"RJ...wake up!"
Richard woke up with a start. He was heaving and cold sweat trickled down his forehead. Maine was sitting beside him, her arm outstretched on his back, hand rubbing his back slowly in an up and down motion.
He immediately turned to her and reached out, pulling her to him. He wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. He rested his head on the crook of her neck and breathe deeply, inhaling her scent.
"I'm sorry."
They never settled anything before they went to bed. Richard just tucked her in when her eyes were already drooping, tired from crying. It was their first real disagreement, and the couple really didn't like it. It was the first night they slept together with a gap between them.
Richard didn't get a good night's sleep as he kept tossing and turning. When he eventually fell asleep, his dream brought him back into that moment of Alden's accident. Something that only happened once after his initial experience.
Maine returned his embrace, her hand still rubbing his back in an up and down motion to soothe the tension.
"It's okay," she whispered. "We're okay. I'm right here, my Home."
Richard took another deep breath and let it out slowly. Having Maine in his arms relaxed him somewhat. Maine never let go as she cooed soothing words to him.
"I'm sorry."
"Home?"
"I'm sorry," he repeated a third time as he slowly pulled back to face her. "I shouldn't have said those things awhile back. I just love you too much."
Maine didn't reply, but kissed him gently on his cheek. She laid back down on the bed, propping some pillows behind her so her upper body was a bit elevated and drew him to her. Richard laid down on her stomach facing her as Maine ran her fingers through his hair, relaxing him even more. He finally gave a contented sigh and took the hand brushing his hair, kissing the palm affectionately.
"I love you," he said. "If nothing else, please believe in that."
"I love you too," she replied softly. "I never doubted that."
He breathe in deeply and let it out slowly while Maine caressed his cheek. They were silent for a time, getting back the connection they've temporarily lost from their disagreement.
"I like this," Richard suddenly said.
"Hmm?"
"Lying here like this," he said. "I like it. It feels like I'm trying to hear our baby's heartbeat."
"Home?" Maine looked at him with renewed hope.
He looked at her with residual fear in his eyes but there was something else.
"If we do this," he said slowly. "We have to get it right. There are no second chances here."
Maine nodded but kept silent.
"We will follow Doc's orders to the letter," he said. "No questions asked. No arguments."
"Okay."
"Any meds that you need to take, you take it. No hesitation, no complaints."
"No hesitation?"
"No hesitation."
"Fine," Maine relented but there was a shadow of a smile that crept on her face.
"Bed rest is bed rest," he continued. "If I have to strap you down the bed, I'll do it."
"You don't need to strap me to the bed," she remarked. "You just need to buy me a bookstore."
"A bookstore?" He asked. "Not a library?"
"I didn't know you can buy a library. Can you actually buy a library?"
"We could ask. Which library would you prefer?"
She paused for a few moments before answering.
"I would really prefer a bookstore," she said. " I love the smell of a newly opened book. You have that lingering smell. Soap and a newly opened book."
"There are libraries that have new books in their inventory."
"Not as extensive as a bookstore."
"Depends on the bookstore."
"Depends on the library."
With that, Maine gave a short chuckle that Richard found very pleasant to hear. It was the sweetest sound, that Richard sighed in contentment. He reached out and took Maine's hand in his and kissed the back of her palm lovingly.
"Thank you for agreeing," Maine said with a smile.
"I haven't agreed yet," he replied slowly. "Honestly, I'm still not a hundred percent okay with it. We would really need to go back to Doc Burnz to list us the pros and cons. And I mean a really in depth discussion with him, not the small talk that we did before we flew here. It would really need to be a serious discussion.
"I would still not agree to this if he said fifty-fifty. I might at sixty-forty. Maybe a yes at seventy-thirty. You're still my main priority here. But I am willing to hear the Doc out."
"It's a start," she sighed while she caressed his cheek. "What made you consider?"
"I hated your tears," he said. "Seeing that added to the fact that it was because of me, doesn't really sit well with me. If having a child would make you happy, I will consider it but we would really need to prepare for this. Like I said, you're my priority. I will not have you risk your life for this. Especially if there are alternatives. Are you sure adoption is not an option?"
"It is," Maine replied. "But I really want to give you a child of our own. Maybe afterwards, if you still wanted more, we'll just adopt. We could have as many as you want."
"If Doc Burnz says that the risk is too great," he said. "Adoption is our only option."
"Not even surrogacy?"
"Okay," said Richard. "Realtalk. Will you really be okay with me lying down like this on another woman's tummy just because our baby's in her?
"You're right," Maine immediately answered, a scowl formed on her pretty face. "I can't see it. It should be me or no one else."
"Surrogacy is a big no then," he said with a smirk. "It's either you carry the baby full term or we adopt. That's our options."
"I can do it, Home," she said in a very determined voice.
"Let's just schedule another consultation with Doc Burnz and get his opinion," he replied. "If anything, we have six months to prepare."
"Then," she said. "I'll use those six months to make sure that I can conceive and carry to full term."
"You really want this," Richard stated, as he reached out to caress her cheek.
"I do," Maine replied. "It would really mean so much if I can carry to full term and give birth safely."
They were silent for a time before he sighed and said, "just don't be too disappointed if the doc doesn't give us the go ahead, okay?"
Maine reluctantly nodded. Richard held her hand once again and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
Maine then asked, "is it really okay with you if I can't bear children?"
"Maine, I want to grow old with you," Richard replied. "It really defeats the purpose if you'd suddenly leave me because of childbirth. Besides, I've kept reiterating that we can adopt. It doesn't really matter to me how we'll have kids just as long as we'll both be able to raise him together."
"Him?" She remarked. "What if I wanted a girl first?"
"Even better," he smiled. "She'll be 'daddy's little girl' and will only start dating when she's at least thirty."
"Oh, my poor daughter!" Maine exclaimed with a laugh. "If dad had the same mindset as you, you would have to wait 7 more years before we started dating."
"We're special," he reasoned. "Ours is a unique love story that shouldn't be postponed."
"You're just saying that to suit your purpose," she giggled.
"You think our love story isn't special?"
"It is," she replied. "But I won't use it as an excuse to ground our daughter until adulthood."
"'Our daughter'," Richard smiled. "I love how you say it. It seem so real."
"It will be real soon."
"I can't wait."
"Home?"
"Hmm?"
"Can we just stay in tomorrow?" Maine asked. "I don't feel like going out."
"Sure," he replied. "What do you have in mind? Are you trying to catch up on your reading?"
"Well," she replied with a mischievous grin on her face. "There's that. And I wanted to test a theory."
"What theory?"
"If you can indeed do it all day."
He barked off a laugh and replied, "you are such an insatiable little vixen."
"Only with you, my Home."