It Takes a Man.

[Kourtni]

“It’s a quarter after one. I’m all alone, and I need you now. Said I wouldn’t call, but I lost all control, and I need you now. And I don’t know how I can do without. I just need you now.” - Lady Antebellum ‘ Need You Now’

3:

Teddy’s trip to Los Angeles had finally arrived, two days ago, and I wasn’t too happy about it. He was supposed to be gone a week, a whole week. And after spending time with him and talking to him again, I didn’t want him to leave. I guess I could be thankful that he was going out there at a time when I wasn’t anywhere close to delivering the baby.

Unfortunately though he was missing my monthly doctor’s appointment. After reuniting with him I’d hoped he would be able to make it to this appointment, but he couldn’t. At least this time I would be able to tell my doctor that the baby’s father had come back into my life. That would bring a smile to his face, I’m sure.

-------

So, my doctor’s appointment didn’t go so well. My doctor didn’t really give me any good news. He told me that I was on bed rest until I was due to deliver the baby. That meant I was on bed rest for a good two and a half moments. This wasn’t going to be any fun.

Now I was back at my apartment, in bed. These next two and a half months were going to be miserable. I wasn’t going to be able to do anything but play around on the computer, sleep, and watch TV. It had just started, and I already hated it.

Instead of popping my laptop open right away, I got comfortable in bed and decided to call Teddy. I hadn’t heard from him since yesterday morning, and he’d told me he wanted to know how my doctor’s appointment went. I just hoped he’d be free and able to answer his phone.

“Hello,” Teddy said in a soft voice. “Kourtni?”

“Yeah, it’s me,” I said; hearing his voice say my name brought a smile to my face, a smile like you’d never seen before.

“Can I call you back? I’m fixing to go into the singing with that record company. I shouldn’t be but more than an hour or so.”

“Oh...okay, that’s fine,” I sighed as I hit end and threw my phone down in bed. Not only was I having a bad day because of the news from the doctor’s office, but my baby’s dad was too busy to talk to me. If him getting a record deal was going to be like this, me rarely getting to talk to him, then I didn’t want him to get a record deal.

-------

After getting all upset about not getting to talk to Teddy, I decided to take a quick nap. Well, let’s just say that my quick nap lasted more than two hours. And when I woke up I checked my phone to see if Teddy had called, and he didn’t. He hadn’t even texted, even though he promised he’d call me back and that he wouldn’t be in the record company’s office for more than an hour.

“Why me?” I said aloud as I rolled over, deciding to send Teddy a text and ask him if he’d forgotten about promising to call me. Sure enough, I received a text a few minutes later that he had forgotten because he’d been so busy with the record company. “Just what I expected,” I sighed just as my phone started ringing, Teddy’s name flashing across the screen. “Hello,” I answered.

“Oh Kourtni, I’m so sorry that I didn’t call you. I just, I’m so excited that I forgot. I’m really, really sorry,” Teddy apologized repeatedly.

“It’s fine; stop apologizing,” I grumbled as I felt Addie start kicking me, causing me to put a hand on my belly to let her know that I felt her. “Yes Addie, I’m talking to your daddy, if that’s what you’re asking me.”

“Aw, tell my little girl that her daddy misses her.”

“Yeah, yeah...I’ll tell her.”

“Kourt, are you okay? You sound a little angry, hun. Is something wrong?”

“Well, to start with I didn’t get good news at the doctor’s office this morning, and then you forget to call me. If this is how it’s going to be if you get a record deal, then I don’t want you to get a record deal.”

“Oh,” Teddy sighed.

“What?”

“I, um...I got the record deal.”

“Oh,” I sighed, instantly feeling bad about what I said, even though I really meant it. “I’m sorry for how that came out, but I really feel that way, Ted. I don’t like not being able to talk to you except for like two minutes at a time, especially since I’m close to having the baby here in the next few months.”

“I mean, I haven’t signed it. I don’t have to sign it...”

“Sign it if you want to. Don’t let me stop you from signing it. It’s...it’s probably my hormones talking, so just ignore me.”

“Kourt, I don’t think that’s your hormones talking.”

