Page 84 of Just Desserts

Chapter 60

Myles

I did a final walk through of my office, checking my computer and calendar to make sure everything was running smoothly before heading out for the night. This was the longest I had been in my office without the phone ringing or door opening. It was the evening before Thanksgiving and the quiet was a stark contrast to the mayhem of the last few days.

Walking through The Bennett, I made sure to touch base with all the employees working that night, ensure they had everything they needed and wished as many as I could a Happy Holiday. I also stopped to check in with Sully and Sarah, even though we had plans to see each other Friday for a Friendsgiving. Sully insisted on working tonight but I knew Sarah had plans with her Dad and siblings. She promised she would head out shortly.

Nearing the doors that granted access to and from the hotel, I shrugged on my overcoat. Before leaving, I paused in the center of the lobby and couldn’t help the large smile that spread across my face. The place was bustling, but it was organized and fluid. No rushing, nothing frantic just the buzz of excitement and nerves that come with any impending Holiday.

This had been my dream for so long but each time I walked into The Bennett, there was a sense of disbelief that it had finally come into fruition. The last few years I had worked hard to get it up and running, now it was doing more than that, it was thriving. There was life in these walls, and not just from the revolving door of guests. My employees were like family,and that fostered a welcoming environment for anyone who walked in.

Everyday I'm grateful for the slightly unconventional support system that we've created for each other here. Sarah was the bossy little sister I never knew I needed and Sully was the older brother who took charge without question. Now with Isla, my life has never felt fuller. I couldn’t help the smile that crossed my face as I thought of my fiance.

Meeting Isla, having her agree to marry me was literally a dream come true. The only downside was the extra time spent apart now that she was in full wedding planning mode. Not to mention we both were working increased hours due to the upcoming holidays. I sighed, a churning in my stomach taking me off guard as I got into my car. Once on the road, I felt an urgent need to get home.

Since Isla and I had met, it only became increasingly more difficult to spend time away from her. Seeing her grow and come into herself since we’ve been together has been such a gift to watch. She was flourishing, no longer weighed down with her wings restricted. I thought this constant need for her would diminish once we moved in together and my ring was on her finger. All it did was make me miss her more when she wasn’t around.

Before we met I thought I had my life planned out. Get the hotel up and running, throw all my energy and focus in on that. I wasn’t the type of person who dreamed of getting married and having a family. In retrospect, I was just waiting to meet Isla, my person. I wanted everything with her, marriage and babies, growing old and sitting in matching rocking chairs on the porch.

We weren’t just a couple, we were best friends and partners. Every decision, every question was discussed and made together. There were no secrets between us, no walls needed.I would never hurt Isla, and she was finally starting to believe that. Our connection grew stronger everyday as we both provided love and support freely.

The last few weeks, when wedding planning started to overlap with the major fall holidays, became the first test on our relationship. I was worried about Isla, I was afraid she was trying to do too much at once and was going to hurt herself. I wanted her to share more of the burden, trust not just me but Sarah and Grams to help her with the planning during times like these.

We were having the wedding at The Bennett and Sarah had appointed herself the official planner before I had even proposed to Isla. I knew Sarah could handle the planning entirely on her own with one hand tied behind her back but Isla was excited and I didn’t want to take that away from her. I missed her though, we attended the majority of the planning events together but it wasn’t the same.

All I wanted was Isla to officially, legally, be mine. She could walk down the aisle barefoot in a burlap sack and I would say yes. I couldn’t wait to have my ring on her finger, to officially call her Mrs. Isla Bennett. I had mentioned my concerns to Isla that she was overworking herself, especially as Thanksgiving approached. Thankfully Isla had listened to me without getting too upset and called in extra workers so she could have all the help she needed.

I was eager to get home and check on her. I refused to let Jonathan and Alyssa ruin another holiday for Isla. I knew my girl wanted to bury herself in work, to avoid any memories of this time the year before. I wasn’t foolish enough to think my presence was enough to rid her of any anxiety or lingering doubts from that time. It was a traumatic event, not one that I could ignore or dismiss. But I wasn’t going to stand by and watch her work herself into the ground to avoid dealing with those emotions.

Not wanting to be a hypocrite, I also called in extra help so I could take the next few days off so that we could celebrate Thanksgiving together and then have the weekend to ourselves. I was looking forward to the one on one time. I missed her, craved her like a drug, which had me rushing to get home early, impatient to see her.

Once I parked in the garage a sigh of relief escaped me. I had been at the hotel since 7am, making sure everything was ready so no one interrupted my upcoming weekend with Isla. Every part of my body was weary, but I was happy. Work was great, I was about to marry the love of my life, and she-who-must-not-be-named was safely locked behind bars. Now I could take a breath and relax.

I climbed the stairs slowly, my legs protesting.The house was silent as I walked through, no TVs on, no music playing, there weren’t any sounds of kitchen madness, it was unusual. Starting to get concerned, I made a beeline upstairs and headed up towards the bedroom. Once inside I finally noticed a light coming from the ensuite bathroom and headed that way, but stopped short when I heard a high-pitched gap.

"This can’t be right. This wasn’t supposed to happen this fast.” Isla’s familiar voice reached me as she muttered to herself.

Worried, my heart started beating rapidly in my chest. I forced myself to take a breath before creeping closer to the bathroom. Just as I was about to knock, I got a glimpse through the cracked door.

I felt my entire being change, in a literal second. Rocking back on my feet it felt like a physical force hit me. A feeling I had never known before overwhelmed me as I watched my love, my Isla, staring down at a pregnancy test.

Isla

My phone vibrated as the timer went off. I was seated onthe toilet lid, my body frozen as I stared at the pregnancy test waiting for me on the sink. I turned off the alarm and mustered up some courage to pick it up. The stick felt remarkably light in my hand considering the gravity of what the results meant.

Anxiety overwhelmed me, insecurities and worries were running through me. Was it too soon? Myles and I weren’t even married yet! We had just agreed to start trying, I had been off my birth control for a month. Keeping my hand closed over the results I closed my eyes taking a deep breath.

It had only been a year since my entire world was flipped on its axis. But with Myles, even though a baby felt too soon, it didn’t feel wrong. In the beginning our relationship was tame, but more intimate than any other relationship I had ever been in. Those first few months laid down the foundation for a deep friendship that made our connection even stronger.

I trusted Myles, we had talked about having kids and I knew he was eager to become a father. I just never imagined it could happen this soon! With my eyes closed, images of Myles holding a baby with my blonde hair and his grey eyes flashed behind my lids.

My heart rate sped up as I imagined what having a baby with Myles would look like, could feel like. My anxiety morphed into dogged determination. I absolutely had to know the answer and couldn’t put it off any longer. Opening my eyes I finally looked at the pregnancy test and gasped.

"This can’t be right. This wasn’t supposed to happen this fast.” Positive. The results clearly labeled on the small stick, impossible to misinterpret. Fear ran through me despite the little pep talk I had just given myself.

Despite my current panic, I loved Myles and I knew this wouldn’t change what we had and what we were building. Myles was everything I wanted in a man and a husband. Therewasn’t a doubt in my mind that he would be an amazing father. The longer we were together, the more we grew as both individuals and partners.

A noise caught my attention and I whipped my head up. Through the crack in the door I was met by Myles slate grey stare. Any concerns or anxiety from the moments before were quickly evaporated once I saw the love in his eyes. Before I could get a word out, Myles was in the bathroom kneeling in front of me.

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