Page 73 of Simply You & Me

I woke up. I woke up so I could live it. With you, our guys, our kids. I woke up to fight for our future, and now I want to share it with you because, sweetheart...this is what I see.

The day I met you, Rory was hugging you over your shoulders while you sat with Baby Ollie. Do you remember that? I do...every day. That's when this dream started to form.

We're older in our future, and Rory's a sassy teen, of course. Our baby's there, running around on wobbly legs as he chases Tate around the yard. He's going to make such a wonderful father, Addie, don't you think?

I'm almost positive he will have to start wearing glasses at this point because his head is always stuffed in one of his medical textbooks. He's so close to his own personal dreams and conquering his demons, sweetheart. It warms my heart.

In this dream, Zach has his head resting in my lap. Crazy right? With us, he can relax, knowing we're safe and happy. Warm and fed too of course. The grill beside us is where he rules the world. You will never get away from his towering plates, so get used to it sweetie, ‘cus that man feeds everything he loves.

Wyatt, our house nerd. You'll never believe this, but he steals Rory to his tech side! Rory's hanging off you while talking computers and some nano-shit with her, still, best friend. Those two are worse than Tate with his textbooks I swear...Just a heads up, Rory's gonna need glasses too I bet.

Me? I watch you smile as you take in your family around you. I know for a fact you’re tuning out Rory and Wyatt's nerd talk. Your eyes trail our little boy and Tate as they run around the yard, and bite your lip when Tate's shirt rides up his abs. Your hands absentmindedly stroke Rory's arm and hold your stomach. You're thinking about our family and the future beyond this one. Or maybe you're thinking of the past...remembering how your incredible body carried our beautiful boy. A soft smile graces your lips when you find Zach snoozing on my lap, then your eyes snag mine. And I fall. I fall into your beautiful green eyes, and I never want to leave.

The dream ends with you smiling, sweetheart.

I miss your smile. I miss you.

I'll never stop fighting for this future. Dreams do come true, and I'll make it so for you.

I love you,

Julian

Chapter Forty-Seven

Julian

Ican't stop looking at her when I should be paying attention to the road. She's just so damn beautiful. And she's here. Within two feet of me, my girl is here, in my space, breathing the same air as me.

I don't even care that she hasn't said anything to me besides a quiet “good morning” before tucking herself into my passenger seat. With her hands cradled around her little bump, she picks at her nails. Something's on her mind, but I'm not sure if I should ask. A few weeks ago, I wouldn't have hesitated to check in with her. I'd also have my hand on her thigh, but things are different now. We're rebuilding and unfortunately, that means taking a couple of steps back.

"Do you think Bean's okay?"

Her quiet voice makes me jolt a little, having settled further into the silence than I thought. "What do you mean, sweetheart?" Is she worried about the baby? How do I not know this?

Peeking at her again, I see her frowning down at her tummy. "I just... Do you think the baby's okay? I haven't had an appointment yet. Bean doesn’t feel real. And after Johnny… I really hope our baby is okay."

Addie's small sniff breaks my heart and makes my stomach clench with nerves. Fuck, should I be worried too? Something else she said stood out, she said our. I know the baby is ours but hearing her offer me the claim is a fucking beautiful thing that makes me want to cry.

"Jules? Are you okay?" she asks, her tiny hand grasping my forearm.

I huff. It's a nervous sound. "Shit, I don't know. I hadn't thought of anything being wrong with our baby. Now I?—"

"Jules—"

My words come faster, each worry fighting for breath and space in my throat. "I had no idea you were struggling with this. Fuck, I should have been right there with you and the worries. Now I'm scared. I've been so focused on the future and making our lives better. I never even thought to prepare myself for this!"

"Julian, breathe," she coos. Just her voice soothes some of my panic, the white-knuckle grip I have on the steering wheel relaxing a smidge. "It's normal to worry. I'm sorry I scared you. There haven't been any negative signs, I promise. I just really want to see him."

"Him?" I gasp, my eyes widening as I pull into a parking space at the clinic. With the car in gear, I twist so I can finally have the perfect view of her.

A blush pinkens her cheeks as she peeks at me from beneath her lashes. "Yeah, him. Bean feels like a boy, right? You were who convinced me, you know?"

I blink at her at a loss for words. "Your future. Our future, Jules. The one you wrote to me about. Bean does feel like a boy."

Holy fuck. She read my letters. Of course, she did. I literally wrote them for her to read. So she could feel me, and my love for her, even when I wasn't strong enough to face her.

"Thank you, Julian. The letters, the drawings, they were beautiful." She leans across the center console and kisses my cheek. "I can't wait for you to draw our baby, too."

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