“Just ignore what I said, okay? If you want to sign the stupid record deal, sign it. I DON’T CARE!”

“What the heck has gotten into you?”

“Well, let’s see...I go to the doctor’s office expecting to hear good news, but I get bad news. The doctor said that I needed to be on bed rest until I have to deliver Addie. He said if I don’t stay in bed then I’m going to end up having her before the nine months is up. So yeah, I’m stuck in the freaking bed for the next two and a half months. I can’t even go to class! And then to add to my frustration, YOU forget to call me!”

“Baby, I’m sorry. I told you that. I was so excited that it slipped my mind.”

“Don’t baby me, okay? I don’t want to hear it. No, wait...I don’t NEED to hear it. You’re the last thing I need to hear right now,” I half yelled, getting so angry with Teddy that I hung up my phone, tossing it to the side.

-------

The next time I wake up, it’s after midnight. I get up to get something to drink and go to the bathroom before returning to bed. For the next thirty minutes I tossed and turned, not able to get comfortable and get back to sleep. I ended up sitting straight up in bed before I got too frustrated.

“Addie, I really miss your daddy. I don’t like that I yelled at him earlier. I know he doesn’t like it either,” I sighed as my hands came to rest on my belly. “I feel bad for yelling at him too. If it wasn’t so late, I’d call and apologize.”

Maybe that was what was keeping me up. Maybe I did need to call him, regardless of the time and just apologize. Maybe then I could get comfortable and get back to sleep.

“Well Addie, I’m going to call him. I hope he doesn’t get mad at me for waking him up,” I sighed as I picked up my cell phone and dialed Teddy’s number, fingers crossed that he wouldn’t yell at me for waking him up so early in the morning, or late at night in California’s case.

“Hello,” Teddy answered.

“Hey...I’m sorry if I woke you up,” I told him.

“You didn’t. I couldn’t sleep because of earlier.”

“Me either,” I said as I took a deep breath. “Listen Teddy, I’m sorry about yelling at you. I’m sorry about everything I said to you. I’m just stressed out. When the doctor told me that being on my feet was possibly risking my daughter’s life, I just flipped out.”

“It’s fine, sweetheart...really, it is.”

“These d**n mood swings...they are just getting the best of me.”

“I can tell,” Teddy chuckled. “Well, I don’t know how you’ll feel about this, but I signed the record deal. Having this record deal is going to be a good thing for us. It’s another source of income, a good income at that. It’ll allow me to be able to give you and Addie whatever you need.”

“Ted, I’m fine with it. I’m happy for you. Music’s something you love, and you know I’ve always told you to make sure you’re doing something you love.”

“Yeah, like you...”

“TEDDY!” I screamed, the laughter following shortly after. “You are such a dirty little boy! I can’t believe you just said that,” I continued to giggle as I heard a soft knock come at my apartment door. “Hold on, someone just knocked on me door. I don’t know who it is, but I’m liable to hurt them. It’s one in the freaking morning and doing this waddling is risking my unborn baby girl’s life.”

“Kourt, you’re overreacting about this whole bed rest thing. Going to open the door isn’t going to hurt Addie. Your doctor probably meant that you can’t go grocery shopping or something like that where you’d be on your feet for an hour.”

“Oh, shut up,” I laughed as I unlocked the door and slowly began to pull it open, praying that it wasn’t someone that was going to harm me.

“Go straight to your bedroom and take off all your clothes,” Teddy said under a breath of laughter.

“TED!” I screamed as I threw my arms around Teddy’s neck. “You’re back early!” I squealed as Teddy stepped inside my apartment, locking the door behind him.

“I know...and I wasn’t kidding about you going to your bedroom and taking off all your clothes,” he laughed as the two of us started heading back to my bedroom.

“Like that’s possible with this big ol’ basketball of a belly,” I said as we walked in my bedroom, me turning to lock the door behind us.

“Can’t knock it until you try it,” Teddy said as he swiftly removed his shirt. “Besides, it’s not like you can’t do this when you’re pregnant. I’ve already consulted a physician.”

“I don’t want you to see me naked like this! I don’t look the same.”

