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Author's Chapter Notes:

Got some inspiration for this one. Enjoy. :)

The next few months passed by for Alex and myself smoothly. There were no big dramas that arose, surprise ex-girlfriends coming out of the woodwork, issues at my work or with Alex and his band mates recording and working on their album. Life seemed to be moving merrily along with us. We didn’t bring up the tour subject very often, but if it was brought up it was handled well and no one got upset. Our days were filled with our jobs and our evenings we spent together either at his place or mine, or we’d hit the town and go to a restaurant or movie, the beach, boardwalk or find something new to do. And weekends were spent the same way, except the few we’d carve out for ourselves and take a trip to the mountains or down to San Diego and explore the zoo or Sea World or just walk hand in hand on the beach.

August melted into September then crawled into October. The second to last weekend in October, Alex and I flew to Arizona for my brother and sister-in-law’s going away party. My parents and Mimi and some of our other family and friends joined us. Grayson had rented out the banquet room of a hotel and when my brother throws a party, he throws one hell of a party. The place was lit up with those cool lantern type lights everywhere and food was catered in and even a DJ spinning tunes with a dance floor. It felt more like a celebration than a going away party, which was fitting because this was my brother and he wasn’t one for sadness or tears.

Despite it being a fun weekend, it was a sad weekend as well and the highlight had been Alex telling me that we’d go as soon as we could to visit them. And then when his group toured over in Europe, and especially London, that we might be able to meet up for a bit. So there were definitely things to look forward to when it came to when I would see Grayson and Candace again. My parents were toying with the idea of spending Christmas overseas, which kind of defeated the purpose of Alex and me spending Christmas with them in Connecticut. But I stayed mum because there’s always next year.

For Halloween, Alex and I attended the party of a friend of his. I went as a Saloon girl from the old west and Alex was an outlaw. We were quite the pair. After the party, we stopped by Dianna and Manuel’s and I was in tears at the sight of my dear friend dressed in an orange bikini top and skirt with her belly sticking out there painting with the smiling face of a pumpkin. She was nearly six months along and the size of a dump truck, though I would never tell her that. They’d been trying to find out what sexes the babies where, but it seemed like every time they looked, neither child would cooperate and show their bits.

Finally November arrived. The weather was a bit cooler, but still nice and sunny. I was beginning to miss the cool crisp air of fall and the smell of bonfires as people sat around them roasting marshmallows and having hayrides. Though I didn’t miss the cold or snow that my parents were already receiving. Okay, maybe just a little bit I did. Not enough to really matter.

Alex and I were now looking at eight months together. Sometimes it felt like it should be much longer than that and other times like that wasn’t long enough. I was amazed at how far I’d come since the past March and being in such depression and despair at losing Hugh. Now I was in a healthy and happy relationship, and while I still had days I missed him, I was able to move on and look forward, not behind.

We had Thanksgiving plans to spend the holiday in Florida with his mom and her husband. And it did look like my parents were going to be flying to London over Christmas. Though my grandmother was going to be staying back in Connecticut, so that’s where we would be heading for the winter holiday. My boyfriend was not too excited about the zero degree temperatures we’d be facing, but he was happy to go along with the plans. I was going to buy him some nice thermal long johns though to help keep him warm, little did he know.

One evening, about ten days before our trip to Florida, Alex and I were relaxing at my place. I was sitting on the floor doing some last minute work with a house I’d just sold to a newlywed couple and my wonderful boyfriend was lounging on the couch flipping through the television channels like he had ADHD and couldn’t concentrate on just one program. I was doing my best to ignore him and Daisy was doing her best to get his attention with her stuffed toy.

Alex’s leg was jiggling and he would flip channel, sigh, flip channel, jiggle his leg, sigh, flip channel, flip channel, sigh, jiggle-

“Okay, what is going on?” I finally set my pen down and turned to him.

He blinked and looked at me. “Nothing.”

I arched both brows. “You’re acting like something is; all nervous and fidgety and I think we could just tape down the channel up button and it would be as effective as what you’re doing.”

He looked to the remote like he hadn’t even realized he was doing it. “I’m sorry.” Then he reached and set it on the end table.

I tilted my head and studied him. Something wasn’t right here. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good.” But I could tell he was lying through his teeth.

“Baby,” I reached and smoothed a hand on his leg, “you know you can talk to me.”

