The First of February (EDITING)

Epilogue

Ashley

The mouth watering scent of Italian food wafted at my nose as the aroma floated throughout my home. I've been living back in Minnesota for about two years now, just a couple blocks away from my mom's house. We had just gotten off the phone. After my drama-filled time with a certain boy band, I decided it would be the best if I made up with her. Now, we talk everyday and I can say I love her and actually mean it.

A picture of a few friends and I from college hung in the kitchen, making me smile every time I see it. Another major thing I had decided as well was to go to college. I have great friends who don't judge me or care that I'm not perfect. I'm studying to become a nurse.

The pot of tomato sauce sat on the stove, cooking and bubling slowly. I pulled out a spoon from a near by drawer and stirred the red concoction slowly, humming a tune in the process. It wasn't anything specific, just something that came to me at that moment.

Outside the window, snow was beginning to fall. All the trees were stripped bare of their Autumn colored leaves and winter was finally making its way into Minnesota. I had always loved winter; it's my favorite season.

Baby shower decorations still hung around the house, all of them having something to do with a boy. A large banner in the living room read "It's a boy!". I had meant to take them down, but never got to it. Well, I couldn't reach it to be quite honest, and I was afraid to get the ladder out.

My stomach was beginning to hurt again. It's the weirdest sensation, to be quite honest; knowing that something inside of you is kicking your insides. Just the whole idea of being pregnant kind of freaks me out, but I'm so ready to be a mom.

On the wall, the ticking clock read that it was just past seven o'clock. He should be home any minute now. Just the thought of seeing him again made me get butterflies in my stomach, along with the kicking. Maybe the baby knows Daddy is coming home. We stil haven't picked a name.

Curls of blond hair flowed from my head, falling down to my mid-back. I had on a black dress that fell just above my knees. Another weird thing about being pregnant was that my boobs were huge now. I'm strange, I know. I still haven't gotten used to my protruding belly. It's just there all the time. My one hand was grasped around the wooden spoon stirring the sauce for the pasta while my other one rested gently against my stomach, feeling tiny kicks.

A timer began to go off, signaling to me that the food was done and that it was almost time. I mixed the sauce and pasta together and dished it out onto two of my finest plates. This was a very special occasion, which calls for the fine china. Along with the pasta was garlic bread, chicken Parmesan, and meatballs. Everything smelled so good, it was tempting to not just eat now and dig into all of my food. I was hungry all the time, and it took major self control to not eat while cooking the food.

After dishing out the food onto the plates, I set them down at the dining table. Two glasses of red wine sat at either end of the table, a candle in the middle along with a bouquet of roses and the bottle of wine. This is what I call romance.

The French doors leading to the backyard let tons of natural light into the dining room and set off a more romantic setting. There were butterflies fluttering all around inside my stomach, trying to find a way out as the clock kept ticking away.

Everything was ready.

I stopped for a second and stood there, captivated by the scenery outside the window. The trees' branches were blowing in the wind, leaves dancing on the ground as the white flakes fell to the ground.

A pounding at the door erupted, making me jump a little. As I scurried over to the front door, barefoot, the butterflies and kicking feelings in my stomach grew more immense. Right on time. The door clicked from under my hand as I pulled the door open towards me, revealing the familiar face from the opposing side.

Bags were set on either side of him, resting on the front steps. Dark, skinny jeans hung loose and low on his slim figure. A long, black jacket covered his frame with a gray scarf wrapped around his neck. His cheeks and nose were red from the bitter air along with the tops of his ears. The wind was blowing his hair to the side a bit.

I just stood there, taking in all of his features. While I stood inside with the heat on, he was outside in the chilling, winter weather.

A crooked smile was plastered over his face. It felt like all the feelings I had bottled inside of me just burst and my arms were wrapped around his neck in a second. My stomach got in the way a bit. The feeling of the freezing cold cement beneath my bare, swollen feet made my skin tingle.

His arms wrapped around my larger than normal body and I could feel his head resting in the crook of my neck. I inhaled deeply, breathing in his familiar scent. It felt comforting to be in his arms again, being in his warmth.

The last time we had seen each other was when I was less pregnant. This was the first time he'd seen me this big and as a blimp. We pulled back and his hands fell from my waist to my stomach.

The kicking picked up when his hands touched my belly. Maybe the baby could sense that his daddy was finally home. I know I was excited to see him, maybe the baby was too. His blue eyes were glued to my belly for a second until they finally found my face again.

"It's great to be home, Mrs. Horan."