“You’re right, you don’t...you look even more beautiful. You’re the most beautiful pregnant woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. And I’m amazed that you’re carrying my baby.”

“Don’t hate me, but I just don’t feel comfortable with it. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Teddy sighed as he and I got into my bed, him snuggling up close to me and putting his hand on my belly. He was silent for many minutes. My guess was that he was waiting until I was sleep for something. So, I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep. And this is what I heard, “Goodnight Addie. Yeah, it’s your daddy...again. I surprised your mommy this morning. I needed to see her, and I needed to talk to you. And I know you can hear me, so I’m going to tell you a secret. I want you to keep this between me and you, so that means don’t tell your mommy,” Teddy whispered softly as I felt Addie’s hand press against the side of my stomach, as if she was reaching out to touch Teddy’s hand. “Good, we’re in agreement on this. Well Addie, I love you very much, and I hope you know that. But the secret I want to tell you, I really love your mommy a lot too...more than you will ever know. I can’t wait for you to meet her. She’s an amazing woman, and I know she’s going to be the best mommy you could ask for. So, I guess I’ll let you get to resting now. I’m going to get some sleep myself. Goodnight again, Addie. I love you.”

As I felt Teddy move his hand off of my belly and roll onto his other side, I felt my lip curl up in a smile. That had to have been the cutest thing I’d ever heard. It was good to know Teddy loved me...despite my crazy mood swings.

[smile♥]

aw how cute!

[Kourtni]

Thanks.
I was trying to go for dramatic in that chapter, but it ended up cute. lol.

[Kourtni]

I want to write on this, but I've got no ideas.
Ugh.

[smile♥]

hmmm

[Kourtni]

I want something dramatic.
I've been thinking on it all day today, and I kind of have something, but I don't know if I'll be able to write it and make it work (as Tim Gunn would say).

[smile♥]

I'm sure you'll be able to make it work
If not, just keep re-writing it until you think it does!
Thats what I do

[Kourtni]

“Got my face pressed up against the nursery glass. She’s sleeping like a rock. My name on her wrist, wearing tiny pink socks. She’s got my nose, and she’s got her mama’s eyes. My brand new baby girl, she’s a miracle. I saw God today.” - George Strait ‘I Saw God Today’.

4:

Today marks eight months of my pregnancy, and where do I find myself? I’m in the hospital, strapped to three different machines, all of which are monitoring mine and Addie’s health. I’d gone into labor early, and my doctor said things weren’t looking good. What made things worse was that Teddy was out of town in Los Angeles. I’d called him at three this morning when I was first admitted, and he called at eight saying he would be here sometime around three in the afternoon.

Well, it was three in the afternoon now, and he still wasn’t here. I was trying not to worry and stress for the sake of Addie’s health, but I couldn’t help it. I needed Teddy here to soothe my nerves because of all the stuff the doctor had been saying was wrong with Addie’s health.

“No, you’re going to let me in there!” I heard someone scoff and bump into the door, which was pushed open seconds later as Teddy stormed into the room. “Oh my gosh, baby...is everything okay?” he asked, rushing over to the bed, gripping my hand tightly. “How...how’s Addie?”

“The doctor said it isn’t looking good. He’s surprised she’s stayed alive this long through the labor,” I sighed, answering him as I fought back the tears. “He’s supposed to be back in a few minutes to check my progress and see if she’s still alive. If so, and I’m far along enough, he’ll let me start pushing.”

“I’ve been praying the whole flight over here. I really hope my little princess is going to be okay,” Teddy sighed as the tears rolled down his face.

“Ah, Mr. Geiger...I see you have arrived,” the doctor said as he stood at the foot of the bed. “Kourtni, I’m ready to check you again,” he continued as I propped up my legs as the doctor continued on about his examination. “Well,” he said as he listened closely on the heart monitor, “she’s still alive, and it looks like your completely dilated. You can start pushing with your next contraction.”

Teddy breathed a sigh of relief as the doctor stood up and began to get prepared for delivery. As he was sliding on a new pair of gloves, I felt a contraction creeping up. One of my nurses did too because she came to the other side of my bed, since my mom had moved to sit on the couch, and told me to take a deep breath and push.

