Natalie's POV
Just after ending my call with Abby, I check on Ryan who is busy playing with a ball. Smiling at the sight of my happy baby, I walk downstairs to the basement where Miles has been doing God-knows-what for hours.
Miles loves to make wooden things, he even took up some carpentry classes. I will be honest, he was not that good earlier, but now he has become quite good at making simple furniture like tables and benches, etc. However, he has amazing skills in carving woods.
Slowly, taking one step at a time I enter what he calls Underworld. He has turned half of the basement in his woodwork studio, where he makes stuff when he gets some free time, which is not often because usually when he gets home he just wants to be with Ryan and me.
He raises his head from his worktable when he hears me approaching.
"Hey," he says, then slightly frowns, "I haven't been here for too long, right?" He frowns, slightly unsure of the time.
"Nah, just a few hours." I smile and shrug as I stand beside him looking at what he was doing.
"Wow, this is amazing, Miles." I pick up the half-carved piece. Turning it to side to side, my eyebrows lift up at the impressive piece. He is carving a small wall hanging of a little boy and girl holding hands, it doesn't show their faces just the backside. He has just carved the outlines of the figures but still, it looks really good.
"It's not done, yet." He glances down, slightly smiling with his cheeks looking a little red.
"I am making this for Abigail." He makes me sit in his lap and runs his finger on the joined hands of the boy and girl.
"This is you and Abby, huh?" Turning my head to look at his fond expression, I smile realizing who is the boy and the girl in this piece.
When Abby was in a coma, once I found him crying alone away from everyone's eyes. I was surprised to see him like this, as I knew he and Abby were friends, but still, it seems a little strange to see this kind of reaction from him. I couldn't bring myself to leave him alone when he was so upset. So, I went to him then we started talking. He told me about his sister and how much he loves Abby as she reminds him of Katie. He told me that he was afraid and didn't want to lose Abigail as he just found his sister back. While watching Abigail in the coma, the fear of losing his sister again have resurfaced inside him, reminding him of the time when Katie was in the hospital. That was the first time, I saw the real Miles, who is caring and kind.
"Yes." He smiles and nods his head, "She liked when I carved Noel's name for his nursery, similar to Ryan's. So I thought I should surprise her with this. Even her birthday is coming soon."
"Her birthday reminds me, our boy is also turning one soon what should we gift him?" I ask, slightly turning my body and wrapping my arm around his neck.
"Let me think." He pretends to think, tapping his finger on his chin, "How about a sibling?" He wiggles his eyebrows and steals a quick kiss from me.
"Yes, we could." I nod my head seriously, ignoring the Miles shocked expression, "But it will take a while to get delivered, so how about something which we can get for in less time?" I arch my eyebrow, playfully at him.
"What? Are you really ready for another kid?" Miles grins happily when the shock wears off.
Smiling, I nod my head as I recall my conversation with Abigail which we had some days back. Talking with her really made me realize all my fears are unnecessary, I love Ryan and nothing or no one can change that. He is and will always be my baby boy, my first child. Now when I think of another baby, I can sense the happiness of thinking about being a mother again.
Sometimes, I dread thinking about the day, when we have to tell Ryan the truth of us not being his real parents. But I know the right person to disclose this news to him, Abigail. She never sugarcoats anything but even then she makes the person understand the truth.
"What are you doing?" I laugh when Miles picks me up.
"Baby is not going to be made on its own." He smiles mischievously, "It will require a lot of hard work. So, we should quickly get to work."
"Woah, let's wait till Ryan's first birthday." I laugh, "It is hardly a month away, I think we can wait until then."
"Okay." He thinks for a moment or two, as he carries me upstairs.
Then the mischievous glint returns to his eyes once more.
"But we can surely start practicing before officially trying." He nods his head pretending to look serious, "You know, I aim for perfection and a person can only achieve perfection after a lot of trying." He puts me down and holds my neck bringing my face near to his.
"So I say, we should practice... practice really hard." He places his lips on mine as he kisses me while I rake my fingers through his hair lightly tugging them.
Breaking the kiss, I turn my head to the side. Pushing my back against the wall, he slips his hands under my shirt slowly pulling my shirt up. But my focus is somewhere else.
"Miles," I say to grab his attention while straining my ears, "Don't you think it is a little too quiet." I frown.
This immediately gets his attention as he moves away and tries to listen for any sound.
"Yeah." He nods.
Silence with a crawling baby is never ever good. We have learned this lesson two weeks back when we have to clean mashed potatoes from the Miles' laptop. Ryan thought it would be great to share his food with the poor laptop.
Then suddenly we share a look as our eyes widen and we rush to Ryan's room. To our horror we find Ryan covered in baby lotion and powder.
He proudly displays his seven and a half teeth as he looks at us, smearing more lotion on his clothes.