He caught my hand in his and smiled at me. “I know.”

If something was going on, you would tell me, right?”

“Yes, baby.” Then he lifted my hand and kissed my palm.

I wasn’t sure rather to believe him or not, but I decided to let it go. Maybe he was just having an off day, or one of those days he had as a recovering alcoholic. “Okay.” I turned back to my work and took up my pen again.

Things were quiet for another few minutes save for the television and soon I was engrossed in my papers, momentarily forgetting about my boyfriend’s restlessness. He’d seemed to calm some and so I chalked it up to nothing major and went about my business.

“I want a baby.”

His words interrupted the quiet that had befallen us and I paused with my pen to the paper I was signing. “You what?” I turned my head to meet his gaze.

Alex wet his bottom lip then leaned forward some on the sofa. “I want us to have a baby, Morgan.”

Inside my chest, my heart was skipping a beat. “Wha…um…” I faltered for a moment then gathered my thoughts and tried again, “Us…to have a baby. Like…together? Like mommy and daddy and baby?”

“Yes,” he nodded then reached and took my free hand in his, “I want children and I really want children with you.”

“That’s why you’ve been acting so restless?”

He nodded again and I took my hand from his, dropping my pen and turning my body to face him more directly. “You want us to have a baby.” It was more of a statement than a question.

My boyfriend ran a hand over his face and sighed some then met my eyes. “Yes, I really want kids.”

Well so did I, but I wasn’t in a rush to start trying for one tomorrow. I kept that thought to myself and decided to try a different approach. “What brought this on?”

He drew up a shoulder. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about for awhile-”

“For awhile?” I couldn’t stop myself from interrupting him. “Alex, we’ve only been together for like eight months.”

“I know and I knew the very first time I laid eyes on you that you were the one for me.” He shrugged some. “I have the girl and we have a great relationship, it only seems natural that kids come next.”

My eyes were trying not to bug out of my head. “You don’t think like… being married would come before that? Or even living together? Which, neither of those pertain to us.”

“Hey, I’ve asked you to move in with me. That invitation has never been rescinded.”

“Alex,” I sighed some then pushed myself up and joined him on the couch, “I want children too, but right now is really not the best time for that.”

“And there never really is the ‘right time’ or ‘best time’ to have kids.” He watched me unwavering. “You just gotta dive in and instead of trying to work children around your life; you work your life around your children.”

I sighed some and reached for his hand. “And what life would that be? One with the two of us living in separate houses juggling a baby back and forth; you take him Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and I get the days in between. That doesn’t sound like a healthy relationship between any of the three. It sounds more like a divorced couple trying to figure out custody.”

“Then move in with me. You know that I want us to live together.”

“I don’t want to leave my house.”

“I told you I’d move in here.”

“And what are you going to do with all your stuff? You know it won’t fit in this place.”

“I’ll get a storage unit.”

I looked off for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts because his reasons for living together did make sense, rather I agreed with them or not. Finally, I turned my eyes back to his. “We’ve never talked about having kids before other than like...‘oh one day when we have kids’.”

“We’re talking about it right now.” He reached and took both my hands in his. “Look, Morgan, I want babies and I want them with you, no one but you. And I don’t want to be one of those dad’s who can’t really play with their kids because they’re too old to do that. We’re not getting any younger and if we keep putting it off and letting work and other things get in the way, then the moment is going to pass us by.”

I frowned. “Work and other things are not getting in the way and we’re not so old that in five years it’ll be too late for us. You won’t even be forty; you’ll have plenty of time to really play with kids.”

He blew a puff of air from between his lips and sank back into the couch, slouching some. “I don’t want to wait five years to have children.”

“I don’t mean that literally. It was just an example to show that we’re not too old and that we have time.” I took hold of his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Life isn’t going to just pass us by and we’ll wake up one day at like …sixty wondering where the last thirty years went and why we’re childless. Besides,” I waited till his eyes met mine before continuing, “I’d really like to have a wedding before I have children.”

“Technically you’ve already had a wedding.” He jerked some when I pinched him then caught that hand in his. “I’m sorry, that was inappropriate.”

“It really was.” I wasn’t mad though and knew he hadn’t meant anything bad by it. “You’re a smart ass. You know what I meant.”

Alex chuckled low and pulled me against his side. “I know and I don’t really see why it matters if we’re married before we have kids, but if that’s important to you then I respect that.”

