Maddison's POV:
I called my father over for a discussion a few days after my conversation with Hayden. It took me a few days because I could never bring myself to call him again. It was so difficult to even dial his number, but I remembered what my mother said to me, when she was still alive. How she was happy for my father, and just because he wasn't ready to be a father when he had me, didn't mean I should push him away completely. It meant I should hear him out. Hayden was right, I gave him a chance to explain himself, and I finally allowed myself to feel freely about my love for him. I'm hoping I can do the same for my father.
Hayden noticed how much I was struggling to dial my dad's number, so he did it for me, and gave me the phone to ask him over. His hand squeezed mine whenever I stumbled over my words, or started trembling. Which gave me some sort of comfort. My father was on his way here now, and he and I were waiting for his arrival on the living room couch.
"It's gonna be okay, I'm right here with you" Hayden says, whispering in my ear, as he places a soft kiss on my neck. And I smile, nervously.
There's a knock at the door, as my heart races, and Hayden let's go of my hand to go answer the door. I look over at the front door, to see my father waiting in the doorway, he greets Hayden at the door with a firm handshake and Hayden allows him inside. Which still didn't sit right with me, watching him step foot into my childhood home. I can see him looking around, and I can barely read the expression on his face but he seems overwhelmed when he makes his way over to me. And Hayden is right behind him.
"Mads.. hey" my dad says, as he takes a seat across from me and Hayden sits next to me, placing his hand on my knee, as my hand slips into his.
I take a deep breath, trying to ease my anxiety, as I look into my father's eyes.
"I called you over here cause I'm ready to hear you out. I just want to know why you did what you did." I said, hoping hearing him out, would finally give me some kind of closure.
He smiles softly, looking down at my stomach briefly, before sighing himself.
"Maddison, when I married your mother.." my dad starts, running his hand over his face and he seems to be fighting tears. He then looks at me, and I can see his eyes turning red.
"When she and I met and married, I was in love with her. I still have love for your mother. And I'm always gonna miss her" he said, which tugged at my heart strings.
"The reason why I left.. was because you were right, your mother caught me having an affair. But that's only because after we had you, we could feel a strain on our relationship. And I started to feel even more drawn to someone else. It's not that I wasn't ready for you Mads, of course I wanted you. I just didn't know who I was outside of being a father or a husband. I needed time to figure that out, and somewhere along the way I did that with another woman." he says, making me squeeze Hayden's hand out of anger, and he rubs his thumb over my knuckles.
"But I feel terrible about doing so, not every marriage stays together, and I know how much I don't deserve your forgiveness. But I am so sorry, that i ever made you feel like I never truly cared about you." he says, hesitantly reaching for my hand, I stare at his attempt, and before I can decide anything.
Hayden takes my hand in his and places it in my father's grasp slowly.
My breath hitches, feeling my father's touch for the first time in years. It felt just like old times, and an overwhelming urge of sorrow washed over me.
"I will always love and care for you. And I meant what I said before, about being there for your daughter. And I'm gonna be there for you too. Whenever you need or want me too." he says, making a tear fall out of my eye. As I wipe it away instantly.
My father was tearing up too, "and if you'll let me, I would like to be apart of my grand daughter's life. To make up for not being there for you. I might not have been a great father to you Maddison. But, I can be a great grandfather to your daughter." he says, making more tears fall out of my eyes, as I held his hand in mine.
So many thoughts were running through my mind, but the one thought that settles is how my mother would have wanted my father to be in my daughter's life, since she isn't around anymore to be her grandmother. I nod slowly, as he cries with me, and we pull each other into an embrace as I take in everything I've missed for the past decade and a half. His scent, his embrace, his touch, his honesty, and my forgiveness.
When we pull away, as he smiling and wiping my tears,
"I love you Mads, and I always have." he says, as I cry and laugh looking into his eyes.
"I love you too dad, and I forgive you" I said, as he pulls me in for another hug.
Afterwards, Hayden is reintroducing himself to my father, and we spend the next few hours telling my father the story of how I got pregnant and how Hayden has been in my life since high school. We share a couple laughs, as my father offers Hayden a job a restaurant close by. As I find out he's the owner of a bistro just a few blocks from here that's apparently franchised several bistros over a few states.
I watch as my father leaves, hugging Hayden and giving him his condolences for Mira. When the door finally closes and it's just Hayden and me. I take a breath, I felt like the weight I was carrying on my shoulders was finally gone. I wasn't the girl with daddy issues anymore, and it felt liberating. Hayden walks over to me, hugging me, as I sigh into his grasp.
"I am so proud of you" he murmurs, as I pull away from him and caress his face.
