Chapter 39

What Jon had tried to force, Drew had simply stepped back and accepted, letting what would be, be. Anything worth having was worth fighting for, but there were also times to be patient, and when to back off. "You have no idea how happy you've made me, Tressa." He informed her, leaning down to kiss her.

This kiss was a lot different from previous ones they had shared. It was more tender, a lot more affectionate, and there was hope in it. Hope for them and a potential future. Drew reached over to pick up the ring, not wanting it to get lost or brushed off the plaid and into the thick grass, holding it up between his forefinger and thumb.

"Would you like a chain to wear it on?" He offered, knowing taking it off had been a major step for her.

That kiss made her head spin because it was completely different from the other ones he'd given her. Tressa could FEEL everything in it, including the intensity of his feelings and all he'd been holding back from her. She took the ring from him and slowly shook her head, squeezing it in her palm.

"No. I thought about doing something like that, but…if I'm moving on, I have to do it all the way. And I want to move on with you. I'll buy a lockbox or something or put it in my jewelry box at home. Or maybe a safety deposit box." Somewhere nobody would get to it or be able to find it. "For now, I'll put it in a safe pocket in my purse." She brushed her lips against his softly, tenderly, no longer holding back how she felt either. "Thank you for giving me a chance, Andrew."

A safety deposit box at a secure bank would be her best bet. His home had been broken in twice before he stepped up his security game, not realizing until it was too late that, when people noticed he was rarely home, they assumed he was an easy target. Twice they had been right. Third time, they went to jail.

"Nay lass, thank you for allowing me to be the one you take that chance on." He pushed himself up onto his feet, bringing her up with him. "Stay for dinner."

"I was planning on it."

She smiled back up at him, nodding and bent to grab her dress from the grass along with her undergarments, blushing at the way that smoldering gaze devoured her all over again. Silently, she hoped that never changed or went away because it really made her feel beautiful and wanted. Clasping their hands together, Drew lead her back inside, with the plaid over his shoulder and while he went upstairs to dress and put it back, she redressed in the white sundress, along with her bra and panties. Tressa made a quick stop in the bathroom to clean herself up a bit and to pee before walking out just as Drew came walking back down, in a fresh pair of shorts, no shirt. He was going to kill her walking around shirtless and had her bottled water from earlier in hand.

"So, what's on the menu tonight, Highlander?"

"Grilled chicken, tomato, onion and cucumber salad, and baked potatoes." He informed her, then began laughing. "And cottage cheese with pineapple for the lady." Because he STILL could not deal with those two weird textures together, though eating one or the other plain was fine. "See," He led her into the kitchen to open the refrigerator. "I had the woman who does the grocery shopping for me get you plenty of pineapple." Already cut and ready to be devoured.

He had this planned and it made her smile at his thoughtfulness, leaning up to softly kiss him. "Sounds delicious." Tressa had already put the ring in her purse, just as she said, and it felt weird not having it on, but in time, she would get used to it. "Let me help you chop up the vegetables or something." At his firm head shake, Drew gently guided her over to the island and lifted her to sit in the stool, kissing her soundly. "You don't play fair, Highlander."

"Well, to be honest, I did most of the work when I got in this morning." He admitted with an easy grin, shrugging one massive shoulder. The three-veggie salad was already in the fridge, marinating in the vinegar sauce. Drew had already unthawed the chicken breasts and made up the rub. He set out said breasts before going to wash his hands. "Besides, back in the 'olden' times, a man would have to hunt and all that to prove he was worthy of his chosen's hand," He dried his hands off on a dishtowel before turning towards the island she was sitting at and where he was preparing what little was left to do. He set out the bowl of rub, smiling when she sniffed it. "Nothing spicy. And I don't hunt, so I have to show off my cooking prowess instead."

"Good, I was going to say I hope that's not spicy. I don't mind it so much, but the baby doesn't like it. I ate some tacos with hot sauce on them the other day and I had the WORST heartburn afterward. I thought I was gonna have to go to the hospital until Stephanie helped me with a trick. Lemon. Straight lemon – sucking on a lemon and it was gross," Tressa made a face, shuddering at the memory. "But it worked and then she had me drink ginger ale too. So, no more tacos until after I pop this baby out, then I can eat whatever I want again, hopefully." She leaned forward a little with an impish gleam in her eyes while watching him cut up that chicken. "Just so you know, I find it sexy you know how to cook."

