Quinn stood amidst the serene winter landscape, her breath forming misty clouds in the chilly air. The crisp bite of the season enveloped her, seeping through the thick layers of her coat, but she paid it little mind, focused instead on the solemn row of gravestones before her. With a soft sigh, she adjusted her coat. Her fiancé, if he knew she had ventured outside in her condition, would surely fret endlessly. But she scoffed at the notion; pregnant, yes, but far from disabled.
"Hi, It's me, Lucy," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the gentle rustle of the wind through barren trees. "It's been a long time, hasn't it? I'm sorry I didn't come sooner." Regret laced her tone as she traced her fingers along the weathered stone. "Thank you. Thank you for giving me Isaac. You raised a wonderful boy who is about to become a father."
A tender smile graced Quinn's lips as she rested her hand upon her gently swelling belly. "He's so excited, you know? We still have four months left, but Isaac is convinced that it's a girl." Laughter bubbled up within her, warming her from the inside out. "He refuses to know the baby's gender and insists on waiting until the birth, saying it's more exciting that way. What do you think? Do you also think she's a girl?"
As if in response, a sudden burst of sunlight broke through the clouds, bathing the cemetery in a gentle golden glow. "I'll take that as a yes," she whispered, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "He wants to call her Lucy. But he's agreed that if it's a boy, I get to choose the name. I could name him the most absurd thing imaginable and he'd have to agree. I personally like Nathaniel or Jeremiah, what do you think? Do you like them?"
"I still remember when I confessed my feelings for Isaac. You both encouraged me, told me not to lose hope, to be very very patient with him. Lord knows, that man would marry his hockey stick if he could. And here we are. Who would've thought?"
A sudden interruption broke the spell, her phone jolting her back to the present moment. With a rueful smile,she glanced at the screen, noting missed calls and frantic messages from Isaac. Sending a quick reply, she tucked her phone away.
"That's your son, worrying himself sick over my whereabouts," Quinn remarked, a wry grin playing on her lips. She could almost picture Isaac's anxious pacing, his brow furrowed with concern. "I'm pregnant, not disabled," she added with a playful roll of her eyes."
"I've lost count of the number of baby books he's devoured and I've caught him whispering to our little one when he thinks I'm asleep—can't bear to interrupt him. He hasn't said it outright but he's been having nightmares about the accident. He's afraid. Afraid of losing me, of losing us. But he'll be a wonderful father, just like you both were."
In the distance, the sound of a car slowing down caught her attention, and she turned to see Isaac hurrying towards her, a mix of relief and worry etched on his face. "Baby, there you are!" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with concern. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming here? I would have come with you. Besides, it's freezing out and you're not even dressed properly! I—"
"Isaac, relax. I'm fine. We're fine. Stop worrying so much."
"But you're pregnant!" he protested, his anxiety palpable. "Your dad will have my head if anything happens to you or the baby. And I'm far too young and handsome to die. Think of the tragedy it would be to the world" he added, a hint of dramatic flair creeping into his voice. "Although, I must admit, I'd make one handsome corpse, don't you think?"
Quinn chuckled, shaking her head fondly. "No one's going to die. I was just paying your parents a visit."
Isaac's worry only seemed to deepen at her words, his concern etched plainly on his features. "Couldn't this have waited for a warmer day?" he implored, his voice tinged with frustration. "I just...I can't bear the thought of something happening to you or the baby. I'm supposed to protect you. You could slip in this weather, or..."
Quinn arched an eyebrow, her expression playful yet determined. "Isaac, I used to be Head Cheerleader," she reminded him with a smirk. "I think I can handle a little cold weather. I've endured your aunt's cheer practice in weather far worse than this"
"But you weren't pregnant then."
"Are you calling me fat?" Her eyes flashed with a mixture of amusement and defiance, challenging him to choose his words carefully.
"No, I—" He ran a hand through his curls, a nervous habit that betrayed his growing unease. His mother had always warned him about the dangers of facing an angry pregnant woman, especially when he was the target of her ire.
He knew better than to engage in a battle of wits with his fiancé, especially when her fiery spirit was fueled by pregnancy hormones. "Can we please just get in the car?"
"No. We're not going anywhere until you answer my question."
"Baby, it's normal for you to gain a little weight in your condition but that's because you're carrying our baby and let me tell you, you look absolutely gorgeous. You're ."
A goofy smile tugged at the corners of Isaac's lips as he directed his gaze towards her belly where their future son or daughter nestled safely within. "Look at you," he murmured, his voice filled with wonder and awe. "You've given me a family, the greatest gift I could ever ask for. You're everything I've ever dreamed of. I've spent sleepless nights dreaming and praying about this. And you've made it all come true."
Quinn felt her emotions welling up, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. "Damn hormones," she exclaimed, her voice choked with emotion. "I hate you. Why do you have to be so perfect?"
"No, you're perfect," he insisted, reaching out to brush away her tears with gentle fingers. His hand came to rest softly on her belly, his touch reassuring and tender. "And this baby...this baby is perfect too. You know why?"
She shook her head between sobs. "Because she's ours," he whispered, his voice filled with reverence. "Our little princess. And she's going to have the best mother in the world."
"Will you still love me when I'm fat as a whale?"
Before she could register his response, she let out a startled scream as he effortlessly lifted her off the ground, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck for dear life.
