"Say something," Tyler pleaded with her.

For nearly an hour, Nicki had sat in silence. Had there not been heaters to keep the water warm, the bath would have become frigid long ago. Her skin was pruned and bleached, as was his. She vowed not to move from where she was until they had made a conclusive decision. The problem was, she couldn't get herself to speak.

"I," she started, surprised by the hoarse sound of her own voice.

"You what?"

Her head drooped low in defeat. "I'll call Dr. Baker in the morning, see how soon we can schedule it."

Behind her, Tyler almost jumped out of his skin. His sudden movement startled her, and for the first time since he'd joined her in the bathtub, she slid away from him. Once she reached the other half of the tub, she questioned him.

"What the hell was that for?"

"Nicki. Just because I'm having a hard time coming to terms with this, does not mean that I would be okay with killing our child."

She cocked her head, attempting to decipher what was going through his head.

"But I thought you were okay with - "

"I would be okay with it if it was some random girl," he said, interrupting her. "This is ours. It's a part of both of us. I can't believe you'd think - "

Nicki never let him finish. She darted across the Jacuzzi tub, recklessly spilling water all over the floor. After scrambling onto his lap, she grabbed his face in her hands and wasted no time allowing her lips to crash onto his. Her arms wrapped snugly around his neck, and his eventually found their way around her. She kissed him with all of the passion she could muster, with all of the love he deserved. When she dropped her head onto his shoulder, she could both hear and feel his powerful lungs working violently to restore the breath she'd stolen from him.

"You were actually going to go along with that?" he asked, sounding hurt.

"It would have eaten me alive," Nicki admitted, "But hearing you say that, I was ready to do whatever you wanted. Ty, we've been over this a million times. nothing is worth sacrificing what we already have. Nothing."

Tyler slid back, stretching out his long legs underneath her. She felt his head fall back onto the headrest, where hers had been not too long ago.

"I really don't see much of a choice, anyways. Babe, if we gave up on this baby, it would haunt me for the rest of my life. I would have to wonder every second of every day if we had made a mistake, if this was some kind of miracle in the works. That uncertainty would be worse than any pain I could ever feel."

Out of nowhere, Nicki's mood turned around one hundred and eighty degrees. She was no longer sorrowful or anxious or dreadful. She was hopeful.

"Tyler, I just have a feeling about this," she said softly, rubbing her wrinkled fingers up and down his arm. "A good one."

A pair of her favorite lips touched down on the top of her head, and suddenly she felt like jumping for joy. The moment she stopped focusing on the negatives, her entire world seemed brighter.

"You really shouldn't get your hopes up," Tyler warned. "But you know what they say about a mother's intuition."

Nicki spun herself around, so that she was straddling him. An idiotic, pathetic grin was dominating her face, and she could have cared less.

"That's right baby," she giggled, playfully tossing her arms over his shoulders. "You wouldn't even know what that meant if it wasn't for your own mother using it against you."

He laughed with her and stole a quick kiss, smiles and all.

"So, which one of us is going to call my mom?"

** * * *

"It's ringing," Nicki whispered, running a hand over the towel on her head.

Tyler's eyes darted across her face, and she could tell that he was anxious over both how she would present the news and how his mother would react.

"Nicki? Is everything okay? Why are you calling so late?"

She almost laughed at her mother-in-law's anxiety. Always the worrier, Jackie was. Sometimes she had good reason to be, but most of the time she would get herself worked up over nothing.

"Yeah Jackie, everything is fine," she answered, hoping to calm her down enough so that she could explain.

"Did you speak to that doctor of yours?"

Nicki nodded, even though she knew that Jackie couldn't see her, and Tyler chuckled quietly at her. It was one of her many quirks that he liked to point out and laugh over. When she pouted about it, he would use the excuse that it was "cute" to explain why he was laughing. Cute was certainly a compliment she was willing to take.

"We did."

