Change in the Long Game! (joshaya)

25. Changes

Song I'm currently listening to - Longshot by Catfish and the Bottleman

A/N THIS CHAPTER HAS DELETED ITSELF - the old ending of it wasn't the best. It was rushed and I made it to do with the sequel. I'm currently not planning on making a squeal to this story as I have a few ideas for other non related stories. 

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36 Weeks Later

Maya's POV

"Ready?" Josh asked me.

"Yes Josh, just like every other time you've asked. Just go." I said, motioning to the door.

"Let's go girls." He kissed my head, Evie's head and our unnamed baby girl's head.

He pushed open the door to our brand new house in Philadelphia Evie was yet to see.

She ran inside and screamed, causing the baby to cry.

"Shh baby girl. You're going to upset your sister." Josh said picking her up and spinning her around.

"Dad you're silly." She giggled.

"No. You're suppose to call me daddy or Dada, you're still our baby girl." He started to tickle her.

"No, I'm the big girl now. Baby M is the baby. Duh." She laughed.

"Baby M needs a name." I declared. Josh put down Evie.

"What do you think?"

"It has to have 4 letters and begin with an E. Like my name." She smiled. I looked at Josh.

"I like that idea." He smiled.

"Okay. How about-"

"Erin." Evie screamed.

Josh and I looked at each other and nodded.

"I love it." I smiled.

"I agree."

"Baby Erin Matthews. Welcome to the world."

"Erin, we're very lucky you know." Evie climbed up onto the sofa and kissed Erin's head.

"Why is that Evie?" I asked her. She smiled and looked at Erin.

"Our parents are the best people to exist. They love us so much and we love them. You also get dad, I mean daddy, from the start. You're so lucky." I looked up at Josh but he was already walking over to Evie.

"Just because I wasn't there from the start doesn't mean I love you any less than I love Erin. Remember that."

"Okay. Thanks daddy. I love you so much." I watched Evie kiss Josh on the cheek then run to get her bag of candy from the baby bag on the back of Erin's stroller. 

"I'll never forgive myself for everything I did and didn't do." I looked down. 

Josh took Erin from my arms and put her in her stroller.

"Look after your sister, okay Evie?"

"You got it dude." I laughed at my daughter's choice of words. She grew up watching 1980s and 90s TV with me.

Josh came round to the sofa and kissed me.

"You're never allowed to apologise for that. It's in the past. I'd never in the million years trade anything to world for what we've had over the last few years, or what's to come in the future. I love you and am here now. I'm not leaving you or our girls or any future kids or pets we have. I love you. I don't say that that out of habit. Maya, I say it because those three years don't matter, because I want to remind you - to remind myself how lucky I am to call you my wife and the mother of my girls. Travelling opens peoples worlds and eyes yet my heart was with you."

I wiped my eyes that were shedding tears that I was unaware of.

"Josh, whenever anyone mentioned you when you were away, my stomach filled with butterflies. Nobody knew and I felt awful, obviously I regret that you didn't know but in a way I'm glad that I didn't as I have a very close bond with Evie and we wouldn't be sat here right now saying all this. I love you. I don't regret falling for you when I was younger. I have always loved you just like-"

"I always will." 

Josh and I met when we were 10 and 7. I fell in love with someone who I was told was 'off limits'. I ignored everyone who said that, I ignored everything that everyone said. That's how I ended up pregnant I guess. 

Josh and I agreed to play the Long Game. We were planning to live our lives knowing we were out there. Then everything changed. It was a good change. I had, have, Josh. 

That college party was a long-shot that defiantly paid off. 

The long game was something. 

But...

Josh is everything.