[to all willing to cherish everything that has been bestowed upon them; everyone who promises to protect it completely.]
• • • •
"What do you think?"
Cassandra's head tilted subtly as she inspected the sight before her, subconsciously rubbing her protruding belly in deep thought. She stepped back a bit more and took in the entire scale of the wall as Jason remained inches away from the frame.
"I don't know yet. Do you think it looks good there?" she asked with furrowed brows.
The young man shrugged. "I think it does. It kind of goes with the whole nature theme you have going on." He gestured over to the artist's acrylic piece, the medium canvas filled with green tones plastered on it— the evident closeup of palm trees known to be the focus of it. "I just don't want you to put all of your work entirely on this wall and let the other ones stay empty."
"They won't be." Cassandra allowed a smile to flicker onto her lips and quietly rested her hand on top of her belly as Jason stayed silent for the awaited explanation.
"Are you bringing in some more?"
"No..." she trailed off. "I was actually wondering if you wanted to have some of your work displayed."
Jason scoffed at the idea almost immediately. And though it was a sweet gesture, the last thing the young man wanted to think of was having his photographs publicly displayed for anyone to see the minute they stepped into Cassandra's small art shop. It wasn't too portentous— she'd made sure of that —but didn't want it to be easily drowned out by all the other business surrounding it. In fact, the thought of opening a small gallery had never been a realistic possibility for her, until— after a whole year —the couple found themselves in good shape financially through Ryan's work for his father, opting the young man to propose the chances of making his wife's dream a reality. It wasn't ready to open just yet, in fact, it wouldn't until the artist was comfortable with the first couple of months of motherhood. And as she continued to stop by to the new space, decorating as well as picturing just how everything could go, the nerves of becoming a legitimate mother at any moment was fairly more dominant within her mind than anything else.
"We're not putting my work on your walls, Cass. Don't start with that."
A warning glare was reciprocated from the artist herself, letting one of her hands rest on her hip with visible annoyance. Truth be told, the possibility of the modest photographer refusing to showcase his own work was definitely something Cassandra expected. But just like his decline was anything but a surprise, so was the artist's inability to back off from the offer. Jason continued to nail the artwork to the wall without another word while his friend remained just as quiet, but for different reasons. It wasn't long before she took one of her own paintings from his hands with the intention to wait for his gaze to return to hers.
"Jason," her voice loomed, holding a strong yet gentle tone. A quick stern look draped over the young man's face and it only prompted the artist to mope instinctively. "I'm not taking no for an answer. Take this as my mediocre way to say thank you somehow."
"You have nothing to thank me for, Cass."
The artist gaped at his audacity. "I have everything to thank you for. Stop that." Jason's reaction, or lack of thereof, was inconceivable for Cassandra to understand. After all, she'd always considered him as the ultimate reason for anything and everything she'd had the privilege to experience. "Don't you think you're literally the only way all of this could've happened?"
Jason chuckled. "I didn't necessarily build up this place," he retaliated with a gesture towards the building. Despite the response, Cassandra knew better than to take him seriously. He knew exactly what she was implying.
"Don't be an idiot. You know exactly what I'm talking about, J." The sudden emotion over everything that had transpired within her life was enough for Cassandra to truly acknowledge just how much she had to be grateful for. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have gone to New York. I wouldn't have actual gone out there and eventually meet Ryan. C'mon, do you need me to keep going?"
"But your own decision to go was what helped you reach all those important moments," he deadpanned.
"You're the only one who actually believed in me from the beginning, Jason," she countered just as quick. He smiled coyly at the statement before meeting eyes with the most genuine expression he'd seen on Cassandra's face. In fact, it wasn't long before she felt the urge to cry over his role in her life once again— deciding against it almost immediately, however. "The least I can do is show everyone out there the work that should've been displayed in New York instead of mine."
The young man exhaled shakily, dropping his gaze to the nails in his hands before smiling back at Cassandra and her nearly emotional testament to what he had done for her. Although extremely thoughtful, Jason Badal was never one to actually keep track of all the things she'd mentioned since every single act was a direct result of the love he had towards the young artist. All he ever wanted was for her to succeed in every aspect of her life when all he knew to be true was the constant struggles she was prone to have throughout the years of a young adult. Cassandra was the sister he'd never had, making his constant need to support her in every way almost second nature.
