2014
"I miss you a ton," Michael sighed, his voice coming out crackly through the speaker of Addy's laptop. His face was pixelated on the screen, but Addy was just glad she got to see it at all, considering he was hundreds of miles away.
After high school, Michael had applied to a college in the area, while Addy had applied to a bunch that were out of state. Calum had ended up moving in with his new girlfriend, (who he never shut up about) and they lived in a little apartment on the upper east side of the city where they both attended the community college together. Ashton had settled in a small house with his girlfriend, who he was planning to marry sometime in the near future. He decided against going to college and was now working an office job of some sort, (making music on the side) but his girlfriend had started going to college after a little convincing from the others. As for Luke, he got accepted into pretty much every Ivy League school there is, despite his struggles during high school. He was now attending Harvard University, where he wasn't really looking for a girlfriend. He was single, and he wanted to keep it that way for the time being while he focused on his education.
Addy knew she had the intelligence to get into the school she wanted and that she probably would, but she also knew that it came with leaving her boyfriend behind. So here she was, sitting on her small bed in her college dorm room, Skyping with her boyfriend that she hadn't seen face to face in months.
"Ditto," Addy mumbled, looking sadly down at her hands. She didn't know it was physically possible to miss someone so much that your whole body hurt. She just wanted Michael next to her. "Only two more weeks until we both have spring break though. I bought my plane ticket home last week. We can see each other then." Michael nodded on the other side, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He was upset a lot of the time and he missed Addy, but the thought of her coming home to him was enough to make it seem like nothing bad had ever happened in the first place.
"I know," he replied, the smile spreading to Addy's face now. "Damn, I love you Ellis." Even after two years of being out of high school, Michael had still insisted on calling Addy by her last name. She was irritated beyond belief that he hadn't disposed of the nickname earlier, but it had eventually come to grow on her.
"Love you too," she breathed, putting a hand on her forehead and wiping her eyes. It was late, and she needed to be up really early the next morning for finals. She always hated saying goodbye to Michael, because with both of their busy college schedules, they never knew exactly when they'd be able to talk again. It was rare that they both were free at the same time. "I should go, though. I have finals in the morning."
"Really?" Michael pouted on the other side of the screen, briefly making Addy believe that maybe studying and sleeping weren't that important after all. However, she snapped out of it quickly, understanding that she really, really needed to get good scores if she was going to go see Michael anytime soon. "No, no," he continued, dismissing his earlier comment. "You're totally right. You need to get sleep and all that healthy shit. Good luck on your finals tomorrow babe. And remember, only two more weeks."
"Two more weeks," Addy repeated, nodding once at Michael to signal that she understood. "Goodnight."
"Night, Ellis. Love you." Addy repeated her goodbye and closed her laptop, shoving it off of her lap and setting it on the edge of her bed. She stood up, stretched and started her nightly routine so that she could finally get to sleep. Once she was in bed, a text appeared on her screen.
Michael: Good luck tomorrow, you've got this x. Love you so much.
She replied quickly before sleep started to overtake her, forcing her eyes to shut and her mind to drift off.
-
Five Years Later - 2019
"Michael," Addy whispered excitedly, poking Michael's face in attempts to wake him up. It was early in the morning, around seven o'clock, and Addy had just gotten out of bed to use the bathroom. However, when she glanced in the cupboard above the sink and noticed the little sealed white packages on the shelf, she decided to test just one more time. Apparently, sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth times are all a charm.
Michael just rolled over lazily in bed, squinting groggily as the face of his girlfriend came into view above him.
"Morning?" he asked, rolling over even more to check what time it was on the little black alarm clock that was sitting on the nightstand. "You are aware that it's seven in the morning, right?" he asked another question, clearly confused. But he didn't have time to get a response before he was being dragged by the arm out of bed. "Ellis!" he whined, sitting up and getting out of bed for himself, figuring this was probably something important. "What the hell?"