“Alright Kourtni, we’re going to have to be pretty fast at this. We’ll probably have to take the baby straight to the NICU so they can thoroughly check her out and see if everything’s a-okay,” my doctor said as I grunted and pushed down into my bottom once more. “She’s moving on down, good job. One more time...” he told me as I took a deep breath and pushed down as hard as I could.

“Come on baby, you’re doing so good,” Teddy said after a couple of minutes of silence.

“Okay, Jane, get the NICU nurses in here. We should be having a baby with the next push,” the doctor said as he looked back at Jane, the main nurse I’d had since I’d been here. Jane listened to my doctor and rushed out to get the NICU nurses, returning less than a minute later. “Kourtni, you should have a baby with this next push. When she comes out I’ll hold her up just for you to see her, but then she’ll be rushed off to the NICU. Okay?”

I nodded.

“When will we get to hold her, doctor?” Teddy spoke up as I squeezed tightly on his hand, looking over to see it almost turning purple in color.

“If you get to hold her, it’ll be a few hours,” the doctor said, not sounding so sure that Addie was actually going to stay alive long enough for us to hold her. I still couldn’t understand why he was letting me deliver her naturally if he was so worried about her not making it out alive. If he was worried about her health don’t you think he would’ve performed an emergency c-section?

Before I could even blink, the doctor was holding Addie up in front of me and Teddy. Her eyes were shut, limbs not moving, and she hadn’t let out her first cry. Two seconds later she was handed off to the NICU nurses and rushed down to the NICU.

I’d tried to hold in the tears until after the doctor left, but I couldn’t hold them in. The tears were streaming down my face as I thought about possibly losing my baby girl. What had I done to deserve this? Why was God putting me through this?

-------

It’s been two hours since Addie was born, and we haven’t heard anything from my doctor. He came in about twenty minutes ago and told us we could go down to the NICU if we wanted, but that was all he said. No one had told us if Addie was okay or didn’t make it...nothing...at all.

“I don’t know if I can go in there, Ted. What if she...what if she isn’t alive?” I worriedly asked Teddy as the two of us walked hand-in-hand down to the NICU. “If she isn’t breathing, then I don’t want to see her. I won’t be able to take it.”

“Baby, everything’s going to be okay. I’m sure Addie’s fine,” Teddy tried assuring me as we rounded the corner and came face to face with the door that opened into one of the NICU rooms, specifically the one that my doctor said Addie was in.

“Teddy, Kourtni, come on in,” a nurse, wearing a name tag Hailey, said as she led us into the NICU. “If you’ll go to the last little bed on the right...”

I closed my eyes as I squeezed Teddy’s hand while he led us down to the bed Addie was supposedly in. After a few steps, he stopped, and I heard him let out a gasp. Of course the gasp had me worried, so my eyes shot open, and I saw the most beautiful sight ever. Addie was laying there, pink socks on her little feet, with her eyes open, her chest heaving up and down.

“Hey angel,” Teddy whispered as he bent down and got a closer look at her. “I love you,” he said softly as he tucked his index finger under Addie’s five little fingers.

“She weighed in at five pounds, twelve ounces...measured to be eighteen inches long,” Hailey spoke up from behind me.

“Is she...is she okay?” I asked, turning around to look at Hailey.

“It looks like she’s got a little jaundice, and her breathing’s a little heavier than normal, but if we keep a close eye on her, you should be able to take her home in a few days.”

And then the water works started all over again. Tears streamed down my face as I hugged Hailey before turning to hug Teddy and kiss his cheek softly. As a single tear hit Teddy’s hand, Addie let out a cry.

“Did you hear, Ted? Everything’s going to be okay. We get to take our little angel home in a few days,” I cried as Hailey walked to the other side of the bed, just making sure Addie was okay. “Can, can I hold her?”

“Of course,” Hailey said with a cheerful smile. “She probably needs to be fed since it’s been about two hours since her first feeding. I don’t know if you were going to breast feed, but if you are interested, I can send you back to your room with Addie and have a lactation nurse come by.”

“I want to give it a shot...since it’s healthier for her.”