"I love you," he uttered with a cheeky grin before enveloping his arms around her. An abrupt sensation against his stomach was in direct correlation to Jason's furrowed brows as he stepped back humorously. "I'm trying to hug your mommy and you're just gonna kick me out like that?"
Cassandra laughed, gaping at the baby's immediate response to kick around mercilessly. Though it was mostly exciting and mesmerizing, some of the impromptu movements were enough to cause mild pain on her sides. Nevertheless, she would've gladly taken the kicking over the sudden and prolonged pains of the contractions she'd been having lately. She beamed as Jason placed his hand on her belly, which served as a literal soccer ball for the unborn baby boy.
"This guy's a kicker, my goodness," he murmured with evident bewilderment.
"I know. This is nothing compared to when I actually want to go to sleep."
Jason winced at the thought. He'd never be stupid enough to actually wonder what kind of pain the artist had to endure. But one thing that was surely engraved in his mind as he watched his best friend go through the fascinating process of a pregnancy was the constant reminder to practically praise his own mother for her efforts.
"God, I need to call my mom. Send her flowers or something," he laughed.
Just as Cassandra's own laugh hovered over the small shop, Jason noticed the familiar presence from outside. The corner of his eye registered the fact that a person was out there before having the sounds of light knocks confirm what he saw. He leaned over to see Ryan by the locked door, carrying a small cup holder filled with two cups of coffee. The blonde went over and unlocked the door as he swung it open.
"Welcome! We have nothing to give you so don't ask," Jason announced with a humorous tone as if Ryan was an actual customer. Both of them chuckled before the young man entered the shop, giving Cassandra the blueberry muffin she'd asked for before taking a good look at his surroundings.
"Oh, wow. This actually looks great."
"Right? And Jason finally agreed on having that whole wall for his photography," Cassandra gushed happily.
"Excellent." A quick nod was reciprocated by Ryan with a content smile towards Jason as he gave him his coffee and drank his own. "You know, I think this could be great exposure for you too, man."
"Why? Any of your parent's friends looking to buy some artwork?" Jason inquired.
"Yeah, you never know. They're always traveling and stuff. These people are just prone to buy anything they want in their living room. Trust me." The blonde nodded reassuringly to himself as he considered Ryan's train of thought. "Shay herself could buy some whenever she comes over and sort of show off when she goes back."
"Oh, I'm sure she would be more than willing to do that."
Jason's eyes squinted in suspicion as Cassandra chimed into the conversation immediately, and before he knew it, a sharp rise of paranoia seemed to infiltrate his veins. He watched as the couple remained stoic— almost too stoic —in an evident attempt to mask their knowledge over something he might've suggested towards Ryan several months ago. In retrospect, it'd been pleasantly reassuring to see that neither of them mentioned his sudden desire to play tennis. Furthermore, the frequent absence of Shay Eckhardt herself as she remained back in Chicago was something he could deal with for the time being— the gift of not having the source of his skittish behavior present at all times. Only now, as the possibility for Cassandra to give birth at any moment increased and the connected effect of having Ryan's sister come to visit again to see the baby became more likely each passing hour, it made the nerve wrecking scenario remain that much more vivid in his mind.
"You told her, didn't you?"
"Tell me what?" Cassandra inquired towards Jason's own question with an innocent tilt of her head. She turned back and watched as her husband played along, shrugging in the most oblivious manner, while Jason stood in silence with evident suspicion.
"Seriously? I specifically said not to tell Cassy," Jason whined. Regardless of the blonde's discontentment, Ryan couldn't help but shrug innocently.
"She asked! Are you seriously suggesting that you would condone me to lie to my own wife?" he scolded dramatically as Cassandra gasped disapprovingly towards Jason.
"In my defense, I lasted a lot longer than I thought I would." Jason rolled his eyes towards Cassandra's words before she continued. "Four months, Jason! I was practically dying inside!"
