33. Bottom Bum
MICK
I found Belle pacing up and down the porch, muttering to herself, which meant either she'd accidentally killed a lizard, found a crab on the toilet seat, or was about to break some life-changing news. When she spotted me, she stopped mid-stride, staring at me with those wide, serious eyes that made my heart drop right to my flip-flops.
"Mick," her voice was tight, "we need to talk ."
Uh-oh.
I took a slow step forward. "Alright…are we talking, like, our internet is out again , or you hate my guts and I need to sleep in the hammock ?"
She bit her lip, one hand dropping protectively over her stomach, and my brain went silent.
"You remember that time when I ran out of birth control pills, and you said fuck it and fucked me?"
"Yeah, vividly."
She took a deep breath. "Well, Captain Cuddlepants, I'm pregnant."
For a second, the world stopped. Then, as the reality sunk in, my mouth stretched into a grin so big it hurt. "Yeah?"
"Yeah, Mick." She waved her hands, half-laughing, half-panicked. "We're having a baby."
I grabbed her, lifting her and spinning her around before setting her down, laughing. But when I saw how she looked, I sobered up quickly. She was staring past me, looking slightly shell-shocked.
"What are we going to do?" she demanded, her voice laced with equal parts excitement and terror. "Where are we even going to live? Are we just going to keep raising a kid in the world's draftiest beach hut with no working shower?"
I leaned back, crossing my arms. "Why not? Our baby will have an oceanfront view and a pet lizard."
" A racing champion lizard ," Belle corrected me.
She'd chosen a wiry green lizard with a faint scar over one eye—a tough little reptile who looked like he'd seen a few battles and lived to tell about it. He was surprisingly fast, especially for a lizard who seemed to stop every few seconds to eye the crowd as if daring anyone to challenge him. When the race began, he would bolt forward with this ridiculous, zigzag sprint, dodging obstacles like he'd trained his whole life for this.
Somehow, that scrappy little lizard (he was also named Scrappy) kept crossing the finish line first every single time. And, true to his champion status, he'd stop right after the race and give one final nod to the crowd as if acknowledging the applause.
"Our child is gonna love Scrappy." I cupped her belly and felt like the universe had just given me everything I could've ever dreamed about.
Belle gave me that look, the one that said I'd just suggested we move to Mars. "Mick, be serious! When the baby is older, they'll need…a real house and school. And probably a dentist."
"Alright, alright." I held up my hands in surrender. "Once they're school-age, we can figure something out. Move to Cambridge with y'know, math teachers, playgrounds, whatever kids need these days. But until then, why not keep things the way they are? You, me, and a baby in Reef Harbor."
Her face softened, and I could see the panic starting to ease. She reached out, pulling me close, her forehead against my shoulder. "You really think we can pull this off?"
I grinned, reaching into my pocket for the makeshift ring I'd found on the way over—one of the best-looking seashells I'd ever come across. I knew my Babycakes would appreciate that over some expensive jewelry that she probably wouldn't wear and, if she did, would lose.
"Babycakes, with you, I think we can pull off just about anything. And speaking of…."
I slid the shell onto her finger, kneeling in the sand. "You're already knocked up, so I figure it's about time to make an honest woman out of you. Marry me?"
She laughed, the sound a mix of disbelief and joy. "That's your proposal? You do realize you just proposed with a seashell and a jab at my questionable morals, right?"
I shrugged, trying not to laugh myself. "I'm a man of practicality. Plus, the way I see it, you're already stuck with me. So, what do you say?"
She looked down at the shell, then back up at me, her eyes softening into that look that had captured me the first time I'd seen it. "Yes, Mick. Shell ring and all—I'll marry you."
I stood and pulled her into a kiss, our laughter mingling in the cool night air. With the waves crashing softly around us, I realized that wherever life took us, it would be exactly as it was meant to be—just us, exactly as we were.
Thank you so much for reading On The Beach .