Page 93 of Always Been You

Eliza Pierce: First Move–Liv; Wedding–Valentine’s Day; Baby–Next Christmas.

Hannah Smith: First Move–Liv, while drunk; Wedding–Christmas; Baby–Valentine’s Day.

Madison Carter: First Move–Josh; Wedding–Valentine’s Day; Baby–Liv’s birthday.

Lucas Carter: First Move–Josh; Wedding–Christmas; Baby–the following Christmas.

Gianna Carter: First Move–Josh; Wedding–Valentine’s Day; Baby–Mother’s Day.

Emily Lincoln: First Move–Liv; Wedding–Summer elopement; Baby–Christmas.

Elanor Lincoln: First Move–Liv; Wedding–Next June; Baby–Christmas.

Logan Lincoln: First Move–Liv; Wedding–end of summer; Baby–Christmas.

Josh rubs his hand over my belly and we sway a little as we stand here reading the bets our friends and family made about our relationship. I guess we can’t be too upset with them because they were all betting on us, not against us.

I look at Josh over my shoulder. “Should I be worried that so many of them were positive we would announce a baby before the end of the year?” I ask.

“I guess they all know that when I decide something, I’m all in,” he says before kissing me. He grabs my hand and brings me out to the dance floor as we start our first dance.

I rest my head on his chest as we sway, and I know that there is nowhere else I’d rather be.

Isit and watchJosh and Liv as they have their first dance, and I can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy at what they have. After my tour overseas and all the baggage I came back with, I have resigned myself to never having what they have. I wouldn’t ask a woman to deal with my random emotional changes and nightmares. It’s too much to expect of anyone, so I work out, go to work; hang with my friends and spend time by myself with my black lab Finn. I have the occasional hookup, but I never stay the night. The last thing I need is to scare the shit out of a woman because I’ve had a nightmare.

My mother doesn’t understand why I don’t date. She thinks it’s high time I get serious about settling down and starting a family. My older brother has been married for 3 years andthey are expecting their first baby. You’d think that would get my mom off my back, but it’s only made it worse.

Grayson breaks me out of my thoughts when he slaps a hand on my shoulder. “You good man?” Grayson knows the most out of the guys about my time overseas. We knew each other before I left and he saw firsthand the change in me when I got back.

I take a sip of the beer I’m holding. “Yeah, man. You?”

“Just peachy, think I’m going to find a beautiful woman to dance with and maybe I’ll get lucky and she’ll bring me back to her place.”

Grayson wasn’t always this playboy, but after an incident in high school, he uses it as a way to protect himself.

“Careful man, you know Liv would kill you if you hurt one of her friends.”

He pats me on the shoulder again before walking away and calling back at me, “I’ll be good.” I chuckle, knowing that we have different definitions of the word good.

The rest of the evening moves smoothly and before I know it, the bride and groom are on their way out, heading for their honeymoon. I make my way over to their guest book, write a note, and flip through reading the notes that others have left for them.

Seeing how everyone believes they are made for each other makes me wonder if it’s possible there is someone out there who could deal with all of my fucked-up shit and not crumble.

Epilogue

Six Months Later

As I laybeside Olivia asleep in her hospital bed, I smile down at our beautiful baby girl in my arms. After her water broke this morning at 6 a.m., we came straight to the hospital where she was a champ and went through twelve hours of labour before she delivered our beautiful Catherine May Lincoln. I haven’t wanted to put her down since she came into this world.

Olivia begins to stir just as a knock comes at the door and I look up and see Gianna poking her head inside. She smiles at me and the bundle of joy in my arms.

“I’ve got a small crew out here. You guys okay with visitors?”

I look over at Olivia, who has a small sleepy smile on her face, and she nods. I look back at Gi and nod and she makes her way into the room, followed by Matt, their parents, Emily, and my parents. No one knows the gender or name of our baby yet.

When everyone has made it in and the door is closed, I stand up and turn to show everyone her face.

“Everyone, meet Catherine May Lincoln.”

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