Ronnie grabbed her bag from the overheard compartment trying to keep it from falling on her head. After packing up her stuff from her mother's house, she had shipped it to Will's house. There was no way she was going to take the long drive down to North Carolina with her bladder. The baby sat right over it causing her to go to the bathroom every ten minutes. At least on a plane she didn't have to stop.

The other passengers piled out of the plane slowly stopping every few seconds for people who had brought every piece of luggage on with them instead of checking them at the airport. She tried not to get excited but in a few more minutes her body would be screaming for her to go to the bathroom again.

"Molasses going uphill in wintertime would be faster," the man behind her commented. Ronnie nodded in agreement. It seemed that she wasn't the only one getting impatient. "Look at me complaining and you're having to hold that heavy bag."

"I can manage. I'm a big girl." Ronnie placed her hand on her rounded belly rubbing it in small circles.

"I heard it's not good for pregnant woman to be carrying heavy things. You should rest it on the seat until we move."

"Good idea," she said before swinging the bag into the seat. Ahead of her people started to move past the elderly couple that were still getting their things together. "Just my luck."

"Why don't you grab that for her," the man's wife remarked. "We're not in a hurry." The man grabbed the bag and gave his wife a smile.

"Thank you. I appreciate it. My ride should be right outside the gate."

When they reached the door of the gate she could see a large number of people crowding around looking for family members. There were also people waiting to get on the plane and a few service men that were leaving their spouses behind. The crowd parted and standing off to the side was Will.

He was dressed in his work clothes and she guessed he had taken the afternoon off to come get her. "There's my ride," she commented to the couple that had helped her with the bag. "Thanks for the help. I hope you have a great vacation."

"Let me get that," Will came up beside her and grabbed the bag from her arms. "How was the flight?"

"Good." Ronnie leaned over and gave him an awkward hug. How were divorced people, who are going to move back in together, because they are having a baby, supposed to greet each other? If there was a manual on how to deal with this situation she could use it.

"You look great," Will commented. "Is everything going well?"

"Yeah, so far. I moved out of the nauseous stage a while ago; which I was very happy about."

Will stuck his hand out like he was going to press it to her belly but he jerked it back to his side. She wished it wasn't so hard for them. Things should have turned out right. Emma should be with them getting excited over the fact that she would be a big sister. "I just came from work and I didn't stop to get something to eat. Are you hungry?"

Ronnie smiled," I'm six months pregnant. When am I not hungry?"

The restaurant he chose was a favorite of Ronnie's that was huddled on a pier not far from their house. The place was designed to look like a run down shack that was a blue-ish gray with white trim. She smiled at the sound of seagulls and closed her eyes to enjoy the wind coming from the open windows. It was nice to be home. She wasn't sure when she had started thinking of Wrightsville Beach as her home but sitting across from Will felt right.

"How is Jonah doing," Will asked before taking a sip of his sweet tea.

"He's doing real good. Last quarter he got straight A's on his report card. He also has a girlfriend I think you should meet."

Ronnie watched Will play with the straw in his drink. He seemed uncomfortable with where the conversation was going. "Yeah, maybe someday I will."

"Don't do this Will," she pleaded. "He doesn't deserve the silent treatment. If you are mad at me take it out on me."

"Is that what you think I am doing?"

Ronnie shrugged," isn't it?"

Will sat up to his full height and looked her dead in the eye. "The reason I am separating myself is because one day you are probably going to get married again and I don't want to be the husband who can't let go. How is it going to be on the poor guy if he is always being compared to me?"

Ronnie reached across the table and grabbed Will's hand. "You will always be a part of my family. This baby took that decision away from us. But Jonah needs you. After dad died he started looking to you as a father figure. Don't make him lose another dad."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I'll give him a call tonight."

Ronnie gave him a smile and looked down at their joined hands. His skin felt warm and welcoming. Her mother was right; she was confused about her feelings for Will. At the time of the divorce she had felt the need to run as far away as possible but never did she stop to ask herself if she would want that in five or ten years. Will pulled his hand out of hers and she felt the emptiness spread past her hand and land in her heart.

Two days later Will and Ronnie were at her new OB's office waiting for her annual checkup. Ronnie felt calm having gone to these visits many times before but Will was antsy. His legs were bobbing up and down and he was popping his knuckles; which bounced the sound off the walls in the nearly empty waiting room. She couldn't help but laugh as she turned back to the magazine she was looking through. It was a new copy of Parenting magazine that featured an article on baby jocks. The clock on the wall kept ticking five minutes and then ten minutes that they had been waiting. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Will check his watch.

"Veronica Miller," a nurse called out from the door. She was dressed in blue scrubs that had rainbows and bears on it. Unfortunately the joy on her shirt didn't transfer to her face.

