Will
The envelope sat on the counter as I stared at it as if I could telepathically know the envelope would determine my future.
It had been two weeks since I took the GED test and I knew this was my one chance to show my parents this was the right path for me to take. I knew my mom was skeptical of this courseIhaddecided to take and I needed to show her that school wasn't going to get me where I wanted to be.
When Tessa walked into the kitchen with James, I snatched the envelope from the counter and slid it into the nearest drawer. Tessa smiled and came around the corner to wrap her arm around my waist as I dropped a kiss to the crown of her head.
"Whatcha doing," Tessa asked, her head. Tilted back to look up at me.
"Just waiting for you guys," I answered trying to take her attention away from the drawer with the envelope. She wasn't having it. She knew me too well and she knew something was up, but she let it go for the moment. "So, what's the plan for tonight?"
'We're on Cecily duty tonight," James shouted from the couch. "Mom and Dad are going out with Simon and Izzy."
"Awesome." Taking Tessa's hand, we walked toward the back door and I slid the door open, leading her out to the porch. "Sit with me?"
Tessa nodded as I sat down on the porch swing, pulling her down next to me. She curled into my side as I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. Tessa pressed her lips Tony cheek and I closed my eyes letting out a deep breath.
'What's on your mind, Will," Tessa asked into the crook of my neck.
"My GED results came in the mail today," I told her, looking out onto the ocean, remembering the night almost a year before that I told Tessa how I felt about her. "I haven't opened it yet."
"Why?" Tessa took my hand and stroked her thumb along my palm and Ishrugged, not wanting to admit why I hadn't opened the envelope. "What are you worried about, Will? I'm sure you did great."
"It's not that." Tessa's other hand began massaging my neck releasing the tension. "Once I open that envelope and see that I passed, it will all become real. I'll actually be able to commit fully to following my dreams. I'm just afraid that this will all be for nothing. I could completely fail as a fighter and I would have put my parents through all of this for no reason."
"Will, none of that matters." Her hand came to cup my cheek and turn my head to face her. "This makes you happy and we will always be there to support you, even if you fall flat on your face. If you passed the test or not, that won't change things. If you're never a champion, we'll still have loved you through your journey and watched you be happy. That's all we want."
"Deep down, I know that, but I still want to make you all proud. I just second guess myself and my decisions sometimes."
"Well, you shouldn't." Tessa's arms came around my waist as she snuggled into my chest. "You're kind of awesome, Will Herondale."
I couldn't help but smile and press my lips to her hair before looking out to the ocean again. There was no doubt that Tessa was right; my family just wanted me to be happy. It wasn't themI doubted, it was me. Most of the time, I was fairly confident-I am a Herondale after all-but every once in a while, I start to second guess my decisions and how they'll effect my family.
Tessa and I watched as the sun dipped toward the horizon, the clouds turning orange and pink, the sky gaining a purple hue. The porch swing swung idly as I drew patterns into her shoulder with my finger. Just as the sun was making it's final descent, my mom poked her head out the sliding glass door and said, "We're leaving. Will, can you come get your sister?"
"Coming, Mom," I answered, pressing a kiss to Tessa'stemple as we stood from the swing and made our way inside.
Mom was trying to pry my sister out of my father's hands and I couldn't help the laugh that escaped as I watched my father clutch Cecily to his chest.
"Jace, you have to let her go," Mom growled through gritted teeth.
"No, I don't, she needs me," Dad argued.
"Seriously, Jace, you were never like this with the boys."
"Well, she's my girl and I'm never leaving her."
"Ugh!" Mom threw her hands up in frustration and stomped away from Dad until she was standing in front of Tessa and me. "You deal with him."
I looked over at James, who was sitting on the couch across from Dad, and he held his hands up as if he were surrendering the task of separating our father and sister onto me. As much as I was enjoying seeing my MMA-champion, fighting dad be brought down by my four-month-old sister, I was not prepared for the wrath of my mother if we couldn't get my father out the front door.
"Alright, Dad, hand her over," I demanded with my arms outstretched, ready to take my sister. He responded with a look that was the epitome of "if looks could kill." I threw my hands up in surrender, turned to Tessa and said, "Okay, your turn."
Smacking her hand as I passed her, I tagged Tessa in to the battle against my extremely stubborn father. I watched from the kitchen as Tessa spoke calmly to my dad, like someone trying to calm down an insane person and I couldn't help but smile. She was so good with my family. I mean, she was always an accepted guest in our home, but the fact that she was now accepted as my girlfriend as my girlfriend made me so incredibly happy.
