- Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
So, here is the challenge Mare gave us >

The challenge this month is to write a short romace based on this picture. The catch is you cannot let the female be Leighanne. She has to be someone else. I have noticed that in passing everyone has mentioned how tough it is to write a Brian fic without including Leighanne and Baylee and creating a fictional wife, girlfriend etc.. so that's why it's my challenge for you.

We all know that's a picture of him and Leigh on their wedding but this story cannot be about Brian and Leighanne's wedding. She can be a character in the story, just not as Brian's girlfriend or wife of that time.


So yeah, that was hard, thanks Mare. ;) I kinda didn't write a real romance story, but still. I might write a real romance story for this pic as well. I'm really curious to what the readers think. Now enjoy! The pic that Mare choose is below the story by the way..
From where I was standing, I had a perfect view. He looked as handsome as always. And so young. The whole ordeal we have been through together had added at least ten years to his looks. Seeing him now, it seems she managed to erase these years and now he almost appeared to be as young as when we got married.

God, how I wished it was me he was holding during that opening dance, just like he did the day we exchanged our vows. But I knew that was impossible. Even though it was kind of a depressing sight, I was happy I was there. After all, it was what I had been waiting for.

We had been married for almost seven years when tragedy struck. I know that sounds dramatic and that’s even an understatement. It turned our lives upside down, in and out en back and forth multiple times. What started out as wonderful news, became worse than a nightmare.

I already knew before we got the test results back. I hadn’t told Brian yet though, since he had just left for the final leg of the guys’tour. He would be away from home for a week or two and I figured there was no sense in worrying him. So when he finally came home, I sat him down and told him the news.

The look on his face when I told him I was pregnant.. It was priceless. It went from disbelief, to joy, ecstatic joy and finally a hint of worry. It was probably my facial expression that gave me away. He asked me if everything was alright. And it was, at that point it really was. I was only worried as to how he’d receive the news that we were expecting twins. Well, I can tell you, that was almost too much for my poor husband to handle. He turned as white as a sheet for a short moment, but then went absolutely crazy. Jumped through the house, lifted me in his arms and spun me around. Then he kissed me. And his kiss told me I worried for nothing. He was as happy as a child in a candy store, standing inside a toy store, standing in the middle of an amusement park.

So things were perfect up until halfway the seventh month. By then, I did not only feel, but also looked like a whale. I was huge! But Brian loved me just as much, even though I was a ticking timebomb. And not just when it came to being overly emotional, but we still didn’t realise something else was wrong. So alright, even during the seventh month I was still very nauseous most of the time. Brian joked that I didn’t suffer from morning, but 24/7 sickness. Ofcourse he was worried. Things were so different from when I was pregnant with Bay. A lot of the time my head hurt so much that it seemed to explode and my stomach really ached as well. My obstetrician saw no reason for concern though, she said the babies and myself were doing fine.

Sadly we found out she was wrong when it was way too late. Brian found me on the bathroom floor one morning, crying because I was in so much pain. At first he thought I was having contractions. But when we reached the hospital, it turned out that myself and my unborn babies were in serious danger. After some tests they found out I was suffering from the HELLP-syndrome, which is also named pregnancy-poisoning. After a short moment with Brian, they immediately shipped me off to the operating room. He told me everything was going to be alright and that he loved me. Sadly the syndrome had already affected my body in such a bad way that I passed away right on the table. And so did my babies.

He was crushed. It really broke his spirit and he didn’t smile for a long, long time. I almost forgot how his whole face lit up and his eyes sparkled when he smiled. But slowly, the smile returned. At first, he felt guilty about it. He said so, on many occassions when he walked through the house talking to himself, mostly after putting Baylee to bed. It was those hours that he had time to think.

Baylee did seem to notice me by the way. Many times he just chatted to me when I watched him play. He talked about how his uncle Jay sometimes cooked for him, how uncle Nicky and Howie took turns taking him to school or the petting zoo, and how uncle Kevin played hide and seek with him. I was kind of happy to see how they were all trying so hard to make life as ‘normal’ as possible without me there.

I know Brian too felt my presence sometimes. He’d sit on our bed and call out my name. And when I sat down next to him, he looked my way. As his eyes filled with tears he said he couldn’t do this. That he couldn’t raise Baylee on his own, or just get through each day without me. It was heartbreaking to watch and not being able to comfort him made things even worse. But I couldn’t leave. I couldn’t just leave him there, all by himself. Not until I knew he was going to be alright.

And then he met her. I don’t really know all the details and I don’t really care. All I know is that Katie makes him happy. She made him smile again. She brought out the ‘old’ Brian I loved so much. And she’s good to Baylee as well. I have to admit, at first it was really difficult to see my husband kiss and hug another woman or to hear Baylee crying for her when he scraped his knee. But I’m smart enough to know that this is best for Baylee and Brian.

And another good thing is, she isn’t trying to take my place. Not that Brian would let her. I was there when he made that crystal clear to her. And she understood. She really understood. I don’t know if I could have if I was in her shoes, but she did. She really is the absolute opposite from the evil stephmother. She even framed a picture of me and Baylee and put it next to my son’s bed so he could give me a kiss goodnight before going to sleep.

So I guess you can say they sort of moved on with their lives. And when I found out they were getting married, I knew it was time for me to move on as well. But only after tonight. Seeing how happy they are, I know they are going to be alright. And I know I will be as well. I know I will see my two men again someday. Not anytime soon, just someday. And for now, someday is just fine with me..