Ronnie stood to her feet and bent to put the magazine back on the table. She was really excited about this visit since Will was able to join her. When she had been pregnant with Emma, Will had made sure he made it to every visit and she had missed that camaraderie.

"Maybe I should wait here," Will looked to her for confirmation.

"It's not like you are going to see anything you haven't seen before. You are the one who put this baby in me. Come on," she took his hand and helped pull him to his feet.

The nurse took her weight and her blood pressure; which were both good. Then she gave Ronnie a hospital gown to change into because Ronnie had worn a dress that day. Will sat down making sure to turn his head while she changed out of her clothes. "This isn't awkward," he joked.

"What are you talking about? All divorced couples watch each other change," she laughed nervously. Pulling her arms through the holes, she pulled the strings around her neck to tie them together. "You can look now." Ronnie sat down on the examination table and laid back. For someone who had been so calm that morning she was starting to feel butterflies in her stomach. Will always seemed to have that affect on her.

There was a knock on the door and a young doctor walked in. "Ms. Miller, how are you today? I'm Dr. Phillips."

"Fine. Thank you," Ronnie replied never taking her eyes off Will.

Dr. Phillips sat down on the rolling stool and dragged himself over to the table she was laying on. He had on a nice pair of slacks paired with a sweater vest that was a decade out of date. "You must be the dad." The two men shook hands. "Today is going to be pretty routine. We are going to check the baby's heartbeat and give you an ultrasound. Make sure everything is working properly. I have a few notes from Dr. Marlow I would like to go through with you. First, how have you been eating?"

"It seems like I never stop eating," Ronnie giggled.

"You're doing well for being six months along but next time I want to see you add two or three more pounds," he wrote that down in her chair as he gave the instruction. "What about the heart palpitations? Are you still having a problem with it?"

"Um…not really. They bothered me more in the beginning."

"Dr. Marlow believes it was because you were underweight and had nothing to do with the baby but I needed to check. I see a note here that says you don't want to know what the baby's sex is. Is this correct?"

"I would like to wait," Ronnie answered but then realized she had never asked Will. The truth was she didn't want to get her hopes up and then lose the baby like she had with Emma. "If that is okay with you."

"That's fine with me," Will smiled down at her.

"Well, if you don't have any questions I will get the nurse in here to finish up."

"Nope, I think I'm good."

The nurse came back into the room and started the ultrasound and also gave them an opportunity to listen to the baby's heartbeat. Will had stood there transfixed by the rhythmic beats. When the nurse left he leaned over her and whispered a thank you in her ear that sent bolts of pleasure coursing through her body. They may be divorced but her body still responded to him. Her traitorous body knew what pleasure he could lavish it with.

His head was inches away from her and she couldn't help herself when she put her lips on his. She was thinking he would jump back in surprise but he deepened the kiss pulling her body closer to his. The kiss was hard and demanding and Ronnie moaned when his tongue flicked across her bottom lip. She could get lost in his kiss. His hands moved to her back where the hospital gown had opened and started to roam over her bare skin.

Will pulled back first stepping away from her and slumped down in the seat against the wall. "I shouldn't have done that."

"I'm sorry Will. It's my fault." Ronnie stood gathering her clothes to put them on. "These stupid pregnancy hormones."

"I'm seeing someone Ronnie," he deadpanned while staring at the floor.

Ronnie's arms went slack allowing her clothes to fall back to the floor. A few minutes ago she had told the doctor that her heart palpitations were gone but now her heart fluttered irregularly. "Who…who is she?"

"Her name is Annie. We've been seeing each other for the last two months. I didn't know how to tell you."

Her bottom lip began to quiver as she tried to hold back the tears. "You thought now would be the perfect time? When we are at the doctor's office listening to our baby's heartbeat?"

"This wasn't the scenario I pictured I promise you."

"Get out," Ronnie said under her breath.

"We should talk about this," he stood to his feet towering over her. He went to grab her hand but Ronnie jerked it away.

"I said, get out," she reiterated. Will stood before her as if he wasn't going to listen but he took a deep breath, turned to the door, and walked out. She wasn't sure why she was angry since she was the one who had asked for the divorce in the first place but it still felt like a knife had been thrust in her heart. Worse than that even, it felt like someone drove a knife in her heart and then twisted it for good measure. Suddenly the tears she had been holding in came cascading down her face like a waterfall. She was finally ready to admit that her mother was one hundred percent right. She was still in love with Will.

I don't usually publish chapters so close together so don't be surprised if the next chapter takes a little longer than normal. I hope everyone who reads this will take a second a leave a review/comment. It would be appreciated!