I watched in awe as my father handed over the bundle of blankets that was my sister and walked out of the house. The car sounded from the garage and I listened until I heard the garage door close, signalling my parents' departure. Tessa sat on the couch and held Cecily on her lap making silly faces in an attempt to make her laugh.
"How the hell did you do that," I asked Tessa as I made my way into the living room with two sodas.
"I just reminded him that Clary could be extremely vindictive and how much she would hate to miss an opportunity to spend some alone time with her husband," Tessa said in a singsong voice, disguising her words into something an infant would find appealing.
"Don't tell me you told my dad that my mom would cut him off if he didn't go out tonight."
"I may have alluded to the possibility."
James and I stood with our mouths hanging open, disgusted by the thought of our parents in that way. "Oh, grow up, you two. They're adults, they're in love, get over it."
"Don't talk like like in front of the baby," James gasped as he covered Cecily's tiny, uncomprehending ears and I snatched her out of Tessa's arms.
"How dare you," I feigned shame as I cradled Cecily against my chest and pretended to console my otherwise perfectly fine baby sister.
"You two are idiots," Tessa huffed as she stood from the couch and began walking toward the kitchen as James and I erupted in laughter.
Looking down at Cecily, her smile spread from cheek to cheek and I reflected for about the millionth time since she was born how much I loved her. I would literally do anything for her and I could only imagine what having my own child would be like.
I was almost seventeen and I knew people would think I was crazy, but I knew in my heart that Tessa was the girl I was meant to be with. I imagined my life with her and building a family with her and it was the only way I could imagine my future. She was it. I hit the jackpot with my first girlfriend when I was sixteen and I was done looking.
Tessa walked back into the living room, a bowl of ice cream in her hand and I watched intently, amazed at how perfect she was. Cecily fussed in my arms and I bounced her slightly whispering words of comfort in her ear.
"It's okay, baby girl," I whispered, bouncing around the living room. "Your big brother is here for you. I'm never going to let anything bad happen to you. I'm sorry, but when you bring some dude home, I will give him endless shit because I know he won't be good enough for you. You deserve the world and we're going to give it to you."
Cecily hiccuped a final cry before nuzzling into my shoulder and calming down. I made my way to the couch where Tessa was sitting with her legs folded up under her and sat down next to her. Rubbing soothing circles into Cecily's back, I focused on the fights that were playing on the TV. One of the guys that used to train with us was getting a shot at the title and I was eager to see how his fight played out. I glanced over at Tessa and she had a look on her face that she reserved just for me.
"Why are you looking at me like that," I asked, reaching over and giving her knee a squeeze.
"Like what," she countered, acting like she had no idea what I was talking about.
"Like you love me or something." Tessa squealed when I jabbed my finger into her side, right where I knew she is the most ticklish and she slapped my hand away making me chuckle.
"You're really good with her." Tessa nodded toward Cecily and I glanced down to see her sleeping peacefully against my chest. "You're the only one other than your parents that can make her stop crying. James and I just hand her over to you when she starts fussing and she stops crying almost immediately."
"That's not true." I shook my head trying to decided if she was actually telling the truth.
"It is, Will, and it's amazing." She leaned over and pressed a kiss to my cheek. "You're going to be an awesome father one day."
"Is there something you need to tell me, babe?" I raised a teasing eyebrow in her direction before she scoffed and smacked my leg.
"No, you ass." Tessa sank back into the couch and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm just saying that one day in the distant future, you will be a good father."
"And these children that I'm such a good father to," I leaned back on the couch, keeping Cecily steady on my chest with one hand and wrapping my other arm around Tessa. "Do you see them as your children?"
"No, I imagine you knocking up some other girl and being a father to her babies." Sarcasm dripped from her words and I pressed my lips to her hair.
"Do you want to have my babies?" I kissed her cheek that was growing redder and redder by the second.
"I don't know." She tried to turn her face away from me, but I caught her chin and kept her eyes trained on mine."
"Well, I want you to have my babies one day." I dropped a quick peck to her lips. "I want a life with you, Angel. I want to marry you and have babies with you and make future generations of fighters with you. Does that sound like a life you could live?"
Tessa crashed her lips to mine and kissed me passionately, holding my face between her hands. I almost forgot I was holding a sleeping Cecily, but I tightened my grip on her and used my other hand to hold the back of Tessa's neck.
When we pulled apart, Tessa kept her hands on my face for a few seconds before dropping back down into her seat and said, "Ill think about it."
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