“Okay, let me get this bed unhooked from the wall,” Hailey said as she bent down to move the rolling bed away from the wall. “You can go back to your room. The lactation nurse should be there in ten minutes.”

“Aren’t you going to hold her?” Teddy whispered as he rolled her bed out of the NICU.

“I’m scared I’ll break her. She’s so tiny,” I said as I took my thumb and brushed some of Addie’s dark hair back against her head. “She looks like you.”

“You think?” Teddy asked as he stopped, just outside of the NICU, reaching down in the bed to pick Addie up out of it. “I was thinking she looked like you. She’s got your hair.”

“Well, she’s got your eyes and nose and all of your facial features.”

“Either way, she’s a pretty baby,” Teddy smiled as we strolled into my hospital room. “She’s as light as a feather. You’re going to have an easy job,” he laughed as I sat down in my bed, waiting for him to pass her over to me.

“That is if she chooses to cooperate,” I said as I held Addie for the first time, sitting back and waiting for the lactation nurse to come in and give me some tips.

-------

Thankfully Addison chose to cooperate with the breast feeding. The only problem was that it hurt a lot. But, I had to tough it out because it was better and healthier for her.

“So, we’re really parents,” Teddy sighed as he sat on the edge of my hospital bed, the two of us waiting for our parents to get to the hospital to meet Addie for the first time.

“I know. It still doesn’t seem real,” I sighed as I looked over at a sleeping Addie in her little cart. The nurses in the NICU said she was fine to stay with us in my room for a few hours, but that they’d come in to check on her every couple of minutes.

“Give it two or three days, whenever they decide to release her. When she’s waking us up every hour it’ll sink in,” he chuckled.

“I know. I’m looking forward to that but dreading it all at the same time. You know how much I value my sleep.”

“That’s when I’ll have to step in and take over and do my daddy duties while mommy gets her some much needed rest.”

“And that’s when I’ll have to start doing special things for you.”

“What kinds of special things?” Teddy asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Not what you’re thinking, mister nasty,” I giggled as I heard the door to my room being pushed open. “We just had one kid. I already don’t want another one for a couple of years.”

“Yeah, you’re right...me either,” he laughed as one of the nurses came over to check Addie out again.

“I have some news for you,” the nurse spoke up as she handed Addison over to Teddy.

“If it’s bad news, I don’t want to hear it.”

“No, it’s great news. It looks like little Addison is recovering a lot faster than the doctors expected. You three will get to go home sometime tomorrow afternoon.”

“That’s excellent news,” I smiled as Teddy started pacing around the room, just as the door was being pushed open again.

“Where’s our little grandbaby?” I heard my mom ask as I looked up to see her and Teddy’s mom entering the room, both carrying huge gift bags.

“Aw, Ted, seeing you holding a baby is just so natural,” Teddy’s mom told him with a huge grin on her face. “I always knew you’d make a great father one day.”

“Why don’t you two take turns holding her?” Teddy asked as he walked and handed Addie over to his mom before returning to my bedside. “Once those two get their hands on her, we may never see her again,” he laughed before turning to kiss my cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Ted.”

“Thanks for going through everything you had to go through. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for giving birth to my little angel.”

“I’d do anything for you,” I smiled as Teddy and I looked on as our moms stared in awe and amazement at our little princess, Addison Grace Geiger.

[smile♥]

cute cute!

[Kourtni]

Thanks.
I didn't really like it, but this needed an update, so yeah.

[Kourtni]

I need to update this!

[smile♥]

yes! you do!

[Kourtni]

I'm working on it.
It's coming along slowly but surely.

[smile♥]

okie dokie

[Kourtni]

Chapter 5:

It’s been a week since Teddy and I brought little Addie Grace home from the hospital. Having her home is the best feeling in the world. I love holding her, feeding her, and just love having her around. It’s even cuter to watch Teddy interact with his little girl. He’s still afraid to hold her, always telling me that he’s going to break her. I have been surprised with how he’s stepped up and changed more diapers than I have.

“Ah, my two favorite girls! I was hoping I’d find you in here,” Teddy announced as he came into his apartment after finishing the last of his finals.

