Montana Haven: A Small Town Surprise Pregnancy Romance

16. ~ Mia ~

Sitting across from Joanie in her cozy kitchen, the warm aroma of herbal tea fills the air. It mixes with the soft laughter of Emily and Joanie”s granddaughter, Molly, playing in the other room. The comfort of Joanie”s house wraps around me like a warm blanket.

It”s a great distraction from the tension between Jake and I.

”I”ve noticed things have been tense between you and Jake?” Joanie”s voice is gentle and probing without being intrusive. She has always had a way of making people open up.

Jake has still been checking on me whenever I have my classes at the ranch, but we haven”t been hugged up or shown signs of affection like we usually do.

I nod, wrapping my hands around the teacup and feeling the warmth seep into my palms. ”Yeah, it”s like we”re stuck in this routine. We”re together, but there”s this distance. It”s hard to explain.”

Joanie listens, her eyes reflecting an understanding that only comes with years of life experience. ”Do you remember when I told you I got pregnant with Cody and Clarissa at 18?” she asks before sipping her tea.

”Oh! I imagine it was a bit of a whirlwind. Bill was starting his rodeo career, right?” I smile at being able to remember that. I always soak up when Joanie tells me her stories while baking in the ranch kitchen.

”Yes,” Joanie begins, her gaze drifting to a past only she can see. ”I was 18, fresh out of high school, and Bill was 19, his dreams of rodeo stardom just beginning. When I found out I was pregnant with the twins, it felt like both a blessing and a cause for concern. I didn”t want Bill to feel trapped or give up on his dreams because of me.”

”So, what did you do?” I find myself leaning in, drawn to her story and seeking parallels to my situation with Jake.

”We talked a lot about it. And I mean a lot. I wanted him to continue competing, even though he was torn, wanting to be there for me and the babies. But somehow, we found our balance. He traveled less in the last months of my pregnancy and was home for a while after the twins were born. It wasn”t easy, but we made it work,” Joanie explains, her voice tinged with nostalgia.

I sip my tea, mulling over her words. The idea that balance is achievable even in the most challenging of times offers a glimmer of hope. ”It”s just hard, you know? Jake is doing everything he can to be there for me and us, but there”s this underlying tension. We aren”t talking about the future, not like we used to. I think he”s mostly upset that I”m saying I”ll be fine handling the newborn, Emily, and Dylan.”

Joanie reaches across the table, her hand covering mine. ”Talk to him, Mia. Talk. The kind of conversation where everything is laid out on the table. It”s not just about navigating your present. It’s about building your future together. Especially with the new baby on the way.”

Her advice sinks in, and the weight of our current situation presses down on me. The easy solution would be to keep moving forward daily, letting the tension simmer under the surface. But deep down, I know that”s not what I want for us. Jake and I need to find our way back to each other, reconnect, and realign our dreams and expectations.

Joanie”s narrative unfolds a tale reminiscent of the classic struggles between personal dreams and family responsibilities. ”Bill and I, we had our fair share of arguments. It was a difficult period. He was at the peak of his career, traveling for rodeos across the country, and there I was, about to bring our twins into the world. I insisted he focus on his career. ”This is your moment,” I used to say, but it only upset him.”

She sighs heavily at such a painful time crossing her mind.

”He felt I didn”t want him around, which wasn”t true. It”s just... I knew once the babies arrived, pausing his career wouldn”t be as easy,” she continues, her voice soft but filled with a strength born of those challenges. ”Bill, he struggled with the notion. He wanted to take off work and be there for the pregnancy. But at the time, I wasn”t working. He had been doing well with bringing in prize money from his rodeo wins. I thought it was selfish to stop the only money coming in for us.”

I listen, absorbing every word, seeing parallels in my life with Jake. ”But how did you manage to resolve it?” I ask, genuinely curious about the compromise that kept their love and family intact.

”It wasn”t overnight, Mia,” she admits. ”It required a lot of conversations, tears, and understanding from both sides. We finally agreed that Bill would continue working but significantly reduce his travel. He made it a point to be present for the important moments, the scans, the check-ups, and when I needed him to be there.”

She pauses, smiling faintly. ”And then, in the last month, Bill stopped traveling altogether. He was there every day, making sure I was comfortable, attending the birthing classes with me, and preparing for the arrival of our twins. Bill didn”t return to work until they were six weeks old.”