"It was nice seeing you two... now I'm going home."
"Oh, c'mon!" she laughed with a quick grip on his shoulder. He halted because of the gesture as it prevented his attempt to leave. "We think you two would look adorable. She's a real fan of creativity and artists, you know. Absolutely loved a sketch I made for her a while ago; I can only imagine the reaction when she sees your photos."
"No thanks, mom," he scoffed in disgust.
"If it makes you feel any better, you're the only guy in this entire world I would approve of dating my sister," Ryan chimed in.
"See? You already have two supporters. Just imagine what Bet—"
"We are not telling Betsy anything."
"Okay, okay. Not right now, just when you're not too deep into your denial then." Jason glared at the blatant attempt for any form of teasing he was evidently receiving from Cassandra, something he'd remembered being on the other side of before she'd ever officially announced that Ryan was indeed more than just a friend.
"I'm not going to gush over something that doesn't even ex—"
It wasn't long before Jason's words dissipated abruptly into the air at the sight of Cassandra wincing in pain. She instinctively gripped onto the nearby counter for support, allowing a sporadic rhythm of breaths to escape her lips. Truthfully, the young man had always felt rather terrified over the idea of being alone with Cassandra during the sudden moment when she'd have to give birth. The chances of him freaking out more than she would were surely expected from everyone, making the reassuring fact that Ryan was there a perfect way to reduce Jason's anxiety.
"Are you seriously going to shatter my dreams of you being happy with Shay? You can't do this to a pregnant woman," she puffed out jokingly with a steady hand over the side of her belly— Ryan not far behind with his own hand resting on her back.
"And you can't use your baby as a ploy," he retaliated. Though it was clear she was in pain, Jason's worries seemed to simmer down as Cassandra returned to her normal self. He could only categorize it as a false alarm for the time being. With a humored smirk, the artist scoffed towards his words. Nevertheless, he wasn't oblivious enough to ignore the possibility of facing his fears eventually.
It was difficult to sleep with frequent contractions throughout the night, and that much harder when— what she considered to be just as annoying —they would subside only to be interrupted by an impromptu dream. That which served as yet another reason for her irregular sleeping patterns. With a defeated sigh, Cassandra gaze up at the ceiling in silence. Everything seemed to be heightened in the dead of night, including her ability to listen and notice things she wouldn't have given the time of day to at any other hour. Nevertheless, she remained seated up right, resting against a mountain of pillows as she considered walking over to sketch the newest stranger infiltrating her mind. In any other instance, she would've been glad to do so, but the overbearing annoyance of exuding so much effort for simple tasks made her want to decide against it.
"You awake?" She whispered over to Ryan, only to then meet with the repeated rise and fall of his bare back with each peaceful breath. "Ryan...." A light touch against his shoulder was thought to be enough to wake him, but to no avail. Instead, Cassandra was reciprocated with a groggy hum, muffled by the pillow obscuring the young man's face.
After a few moments of regulated breathing as another heavy contraction weaved pain into her lower back, Cassandra let out an exasperated sigh and braced herself for a labored attempt in getting up. With a supporting hand on her protruding belly, the artist managed to step out of the bed unscathed— little to no discomfort, surprisingly. The looming images of a young woman within her mind remained intact as she waddled her way to the art desk in the living room, meeting with a plethora of art supplies despite her simple need of a pencil and the small sketchbook she was close to filling up to its edges. She allowed the stiff exterior of the book to graze upon her fingers before picking it up. And it wasn't long before she carefully plopped down to the couch with a steady balance of her sketches on top of the natural ledge that was now her stomach. With the reoccurring images floating within her thoughts, the pencil did its deed as it sprawled detailed lines across the paper, only to then— ever so slowly —bring forth the image of the young woman responsible for her impromptu late night drawing session.
"Oh," Ryan breathed in relief, "There you are." His hand rested upon his chest seconds after a sigh escaped his lips, elated at the sight of a very pregnant Cassandra resting on the couch after her unannounced absence.
"You know, your son could've been born minutes ago, and you think of checking up now?" Cassandra countered with a growing smirk.