"Nicki don't do this to an old woman!" Jackie squealed, "My heart can't take it. What did he say?!"
She rolled her eyes at Tyler, who in turn raised a hand to the side of her face and brushed his thumb against her cheek to calm her down. His touch could give her all of the patience in the world.

"Can you get the girls on the phone?" she asked, quite aware that if they told Jackie without informing Tyler's sisters, they would be out for blood.

Nicki ripped the phone away from her ear as Jackie screamed the girls' names at the top of her lungs, earning more muted laughter from Tyler. This time, however, she earned a deep, lengthy kiss while she waited for two other voices to come through the line. She was sure that Tyler would do just about anything to avoid talking to his mother and sisters, especially when they had something of this magnitude to share. Luckily, he felt the need to show how appreciative he was of her taking one for the team.

"Do I hear lips smacking?"

She pulled away from him, giggling into the phone. "Sorry."

"Jesus, the two of you," Jackie mumbled, followed by something unintelligible. "Hey, alright, the girls are here and it's on speaker. Will you please tell me what happened?"

"Hi guys," she began, now a bit unsure of how to explain the situation correctly. There was no way that she would be able to make as much sense as the doctor had. "Well, we went to the doctor that helped us when I miscarried. He was just as baffled by all of this as we were, which was kind of alarming at first. But he talked to us and basically said that we had two options. From a medical standpoint, he recommended that the safest and easiest thing for all of us was to terminate the pregnancy."

"Oh, God," someone whispered on the other line.

Nicki ignored it and continued. "Our other option, which he seemed sort of against, was to try and carry the baby to term. He made it very clear that it was probably going to be miserable, and that my chances weren't necessarily good."

"Oh, sweetie, this is all so horrible. I'm so sorry you have to go through this again. Have you talked to Tyler?"

A warm smile crossed Nicki's face, and she looked directly into his soft stare as she answered his mother's question.

"Yeah, we talked."

"And?"

"We're going to try and stick it out."

Saying it aloud for the first time felt better than she ever could have imagined. A feeling had been brewing inside of her since the moment she found out about the baby, and at first she didn't recognize it. It was a feeling that she hadn't had with their last baby. Who knew, maybe she was slightly insane. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her, trying to ease the stress of the situation they had been thrown into. But she was going to give into it, whether or not it was the best idea to do so. If she was going to go through with this, for the next seven months, she needed something to keep her grounded. Tyler's support played a huge role, but not all of the hugs and kisses in the world could possibly make things okay if she didn't truly believe that they might be.

A sigh of relief traveled through the phone. "Good. That's what I would want you to do."

"Really?"

"Really, honey. I know it might be difficult, and I'm sure at times it might put a good deal of stress on your marriage. But that's what life is, sweetheart. It's all about taking chances and putting your trust in the hands of the people you love. Jim and I will be here for you, you know Candace and Cass will, and you've got all of your family and friends. If you ever need anything, you can turn to any one of us. And right now, as scary as it might seem sometimes, the person you need most is my moron son." She paused, and Nicki couldn't hold back a small laugh, earning an inquisitive look from Tyler. "More than anything, you two have to be there for each other, help each other bounce back from all of the things that go wrong. I've seen you do it before, and we all know that you can do it again."

"Jackie, I can't thank you enough," she muttered, feeling the lump returning to her throat for the umpteenth time that day.

"You don't have to thank me, hon. We're family, it's what we do." There was silence for a moment before she added, "Well now that I know what's going on I'll finally be able to sleep. I'm handing the phone to the girls. Goodnight, Nicki. Give Tyler a hug and a kiss for me, will ya?"

"Sure thing," she promised, looking forward to passing along her message a bit more than was normal.

"Nicki?" Cassidy asked after a few moments.

"Hey, Cass. Candace."

After a harmonious hi, Cassidy took the reins again. "So does this mean you don't need me?"

"For now, yes. But that was such a kind and selfless offer, it meant so much to hear you say that." She decided not to give her a chance to respond. "And you are more than welcome here still. We can talk about the financial stuff later, if you're still set on paying for it yourself. Why don't you come home with Candace, bring all of your stuff. You can even pick a room and we can do it over however you'd like."