"I wouldn't have been able to do this without you..I am so happy you're here" I said, as he smiles, kissing me on the lips, before placing another kiss on my forehead.
This following weekend, Hayden and I are standing on the doorstep of his house.
"Are you ready for this?" I asked, putting my hand in his, as our fingers intertwine.
I watch him take a deep breath and then nod towards me.
I then knock on the front door, as his mother opens it moments later.
"Hayden! Maddison!" she says, ushering us inside, before pulling us in for bear hug.
That was the one thing I loved so much about his mother, her hugs felt like home.
"What are you doing here? is everything okay?" she asks, pulling away from Hayden, as he nods again.
"Everything's fine, I just need to talk to both of you about something important" he said, as she frowns.
"Hayden you're scaring me, what is it?" she asks, as I hold his hand and caress his arm,
"it's about Mira" he says, and his mother's eyes soften.
"I'll get your father, you two wait in the gathering room" she says, giving me a smile, before pointing at my stomach.
And I laugh and place a hand on my stomach.
Hayden and I watch as she scurries upstairs to get his father, and we walk into the gathering room, which looks a lot like a living room but with three sets of love seats. We sit in the middle, as Hayden rubs his pants legs back and forth. And I admire the decor around us, the paintings were still so beautiful and the furniture was incredible.
"I'm pretty sure this entire room costs more than my college tuition" I whispered to him, as he looks at me and chuckles.
"Just breathe, I'm right here with you" I said, as he nods, we share a quick kiss, before his parents walk into the room.
His father still made me feel so intimidated, the way he walked into the room, and the energy changed drastically. He takes a seat in front of us, as his mother joins him. His father leans back on the couch, as his mother sits up, ready to listen.
Hayden clears his throat, as he holds my hand, "When Mira passed away, I turned to basketball even more back then, because I have been beating myself up trying to make up for her death. I became obsessed with basketball and that's why I was always looking forward to you guys coming to my games. I was trying to distract you from being sad about Mira. Cause it makes me feel so guilty that I was the one who took Mira away from our family." he says, as his mother's facial expression drops and she covers her mouth in devastation.
His father sits up, but his face is unreadable to me.
"Oh Hayden, oh my beautiful boy, is that what you thought all this time? that your father and I blame you for Mira's death?" his mother asked, as her eyes teared up and Hayden nods slowly.
His mother sits next to him on the other side of the couch, putting her arms around him, and pulling him into another hug.
"Hayden, oh my gosh, you are my son! and you will always be my son! I will always love you unconditionally. There is nothing you could have done or could ever do to change that." she says, as she pulls away, to look into his eyes.
"Look at me, you are enough just the way you are, you never needed to play a sport or have some fancy coaching job to get me and your father to care about your well being. You don't have to prove to us that you are worth our love. Cause we love you no matter what. I could never blame you for Mira's death, it was an accident. You're my son. And I love you" she says, as they cry in each other's arms. And my heart swells for them.
But my eyes travel over to his father, once Hayden and his mother pull away from their emotional embrace.
"Harrison?" his mother asks, as he looks as though he's thinking. His eyes peer into mine, before looking at my stomach, and taking a deep breath.
"Your mother's right, you're our son. And we love you." he says, making Hayden sigh of relief.
"We know Mira would have wanted us to forgive you, and we're happy you found someone who brings out the best in you. This is the first time, in a long time, where we've actually seen you comfortable with being who you are. And we're proud of you." his father says, as he stands to his feet, and Hayden does the same.
His father takes his hands out of his pockets and hugs Hayden slowly, as Hayden wraps his arms around him.
"I'm sorry dad" he says into his shoulder,
"there's no need to apologize son" he said, as Hayden cries.
His mother chimes in on the father hug too, as she reaches out her hand to me, and I'm pulled into the group hug too. Afterwards, we're discussing the due date for the baby, and how I could pop any moment now. The anticipation is obviously killing us. And now every time I have excessive vaginal discharge I'm thinking my water broke. But of course not. We only discuss our plans for a baby name, and share some lunch together. Before Hayden and I are calling it a day.
On the drive back to our home, I'm holding Hayden's hand as I peer out the window. I look over at him with a smile, placing a soft kiss on the back of his hand. As he grins,
"I'm proud of you" I say, as he looks over at me briefly.
"I couldn't have done it without you" he says, as I blush.
That night, I was doing laundry and unloading the dishwasher, and heating up some left overs for me to eat. Before seeing the light on down the hall in the nursery room. I frown, walking down the hall and peering into the room to see Hayden on the floor, reading my high school journals. A few scattered on the floor, some opened and some closed. Fear washed over me instantly, when I saw what he was reading. But I didn't feel like he was invading my privacy, cause I wanted him to know how he made me feel when he bullied me in high school.
