Page 24 of Now that I Found You
He looks at the large photo collage Kinsley helped me have made at this local antique store in Everton. They do a lot of crafts. When I saw the quote, “All because two people fell in love,” I knew it was perfect.
It takes a minute for Callum to see what he’s looking at, his eyes first scanning the photo taken of us together the night at Brodie’s. It was the first night we spent together in Arbor Creek, three months after we first met. The one next to it was taken by Kinsley, without us knowing, from our first night at Wes’s house for the end of summer bonfire. The next photo is of the two of us on our wedding day.
“I love that picture of us.” He grins, pulling me closer to him. He presses a kiss against my lips before looking back at the other photos.
I know the moment he realizes what he’s looking at when his body goes rail straight against me.
“Ellie,” Callum says, a mix of awe and uncertainty lacing his voice. “Is this?what is this?”
He drops his arm from around me and takes a step forward, looking at the sonogram photo from the hospital.
“Surprise.” I smile, as tears fill my eyes. His eyes bounce between me to my stomach and back up to me again, as if he’s unsure what I am saying and he’s afraid his hopes could be wrong.
When he sees me run my hand over my stomach, his eyes light up like I just gave him the best gift he’s ever received. It makes me fall in love with him all over again.
“I’m going to be a dad?” The word “dad” comes out with more of an awe, like he doesn’t know if he wants to believe it until he hears me say it out loud, not wanting to misunderstand the surprise.
“You’re going to be a dad.”
It’s as if those six words give him permission and the dam gates were lifted, forcing a rush of emotions to come crashing through.
As if all the pain he was once feeling is gone, he drops to his knees in front of me and presses his hands against my stomach. I hear sobs racking through his body, as he quietly mumbles, “I could’ve lost you both.”
My heart aches for him, at the thought and the picture he just painted before us. I didn’t want the news to be ruined with the “what could’ve beens,” so I quickly push it aside and try to ease his mind.
“You didn’t though. We’re here, we’re okay. You’re going to be a dad, Callum.”
With both of his hands framing my stomach, he leans forward and presses his forehead softly against my non-existent bump. I have stood in front of the mirror for the past week, checking from multiple angles, hoping I would start to see the defined curve, but it hasn’t come yet.
When he leans forward and presses a kiss against my stomach, I struggle to keep my emotions in check.
“I can’t wait to meet you,” he whispers. “I love you so much already.”
There’s no holding back now. The tears I was barely containing stream down my face.
“Thank you for making me the happiest man in the world.”
Running my hands through his hair, I hold his head to me as he leans back to look up at me. We’ve been through so much together, more than I ever thought possible.
He pulls my shirt up, kissing me again on my bare stomach. His hands rub over me, over my hips, and down to my thighs. What was once a soft caress, soon turns urgent with need as Callum roughly runs his hands over my thighs and around to grab my waist.
Not caring where we are, I let him pull me down on the floor until I’m straddling him in the middle of our hallway.
He continues to push my shirt up and I help him, roughly pulling it over my head and tossing it to the side. We’re both careful of his injury and where the bandage is wrapped around his side.
“I need you so bad right now,” he groans, as I grind down on him. We quickly shed our pants; I help Callum with his. Positioning myself above him, I stare down at him from where he lies, his arms positioned beneath his head.
When I slowly ease down over him, I watch as his eyes slowly roll back closing them as he mutters out a low “fuck.”
“Callum,” I whimper. “Look at me.”
His eyes flash open, blazing as he stares back at me.
“Tell me you love me.”
He moves his hands up, over the top of my thighs lacing his fingers with mine.
“I love you,” he mutters. “So fucking much.”
In this moment, my heart has never been fuller.