"Come in here, right now," she said calmly, trying not to ruin the surprise by giving it away in her tone of voice. He cocked his eyebrow at her as she led him into the bathroom, standing in front of the sink so she would obstruct his view of the surprise. Michael closed his eyes tiredly, pulling his hand out from Addy's and leaning his head back.
"Okay, any other day I would totally be down for shower sex," he started, wiping his tired eyes. "But it's so damn early." Addy just laughed, slapping his arm lightly.
"No! Oh my God," she giggled, pulling Michael's hands away from his eyes. As his vision focused she stepped away from the sink, letting Michael decipher what was in front of him. He was quiet for a few seconds, and you could tell that Addy was more nervous than she'd ever been in her entire life.
"You're- You-" Michael stuttered, tearing his eyes away from the sink and staring up at Addy with an enormous smile on his tired face. Suddenly, he didn't look so tired anymore. Addy nodded excitedly, feeling the tears come up in the back of her throat.
"Yes, Michael. I'm pregnant."
For a second, Michael literally thought he'd blacked out. He felt like his insides were full of fireworks, and he'd just accidentally tripped and set them all off at once.
"ADDY," he yelled, his expression so excited Addy thought he might actually pass out. "Addy. You're pregnant! There's a little tiny baby in there! Our baby!" He kept yelling, and all Addy could do was laugh hysterically while she watched Michael with tears in the corners of her eyes. Eventually they were both crying, and Michael pulled Addy in for a bone-crushing hug, picking her up off of the floor and spinning her around. He set her down and held her gently at an arm's length, just staring at her. "Oh my God," he whispered. "This is way better than shower sex."
"Come on Michael," Addy tried her hardest to roll her eyes at the stupid joke, but she just couldn't. Not when she was this happy. "Are you okay with this?" she asked seriously, looking Michael in the eyes.
"What? Of course," he said quickly, reassuring her. He pulled her in for another hug, resting his chin on her shoulder. "That's our baby in there. I love you."
"I love you too," Addy said, glancing over at the three pregnancy tests in the sink to her left. She was terrified that there was a tiny baby inside of her, but who wouldn't be? Although, thinking of all of the things she could do when the baby came was enough to reduce her to near tears.
"Should we start thinking of names? How about Avery? What if it's a boy? Maybe Jack? Charlie? God Ellis, I'm so excited!" Michael was laughing.
"I know," Addy whispered. "Me too."
-
Eight Months Later - 2020
"You're sure you're okay?" Luke asked quietly, supporting Addy as she walked slowly down the hallway to the kitchen. Her pregnant belly was enormous now, and she was beginning to feel a really bad pain in her stomach and legs. Normally she would have just sat down and taken medicine while she waited for it to subside, but she could feel that this time was different.
"I think so," Addy winced, having to stop halfway down the hall to breathe while the pains got worse. She was over at Luke's apartment with Michael, but Michael had run to the gas station, and the baby was beginning to get restless inside her stomach again.
"We should probably call the hospital," Luke suggested calmly, knowing that it was a whole month too early for this baby to be coming. Addy put her hand up to stop him from continuing, panicking a little as she realized what was happening.
"I am not having this baby when Michael's not here-" she wanted to continue, but she doubled over in pain so hard that she couldn't. Luke decided for her - this baby was on the way, and he wasn't about to have her give birth in the middle of his house.
He grabbed her coat for her off the rack, slipped on her shoes quickly and they were out the door. He helped her down the stairs carefully, freaking out a little bit (screw that, a lot) that he was solely responsible for his best friend who was pregnant and currently in labor. They piled into the car (which Michael had put a "baby emergency kit" inside for this very reason) and Luke drove like a maniac to the hospital. Addy kept screaming at him about how much pain she was in and that he should call Michael immediately, but he was too focused on getting both, well, all three of them safely to the hospital first to help with any of that.
When they arrived, Luke didn't even park the car. He sped up to the front and stopped in the "No Parking Zone," helping Addy out of the car and walking with her quickly into the hospital. He unfolded a wheelchair in the front entrance and Addy sat down, groaning loudly from the pain.