“Where else would we be?” I giggled. It was true, though. We didn’t have anywhere else to go, except my apartment, but it was really loud over there, and I didn’t have a room for Addie. That and I was in constant pain because of breast feeding.

“Well, I have some good news for you.”

“What would this good news be?”

“I aced all of my finals. And I have a surprise...I’m going to finally play one of my songs for you and Addie. It’s about time I do that.”

“Oh, yay! I’ve been waiting for this,” I smiled as I watched Teddy walk into his room, returning to the living room seconds later with his guitar in hand.

“You're the girl in the back of the room
My wallflower that's in bloom
You're so oblivious to this
I could fall into those eyes
Pretty circles that I try to escape into, yeah
Well hallelujah when you look at me
And hallelujah you're the halo over me
And you're all that I need,” he starts to sing as Addie opens her eyes and sits as still as a bird. She recognized her daddy’s voice and was intent on hearing every last word of his song.

“With you, every day is Saturday
With you, Every word you say is like a song
With you well, everything is obvious
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Well I found you, I found you
I found you, Hallelujah.

I never thought I'd take that jump
A nervous laugh around someone
I'm sleeping in the palm of your hand
The way you whisper on the phone
I hear your voice when I'm alone
Cause you always understand just who I am

And hallelujah your love is free
And hallelujah you're the halo over me
And you're all that I need

With you, every day is Saturday
With you, Every word you say is like a song
With you well, everything is obvious
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Well I found you, I found you
I found you, Hallelujah

The best things are unexpected just like this
Like a billboard in the sky you just can't miss
And I'm never letting this love go
Hallelujah, hallelujah

With you, every day is Saturday
With you, Every word you say is like a song
With you well, everything is obvious
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Well I found you, I found you
I found you, Hallelujah,” Teddy finished singing.

I waited for the first last strum on his guitar string before I start clapping. I even grabbed Addison’s tiny hands and forced them together so she could clap for her daddy too.

“So, what’d you think?” Teddy asked.

“We loved it. Addison hasn’t been this still in her life, not even in the womb!” I giggled as I turned Addison around so that she was facing her daddy.

“My mom, dad, and my sister are coming into town today. Dad’s so excited about meeting his first grandbaby. He hates he wasn’t there the day she was born, but he was too busy working. I hope you don’t mind them coming for a few hours.”

“Oh no, I don’t mind at all. It’s always great for Addison to visit with her family. And I know your mom will enjoy spending time with her little grandbaby too.”

“Do you need to get a shower or anything? I can watch Addie if you need me to.”

“Would you, please? I am in desperate need of a nice, warm bubble bath to relax my muscles among other things,” I chuckled as I stood up, moving towards Teddy in the recliner, fully prepared to pass Addison off to him.

“Let me start your bath for you...”

“Ted, I can start my bath. It’s not a big deal.”

“No, I insist. Let me do it.”

“Alright,” I sighed, giving into Teddy’s request as I watched him get up off the recliner and head back to his bathroom.

This whole thing between me and Teddy was just weird. We slept in the same bed and told each other ‘I love you’, but neither of us acknowledged whether we were “together” or not. I guess we were just trying not to kill each other for Addison’s sake, not that we’d kill each other now. At the time being things were great between us. If it weren’t for little Addison Grace, we wouldn’t be as close as we are now.

“Your bath has been started,” Teddy announced, returning to his living room minutes later after starting my bubble bath. “Now, hand daddy’s little girl over,” he smiled as I laughed and passed Addison over to her daddy.

“She shouldn’t need to be fed, but if she does just let me know, and I’ll hurry out and feed her,” I told Teddy as I leaned down to kiss Addison’s forehead. “Addie, you be a good girl for your daddy. Don’t give him too much trouble.”

-------

Twenty minutes pass before I even think about climbing out of the bath tub. I hadn’t heard any commotion from Teddy, nor had I heard Addison crying, so I just enjoyed a nice bubble bath.

When I finally managed to drag myself out of the tub, I felt ten times better. I felt very relaxed, which was my goal in taking a bubble bath.

As I wrapped a towel around my body, I heard a soft knock on the bathroom door. Once the towel was tightly wrapped around my body, I opened the door and saw a grinning Teddy on the other side. He swiftly picked me up and carried me over to his bed.

