Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Suzie
I wake up to the soft beeping of the heart monitor and the sterile scent of the hospital room. My eyes feel heavy, my headaches, and my chest... is empty. I shift under the blanket, one hand immediately flying to my stomach.
The baby.
The memories flood back in a rush—the fall, the hospital, Pete and Dexter finding out about the baby. Me telling them to go. Them actually leaving. My throat tightens, and I have to blink rapidly to hold back the tears threatening to spill.Realistically, I know they couldn’t stay, but I still feel alone.
The door creaks open, and the nurse from yesterday steps in, smiling kindly. "Good morning, Miss Suzie. How are you feeling today?"
I force a weak smile. "I'm okay, I guess. I didn't sleep much."
She nods, her expression soft with understanding. "That's perfectly normal after everything. Plus, no one ever gets any real rest in a hospital. Good news is, your baby is still doing good. The last scans were all clear, and your vitals are holding steady."
I breathe out a shaky sigh of relief, clutching the blanket tighter. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, sweetheart. The doctor will be in soon, and once he gives the all clear, you'll be able to go home. Just take it easy for a while, will you?"
Home.
The word feels hollow.
I nod absently at the nurse's request, watching as she checks the monitors and scribbles a note on my chart before leaving me alone again.
I must doze off, because I'm woken by the room door opening again, causing my heart to jump from my chest. Pete and Dexter step in, both looking about as tired as I feel, but still ridiculously handsome for it.
And to top it all off, Pete has a large thermos with him, while Dexter has a bag that smells suspiciously like fresh pastries. A godsend after the hospital food the previous night.
"Good morning, Suzie," Pete says softly, his gaze searching my face.
I murmur a quiet "Morning," my eyes darting away from them.
"Brought you some of your new favorite tea," Pete adds, holding up the thermos. "I guess now we know why you've gone off the coffee." He sends a tired smile my way.
I manage a faint one in response, but before I can say anything, the doctor walks in, clipboard in hand. Greeting us with a nod, he focuses his attention on me. "Good morning, Suzie. I see you've had a quiet night. How are you feeling today?"
"Tired," I admit, sitting up a little straighter. "But okay, I think."
He smiles at me. "That's to be expected. I've gone over the scans and the test results from yesterday, and everything looks great. The baby is healthy, and so are you. Considering, anyway."
The relief is instant, though it doesn't entirely banish the ache in my chest. "Thank you," I whisper.
The doctor goes over some instructions—the importance of staying hydrated, resting, no heavy lifting—and then suddenly he's signing my discharge papers. "We'll see you back here for a check-up, but other than that, I have nothing to say except take care of yourself and that little one, Suzie. Please ?call if you have any concerns."
As he leaves, Pete steps forward, his hand brushing against mine as he offers the thermos. I take it, the warmth spreading through my palms as I stare down at the lid.
"Time to go home. Pete and I have a surprise for you," Dexter says gently, but his voice is still steady and firm.
I blink up at him. "Surprise? What kind of surprise?"
"You’ll have to wait and see," Pete says, his expression soft but determined.
Before I can push them for more details, they're helping me gather my things and guiding me to their car. The drive is quiet, the tension thick, despite the fact that they’ve told me they have a surprise, I get the feeling like they’re nervous about something. My mind races with questions but I can't bring myself to voice them.
I’m so lost in my thoughts, I don’t notice the route we take, and when we pull up to a large house nestled on a quiet street near the museum, I freeze.
"What is this?" I ask, staring up at the sprawling two-story home with its wraparound porch and neatly trimmed hedges.
"Our new home," Pete says, his voice low.
I turn to look at him, confusion written all over my face. "What do you mean, our new home?"
"We found it, a few days ago," Dexter explains. "We started looking for something pretty much the day after we got here because we wanted to be close to you. To where you work and now live. But we didn't want to scare you or overwhelm you." He shrugs and looks at me sheepishly. "We were kind of waiting for the right moment."
Well that sounds vaguely familiar.
I gape at them, my heart thudding painfully in my chest.
Pete steps closer, his hand brushing against my arm. "We're all in, Suzie. For you. For the baby. For everything."
Dexter nods, his eyes steady and warm. "We love you. Both of you. And we're here for as long as you'll let us be."
Tears blur my vision as their words sink in, but the ache in my chest doesn't ease. "You don't have to do this," I whisper, pushing the words past the lump in my throat. "I don't want you to feel trapped?—"
"Trapped?" Pete's voice is incredulous. "Suzie, babygirl, we chose the house. We choose you. And that little creature you're carrying."
