Chapter 16
“HONEY, I'M HOME,” HIS voice echoed through the tiny apartment. She could barely hear him from her position on the floor praying to the porcelain gods.
“Oh, hey baby, are you okay?” His concerned voice always made her feel at ease. No matter how many butterflies took up space in her tummy. From Vegas to Terre Haute, she had several butterflies throughout the trip.
Now two weeks later, she had another set of butterflies.
Raising her hands, he gripped her and helped her to stand. Luckily the nausea stayed down.
His soft eyes and touch called to her as he tucked her hair behind her ear. “Are you sure you're okay, baby?”
“Yeah,” she sighed. “I'll be okay. I've got something for you.” She reached behind him, wondering how he hadn't noticed it before. The man had hawk-like reflexes when it came to noticing differences in a setting.
When she handed him the pregnancy test, she wasn't certain what to expect. But for him to just stare at it, place it on the counter and then turn to leave was not it.
Her heart sank as the man she loved walked out the door without a word.
STACY
It was official. Stacy couldn't deny it any longer as she held the stick in her hand with two pink lines staring up at her.
She had waited as long as she could until she bought a test. Granted the two missed periods were a red flag as well. Add in morning sickness and constant nausea.
Just thinking about the nausea had Stacy groaning and closing her eyes as she rubbed her tummy to soothe her nerves.
Was she happy? Stacy didn't know. Harry and Helen were with Frank and Eleanor, and Travis was out on a job. And here she sat, stewing on her emotions in the bathroom.
Stacy tried to focus on a thought, a single emotion, but came up empty. Her mind circled the proverbial elephant in the room.
What if he left? What if he couldn't handle it again? She'd be left alone in this giant empty house. How was she to cope? She'd lose everything.
Then a random thought occurred to her, had she let Frank search for Travis at the beginning, none of this would have happened. They wouldn't have missed six years.
Oh God, all because she was so stupidly stubborn and hurt she had kept them apart because she didn't want to know why he left. It was all her fault. How would he react once he found out? He blamed himself, and yet it all could have been avoided if she had taken Frank up on his offer sooner.
“Honey!” She heard his voice and jolted. How had she missed the sound of his motorcycle? Hastily she shoved the stick and box into the trash can and covered it up with debris. Her reflection in the mirror showed a haggard face with tear streaks. Maybe she could wash them away and make it look as if she just got up from a nap.
Stacy was drying off her face from splashing cold water when Travis walked into the bathroom.
“Baby, you doing okay?”
“Yea,” she lied through her teeth and tried to paste on a smile. He had to have seen through it. That man caught everything. “Everything okay? You're home early.”
“Forgot something. Jax is waiting outside. What's wrong?”
Stacy took in his muscled form, skin tight shirt, thigh hugging jeans. His scruffy face looked so sexy. She didn't want to lose him. Feeling tears form, she heard him talking into his phone before her stomach rolled and she quickly turned to the toilet.
She felt hands gather her hair as she puked and dry heaved. Sinking to her knees, Travis flushed the toilet after he closed the lid. His face was blurry as he knelt next to her with a wet washcloth.
“I'm so sorry,” she sobbed and babbled as she felt him wipe her mouth and chin.
“Sorry for what, baby?” his voice was so gentle, so calm while Stacy was a hurricane on the inside.
“I'm,” she stuttered, “the reason,” hiccup, “we were apart so long.” She cried harder, trying to cover her face from his scrutiny. Her world spun as he picked her up. Snot and tear covered face, he sat her on his lap on their bed. They had moved back downstairs after they bought a state of the art monitoring system.
“I'm afraid. I'm afraid you're going to leave me. And hate me. I was afraid I was the reason you left me. I didn't want to find you when I could have to know if it was me. It's all my fault.”
Travis handed her a towel to use to clean her face as she slumped in his arms.
“And I'm pregnant!” She wailed and started crying again, new tears flowing. “And I've kept it from you because I was terrified you'd leave again like last time. And I didn't know what to do.”
Travis was too quiet and Stacy felt her heart crack all over again. She tried moving off his lap to save face, yet his arms tightened around her.