“Thank you.” I slipped my arm around his waist.

“So, let’s get married.”

I blinked and lifted my head from his chest. “Excuse me?”

He tilted his head some to see into my face. “Let’s get married.”

I pulled back out of his arms. “Is that supposed to be a proposal?”

He caught my elbow to keep me from moving to far away. “Do you love me?”

“Of course, but-” He placed a finger to my lips in a shushing motion and cut me off.

“Do you want to spend the rest of your life with me?”

His finger was still there at my lips, so I didn’t speak. Instead, I nodded my head.

A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Do you want us to sell both our houses and buy one together that will fit both our things and be both our places, not just yours or mine?”

My eyes widened at that. I hesitated then gave a nod, realizing that maybe some of my reluctance was exactly because of that yours or mine deal. It either felt like mine or felt like his, but never ours.

His smile grew a little more. “Do you want to know that no matter where I go or however long I’m gone … you’re always going to be my home and the place I’ll come back to and carry with me wherever I am?”

I nodded again, my eyes starting to shimmer with tears at those words.

“And do you want to grow old with me and watch our children grow and have children of their own? Sit together on the porch swing when we’re ninety and always be the person that the other can depend on?”

A few tears were trying to escape so this time when I nodded my head, I reached a hand up and wiped at my eyes.

He caught that hand in his free one and pressed a kiss to the palm of it then stood and drew me up from the couch. “Come with me.”

I blinked at that. “What? Where are we going?”

“Don’t talk. Just come with me.” Then he led us toward the patio doors and outside to the backyard.

“Alex I-”

“Shh.” He sent me a cute little look then led from across the backyard and toward the stairs that would take us down onto the beach.

I had only wanted to tell him I didn’t have my shoes on, which might have been important depending on where we were going. But it didn’t seem necessary as my bare feet touched the warm sand and I followed him along down the beach.

We walked along wordlessly with my mind going a mile a minute trying to figure out what he was doing. We’d been having a serious conversation about children and marriage and he suddenly wanted to take a walk? None of this was making a lick of sense and my head was throbbing at trying to figure it out. There just was no figuring out Alex Mclean sometimes.

Finally, and just when I didn’t think I could take the suspense and strange behavior any longer, he stopped. Glancing his eyes around first, he looked to me then took my hands and pulled me closer to him. “This is the place.”

I frowned in confusion and shifted my gaze to where we were standing. It was just sand and water and looked exactly like the rest of the beach. “What place?”

“The place we first met.” He motioned toward a large piece of driftwood. “You were sitting right there when I saw you. Remember?”

“Yes.” I studied the driftwood as a sense of nostalgia flowed over me and the memories of that day came back to the forefront of my mind. I’d been in tears over losing Hugh and not knowing what to do with my life, when he’d entered it like a mysterious angel. “How did you remember this exact spot?”

“How could I ever forget it?” His eyes studied my face so intently it was like he was seeing into my soul. “It was the day I knew why everything in my life had happened the way it had. It was the reason why I’d gone through everything I had.” He must have sensed my confusion because he wet his bottom lip and gripped my hands tighter. “It was all for you, Morgan. My life was laid out the way it was so that I would meet you. So that I would be the person you needed.” He hesitated a brief moment then let my hands go. “So that I could do this.”

And then he was reaching into the inside pocket of the black vest he was wearing and pulling out a small, black velvet box.

I nearly fell over and knew my eyes had to be the size of saucers. “Alex…” I managed out in a breath as the pounding of my heart filled my ears and goosebumps trickled down over my arms and legs.

He sent me a nervous little grin and I could see the fear and worry in his eyes that I might turn him down. But despite that, he lowered down to one knee and opened the box to reveal a glistening, princess cut diamond atop a platinum colored band with tiny diamonds sprinkled into it.

“Morgan,” he began, holding to the box with one hand and reaching for my hand with his other. “This isn’t going exactly like I’d planned, but I promise it’s not spur of the moment.”

I wasn’t sure I could hear him clearly around the roar of my heart as it thudded in my ears and worked its way up into my throat. Tears were blurring my vision and one minute I was standing, the next I was on my knees.