"Excuse me!" Luke yelled, catching the attention of everyone as they moved out of the way of the young man who was pushing the pregnant woman in wheelchair through the crowd. He broke into a run after a few seconds, when Addy let out another painful sound. "Excuse me!" he repeated, catching the attention of a nurse this time. "She's in labor, please help us!"
Before he even got half the words out, the nurse rushed over and took the wheelchair from him, nodding furiously and wheeling Addy quickly through some double doors into the area with the hospital rooms. Luke wasn't allowed back there just yet, but he pulled out his phone and called Michael, breathing heavily from all the panicking and running.
"What's wrong?" Michael asked when he picked up the phone. He'd begun answering the phone like that, skipping the greeting completely because he wanted to know if there was a problem regarding his girlfriend or unborn child.
"Well," Luke started. He decided just to cut to the chase - he didn't have much time. "Addy's in labor, we're at the hospital."
"What the hell!?" Michael yelled into Luke's ear. He was nervous, excited, anxious, and proud all rolled into one as he made an illegal U-Turn and headed straight for the hospital.
"I know, man," Luke panted, trying to steady his frantic breathing. "She's okay now, but you might want to hurry up. Your kid could be here literally any minute."
"Shut the fuck up Luke!" Michael yelled again, not really meaning what he said. He was just really nervous about missing the birth of his first and only child. Luke said his goodbye, letting Michael focus on getting to the hospital in time. No more than five minutes later Michael burst through the hospital doors, breathing heavy as he continued to run toward Luke.
"What's happening?" he breathed, holding onto his chest as he panicked slightly.
"Your child's not born yet," Luke assured him quickly, and Michael threw his head back in relief, rubbing his face nervously. "Addy's through those doors, to the left in the fifth room. I told them you were coming. Now go!" Luke slapped Michael on the back, and he took another running start through the doors. Luke sat back in the waiting room, and waited for his little niece to be born.
Two hours later, after a long and painful process, Michael, Addy, Luke, Calum (who had showed up later) and Ashton (who had showed up too) all welcomed the new little baby. Her name was Grace Clifford, and she weighed a whopping 6 pounds. She was really, really small, and Michael couldn't even believe how tiny she was. He wasn't allowed to hold her right away, because she had to have a breathing tube inserted for a little bit because she was having some trouble getting used to taking breaths. Besides the minor heart attack the nurses had given them when they said Grace was a little smaller than normal, Addy and Michael were so happy.
"Dude," Calum said as he looked through the glass at all the little babies, focusing on Grace. "She's so damn cute."
"Calum!" Michael scolded him for swearing in front of his little baby. She couldn't hear him through the glass or understand him, but he didn't like it. "She's like, two hours old!"
"Sorry," Calum chuckled. They all looked back at baby Grace, excited to watch her grow up.
-
Thirteen Months Later - 2021
"Michael!" Addy shouted from across the house, and Michael came running down the stairs, nearly tripping and breaking his whole body on the way down.
"What's wrong?" Michael yelled, his shirt halfway untucked and his tie undone around his neck as he flew into the living room. He was getting ready for a new job interview that morning, but something more important was going on in their house.
"She said her first word!" Addy yelled, making Grace giggle a little. Michael's eyes went wide and he put a hand over his chest, trying to slow his breathing slightly. He thought something had gone terribly wrong, and the image of anything happening to either of his girls was enough to make his heart beat practically out of his chest.
"Really?" Michael smiled widely, turning to look at his little girl. She gurgled from her spot on the floor, reaching up and clapping her hands together because she wanted Michael to pick her up. He reached down and lifted her into his arms, staring down at her perfect little features. "Can you say it again, Gracie?" he asked her, knowing she probably couldn't really understand him. She smiled up at him, looking over to Addy, too.
"Dada!" she exclaimed, and Michael's jaw dropped open as he stared over at Addy.
"Is that what she said before?" Michael asked, and she nodded back at him. He looked down at his little girl, so proud of her for finally being able to say her first word. To be honest he was surprised it wasn't a swear word, because Calum had been babysitting a lot lately and he could never put his filter on - not even around a one year old.