”And your family? How did they fit into all this?” I probe, intrigued by how they navigated the complexities of work-life balance with a newborn.

”Our parents were our rock,” Joanie says, a note of gratitude lacing her words. ”Once Bill returned to work, they stepped in to help me with the twins. Balancing our careers and family life would have been impossible without their support. They taught us that having a community and a support network is crucial, especially when you”re trying to juggle so much. That”s how I eventually went to college and became a teacher.”

Her story resonates deeply, offering not just advice but a way forward. ”You”re right, Joanie. Jake and I... we need to have that conversation. And maybe it”s time to lean a little more on our family and friends for support. We don”t have to do this alone.”

Joanie”s words hang in the air, mingling with the aroma of chamomile tea, and I find myself lost in thought. ”You know, it does take a load off when you start tapping into the support system around you,” Joanie continues. ”Making sure the other parent is as involved as possible... it changes everything.”

Her insight slices through my tangled emotions, revealing a truth I”ve been too stubborn to see. Jake. I”ve been so fixated on proving I can handle this, our pregnancy, on my own, driven by the ghost of a past that saw Emily”s father walk away when I needed him most. In my determination to never feel that vulnerable again, I”ve inadvertently pushed Jake to the sidelines, not realizing that in doing so, I was sidelining a parent who wants to be here every step of the way.

A lump forms in my throat as the realization settles in. ”I”ve been so hard on Jake,” I confess, the words barely a whisper. ”He”s been supportive, and here I am, acting as if I must do this alone. I guess... I guess I”ve been afraid to rely on anyone else.”

Joanie reaches across the table, her hand warm on mine. ”It”s hard, letting go of that fear. But Jake isn”t him, Mia. I can tell you”re afraid because Emily”s father wasn”t there for you when you were pregnant. He”s here, present, and wants to be a part of this. Don”t push away the one person committed to sharing this journey with you.”

Her simple yet profound words are a balm to my weary heart. My eyes meet hers, gratitude welling up within me. ”Thank you, Joanie. Not just for the tea but for this—for helping me see what I”ve been too blind to notice. I need to talk to Jake, really talk to him. It”s time to start this journey together truly.”

I leave Joanie”s house with a renewed sense of purpose, the conversation replaying in my mind. It”s a dialogue that I”m eager to continue with Jake. Realizing that I”ve been carrying unnecessary weight alone when I have a partner ready and willing to share the load feels humbling and liberating.

I”ll tell Jake everything after Dylan and Emily are in bed tonight. About my fears, hopes, and desire for us to be partners in every sense. For the first time in what feels like forever, I”m not just hopeful for the future - I”m excited to build it, together.

The night wraps around Jake’s home in a comforting silence, the children”s laughter and footsteps now quieted by sleep. I stand in Jake’s bedroom, folding the last of the day”s laundry, feeling the weight of all the thinking I’ve done all day.

Jake is brushing his teeth, and the rhythmic sound is somehow both mundane and intimate. In these simple, shared moments, I find my courage bubbling to the surface. The urge to confront the distance between us that I can tell is slowly growing larger.

He turns off the faucet, wiping his mouth with a small smile as he catches my eye in the mirror. ”You okay?” he asks, his voice laced with bedtime tiredness and genuine concern.

I nod, setting the folded clothes aside, my heart thumping against my ribcage. ”Jake, we need to talk,” I say, my voice steadier than I feel.

He pauses, a flicker of something crossing his face—perhaps resignation, or apprehension? ”Mia, I don”t want to argue tonight,” he says gently, turning to face me, his eyes searching mine.

I close the distance between us, taking his warm, calloused hands in mine. ”I don”t want to argue either,” I assure him, squeezing his hands. ”I... I need to apologize, Jake.”

He looks puzzled but listens, his expression softening.

”I”ve made you feel like you”re not part of this pregnancy, our family. It is like I”m still a single parent, and that”s not fair. To you, to me, or to us,” I confess, the words trailing off into the quiet of our room.

Jake”s eyes hold mine, a world of emotions passing between us in a silent language we”ve come to understand. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me close, his voice a rumbling whisper against my hair.