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Because we're sisters, Cass, We gotta look out for each other. I know how life changing it can be for someone to take you in when you need it. Besides, I think we could have some serious fun together," she joked, trying to lighten the heavy mood that had fallen over her.

"I think she's right, sis," Candace said. "At least give it a shot."

"Okay, alright. I guess I'll see you soon then?"

"I'll see you soon," Nicki repeated. "You too Candace. I love you guys."

"We love you too," they said in sync. Some things would just never change.

The moment she ended the call, Tyler flung himself at her, tackling her backwards over the couch. Being mindful of her stomach, he positioned himself comfortably on top of her. Nicki hugged her arms around him and planted a firm kiss on his cheek.

"That was from your mom," she explained. "Ty, she is one of the nicest people I've ever met."

"I wouldn't go that far," he said, flipping her over so that she was lying on top of him. She crossed her hands on his chest and let her chin fall to them, looking up at Tyler through her long eyelashes. They were both quiet for a moment, overtaken by the striking sense of comfort that arose from their new position. She noticed him glaring at her, but was too caught up in the moment to ask what was wrong. "Can you stop doing that?" he asked, sounding a bit angered.

"Doing what babe?"

"That," he snapped. "Don't try to tell me you aren't doing it on purpose."

Nicki began to get defensive, and she knew that the tears were not far away. "Tyler I didn't know what you're talking about," she whined, tilting her head down so that only her nose and forehead were visible above her hands.

Only confusing her further, a grin spread across his handsome, five o'clock shadowed face. His monstrous hands gently grabbed the face that she was trying to hide, raising it to the same level as his.

"You're so God damned pretty," he muttered, shaking his head. "Sometimes I really can't take it. Looking at me all doe eyed and shit."

If it was physically possible, her heart would have burst through her chest and fluttered away. Of course he would start a sentiment so sickeningly sweet, only to ruin it with sarcasm and swearing. But his crude language could not put a damper on the amazing compliment she had just received, and she couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with the "glow" Lisa had informed her of so many months ago. Sure, he almost always went out of his way to say something nice to her, something to boost her confidence and put a smile on her face. It was rare, however, that he issued a flattery like the one she had just received.

"You certainly know how to speak to a lady," she teased. "I really thought you were mad at me."

"After everything you've gone through today? What kind of husband do you think I am?"

"One who'll watch Shrek with his pretty, doe eyed wife?" she countered, tilting her head and garnering her sweetest smile.

A mixture of a chuckle and a sigh came from Tyler's mouth, and the result was something oddly beautiful. It amazed her how he could do the most ridiculous, goofy things, and still manage to look like a model as he did it.

"You've seen that movie at least fifty times," he said, pausing to make a more dramatic effect.
"Since we got married."

"What's wrong with fifty one?"

Tyler rolled his eyes and accepted defeat. From the way he had been treating her all day, she knew that there was no way that he would deny her this one simple request. That movie was more than just an animated film from her childhood. It was something that, in some ways, signified the ups and downs of their relationship. She had made him watch it in the best time and the worst, in the happiest and the saddest, and everything in between. Now that they were about to face a new obstacle, quite possibly the most difficult of their lives, it only seemed right that they continue the tradition. Besides, it wasn't like she actually planned on watching it.

"You're such a child," he murmured, gently sliding out from underneath her.

She smirked at him before he crossed the room to set up the movie. There wasn't a force in the world strong enough to peel her eyes away from him just then. Something about the way he moved, the way his loose long sleeve shirt and baggy plaid pajama pants clung to his body, giving her a painfully teasing show of the muscles that laid underneath. It was a bit sickening how dangerously intoxicated he made her, without even trying. He probably didn't have the slightest idea that she was ogling him, following and appreciating his every, subtle move.