"Pretty soon she'll be talking a lot," Addy cooed, taking the baby from Michael and holding her. He wished he could stay and see if she could say anything else, but he was already running behind schedule and he didn't think that watching his daughter say a word was a very good excuse for showing up late.
"I have to go, I'm really sorry," Michael apologized, wishing he could be there longer. "Text me if she says anything else, okay? I want to know."
"It's okay Michael, I understand. I'll text you as soon as she says anything else, okay? Good luck today." Addy smiled at him, setting Grace down on the floor and kissing Michael goodbye quickly. He did his tie and tucked in his shirt, slipping on his shoes and grabbing his bag before he was at the door.
"Bye Ellis, bye Gracie!" Michael said. "Love you both!"
"Dada!" Grace yelled again, giggling up at Michael as he smiled back at her. When he closed the door behind him, he wanted nothing more than to go back in and spend time with his her. But he forced himself off the doorstep, knowing that he'd have all the time in the world later on.
-
Three Years Later - 2024
"Hey, Ellis?" Michael asked, walking around the corner into the kitchen where Addy and their three year old daughter Grace was sitting. "Hey Gracie," Michael smiled softly, pinching her little chubby cheeks lightly and making her giggle.
"Yeah, what's up?" Addy replied, turning around from the stove where she was making a pot of macaroni and cheese for her and Grace. Michael walked up and kissed her quickly, smiling down at his girlfriend.
"How was your day? Sorry I wasn't home, I really wanted to spend the day with you and Gracie but my boss made me stay late." Michael sighed, resting against the countertop as Addy turned back to stir the macaroni. She looked over at him, smiling gently.
"No, Michael, it's okay. I understand, your new job is important, we can spend time together tomorrow." Michael smiled back, and Grace laughed and clapped her hands as she sat at the table.
As Grace grew older, Michael loved his little family more and more. His whole life, he was convinced that he would never be able to settle down because he wasn't the type to have a wife and kids. But standing in the kitchen with his girlfriend and his daughter made him feel like this was exactly where he was supposed to be.
"Thanks Ellis," he said, pulling her in for a half hug. "I'll make it up to you tonight." Addy's eyes went wide, and she bit back a smile as she took in what she thought was a dirty joke.
"Michael!" she scolded. "Not in front of Grace, she's only three!" Michael laughed loudly.
"I know, babe," he said, raising his eyebrows. "That's not what I meant, but we can do that too if you're interested." Addy just rolled her eyes and smiled, turning back to the stove.
"How were you planning to make it up to me?" she asked, and Michael nervously shoved his hand in his pocket, feeling the tiny black box between his fingers. He took a deep breath, the past few days flashing quickly before his eyes. He knew that this was exactly what he wanted - marrying her was pretty much all he had ever wanted. He'd gone out with Ashton to pick the ring out a few days earlier, and he'd kept it in his pockets at all times because to be honest, he had no idea when the time was right to propose. He just knew that he wanted to do it sometime soon.
Eventually, though, he realized that any time was the perfect time. There was no doubt in his mind that Addy would say yes, so he just figured he'd do it right then. Things were going really well, and it was just a regular night with his family in their house together. He couldn't think of a better time to propose to her.
"Well," Michael started, catching Addy's attention again. "I have a few ideas. Starting with this," he continued, and before he knew it he was kneeling on the floor in front of her while he was stirring the macaroni.
"Wha-" Addy started, glancing down at Michael as he pulled the little black box out of his pocket and opened it. It was the prettiest ring Addy had ever seen in her entire life. "Oh my God, Michael," she whispered.
"Addy," he let out a watery laugh. "I'm not very good at this, but I'm gonna try my best. I love you a lot, and you dragged me out of the worst years of my entire life." Addy covered her mouth with her hand, tears pricking in the corners of her eyes. "I can't imagine coming home to anyone but you, and our beautiful little girl," he glanced over to Grace, and she smiled. "You make the worst days the best ones just by letting me be in love with you. Will you marry me?"