Dexter adds softly. "We'll follow you anywhere, sunshine. But we'd love it if you stayed here. With us. Both of us can work from here and be close to you. Whatever you want, we'll make it happen."
I don't know what to say, my emotions warring inside me. Part of me wants to believe them, to let myself fall into this dream they're offering. But the other part of me—the scared, broken part—still doesn't trust it.
I swallow hard, nodding as they guide me into the house. It's beautiful and warm, and every detail screams that they thought of me when choosing it. Down to the large backyard with a space that can easily be changed into a workshop for me.
But I can't shake the fear that all of this—the house, the promises, the attention—is really just for the baby.
Not for me.
Pete takes my hand, shaking me from my dark thoughts, and leads me inside, Dexter close at my other side.
The house is warm, sunlight streaming through the large windows. My breath catches as I take in the open floor plan, the high ceilings and the welcoming atmosphere. It feels like home. Our home. And that thought terrifies me.
"This way," Pete murmurs, tugging gently on my hand.
I let him guide me down a hallway and into a room. It's completely empty, with no furniture in sight, but the floor is covered in soft colorful flower petals. My heart stutters at the sight and I look up at them, questions bubbling up but sticking in my throat.
Pete grins sheepishly. "The place isn't really furnished yet, but we wanted to make this special."
Dexter walks over to a pile of oversized pillows and throws them into a cozy nest in the middle of the room. He gestures for me to sit, and I do, still too stunned to say anything. Pete sits down next to me, close but not crowding me, while Dexter lowers himself onto my other side.
"We wanted to talk to you," Pete says, his tone soft but serious. "Really talk."
I glance between them, my fingers tangling in the edge of the blanket Dexter had insisted I bring in. "About what?"
"About us," Pete says, reaching out to take my hand again. "And how we feel about you."
I blink at him, my throat tightening. "Pete, you don't have to..."
"We want to," Dexter interrupts gently. His hazel eyes lock on mine, warm and steady. “You need to know, Suzie. This isn’t just about the baby. It’s about you. ”
I shake my head, the ache in my chest growing. “But Dexter… you’ve barely known me for a month. How can you say that? How can you know ?”
Dexter’s expression softens, and he takes a deep breath. “Because I started falling for you long before I met you.”
I blink, confused. “What?”
He glances at Pete, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Pete’s been telling me about you for two years. All these stories—how talented you are, how fiercely you love the people in your life, how you light up every room you walk into. I felt like I knew you before I even set foot in this town. And then, when I finally met you…”
His voice trails off, and he shakes his head like words aren’t enough to explain.
“You were everything he said and more,” Dexter finishes, his voice barely above a whisper.
My heart stutters, and I stare at him, struggling to process his words. “But… that’s not enough,” I say weakly. “Stories aren’t the same as reality.”
“You’re right,” Dexter agrees. “But reality didn’t disappoint me. If anything, it made me fall harder. Watching you work, seeing how much you care about your craft and your family—it just made everything I’d already felt even more real.”
Pete squeezes my hand, drawing my attention back to him. His expression is open, raw with emotion. “I’ve loved you for years, Suzie. And yeah, I was an idiot for letting you go the first time. But I’m not going to make that mistake again. I love you. And I’m not going anywhere. And neither are you.”
Tears blur my vision as I look between them, overwhelmed by the intensity of their words. They’re not just offering love—they’re offering a future. Stability. Family. Everything I’ve always dreamed of but never thought I’d have.
Dexter’s warm, steady gaze anchors me. “You’re everything, Suzie,” he says softly. “Just as you are.”
Pete leans in, his hand brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “We’re not perfect, but we don’t have to be. What matters is that we want this. You, us, the baby—together. We’ll figure it out, no matter what.”
A soft laugh bubbles up through my tears, and I reach out, taking their hands in mine. For the first time in days, my heart feels lighter. They mean every word, and I know deep down that this is where I belong.
“I don’t have to think about it,” I say, my voice steady despite the emotion thickening it. “This is right. You’re right. For me. For our baby. For us.”
Dexter’s eyes shine, and Pete lets out a breath that sounds like he’s been holding it forever.
“We love you, Suzie,” Pete says, his voice barely above a whisper, but the strength behind it resonates deep within me.
Dexter smiles, his grip tightening gently around my hand. “And we’re not going anywhere. Ever.”
I nod, the tears spilling over freely now, but this time, they’re tears of joy. “I love you too. Both of you.”
Relief washes over their faces, and they both lean in, enveloping me in their warmth. For the first time in what feels like forever, I feel safe. Loved.
This is it—our beginning. Our family. And it feels perfect.
THE END