”Mia, all I”ve ever wanted is to be here for you, Emily, and our baby. For you to understand that Dylan also likes you two being around. I know you”re used to doing everything independently, but you no longer have to. We”re in this together.”

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, his acceptance and understanding washing over me like a cleansing rain. ”I know, and I”m sorry it”s taken me this long to see that. I”ve been so afraid of repeating the past that I”ve been pushing you away,” I murmur into his chest.

He lifts my chin. His gaze is intense but gentle. ”We”re not our past, Mia. We”re our present, and we”re going to build our future together. Whatever fears you have, we”ll face them as a team.”

The simplicity and conviction in his voice lift a burden I didn”t fully realize I was carrying. I nod, finally allowing myself to lean into the partnership we”ve been building. ”I love you, Jake. And I promise to be better at this and better at us.”

He smiles the kind of smile that reaches his eyes and makes the room brighter. ”I love you too, Mia. We”ve got this together.”

The promise of ”together” has never felt more real or attainable as we stand there, wrapped in each other”s arms, the foundation of our future solidifying with every heartbeat.

As Jake”s arms envelop me, a sanctuary of warmth and security, I find the courage to confront the turmoil. ”You know,” I start, voice barely above a whisper, ”I didn”t fully grasp the weight of my actions until now. It”s like I”ve been on autopilot, convinced I had to brace the world on my shoulders. Especially after everything with Emily”s dad... It made me feel like depending on someone else was setting myself up for another fall.”

Jake listens, his eyes reflecting a sea of patience and understanding. He nods, urging me to continue.

”I mean, when I found out I was pregnant with Emily, it was like the ground beneath me had crumbled. I had to rebuild my life, brick by brick, on my own. And I thought I was doing fine, strong even. But now, having you here, showing me what true support feels like...” My words trail off as I search for the strength to admit my vulnerabilities.

He gently tilts my head up, ensuring I meet his gaze. ”Mia, love doesn’t make you weak, and relying on someone else doesn’t mean you’re not strong. It just means you’re human. We’re stronger together than we could ever be apart. And I want you to know that I’m here, not out of obligation, but because there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

His sincere and heartfelt words chip away at the walls I”ve meticulously erected around my heart. The realization hits me like a sunrise after the darkest night - it’s not just about accepting help, it’s about trusting enough to believe we’re better together.

”I see that now,” I confess, the admission freeing yet another piece of the burden I”ve shouldered alone for far too long. ”And I’m sorry for pushing you away. It wasn’t fair to you or Emily. Or to our baby.” I place a hand gently over my belly, protective yet full of newfound hope.

Jake”s smile is warm and inviting, like a beacon in the night. ”We all have our fears, Mia. It’s facing them together that makes us stronger. I’m just glad we’re finally on the same page. I love you all, and there’s nothing we can’t overcome together.”

I take a deep breath, the cool evening air doing little to quell the warmth spreading through my chest.

”Jake, I”ve realized something,” I begin, my voice shaking with emotion. ”I was wrong. Wrong to imply you shouldn”t take time off work to help out with Emily and, soon, our baby on the way. We”re going to be parents to three kids. That”s... terrifying and incredible. And I can”t, no, I don”t want to do it without you.”

Jake”s grip on my hand tightens in an affirmation of presence more than anything. ”Mia, I understand why you had to push me away to prove you could handle it all. But you never have to prove anything to me. I know you”re strong, but we”re stronger together. And,” he pauses, a chuckle escaping him, ”I guess I do get a bit... bossy. It”s not fair to you. I”m going to work on that; on us. Finding a balance where we both feel heard, valued, and, most importantly, loved.”

His admission sparks a light inside me, a glimmer of a future where our partnership is built on mutual respect and love, not societal roles or expectations.

”I love you, Jake. And it means everything to hear you say that. I guess we”re both learning, aren”t we? How can we be partners and parents together, and most importantly, how can we support each other, without losing ourselves?”

He nods, pulling me closer until our foreheads touch. ”We are. And we”ll keep learning every day. I love you too. More than I can say. And I promise, from here on out, we face everything together. The good, the bad, and every little chaotic moment.”

He then tickles my sides to make me giggle, something he used to do back when we were younger. Helping to relieve the rest of the tension in the air.