't realise it, but she was spitting it all out of her mouth. Madelyn was doing the same as she chomped away at her salted tortilla chip. "Where did you learn to make this?!"
"Oh years ago," Ted replied. "I'm glad you like it, Hanna. And you, Maddie," he laughed.
"So, where's Caleb?" Ashley asked as she helped Madelyn.
"Work," Hanna answered simply. "He's actually going to New York tomorrow, though."
The redhead looked up, seemingly surprised. "What for?"
"A job interview." Hanna couldn't help but grin: she just got so excited when talking about New York. She suddenly remembered her parents weren't aware that they had gotten the apartment they'd put their name down for, and Hanna contemplated telling them now. She wasn't sure whether it was right to do it without Caleb, but apparently she couldn't resist. "We got the apartment!" Hanna blurted out.
"You did?" Ted asked. He had a happy smile on his face, and Hanna knew it was genuine. She looked over at her mother, hoping for her support in the move. Hanna remembered telling her mom and Ted about New York, and how badly Ashley had reacted. She just didn't want her daughter and granddaughter to move out of Rosewood. Hanna had to explain to her that she'd lived in New York before, and it was only a few hours away. It was really no big deal.
"Honey, that's great," Ashley breathed. She smiled warmly at Hanna, and Hanna suddenly felt strangely all emotional. She wasn't aware she was that upset about moving; she knew she would see her parents regularly, she knew she would only be a matter of a car journey away. Ashley noticed the tears forming in her daughter's eyes, and worried. "Hanna, are you okay?"
"It's just hormones," Hanna replied without thinking. She hoped her mother thought she was referring to being on her period, not being pregnant. Hanna wasn't ready to tell Ashley and Ted just yet, she had a surprise planned. Ashley didn't seem to think anything of it, and Hanna quickly reverted back to stuffing her face with chips and guacamole.
"Gandad," Madelyn called. She was sitting opposite Ted, and started banging on the table to get his attention. "Play?"
"You want me to come and play with you? Sure!"
The grandfather and granddaughter duo hurried off to the end of the garden, where there was a stash of toys especially for when Maddie visited. The toddler picked out a long rope and began flinging it around, until Ted grabbed it and stopped her. He took the rope himself, pointed it at Madelyn, and when she squealed with excitement, began chasing her around the garden.
Hanna and Ashley sat back and watched with amusement. They both looked at Ted and Maddie, then at each other, and then chuckled.
"Madelyn is something else," the redhead laughed. "How can one two-year-old be so energetic?"
"I ask myself that every day," Hanna sighed. Sometimes she wanted to curse herself for giving birth to a little ball of energy. Madelyn rarely seemed to get tired during the day, despite how much Hanna and Caleb—or anyone else for that matter—tried to tire her out. Hanna often reminisced over the days when Maddie used to nap. Looking back on it, Hanna realised how much she took those simple naps for granted.
"She's so sweet though. The last time I had her by myself, she came up to me and told me that she loved me. It was completely random," Ashley said, "but so, so sweet."
Hanna pouted. "She doesn't do that for me."
"Maybe Maddie just loves her grandma more than her mommy," Ashley teased. Hanna didn't look impressed, and was now glaring at her mother. "Or not," the redhead quickly added.
Over three hours later, Hanna finally decided she should head home. It was nearly 3 o'clock, and Caleb was due home soon. He had warned Hanna that he'd be home early, as he was telling his boss that he had to travel to New York early the next day, and managed to get some time off. Hanna had decided it'd be the perfect time to surprise Caleb with a night out. Except, she'd forgotten to ask her mom if she could look after Maddie.
"Hey, Mom," Hanna began. Ashley looked up from watching the toddler—who was signing loudly—and smiled. "Would you be able to look after Maddie tonight? I wanted to take Caleb out."
"Han, I'm sorry but I can't. Ted and I are going to watch a movie this evening." Ashley looked at her daughter apologetically, but then her facial expression suddenly changed as if had an idea. She turned to Ted and started tapping him on the arm until he turned towards her. "Maybe we can change our plans and see a different movie? Then Maddie could come, and we could spend the night with her. Oh Ted, we haven't done that in so long."
"Of course," Ted replied, smiling.
"That'd be great!" Hanna exclaimed. "Thank you!"
A/N - thank you all for the reviews on the last chapter. you guys are seriously amazing. can i get another 5 reviews for this one? it'd mean so much.