"Ah." He extends his lotion covered hand in my direction and smiles.
Obviously, there is no way I can be mad at him. But the question is from where he got his hand on these things?
"I think we have to find some other place to store his stuff." Miles points to the opened drawer where we keep his extra stuff, answering my unasked question.
How did he manage to open the lock?!
"Oh, God!" Shaking my head, I glance at the diapers placed in the mess of lotion and powder, "We need to restock his diapers."
Ryan stands on his own and tries to take a step towards us but falls on his butt. He giggles loudly, making us laugh.
"Are you sure you want another baby?" Miles jokingly asks, pointing the mess this boy has created while he goes to pick him up not caring about getting himself dirty.
"Yes, a thousand times yes." I nod my head, kissing Ryan's cheek which is the only place where he hasn't have any lotion.
"A family bath time?" Miles asks throwing Ryan up in the air as he loudly squeals because he loves it when Miles do all these weird things.
"Yes!" I wipe Ryan's face with my hand and smear the mixture of lotion and powder on Miles's face and run as he starts to chase me with carrying Ryan in his arms who is laughing and clapping.
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Commitment was something that I never wanted in my life. Because I didn't want to be tied up. I was happy just the way, I was.
However, my thinking changed when Miles walked into my life. He made me realize being with the right person means liberation, not confinement. Such a relationship gives you the freedom to be yourself, to live life the way you want without worrying about being judged. You don't care what others will say, all that matters is that one person. While that person who truly loves you, wants you to be just yourself... they will love you without being judgemental.
Earlier, I used to think only about enjoying each moment of my life... So that later in my life when I turn back to look at my life I could say, I had a well-spent life.
However, even now I have similar dreams, but what changed is that I am not alone in those dreams. In all these moments I want Miles to me with me. I want to live my life with my family, I want to face every ups and downs of life with my family...my love beside me.
I have doubts about finding your better half who completes you. I always thought I am complete on my own, I don't need anyone in my life to make me whole.
But I was wrong when you find the one they make you look at the perfection in your otherwise imperfect life. It is not that you were incomplete before, it is just everything amplifies in your life, making your heart full.
Double the happiness, double the laughter... however, half the pain, half the tears, as there is someone to share your sorrows with.
Miles is my imperfectly perfect crazy other half. In my heart, I know he will be there to hold me when I fall. He will be able to make me smile with his stupidity when everything is going wrong in my life.
Abigail is my best friend... my soul sister, but Miles is my soul mate. I can't think Natalie is possible without these two. I equally love everyone else too, but these two will always have a special place in my heart.
Oh, God! I am so sappy sometimes.
"Asshole!" Gritting my teeth, I close the movie in which a drunk guy forcefully kiss another boy.
"Hey," Miles says happily strolling into his office, then frowns as he looks around, "Where is Nathan?"
"He is not here." I shrug while muttering a few more colorful words.
"Then why were you calling him?" He gives me a confused look.
"I was not calling him."
"You said, asshole." Pointing at me, he nods his head.
"I was talking about someone else." I shrug.
"Hey, you can't do this... you are confusing me, that name is for Nathan, you can't give that name to someone else." He glares at me, playfully, "You will hurt my poor friend's feelings."
Raising my head, I glare at him, but soon I start laughing looking at the playful smile playing on his lips.
"What do you say about these designs?" I ask pushing my laptop in his direction.
He slightly leans on the table and takes my laptop, slowly his eyebrows raise as an impressed look graces his features.
"Honestly, I am impressed." He goes through the main lobby's interiors design which I have made for his hotel, as he wanted to renovate the hotel.
"I won't lie, I never knew you are this good." Looking at me he smiles, "Half of the truth is that I wanted to keep the money in the house and the other half is that I wanted to keep you around me even during work, that's why I asked you to make some samples for the main lobby." He laughs.
"Woah, now I am going to charge you triple, you just see Mr.Parker." I fake glare at him.
"Can I be the part of payment?" Miles grins, "I am priceless."
"I am sorry but you are already sold to this amazing lady." Arching an eyebrow I point myself, "So, no, I can't accept you as a payment." Tightening my lips in a straight line, I try to keep my face serious.
"Then please can I ask this beautiful lady to accept my kisses as gratitude?" Turning my chair and brings it to him, "Because she is the one who made me priceless, by pushing me to be the best version of myself."
"Oh, God! Miles, I am already married to you, so you don't need to flatter me with all these charming talks." I lightly slap his cheek, as I feel butterflies in my stomach.
"That gives me many more reasons to shower you with all my love and charm, as not in my wildest dream I have thought I would be married to a crackpot like you." Throwing his head back he starts laughing.
"Miles, darling," I smile sweetly at him, "You are sleeping in the backyard tonight." Planting a kiss on his cheek, I wave him goodbye as I walk out of his office, ignoring his apologies.
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