Everywhere

"Somethings happening, happening to me. My friends are saying I'm acting peculiarly. Come on baby, we better make a start. Better make it soon before you break my I wanna be with you everywhere."- Fleetwood Mac

I insisted we buy a house thirty seconds after she told me I was going to be a father again.

I wanted somewhere nice, someplace on a tree lined street like the ones you read about in books. I didn't want my baby girl growing up in an apartment with nothing but concrete and steel to play amongst. I needed her to have green grass and trees to climb.

Look at me I keep saying she. I don't know for a fact that we are having a she, we could be having a he, two shes, two hes ,or one of both for all I know. Carly and I both decided that there are some secrets of the Universe we shouldn't be privy to, so few natural surprises.

Much to the chagrin of Grandpa Uncle Spencer who still has an entire gender reveal celebration in the trunk of his car he keeps threatening to use. Spencer and pyrotechnics? Hard pass.

I just really want a girl. A sweet little girl with our dark hair, her moms eyes, and a spirit of adventure. I smile and reach for Carly's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"What are you over there grinning about?"

"Nothing." I say placing a kiss to her wrist.

"Doesn't look like nothing," she says stroking her thumb over our clasped hands, " Last time you grinned like that I ended up with my dress hiked up around my waist on a very cold studio floor."

"You started it."

"I did didn't I." she says blushing.

" I finished it. Twice. That bench has seen things." I say proudly.

"They say romance is dead." Carly counters dryly.

"Perhaps I should drive, you have a horrible sense of direction." she says grinning, " We may end up in Yakima." she looks down at her watch then over at the speedometer. "We were we supposed to meet the Realtor at 4:00."

" I have GPS that gives me directions in several languages" I say defensively. "We will get there on time."

"Sweetheart, its GPS not the TARDIS" she laughs.

"Did you just willingly make a Doctor Who reference? Because I'm not going to lie, I'm a little turned on right now. It think I seen a sign for a motel at the next exit."

" I certainly can't get more pregnant now can I? " Carly shifts uncomfortably in her seat adjusting her seat belt over her rather pronounced abdomen.

We pull off the freeway to Bay Street East and stop in front of number 42. I am instantly in love with its sage green slate facade with white trim and a blue doors. I look over at Carly and my heart clenches as she takes in a big breath, and her eyes widen. "Oh Freddie" she says softly as we pull into the driveway, "It's beautiful, where did you find this place."

"Don't you trust me?" I say as I take her hand helping her get out of our Toyota Highlander (9/10 crash rating mind you I am my mothers son) and lead her up the flagstone path to toward the Realtor waiting for us on the porch.

"Of course I do, its just. More than I was expecting."

"Welcome. Mr. and Mrs. Benson I presume." The heavy set woman with a mass of blonde curls and bright red lipstick greets us.

I grin I love how incredible that sounds.

Shes not my wife now, but someday when she is ready she will be. I'm certainly not going anywhere anytime soon, or the next 50 years for that matter.

"I'm Freddie and this is Carly." I say shaking the Realtor's hand giving her a warm smile. She blushes and I feel Carly needle me in the ribs with her elbow.

"Flirt." she purrs in my ear wrapping her arm around me pulling me closer to her side.

"What?" I say rubbing the back of my neck and pushing my glasses up on my nose, I usually wear contacts but since Carly saw me in them one morning and practically took me down on the bathroom floor; I make a point to wear them more often than I used to.

"I'm Sherry, we spoke on the phone Friday, I'm glad that we are getting the chance to meet today. I know this place looks a little different than the pictures on the website but trust me, its bigger on the inside" Sherry says, turning the key and ushering us inside

I snort and shoot Carly a look, "It even has blue double doors."

"Don't you dare." she warns.

I gasp as we hit the entryway, they weren't kidding the open floor plan was spacious Carly scans the brochure and gives me a shocked expression. "Freddie this place is huge? You planning on having your mother stay with us too?"

"I'd rather have root canal with no Novocain " I shudder giving her a sideways glance.

" But five bedrooms?" She whispers. "If you think I'm cleaning this place by myself you got another thing coming mister."

Give her hand a gentle squeeze, " I will help."

"You can't even sort socks." She says frowning.

"Is this your first child?" the realtor asks making the customary small talk, she adjusts her blazer and smiles her broadest I'm so interested but not really that interested just hand me the check so we can get over this smile.

"No I have a daughter." Carly glares at me, "Sorry. We have a daughter, Millicent. Shes 12" I put my hand over Carly's on her stomach. "Number two will be here soon enough."

"You guys don't look old enough to have a 12 year old."

Carly rolls her eyes and pushes my hand away. " We were thinking about something a bit smaller, five bedrooms seems a bit much." she says drawing more emphasis on the last word then necessary.

"I fully intend of filling every one of them." I say

Carly's eyes widen. "Every one? What are we rabbits?"

"Just call me Thumper." I smile and wrap my arms around her, whispering in her ear. "Every one."

She gives me a nod and a delicious smile that I am sure will be the death of me one day, "Ok."

I pull out my phone, " Yeah, Spence. She said yes... No. Not to to that...Yup...uhh huhh..." Carly tries to steal the phone from my hand but she can't really get around her belly now so I hold it just out of her reach and run around the other side of the kitchen island, "You are on speaker phone now..."

"HEY KIDDO. Step out in the backyard for a minute."

"Spencer?!"

I lead Carly through the sliding glass door to the back yard.

"Happy Fa-Fu-Ba-Sho" Gwen says wrapping Carly in a tight hug. The whole back yard has been done in pink and blue balloons and white carnations, and everyone and everything we love is there to celebrate.

"Gwen?" Carly says. "When. How?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." She gives Freddie a slug on the shoulder. " Happy looks good on you Freddie." I have to admit shes right. We may have been terrible married partners but we are really great friends.
Spencer walks forward wrapping Carly in a huge hug, handing her a handkerchief from his pocket and wincing when she blows hard, and tries to give it back. " Keep it." He says holding his hand up.

"So-So-Sorry." Carly sobs. "But the house? That's a lot. Like a lot a lot."

He hands her a little white box wrapped in a blue and pink ribbon. "Open it up."

She does so with shaking hands, pulling out a set of keys. "Is this really happening?"

I laugh, " I think that's my line."

"Freddie and I picked it out, I closed on it last week."

"You knew about this for a week?" She juts out her lower lip. I lean over and kiss her softly.

"That's not the only surprise." I say my voice cracking.

"Mama's hungry is there any bacon here?" Sam says leaning against the doorway of the patio doors.

Carly's eyes shoot open wide. "Sam?!"