The young man chuckled as he stooped down to the edge of the wooden coffee table adjacent to the sofa. Truthfully, it'd taken a while to figure out whether Cassandra was in need of his help or, as he realized, needed some time to sketch another one of her dreams. Each day seemed to do its job in infiltrating anxiety too arduous to ignore. After all, the artist herself knew of how close the day was and it only made Ryan more apprehensive about every single scenario. But luckily for him, the pregnant woman hadn't shown the extent of her fears and nerves to him— didn't mean there weren't any to show, however.
"How's it coming along?" he inquired, a swift gesture towards the sketchbook within her grasp. Cassandra patted the empty spot left on the couch as Ryan eventually occupied the space.
"I think she's gonna be our nurse." The sketchbook was tilted towards his side, giving Ryan a clear few of the quick sketch. Dark and bouncy curls framed the young woman's face, only to fortify other features that detailed her existence.
"She looks very caring," Ryan uttered with a quick smile. But despite his attempts, it wasn't long before the young man yawned throughout Cassandra's explanation of her dream.
"Speaking of—"
And with a sharp hitch of her breath, the young woman winced in pain for the fifth time that night. Every unannounced contraction became stronger than the last and it not only increased her aching, but also the nerves she'd locked up within her mind. She eventually found herself gripping onto Ryan's hand the minute he took initiative in holding her own— the skin tone hue quickly morphing into a whiter appearance the tighter she held it. It was fairly easy to forget how soon the baby would come a few days back when all she managed to notice was the pleasant amount of space she felt near her lungs, suddenly able to breathe better at the lowered position of the unborn. But now, as she propped face within her hand and grimaced at the pain, it was a quick reminder that the contractions wouldn't relent any longer.
"Are we seeing that lady today?" Ryan asked with upmost caution and apprehension, watching as the immense pain visibly draped over his wife gave him the quickest answer.
The pain subsided for a quick second, thought it would wouldn't be long before the next one came along. Due to the increased aches, Cassandra had no other choice but to acknowledge that the frequencies and pain levels of each contraction were far from mundane. She listened as Ryan cursed under his breath at the definite answer sprawled across her face, hurrying towards the bedroom before he reappeared into the living room with the bag they'd prepared weeks beforehand in tow. Contrary to her desires, she stood, snatching the car keys and waddling her way to the front door— bewildered by the abrupt end of her pregnancy and swift start of her labor.
"Aren't you scared?" Cassandra gaped in fear, led to the car by him with a tight grip around her frame. It wasn't until she found herself in the passenger seat that Ryan answered her question as the engine roared.
"Terrified."
Surprisingly, Cassandra sniffled back a laugh as the emotions got the better of her. Meanwhile, Ryan himself contradicted his own words with a soft chuckle, breathing in a new dose of tranquility and hope. She'd been taken aback by the evident look etched on her husband's face as he drove, a mixture of excitement more than anything else. It was a sharp paradox of what he had admitted to be— the contradiction only intensifying as a natural smile flickered upon his lips. And whilst she breathed in through the lingering pain, Cassandra found herself in deep thought towards the look on Ryan's face. A familiar reassurance she'd known for quite a while resurfaced— a feeling that ran far deeper than any amount of fear or uncertainty of which could wreak havoc on a soul. It was the art of knowing that no matter what came their way, everything would eventually fall into place.
• • • •
yes, i have an actually gif for pregnant Cassy. i know, i'm insane. :) these gifs kill me, why do i do this ohmygofjfkd
guys.... consider this as the last chapter. the next update will be the afterword, where it all comes down to the message(s) i wanted you guys to take away from this story.
i don't want to get emotional yet but just know how incredibly grateful i am to all who have stayed through since the beginning and who have continued to come back and keep up to date with the lives of these sweethearts. this will be my first completed work ever.... and it feels so rewarding.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR 8K READS. ITS JUST YET ANOTHER THING TO BE EMOTIONAL ABOUT! :')
i love you.... Mr. and Mrs. Eckhardt love you.... we all love you!
comment your thoughts, vote for support, share according to your liking!
xoxo
-Kayyyy