A lemon to treat heartburn, that was the first he had ever heard of that one. That actually sounded counterproductive given a lemon's acidity, but…he wasn't one to question old wives tales when there were a lot of them that actually worked and were a basis for more modern medicines. Not to mention his own Ma had had her fair share of them and she'd probably come swat him from the beyond for questioning one.

"You do now? Why?" Most people were just surprised he could or that he would bother. "Surely you know other men who can cook, lass."

"Not really, no. My Dad only grills, but my Mom is the cook of the family. She taught me and my sister how to do it and to bake. And honestly, the only other guys I've really hung out with are Jon, Colby and Joe. And those boys do NOT cook to save their lives. I don't know how they function at home – well, Joe is married, so that's a given, but Colby is single." Tressa explained, seeing Drew was perfectly calm and collected while she spoke about the Shield boys. They would always be her friends, especially Jon, no matter where he ended up once he left at the end of April. "I know for a fact Jon doesn't cook at all. I lived with him for a couple months in Vegas, when he first came back on the road from his injury, and I had to cook everything. He can grill, but cooking – like you're doing now – not so much. And Joseph could cook, but I did the majority of it when we were home together, which wasn't very often because he was a truck driver and I was on the road with WWE. So he had to learn how to fend for himself when I wasn't there. I don't think we ever sat down like this and just talked while he cooked for me, though." This was definitely a first, a man cooking for her for a change.

"Well, I have a brother, no girls for my poor mam. God bless her soul."

Drew was pleased that they were actually having a proper conversation, and learning about each other. He was filing everything away, glad she was telling him about her life, even talking about Joseph. There was no jealousy or tension from him because these people were a part of her life and he knew where she stood with them all. There was no reason to be upset.

"She decided that she wasn't going to raise sons who couldn't fend for themselves in the kitchen, so we spent as much time in there as we did with anything else. I like to think I learned a thing or two from her."

"That was how my Mom was. At first, she was hesitant, but I'm the oldest out of me and my sister, so I went to her one day and told her I wanted to learn. I think I was maybe 9 or 10, and she was making cookies. Something simple, from scratch, and she put an apron on me and we took off from there. But my passion has always been crocheting." Tressa admitted, playing with a napkin while talking to him. Andrew was very easy to converse with and she wanted to know everything about him he was willing to give. "My grandma gave me my first crocheting set when I was about…5, I think, maybe 6. I was young and my Mom made jokes about how I'd play with it for five minutes and then give it up. Now, every year, from the time I was 6, I've crocheted things for each member of my family for Christmas and birthday gifts. And then eventually, I learned there were OTHER things I could do besides crocheting, and I got into knitting and then had my first sewing machine at 12-years-old. It just snowballed from there, and I had my own company going when WWE called me and offered me a job as one of their seamstresses. Late 2007 is when I signed, and I remember you were there too in 2009. I think I even did some of the 3MB outfits for you, Slater, and Mahal, now that I'm thinking about it. Wow…"

She smiled sheepishly, not realizing they had crossed paths with each other back in the day until now. Drew had been fired from WWE in 2014 and he had recently been re-signed in NXT and made his way back up to the main roster as part of the Superstar shakeup in April of last year. 3MB, he winced, those early days had not been…kind at all. What had been envisioned for him and his character, his career and what had actually happened had been two very different things.

"Going from crochet and knitting then to sewing, that's…something. Is there anything you can't do?" Crochet and knitting were fairly closely related, making the leap to sewing the way she did, that was impressive. His mother would have adored this woman, she possessed all the 'old fashioned' homemaker skills. Not that he would say that out loud.

"If there's a rip or tear in a material, I can fix it. I don't care how long or old it is, I will find a way to fix it." Tressa wanted to learn everything there was to know about seam stressing, knitting, sewing, crocheting, all of it. "I'm sure there are tools out there I could use or different tricks and trades, but…I prefer the old-school way. It gets the job done and I've always prided myself on the job I do for the WWE." It was why she had been in the company over 10 years, a decade. She had a passion and drive for what she did and would never want to work anywhere else because she truly did love the company. "That's how I bonded with Jon, Colby, and Joe. They came into the company, I don't know if you remember, but they were in turtlenecks. They looked HORRIBLE. I said something to Stephanie and she agreed and she sent them directly to me. I told them to give me a day or two and I'd have something for them. I'm the one who came up with their gear and, to this day, they only come to me with their gear. I don't really dig Colby's power ranger look he's got going on, but to each their own. The jeans and tank top were my idea for Jon and Joe, as you know, kept his same attire, only changing up the style a bit, but still sticking with the combat boots, cargo pants and the vest. I wanted each of them to look different, but still look like a team at the same time." Seam stressing was more than just putting sequins on clothes or fixing rips and tears. She was also responsible for a lot of the talent's attire, the designs and even helped out with the merchandise at times. "That's how I met the Shield boys and they were assholes to me at first, but then when I showed them what I had to offer, my ideas, they warmed up to me." She blushed, knowing she was blathering on about her job and cleared her throat, taking a drink of water. "Anyway, sorry, I get passionate when I talk about my job, can't help it."