Reading my journals that went into grave detail about the trauma I underwent would help him see how hard it was to trust him, how hard it was to give him a second chance. I lean in the doorway, as he sets the journal down and rubs his eyes. Placing his arms over his knees and covering his face, as I can hear him cry.
I enter the room and sit next to him, placing my hand on his knee, as I turn towards him.
"Maddie.." he says, looking over at me, and I can see those blue eyes watering.
"Oh Hayden.." I say, as he shakes his head.
"I hate that I ever made you feel this way, I hate that I was just some dumb kid who didn't know how to grieve his sister. Without hurting you in the process. I chose to take out my grief on you, when I could have been coping some other way." he said, as I shake my head.
"Hey, it's okay! it's okay now." I said, as I caressed his cheek, and he places his hand over mine, and kisses my palm.
"Remember when you kissed me in the kitchen, and you asked me why I had a panic attack? why I was crying.." I said, as he nods slowly. I sigh.
"It's because in that moment I had realized all the pain and hatred I had for you. And what you put me through. Didn't amount to how much I am in love with you. And it terrified me, how much I loved you harder than how hard I hated you. And in that moment, it dawned on me that I had already forgiven you. Cause there was no other greater reason not too. I understand now, Hayden. And the reason why I never allowed myself to admit that.. is because I felt like in some way..I was letting that girl that you were reading about down. I felt like you didn't deserve me" I said, as I watch tears roll down his cheeks.
"I don't" he says,
"don't say that" I whisper, kissing him and climbing onto his lap, as he pulls me towards his hips, and my baby bump prevents us from getting closer.
"You do deserve me Hayes, you deserve us because I forgive you" I whisper, as my forehead touches his and I place his hand on my stomach. He then kisses me again, caressing my face, and I snake my hands around his neck. As we start to make out.
But we pull away abruptly when liquid soaks our clothes, "Maddie, oh my gosh did you just pee on me?" he asks, as I'm in shock.
"No.. I think my water just broke" I said, looking at him wide eyed, as his eyes widened as well, helping me off of him, as I touch my thighs to see the water came from my amniotic sack.
"Shit" Hayden says, as we begin to panic together.
Moments later, Hayden and I are speeding to the hospital as he's on the phone telling both our parents and my girlfriends, our daughter is coming. I'm squeezing his hand and remembering to breathe, as I'm trying to track how far apart my contractions are. We make it to the hospital, and the nurses help me into a wheelchair, as Hayden walks with me to a hospital room.
I'm groaning in pain, as Hayden helps me into the hospital gown and carries me into the hospital bed. The doctor checks to see how dilated my cervix is and I'm only eight centimeters. I have to wait for two freaking more.
"You got this Maddie, don't worry, you'll be at ten centimeters in no time. Just breathe" Hayden says to me, as he holds my hand, allowing me to grip it as much as I need too.
"You're so strong Maddison, and you are so capable of this. Breathe" Hayden says, whispering in my ear as I nod, and cry out in pain, as another contraction passes.
"God, I wish my mother was here.." I say, staring at the ceiling.
"She is.. in here" Hayden says, placing a hand over my heart, as I smile at him.
"Everyone's in the waiting room, and your dad's here" Hayden says, as I look at him in awe.
"Really?" I ask, before crying out in pain again.
"Yes, really" he says, kissing my forehead, as I grip his hand.
An Hour later, they're asking me to push, as I sit up, and raise my knees a little closer to my shoulders.
"Okay, now push Maddison!" the doctor says, as she holds my shins.
I push with everything in me, squeezing Hayden's hand for strength in comfort, as I throw my head back, hollering in pain. It continues like that for five minutes, until I feel her slip out of me and into my doctor's arms.
"Congratulations" she says, as I can hear my daughter's cries fill the room and it's like music to my ears. I lay back on my pillow soaked in sweat, as I try to catch my breath.
"You did so great baby" Hayden whispers, as we share a kiss.
"She's so beautiful, just like you" he says, as they hand her to me, wrapped in a hospital blanket.
She's still crying and fussing until she's in my arms.
I stare at her in my arms, as I'm bewildered at the fact that she's so small and delicate.
It's overwhelming the amount of emotions flooding through my body right now. But the love I have for her is something inhumane and out of this world. And I thought falling in love with Hayden was terrifying. Her eyes look into mine, and her small hand rests in my palm, as I'm bawling over the fact that she's ours.
"What's her name?" the nurse asked, as I look at my daughter's nose, it was the same shape as Hayden's.
And her precious little baby hairs on the top of her head. Everything about her was perfect.
"Mira Meredith Manson" I said, as I look over at Hayden.
As the entire room of nurses and doctors coo.