“Sorry to shock you, but I just felt the need to do this,” Teddy softly whispered in my ear as his lips attached to my neck, a soft moan escaping my lips. “Yeah, you like it...don’t you?”

“What about Addie? Is she okay? Where is she?” I asked, hoping that nothing had happened to her. “You didn’t just leave her in the living room all alone, did you?”

“Mom, dad, and my sister are here now. I told them I was coming back to check on you. They told me to, uh, take my time,” he answered me with a smirk. “We just need some alone time, Kourtni. We haven’t been able to do anything since Addie came home.”

“Yeah, because for the first three days I was still in pain from pushing her out of me...and the past four days because my boobs are killing me. Look, I just don’t know if I’m ready to do anything Teddy.”

“I’m not rushing you, sweetheart,” he whispers softly. “I just want to be close to you for a few minutes, just the two of us,” he continues whispering, his warm breath tingling on my skin. “Can we just do that?”

“Why don’t you stop blabbering and kiss me already?”

“Yes ma’am,” Teddy laughed before gently pressing his lips against mine.

Minutes pass, and before you know it Teddy and I have been making out for a good ten minutes. Our session was interrupted by Addison’s cries from the living room, and Teddy’s little sister knocking on his bedroom door.

“Hey...sorry we were so long. We’re in the middle of trying to come up with a way to rearrange Ted’s bedroom furniture,” I lied, hoping his parents wouldn’t catch on to what we were really doing. “Let me go feed her right quick. It shouldn’t be but a few minutes,” I said as Teddy’s dad handed Addie over to me. “You coming?” I mouthed to Teddy.

“Go ahead sweetie,” Teddy’s mom answered with a smile on her face.

Teddy and I then locked ourselves in Addison’s nursery. I sat down in the rocker and prepped myself before getting Addie started. As soon as I started feeding her, I started rocking back and forth, moving my gaze from Addison to Teddy.

“What’s on your mind?” I asked, noticing a confused look on Teddy’s face.

“A lot of things,” he answered, moving to lean against Addie’s dresser. “Mom spoke to me earlier about how my whole record deal is working out. I’ve been trying not to think about it at all because...”

“Addie and I understand that you’ve got to go out to California and do your thing. We’re not going to hate you for it.”

“But I don’t want to leave you, either of you. The two of you are my world. I just wish you could come with me, but Addie isn’t old enough to travel on a plane, and I wouldn’t put either of you through the torture of driving all the way out there.”

“We’ll be fine Ted, I promise.”

“I have to leave in two days...”

“Oh,” I sighed. “So, were you just not going to tell me you had to leave until the day you were supposed to leave? Ted, that’s not right. You know I understand. I don’t see why you just don’t tell me when you have to leave. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“But see it IS a big deal. For all I know, one day you could have this major breakdown and start going crazy on me for leaving. And lord knows I don’t want that to happen.”

“I’ll make a deal with you.”

“A deal...about what?”

“If you’ll stop worrying about leaving me and Addie, I promise to let you have me tonight. We can do it as soon as we put Addison to sleep.”

“You’d really do that? I mean, that’d make me feel a little better - I guess...knowing that you’d do that just to get my mind off of leaving the two of you.”

“Oh, looks like she’s done,” I said as I pulled down my bra and shirt, standing up and grabbing a burp cloth. “And it looks like she’s ready for daddy to burp her,” I smiled, kissing Teddy’s lips as I passed Addison over to him.

“Before we go back out there, can I ask you something?”

“Sure...anything.”

“Will you marry me?”

“Wait. Hold on. Repeat that?”

“Come on, it’s a simple yes or no question. Will you marry me or not?”

“Okay, if I didn’t want to sleep with you before, I’m sure as hell ready to sleep with you now...”

“I take that as a yes?”

“Hell yes; do you have a time machine so we can skip the next seven hours of the day?”

“No, but I sure as hell wish I did,” Teddy laughed as we exchanged a quick kiss before exiting Addie’s room and returning to the living room to gather with his parents and little sister.

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I pretty much hated that chapter, but whatever. It's all I could come up with.