"There's nothing wrong with that."

Drew had been working while listening to her go on and he had enjoyed hearing her talk. There was definite passion and pleasure in her tone when talking about her job, that was something he admired because some people didn't bring that to the table. Tressa did. He had finished with the breasts and the rub, setting the tray aside to go wash his hands again.

"All right, bonnie, I've got to go start the grill." He kissed her forehead, smiling and then nuzzled her neck, laughing when she giggled. Music to his ears.

Standing up from the stool, Tressa began walking around the house and wound up in the living room, seeing a couple pictures hanging on the walls. There was one with a woman, graying dark hair and beautiful ocean blue eyes that were mirror images of the man standing beside her. The background was gorgeous, and she knew it was Scotland…and she knew who this woman was. His mother. Andrew seemed to really love his mother, though she could tell it was difficult for him to talk about her. It was hard for her to talk about Joseph too – they had both suffered incredible losses in their lives. She wondered what the woman's name was because, if this was a girl, she wanted to pay tribute to Andrew's mother somehow. Maybe name the little girl after the grandmother she would never have the privilege of knowing. Or maybe that went against his heritage – to name a granddaughter after a grandmother – Tressa wasn't familiar with the Scottish, but she would have to learn since it would be a HUGE part of this baby.

"Her name was Angela," When Drew came in, he had instantly spotted Tressa standing in the living room, eyeing the pictures he had up. "Angela Anne," He walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her chest and brought her back to lean into him. "I think she would've liked you."

A strong, fiery, independent woman who took no man's shit. His mother would have insisted she was Scottish and not just aware of it. His mother had been a fighter until the very end, strong and proud, and he saw the same strength in the woman in his arms.

Quiet but there.

"Angela…" Her hands came up to rest on his strong forearms, leaning back against him and nodded, really liking that name. It fit and she could hear the admiration in his voice just saying his mother's name. "I don't know if this goes against your heritage, but if this baby turns out to be a girl, I'd like to name her after your mother…the grandmother she'll never know, but can grow to admire through stories and seeing pictures of her." Tressa felt him tense and turned in his arms to look up into his eyes, her own mirroring the words she just said. "What is it, Andrew?"

"Naming a wee one after a family member is never against any heritage, that is a strange thing to wonder, lass." He said softly, wondering if she was serious about naming the baby after his mother, if it were a girl. "Now, traditionally, several generations ago, the first-born daughter would be named after the mother's mother, so yours. Second-born after the father's mother. But nobody much holds to those anymore. If you…want to name the bairn, if it's a girl, after my mother…I would be honored, and I know it'd please her as well."

His hand caressed her stomach while talking and she placed her hand over his, feeling his lips brush against her forehead. "Angela Noelle Galloway for a girl. And we'll figure out the boy name when or if the time comes."

Something told her, deep inside, the baby she was carrying was a girl, however. Tressa didn't know for sure, but she'd had dreams of a little girl, for some reason. Maybe it was a sign from Joseph or even Angela.

"Unless you have an idea for a boy name or do you want to carry on tradition and name this baby after you, if it's a boy?"

"Now I am named after my Da, but we don't have to name him after the both of us." Meaning him and his father, Drew was going to wind up confusing himself, talking in terms of it, he and she and they wouldn't know the gender for a while yet. "I always liked Graham," He smiled wickedly, his blue eyes alight with mischief. "And of course there is the Scottish classic name: Angus." He wasn't surprised when she immediately shook her head. "Aye, don't blame you, it's a terrible name, innit?"

"I'm not naming this baby after a slab of beef, Andrew." Tressa absolutely refused to do that and raised a slow brow. "Wait, you're the fourth, though, so aren't you actually named after your great-grandfather and your grandfather as well as your father?" Wow, that was very confusing just saying that sentence. "Never mind, I like Graham. Gavin is another one I'm fond of too." She had been researching some potential boy and girl names, but the moment her eyes landed on that picture, Tressa knew what she wanted to do if the baby was a girl.

"Gavin is a good fine name." He agreed, and it was also becoming quite common here in the states.