Eventually, goosebumps began to rise on her skin. Although it was early summer, the central air was cranked and on full blast. Neither of them enjoyed being too hot, and both of them rather liked the necessity of snuggling under blankets for warmth. Nicki slowly lifted herself off of the couch, attempting to keep her dizziness at bay. Now that she knew the reason behind it, she had all the more incentive to be careful and make sure that she didn't fall. One wrong move, and she could be ending her pregnancy before they even got the chance to see it through. After grabbing a blanket from the daybed and tossing it onto the couch, she approached Tyler from behind, realizing as she got closer that he was entirely absorbed in maneuvering their Blu Ray player. As tempting as it was to scare him, she thought better of it. She liked the way he was treating her, and didn't want to jeopardize his affections by ticking him off.

Once she was a few steps away from him, he turned his head and looked at her.

"Yes?"

A small giggle pushed through her lips at his impatient tone. "How about some hot cocoa?"

"It's June. And it's hot chocolate."

Nicki crossed her arms and stared him down. "So I'll take that as a yes to hot cocoa."

Finally, she got a laugh out of him. "Whatever you want babe," he said, shaking his head.
She bent at the waist to plant a kiss on his cheek before skipping into the kitchen. It had been months since she'd felt so happy, and she knew deep down, even if he wasn't showing it, that Tyler felt the same way. She would have even been willing to bet that he had the same instinctual gut feeling that she did. It was cruel and naive to get her hopes up. But she wasn't going to hold back. If, somehow, she was carrying a little miracle inside of her, she didn't want to look back on the pregnancy and remember nothing but sorrow and anxiety. She wanted to flip through that year's photo album and see all the pictures of her smiling, and of Tyler looking at her like she was the crown jewel. That was how she wanted her life to be. That was how it was supposed to be.

After terrorizing the kitchen in search for the hot chocolate she so desperately sought, Nicki finally had herself two steaming mugs of it. When she rounded the corner into the living room, she stopped short. Tyler had taken a seat on the couch, and the blanket she found laid strewn across his lap. Nothing said "Come here and cuddle with me" quite like her husband in his pajamas and a blanket. As if she needed any more reason to crawl into his arms, his lips curled into a warm, loving smile.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked softly, opening his arms as an invitation.

It was something he did often, as a way to tell her he wanted a hug, or to let her know that he was ready to accept her sometimes overwhelming physical presence. But for some reason, this time was different. It reminded her of something that had recently been long lost.

"What?"

Nicki continued to look at him, suddenly awestruck by the memory she had just been hit with. Tyler lowered his arms and readied himself to jump off of the couch, and she guessed he probably thought she was having another dizzy spell.

"I was just thinking," she started, letting him know that there was nothing wrong, and that she had just been lost in her own world for a moment. "When you did that with your arms, do you remember the first time you did that to me?"

The smile returned to Tyler's face, and he lifted his arms once more. This time, she strode towards the couch and plopped down, being careful not to spill their hot drinks. Instantly her body sank into his, in the most natural, comfortable way she'd ever experienced. After she handed him his mug, he answered her question.

"Of course I remember. Besides asking you to marry me, that was the smartest thing I've done in my entire life," he said, laughing a bit. "That was a great night."

"Feels like it was yesterday," she added, nestling her head against his.

"More like this morning. I can't believe that was five years ago now. Longer, even." He paused before saying, "I never thought I would have a relationship last more than five months."

"I know Ty, monogamy is so scary."

An elbow landed softly against her ribs, as a warning that things might get rough if she continued the way she was. Had she not just found out that she was carrying his child, she might have been up for a round or two. Nicki was excited, joyous, and in turn, playful. She wanted to go out that very moment and do everything that she dreamed of, everything that she always said she would do but never did. When it came down to it, however, she wouldn't be happier anywhere else than right there on that couch, with the man who was everything she ever dreamed of. Skydiving and exploring the Great Barrier Reef, as adventurous and life changing as they were, had nothing on him.

"What if I hadn't gotten so lucky?" he asked, "What if I ended up with some horrible person who I couldn't stand to be around? You can't tell me that's not terrifying."

