This must be what cloud nine felt like.
That's what Cassie thought to herself as she walked hand in hand with Nate to his car. She had given her mother a quick hug as Nate loaded her few things in the car. She had scooped up her little dog and gave her family home one last look, hoping to never be in this situation again.
"Should you wait for Lexi?" Suze had tried to stall, her stomach in knots at the thought of her daughter leaving again.
And both internally agreed it was probably for the best that her sister was not home to see her reconciliation with Nate.
"You can always call me, anytime of the day or night." Her mother had whispered quietly in her ear before letting the eager girl climb into her boyfriend's car.
She watched the car drive away, Cassie's smile, the way Nate had helped her settle in his car, and like many times since being a mother she let out a shaky breath. This was for the best, she reassured herself. This was the best case scenario, she thought one last time, before retreating in her home and drinking enough wine to sleep peacefully without nightmares about her daughter.
And Cassie was none the wiser of the turmoil her personal life caused within those around her as well.
She fiddled with Nate's radio, she chatted aimlessly, she let Pumpkin climb on her shoulder to look outside the window, she tried her very hardest to forget all those awful things he had admitted to doing. It was ages ago, she reasoned with herself, he was a different Nate with her. She could help him, fix him, love him.
"Where are we going?" She asked once realising they had been driving in the opposite direction to Nate's house.
"You'll see." He responded with a smile that warmed her heart.
It wasn't until she recognised the gas station on the corner that she realised where they were headed.
1432 Lakeshore Drive.
Their home.
It was a small California bungalow painted in a faded pastel yellow, the front lawn had been well kept from the previous tenants, with patches of flowerbeds and mismatched vases. The deck needed some painting, the wood looking slightly flakey and washed out, and the white wicker chair next to the front door could use a good clean.
The inside was old, but fairly well kept. The kitchen looked straight out of the 70s and a far cry from Marsha's European imported appliances. The bedrooms were decent sized, two upstairs, one downstairs. Two bathrooms, a dining room, a living room.
No furniture at this stage, save for a twin bed in the downstairs bedroom and an old armchair in the living room.
A leafy backyard with an old swing set that looked like it may fall apart any minute.
Nate had unapologetically called it a fucking dump. His family built property for a living, surely they could have spared a more modern build somewhere. Hell, his Grandfather was loaded, this couldn't be his only rental.
But Cassie loved everything about it.
The creaky floors, the white turned cream basin, the flickering light in the kitchen, the ugly white fridge, the loud sound of the pipes whenever they had the water running.
It was their home.
"Ugh, I didn't think this one through." Nate admitted, scratching his head, while looking at the empty house. "We have no furniture." Save for a small bag with a change of clothes and some toiletries, Nate hadn't really thought of the logistics around moving them in.
He was impulsive like that, he had suddenly decided he wanted them to move in despite the house being available for months for them to slowly set up.
"We can sleep in the bed downstairs for tonight?" She suggested, despite thinking it would be a very tight squeeze for her 6 foot 5 boyfriend and her big pregnant belly.
Nate figured his back would be crippled between a night in jail and a night in a child sized bed, but the exhaustion of the last two days was enough to put them both to sleep not long after their bodies lay on the small bed. Nate, lying with his feet dangling off the edge, Cassie, with her body half on top of his, Pumpkin, in his beloved spot above their heads.
It was hot, and uncomfortable, and sweaty, but it was the best sleep they both had in days.
By the next morning, Nate vowed to never spend another night on a bed that wasn't a memory foam king size with plush pillows and Egyptian cotton sheets. This meant a bright and early start at the mall to try and buy as much furniture available to be delivered that day.
He liked to spend money and he liked nice things.
Their house may be an old shed, still according to Nate, but he had certain expectations in terms of furniture and design. What Cassie expected to be a tactical shop at Ikea or sorting through thrift stores for a couch with minimal mould, was actually a flashy visit to high end furniture stores for stylish designs and expensive fabrics.
Cassie loved the way Nate commanded people's respect when he walked in a room. He knew what he liked, he knew what to ask and was extremely decisive.
"No brass, no velvet, no patterns." He instructed the shop assistant. "Minimal glass, we're about to have a baby so we want something that's not too delicate."
He would occasionally ask her opinion on a style, but for the most part she found herself waddling after him as he looked at every possible combination on display. Cassie didn't mind, she had no idea about half the materials and styles he had been listing off. Plus, it was his money they were spending. It seemed fair he picked what he liked.
She eventually settled for sitting on one of the display beds, scrolling aimlessly through her phone, and let Nate do all the running around.
"My ankles are so swollen." She complained. "You pick the rest, I trust you."
There was a missed call from her mom, a couple of texts from Marsha and some DMs from Gemma. She couldn't really be bothered chatting to any of them.
Nothing from Lexi, which she didn't know if she felt relieved or upset about.
She wondered how Pumpkin was fairing alone in their new home and added puppy cam to her notes list of things to buy.
It felt like ages later when Nate finally came to get her.
"Are we finished?" She asked hopefully, suddenly craving an Ikea hot dog and other cholesterol inducing dishes.
"Almost, I want to show you something first." He promised, tugging on her arms to help her get up from the bed.
"Which bed did you end up picking? I know you liked the canopy, but it's a bit high for me…I don't know if I'll be able to get on and off." Nor would Pumpkin, she secretly thought to herself.
"Nah, I got the grey one we liked." His hand looped through her's as he led her through the store, past the mahogany desks and fluffy throws, all the way to the kids' furniture.
There, in a mix of Scandi looking cribs and wicker bassinets, was a simple, white, panelled, wood crib styled with a light blue comforter. Cassie let her finger run along the frame.
"I know my mom was pushing for that navy blue crib, but I thought maybe white could be better in case we have a girl next." He said, looking at her expectantly.
Cassie felt her heart swell at hearing he had imagined their future together. A life after this baby, more kids, a family. And maybe he wasn't always the most forthcoming when it came to feelings, but him picturing their future together spoke volumes to her.
In that moment, as her fingers traced the crib and Nate's eyes followed her movement, Cassie pictured it all. What their son would look like, how the rocking chair she had seen would look in the bedroom upstairs with the nice window, tiny feet kicking and strong little fists grabbing her hair. She pictured a little girl and her older brother, she pictured a big Christmas tree downstairs and obnoxious lights outside their house.
"I mean, we could just buy another, but I figured it would be nice to pass it down." She could see the slight tinge on his cheeks as he admitted this, as he disclosed having given their family serious thought. "What do you think?"
"I think it's perfect."
And everything in that moment felt totally perfect.
Every now and then, the stars align. Boy and girl meet by the great design.
Could it be that you and me are the lucky ones?