"I will. You'll be the most beautiful whale I've ever seen," Isaac declared with a grin, his voice filled with playful affection as he carried her toward the car. "Besides, you're lucky your future husband is ripped."
Quinn couldn't help but laugh through her tears, her heart overflowing with love for the man who held her so tenderly in his arms. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, her lips lingering against his skin.
"My strong boy."
"Damn right I am, baby."
"Isaac? What are you doing up at this hour?" Sabrina's voice, tinged with disbelief and sleepiness, broke through the quiet of the night. She had descended the stairs in search of a glass of water, only to be greeted by the unexpected sight of the porch light casting a soft glow through the darkness.
"Couldn't sleep," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "Nightmares."
Sympathy flickered in her eyes as she settled onto the porch steps beside him, the cool night air wrapping around them like a comforting embrace. Quinn had confided in her about Isaac's struggles with sleep, his restless nights haunted by memories of the accident and the weight of impending fatherhood.
"What's bothering you?"
"I feel like somehow I'm going to royally fuck up this kid. I'm going to do something , or say something wrong, and Quinn's going to realize that she and the baby are better off without me."
"Honey, don't say that," She squeezed his hand gently, offering him a measure of comfort. "You're going to be a great father. You already are to Kyle."
"But Kyle...it's different," Isaac murmured, his voice heavy with apprehension. He turned to face his mother, fear glimmering in his eyes. "Quinn, she...she's having my baby. I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I—"
His words caught in his throat, choked by the weight of his anguish. "They're inside the car—Quinn and the baby. And I... I'm outside watching it happen without being able to help them," he confessed, tears welling in his eyes. "I never arrive in time to get them out, and if I do... they're already dead. No matter what I do, they always end up dead. I'm scared, Mom."
Tears glistened in Sabrina's eyes as she enveloped him in a tight embrace, feeling the tremors that wracked his body as he wept. "Oh, honey," she murmured soothingly, "It's okay to be afraid. We've all been there—your father, your mother, your uncle Alec, your aunt Bailey, Sonny, and me too. But that doesn't mean you're going to be a bad father."
"No?"
"Of course not. You caring about the well-being and safety of Quinn and the baby shows that you're on your way to being a good husband and father. Besides, you and Quinn are going to have a lot of people around you to help you. Don't worry, honey."
"Does the fear ever go away?"
"I wish it did," she admitted with a soft chuckle, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of affection and empathy. "But no, that's what it's like to be a parent. You're always second-guessing everything you do. Always worried about whether you're living up to your children's expectations, whether you're setting the right example for them. It's a constant battle, but it's also one of the most rewarding experiences in life."
Isaac chuckled softly, the sound tinged with a hint of self-deprecation. "We don't even have our own house or a room for the baby," he remarked, his laughter tinged with a touch of incredulity. "We're not even married. We're doing everything backwards."
"Then you'll have an interesting story to tell your children when they grow up. Your parents got married without having their own house, your Uncle Alec and Aunt Bailey got married without knowing she was pregnant, and Sonny and I got married and had the twins without having our own home. Every situation is different, honey."
Isaac couldn't help but smile at his mother's words, a sense of comfort washing over him like a soothing balm. Her laughter was infectious, lifting the weight from his shoulders even if just for a moment. "Are you excited?" Sabrina continued, her voice filled with anticipation. "There are only two months left until the world has another Hargrave wreaking havoc wherever he or she goes."
"Mom, you're going to have a granddaughter. Luckily for us, according to Judy, Quinn was a very calm baby. Let's just hope she takes after her mother in that regard."
"And the wedding?"
"Quinn wants to wait until after the pregnancy is over and she's back to her normal weight. She's got me doing pilates and exercises with this giant yoga ball and he's got me on a diet too. Something about how she has to deprive herself of certain foods. You know how it goes."
"I forbade your father from eating pizza when I was pregnant with the twins," Sabrina reminisced, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "And you already know how he likes to watch football games with a couple of pizzas and some beer."
"You're cruel."
"Your father thinks I don't know, but I do. From time to time, Alec and he would sneak off for a pizza. He'd come home with that unmistakable smell of barbecue sauce clinging to him, and when I asked him, he'd always deny it. Isaac, one thing you should know about women is that when we ask a question, it's because we already know the answer."
"Noted. Thanks, Mom."
"Do you want a coffee, or would you rather go get some sleep?"
Isaac considered her offer for a moment, his gaze lingering on the horizon where the sun was poised to make its grand entrance. "I think I'm going to stay here for a while, but thanks," he replied, his voice carrying a sense of quiet determination.
Sabrina nodded understandingly, a tender smile gracing her lips as she leaned down to press a kiss against his forehead. The gesture was filled with a mother's love, a silent reassurance that she would always be there for him, no matter what.
As she made to leave, her hand resting lightly on the doorknob, her son's voice stopped her in her tracks once again.
"Mom?"
"Yes, honey?"
"For the record... I think you're an amazing mother," A smile graced Issac's lips, his dimples accentuating the warmth in his expression. "You're like a real-life Wonder Woman."
Tears welled in her eyes at his heartfelt words, her heart swelling with love and pride for the son she cherished more than life itself. She crossed the distance between them in a heartbeat, enveloping him in a tight embrace.
"Oh, Isaac," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "That means more to me than you'll ever know."
"I love you, Mom. Thanks for everything you've done for me."
"I love you too, baby. You don't have to thank me for anything. Being your mother has been the greatest joy of my life."