“I love you,” he continued once I was down in the sand with him. “And I know without a doubt that you’re the one for me. That everything we’ve gone through was to prepare us for, not only the day we met, but for today …and for the rest of our lives. I know that we both have a lot going on, but none of that matters. I’d give it all up to be with you, to have you with me forever,” his voice wavered some with the emotion that was flowing between us.

“Yes!” I blurted out the moment he paused, tears flowing freely down my cheeks.

Alex blinked. “Yes? Yes?!” He opened his mouth again then blinked and chuckled low. “Wait, I have to ask the question first.”

“Oh, sorry,” I sniffed then nodded my head.

He chuckled again and brushed his thumb over my cheek. “There’s no need to apologize and now that I know your answer, I can say without any worry, that I want to grow old with you, I want to buy a house and decorate it together, I want us to have the same last name and to be able to call you my wife and be your husband.” He brushed away more tears as his own eyes grew misty. “I want us to have babies and to be married before that happens. So,” he pulled himself upright more and held the box up and toward me, “Morgan Weston, will you make me the happiest man there ever could be and marry me?”

I couldn’t speak; a sob was threatening to come from my throat if I opened my mouth. Tears were sliding down my cheeks and falling into the sand and I was trembling like a leaf.

Alex blinked then leaned in toward me again. “Okay, now this is where you can say ‘yes’.”

I gave a laugh mixed with a cry then wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him close. “Yes. Yes!” I was able to force out.

He laughed and slipped his arms around my waist, pulling me to him and holding me tight. “I’m so glad.”

I laughed and cried and held him tight, pressing my face into his neck and hoping he didn’t mind the tears that would dampen his shirt.

We stayed like that for a long moment then Alex laughed and pulled back. “The ring. I have to put it on you.”

I blinked some and wiped my face. “Ooh, that’s right.”

“Can’t forget.” He chuckled then carefully slipped the ring from the box. “Let’s hope I don’t drop it.”

That made me giggle. “We don’t need you to lose it on the beach.”

“It’s fully insured, so no worries there, but I agree.” Then he took my left hand and gently slipped the ring onto my ring finger, sliding it perfectly into place. “Look at that, it fits.”

I admired the stone and the way it sparkled in the light from the setting sun. “It’s beautiful; I love it!”

“I was hoping you would.” Alex pressed a kiss to my knuckles. “I thought of you immediately when I saw it and said…that’s the one.”

My eyes lifted to his face. “You little sneak. Have you been planning this the entire time?”

He chuckled at that then captured my face in his hands and kissed me long and thoroughly.

“For a little while,” he admitted once we’d separated, though his hands were still holding my face.

“What was with all the baby talk?”

Alex laughed then shifted us down more in the sand and pulled me into his arms. “That was to throw you off. I was worried that you were suspecting what I was doing, so I was trying to throw you off course.”

I peeked to his face. “So you don’t want kids?”

“Of course I do,” he smoothed a hand through my hair, “but not right now. I agree with you that we should get married first.”

I giggled. “You really are a sneak.”

“One that is completely and totally and utterly in love with you and can’t wait till the day you’re Mrs. McLean.”

I paused. “Morgan McLean. I could be M&M.”

Alex laughed and hugged me close. “That’s what I’m gonna start calling you; M&M.”

I giggled again and my eyes drifted down to the rock on my finger. Eight months ago I would never have even dreamed I’d be in this place again; somewhere feeling so loved and wanted and needed and knowing there was a very bright future ahead of me. I’d come a long way since Alex had come into my life, and there on the beach, in the same spot it’d started, I knew that this would be forever.

Sure, life would have more ups and downs for us, but I was a different person now and with Alex by my side, I knew we could get through whatever would come our way. My life may not have turned out anything close to what I’d always imagined as a child, but I wouldn’t change one bit of it. And one day, in the near future, I just knew we’d have that house on the corner with the big backyard and two or three children underfoot, lazy Sunday morning brunches and summer vacation trips to Florida. Because in that place that I thought was the end, I’d found a whole new beginning.

Chapter End Notes:

It's done! It's done, it's done, it's done! I can hardly believe it! But there's good news .... stay tuned for part two. That's right ... part two which is going to continue to follow AJ and Morgan's love story as they embark on the new chapter in their life. Much more to come. :)

I hope you've enjoyed this story and will check in once part two is posted. Thanks so much to all my wonderful readers, reviewers and supporters. I couldn't have done it without you. :)