Page 90 of Falling for Fury

“You’re pregnant,” I whisper again. I mean, hell, it isn’t like we hadn’t talked about it. I want nothing more than Addison to have my babies. She is 31, I’m almost 35, no time like the present. But Addison had wanted to wait. She loves her job, loves working with kids and helping them. Wanted to open her own clinic. She wanted to help bring the boxing and trauma healing together. She had dreams and ideas, and a part of me is terrified that I’m ruining it.

“Are you… are you sure?”

She laughs and comes to wrap her arms around my neck, the pulling of the hair at my nape bringing me back to earth. “I think the ultrasound kind of confirms that, Noah.”

“No, I mean… are you sure you want this?” That makes her throw her head back in a deeper laugh.

“Oh, Romeo. We aren’t sixteen and strangers. We’re married. We have steady jobs. We’re happy and healthy.” She kisses me softly as the information sets in.

I’m going to be a dad.

Me, I’ll be someone’s dad. I… woah.

“Hey… you okay?” She pulls her eyebrows deeper and assesses me, and it makes me start laughing.

“Are you kidding? This is the best day of my life,” I whisper back to her and finally seal her lips with a kiss. An answer and a promise all at once. “I just want to make sure you’re okay. I know how much working with those kids means to you. I don’t want you to give up any part of yourself if you don’t want to. I will love the little bean with every part of me, but I also love our lives perfectly as it is, shortcake.” My little emotional firecracker drops a tear and kisses me softly again.

“Thank you,” she whispers. “I don’t plan on sacrificing any part of myself, but having something that is me and you, something more to love and grow with, makes my heart feel bigger. I love our life, but I want to fill it with more pieces of us and make it bigger and fuller. A family with you is a family I always dreamed of.” She drops a few more tears and I kiss them away.

“So, why’d you go to the ultrasound without me?” I pinch her behind and she giggles, pulling on the hair at the base of neck in response.

“I wanted to be sure. I didn’t want to get your hopes up because I know how much you’ve been secretly dying to have kids. I appreciate how easy you’ve been on me. How you haven’t asked or haven’t pressured me.” She averts her eyes as she responds and I hook a finger under her chin to get those gorgeous green eyes back on mine.

“I always wanted a family with you, Addy. But I want you more. You never have to thank me for something like this. We’re a team. We’re together in everything, no matter what.” I rest my forehead against hers and breathe in that same strawberry scent, and we stay silent for a while.

Every bit of pain, every change, and all the challenges we’ve faced feel like they were in preparation for this, for the next chapter of our lives. Addison sees Rhea, her therapist, on the regular. I found my own therapist in a local office around the corner from work and have been making progress on finally healing my grief, on missing Dad and the guilt I held onto for so long. Addy exists in her feelings so fiercely it inspired me, and I also knew I wanted to be healed, I wanted to give my kids every chance to be happy, healthy, and supported and hopefully not pass on any bullshit that we all seem to carry. Without knowing, it feels like we’ve been waiting for this moment, unplanned, but like a puzzle piece has just slipped into place.

The pages yet to be written and the paths not yet taken, but none of it feels scary. None of it feels like a challenge or like the impossible. Not when I have her by my side. Her strength and her fierceness.

“I’m really excited,” I whisper, and she starts to giggle.

“Me too,” she whispers back.

A little piece of me and a little piece of her. We’ve weathered storms and danced in the chaos together, but now in the quiet of my office, the sun filling it with warmth, holding my world in my arms I lose a breath, knowing that our story is far from over, and I’ve never been more ready to travel a path unknown and I know as long as I have my furious little demon by my side, all will be right in the world.