I'm passing Mira to Hayden, as he looks at me with shock and adoration, it makes my stomach flip.
"Hello Mira, I'm your father" Hayden says, looking at his daughter and kissing her forehead.
"I love it, I love her and God, I love you" Hayden says, as he kisses me again.
"I love you both" I said, as I watch him hold my heart in his hands.
A few minutes later, his family and friends, as well as my friends and father is walking in to see her.
"Oh my gosh! she's so adorable!" Loren says, running into the room and seeing Mira in Hayden's arms.
"Careful, she's finally sleeping" Hayden says, as I smile.
"I think I'm gonna cry" Laurie said, as she stood next to Loren and stared at Mira in awe.
"She's so precious" Sam says, holding Mira's hand, as she stirs in Hayden's arms.
"Who wants to hold her first?" Hayden asked, as I watched as each of our parents and friends take their time holding her in their arms.
"You named her after your mother?" my father asked, as I nod.
He smiles and takes my hand in his, as Mira sleeps in his arms.
After I stay at the hospital for a day or two more too heal from the birth. Hayden and I are super excited to bring Mira home to her nursery. Hayden places her in her crib, as we stare at her.
We've been doing that a lot lately, but can you blame us? she's so beautiful.
Over these last few hours I started to notice how she had Hayden's sister's eye color. The ocean blue depths in her undertones. And her hair was just like my mother's and mine, so wavy and blonde. The fair skin tone and plump pink lips. There's so much resemblance from his sister to my mother in her. And it made me fall in love with my daughter even more.
"You ready for this?" he asked me, as I looked at him, knowing he was referring to being a mother.
"I don't think I'll ever be ready, but I'm excited to see where this takes us" I say, as he pulls me close to him, making me giggle, as we share a kiss.
One Year Later,
After the birth of my daughter, I went back to tackling my resume and applying to jobs. I got my body back in shape, did some yoga on Mondays and Tuesdays, worked out at the public gym a few blocks down my house, and lost all my baby fat. Hayden went on walks with me, as we listened to music together and brought Mira along for her stroller ride. He started working full time at my father's bistro and I would stop by every now and then on his break, so we could share lunch together.
Mira was being well taken care of by my father, Hayden's parents and my best friends. Everyone pitched him to help raise her every chance they got. And Hayden and I always got our fair share of alone time. We would take turns feeding and changing our daughter's diaper, and throw in rock paper scissors to decide who gets to give her a bath. She was the love of our life. Truly. After I got my body back, I started heading to interviews and I snagged a job at another business firm, that helped us expand our beach home.
Hayden stayed home and opened up his own catering company that was partnered by my father's bistro. So he could spend more time with Mira. I was getting home late tonight, pulling an overnight shift at my job. As the house was dark.
"Babe?" I asked, setting down my paperwork and putting my home key on the kitchen island.
Then I see a light coming from the porch, as I walk outside the sliding door, to see Hayden holding Mira in his arms, and standing under dangling lights he pulled together.
"Hayden, what's going on?' I asked, as he hands me, my daughter and I say hi to her, kissing her and putting her on my hip. But then I see Hayden getting on one knee out of the corner of my eye. And my heart leaps with joy and excitement.
"Hayden.. oh my gosh" I said, taking a step back to collect myself.
"Maddison Hilary Manson, I have always been in love with you. Ever since you brought our beautiful daughter in to our lives, I have wanted to propose to you. But, I didn't want to rush you into something you weren't ready for. Or make you think the only reason why I was proposing was because I felt obligated to do so. Like I had to cause you were pregnant with my child. But no, I am so unconditionally in love with everything that makes you who you are. And we've grown even closer over this past year, raising Mira together, and following our dreams. I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else. I don't want too.
Cause nothing makes sense without you Maddie, it never has and it never will. So, with all that being said, will you do me the greatest honor, of becoming my wife?" he asked, taking out a small box from his pocket and revealing a diamond ring.
My vision is blurry cause I'm tearing up, holding our daughter in one hand and covering my mouth with my other. I didn't even know how to feel in this moment, as my heart was racing and my hand was shaking. So many emotions were swallowing me whole, but one was giving me the strength to swim. Love.
I nodded and cried out, "yes!" with everything in me. As he beams up at me.
He takes the ring out of the box and places it on my finger, then were kissing and group hugging our family.
"See, I told you the jock ends up with the geek in the end. Happily ever after's do exist. And I think we've made our own." he says, as I blush.
"Hayden Hiddleton, how did you become the best mistake I ever made?" I say, putting my free arm around his neck, as he chuckles.
"I guess you could say it was a miracle" he says, which makes me laugh, as he kisses me again. And I already feel like his wife.
The End.