“Are you calm enough to hear me?” His voice was strong and firm. She blew her nose and leaned back to look up into his handsome face.
“You may have had the chance to find me sooner, but I don't blame you for not doing so.” His palm cupped her cheek, eyes boring into her soul.
“You are my wife. My life. I will always regret my stupidity of leaving you without a way to contact my family. I know accidents happen, but I will always regret not doing better. I will forever try to attone for my fuck up.”
Stacy tried to shake her head, but he kept going.
“To redeem myself in your eyes. I will always strive to be the best man, husband, and father. It's only been a few short months since we've been back together, but you've had years without me.”
“But I could have remedied that,” she argued.
“I could have introduced you to my family first.” His tone was fierce and brook no argument from her. “We are both to blame. And we need to get past that. I know there isn't a fix-all cure. Only time will help. But, baby, I'm not going anywhere. And I'm beyond ecstatic that you're pregnant.”
Stacy felt tears well up again as she nestled onto Travis' shoulder. “I'm sorry.”
“I am too. I love you, baby. I'm so happy we're together.” His lips pressed kisses to her forehead. “I can't wait to meet this little one. Their siblings are going to be over the moon excited. And remember, communication. Key to successfully navigating us.”
“I love you, too. I'm glad we found our way back to each other.” Stacy shouldn't have worried. He was right. Communication. Even if she was still anxious.
ECHO
Echo had never been so glad to have forgotten his tool belt at work. Between editions he could have used a spare, but he and Jax would be passing right by his house.
Thank goodness he had.
Walking in on Stacy near a breakdown had him cautious. Echo knew the past couple months had been difficult, all the appointments, all the change. But for her to always be nauseous and tired? Well, he figured something was up, he knew his wife. He had a hunch as to the situation, but had been patiently waiting for her to say something. Anything.
When she stared at him then made a turn for the toilet, he called Jax and told him he wouldn't be coming back and to tell Hammer. He relayed Stacy was sick and left it at that.
Stacy apologized and cried, sobbing her heart out– breaking his in the process.
Was he silently thrilled she was hashing it out with him? Yes. She had been bottling up her emotions throughout this entire ordeal and he knew it was only a matter of time.
But to hear her say it was her fault? That she could have found him sooner? Sure, his heart ached at the thought that he could have had them sooner, but she hadn't been in her right mind to deal with her new lot in life: single, pregnant, alone, and scared.
Echo understood that. To his very core. He just wished she'd understand too. They were both to blame. And he believed he was more so than her. By far.
When she finally calmed, he held her like the precious gift she was. He loved this woman and all that she was. How did he prove that to her? Because of his fuck up, he'd have to always fight and prove his love.
“It's not fair to you if I'm always afraid and always thinking you'll leave,” she whispered into their quiet house.
“There will come a time when you aren't afraid and when you completely trust me. We've been over this, Stacy. Once things settle down with Harry's appointments, you'll see. It'll take time. I get that. But we have a second chance.”
“Are you sure you're–” he cut her off with a finger to her lips.
“Baby,” he implored. “Please. Trust me.”
“I do,” she sassed. “I was going to say, are you sure you're not needed at work?”
“Oh,” he felt sheepish as he looked at his gorgeous wife. “They'll be okay, and they understand.”
“Good,” Stacy shifted in his lap, then pulled back. “Wait just a minute, I need to brush my teeth.”
While he waited, Echo shot off a text letting Hammer know all was good, just emotional hormones.
Stacy sauntered back in front of him, her seductive wiles top notch. At least to him they were.
“I'd like to make it up to you. Ya know, for crying all over you,” she batted her eyelashes as she slotted her body between his opened legs.
His hands automatically went to her waist, and he paused her from straddling his lap.
“Stacy, baby,” he wanted her full attention, and he had it when she gazed into his eyes. “Hear me on this. You can cry all over me anytime. You never have to apologize. We are in this together.” Echo pulled her closer, kissing her stomach before he trailed his hands up to her ass. He gripped her, pulling her into his lap as she ducked to take his lips into a hard kiss.
Her hands in his hair felt amazing as their tongues dueled. Echo took his time undressing his wife and made sweet love to her until she passed out from passion overload.