"Yes!" She cried out, pulling Michael up to hug him. He slid the ring onto her finger and Gracie clapped loudly and giggled, making them both look at each other and cry even more. He hugged her tightly again, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around. "Michael," she whispered, still hugging him. Michael smiled lazily, so happy.
"I know," he hummed before she could continue. "I love you too."
"No," Addy whispered again, and Michael had a confused look on his face. "I think the macaroni is burning."
"Oh!" Michael said, letting her down gently so she could run and grab the burning macaroni. "Sorry," he laughed.
"You just proposed and now you're apologizing?" Addy laughed, scraping the burnt mess into the garbage can. Grace looked sadly at her dinner that had burned.
"Sorry!" Michael laughed again, grabbing Addy gently by the waist and pulling her toward him so he was hugging her from behind. "I love you."
"I love you too, Michael," she said, closing her eyes as they swayed back and forth gently.
"Mommy?" Gracie spoke up, and Addy opened her eyes quickly.
"What, baby?" she replied.
"Why did daddy give you a ring? And what happened to my supper?" Addy laughed gently, leaning across the table and holding Grace's hands.
"Me and daddy are getting married!" she told her, and Grace smiled. "And sorry honey," Addy frowned. "Your supper accidentally burned."
"That's okay mommy," Grace said, giggling some more. "We can just have pizza." Michael smiled, and reached over to high five his little girl across the table.
"See?" Michael laughed. "That's my girl."
-
One Year Later - 2025
"Ahem," Michael cleared his throat, nervously holding his glass up as he looked out over the crowd of his friends and his family from the front of the banquet hall. Luke gave him a huge thumbs up from across the table, and he smiled at him. "This isn't going to be long," he continued, and the hall went silent as they stared up at him. "Because I suck at talking about mushy things like this." The people in the room laughed quietly, and Michael could see his hand shaking as his champagne swayed in the glass he was holding.
"I met this girl in Junior year of high school," he said, pulling Addy into his side for a hug. "I was a mess and she wasn't, and for some reason, even after I asked her to have sex with me on a water bed, she still stuck around. We went through some pretty bad stuff together in high school, and we almost didn't end up making it, believe it or not." Addy was laughing now, and Michael's smile only grew as he looked down at her.
"But now, we're standing in front of a room of people we love together with our beautiful daughter Gracie, and I want to say thank you for coming to be here with us. You all make this night so much more special for us." Everyone started to clap as Michael ended his little speech, leaving Addy red faced and laughing.
"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," he whispered to her, so quiet that only she could hear him. Grace came running over to Michael and Addy, her little white flower girl dress bouncing around as she giggled.
"Mommy!" She said, reaching her arms out for Addy to pick her up. "You look so pretty today! Like a queen!" Addy smiled down at her little girl, booping her nose lightly.
"Not nearly as pretty as you, Princess Gracie Clifford," Addy said, making her laugh again. Michael came up and hugged them both, making the crowd in the hall clap for them again.
Something about standing there on his wedding day with his own little family and all of his friends felt like his life had been leading up to this since the day he was born. He couldn't even begin to believe that only a few years ago he was standing on the sidewalk next to Addy, shamelessly failing to hit on her and thinking that she was so god damn beautiful. He couldn't believe he'd gotten himself into such a mess with Luke and drugs and money, and most of all he couldn't believe that he'd gotten the opportunity to fall in love with someone like Addy Ellis - or, rather, Addy Clifford.
"I love you," Michael said into Addy's hair. "Both of you. So much."
"We love you too," Addy hummed happily, drowning out the chatter of the crowd around them. "Always."
-
YAYYY SEQUEL OVER OKAY I HOPE YOU LIKED IT THIS WAS A BIT LONGER THAN A NORMAL CHAPTER :) ALSO I MIGHT GO BACK AND EDIT THROUGH THIS WHOLE BOOK JUST FOR THE FUTURE READERS!!
also look out for my next fic(s) because i have so many in progress rn !!
i love u all so much thanks for everyones support on this fic, thanks so much for reading n hopefully you enjoyed!!
love morgan