"It's pretty nightmarish," she agreed, curling up closer to him. After letting out a moan to let him know how comfortable she was, she felt the need to remind him of something he was surely already aware of. "I love you, Ty. I couldn't have asked for a better man."

Tyler switched his mug from one hand to the other, in order to wrap an arm around her. His lips hit the side of her head, and stayed long enough to give her butterflies.

"And I love you," he said softly, his lips hanging by her ear. She could tell that there was going to be more, and waited patiently for him to come out with it. "I know it's wrong, and I'll probably regret this forever… but I'm so fucking excited."

His honesty nearly knocked the wind out of her. All day, she had been having difficulty judging the way he felt about their situation. There was always at least some hint of what he was thinking on his face or in his actions, but today he had either done a great job at concealing it, or he hadn't known what to think himself.

After hesitating and contemplating whether or not she should let everything out, Nicki decided that it was the best thing she could do.

"Baby, you aren't going to regret it. I just know it." She paused as he repositioned himself to face her. "Tyler, I'm going to have this baby. You've always had faith in me, and now isn't the time to stop."

He reached across her to place his now empty mug on the coffee table before dragging her onto his lap. She smiled to herself as she heard him inhale the smell of her shampoo that wafted from her hair. Little did he know, she had purposely been buying his favorite scent for years, purely to get that kind of reaction from him. His arms pulled her close, and eventually his hands folded over her stomach, just as she had expected them to.

"I have more faith in you now than I ever did," he whispered, placing a soft kiss just above her ear.
"I don't have much of a choice. If I don't believe in you, I'll have nothing. You're strong enough, Nicki, I know you are."

Nicki didn't try to hide the droplets that were falling one by one down her cheeks. Tyler's lips caught each and every one of them, whisking them away with a gentle kiss. He stayed silent, leaving the ball in her court. It wasn't often that they had emotional discussions of this magnitude, and although they both had plenty to say, neither of them were quite sure how to say it.

"That means more to me than I'll ever be able to tell you. If you believe in me Ty, I can do anything. Even this."

"I know you can, babe," he assured her, tracing his fingers over her stomach the same way he'd done the last time, night after night. He probably had no clue that she was awake for most of those nights, smiling to herself while he fed hopeful, loving words to their son.
She shook her head, trying and failing to imagine them, finally with their own child.

"You are going to be the most amazing father. I can't wait to watch you teach him - "
a

She caught herself, but her slip of tongue didn't go unnoticed. Nicki was so accustomed to using that pronoun, it hadn't even occurred to her that they didn't know yet what it was going to be. They would have to withstand another painstaking trial of patience, awaiting to find out if they could possibly be welcoming a son or a daughter into the world. To ease her embarrassment, Tyler did what he always did so well.

"While we're basing our entire lives off of instinct and gut feelings, I think it's a girl."

Nicki found herself giggling, and she realized once again that she'd married the perfect man.

"Well I think it's a boy," she countered, speaking nothing but the truth.

"Why don't we make this interesting?" Tyler proposed, playfully nibbling at her neck, evoking more squeaky giggling.

"You want to place a bet on our child?"

"Jeez, don't sound so judgey," he teased, placing tender kisses where his teeth had just stung her skin. "If I'm right and its a girl, I get to name her. If by some crazy ass chance you're actually right, you pick the name. Fair?"

"You're on, Ty."

After shaking hands and a quick kiss to seal the deal, Nicki made herself as comfortable as was fathomable on top of him. Although the conversation had ceased, the mood still lingered in the air, all through the house. It was a hope like she had never felt before, and the excitement of a second chance was running hot through her veins. There would be no room for mistakes, no margin for error. As motivated as she was to keep both herself and the baby healthy, she knew that it came down to Tyler. He had made himself clear that he would do whatever it took, no matter what the cost, to ensure that his family had what they needed.

The minutes passed, each more quiet than the one before it. The only sound in the whole house was the television, playing a movie she was sure that she would be watching again someday, with a child asleep in her lap.