Alice Cove

CHAPTER EIGHT

8.

Flashback.

“I’m so excited I’m going to have a grandson,” my mother gushed as we sat at the island bench, the first time her and dad had come over to see our new place. And the day I told her the s*x of our baby.

Dad was out in the back yard helping Jackson build a garden shed. They were getting along well.

He was reserved when I first brought Jackson home, considering the age gap, but once he got to know him he loved him, a mans man just like my dad. But now was different, we had only been together 8 months before I got pregnant so we they were back at square one. But now that Jackson had bought us a house to call home my dad could see that he wasn’t looking at me as a baby mamma but a life partner. And now that we were newly engaged, my dad knew he has to accept Jackson.

I laughed at her gushing.

“Do you think I’ll get a son in law too?” She asked me, raising an eyebrow.

I looked out the window to my dad and Jackson working, they weren’t working at the time, they both had beers and were laughing.

“Maybe.”

“So you’d say yes?”

“I think so yeah,” of course I would! Even though this happened so fast I love this man.

My mum looked like the cat that caught the mouse with her smile. She has loved Jackson this whole time.

She got up and went to the fridge, “there is nothing in here!”

“Yeah,” I pondered, “I haven’t had a chance to grocery shop, I’ve been really tired and sick lately.”

“Let me do this,” my mum came around and put her hand on my shoulder.

“No it’s fine, I’ll get around to it,” I put my hand up.

“No, let me tell dad. They’ll be out there for a while, and you can rest.” She was already gone before I could protest.

I sat there on my own while everyone was outside. A moment later my mum returned.

“See you in an hour I’m going shopping,” she sang.

I shook my head and laughed at her, “okay, well I guess I’ll go hang out with the boys.”

“Nope!” She put her index finger up at me, “strict orders for you to rest. Go nap, or watch tv or something. Bed rest for you.”

“Fine,” I rolled my eyes and stood up, hugging my mum.

She placed a hand on my belly, “trust me, you’ll be wishing for a moment like this in a couple months.”

I must’ve fallen asleep because when I woke up it was dark, my parents were gone and I could hear ‘The Challenge’ playing in the living room, Jackson’s favourite reality show. He liked to find drills to do in his classes at the gym from it.

I got up and put a dressing gown on and made my way down the hall towards the sound.

He couldn’t hear my footsteps over the loud tv and he had his back facing me on the couch so I took that as my time to pounce. I scared him by coming up behind him and covering his eyes.

“Guess who,” I sang, masking my voice.

“Stephanie?” Jackson joked.

“f**k you,” I laughed. I jumped onto the back of the couch and slid down to be laying next to him.

He paused his show, “babe.”

“What is it?” I asked, looking up at him, my elbows on his knees, head in my hands.

He smiled, “you’re so cute.”

I smiled back.

“Can you do me a favour?” He asked.

“Of course.”

“Go get dressed up, come back out here in half an hour. I have a surprise.”

I sat up, “really? I’m all fat.”

“No you’re not, you’re beautiful,” he gave me a quick kiss, “now go do as I say.”

I got up, “fine,” I dragged my feet behind me as I drudged back to the bedroom.

I kept my short hair wavy and messy and put on some eyeliner, I had a flowy black strapless dress I bought purely for my baby bump but kept my slippers on. I came back out to Jackson in the kitchen looking at his phone. He had changed into cream chinos with a grey short sleeved button up shirt. His hair was gelled back as usual and bare feet. I don’t know why but his bare feet was so sexy to me.

“Ready!” I declared coming through the hall into the opening, “we’re not going out are we? I didn’t put shoes on.”

“We are going out but not far.”

“Ugh!” I fling my head back and slide my feet back to the bedroom.

Jackson runs up behind me and grabs my hand pulling me back against him, he folds his arms around me in an embrace.

“You don’t need shoes baby, you look amazing.” He kisses the top of my head.

“Sorry, blame the baby,” I laugh.

“I’ll have a word with him when he gets out,” he jokes.

I smile against his chest.

“Come with me.” He holds my hand again and leads me outside….towards the shed he and my dad just built?

We stopped at the shed door.

“Are you ready?” He asked me.

I looked confused at the door then back to Jackson, “are we doing some gardening what’s going on?”

“You are not going to make my life easy are you?” Jackson laughed, pulling his hand through his hair.

“Nope,” I beamed up at him, “but I am ready.”

“I love you,” he gave me a quick kiss then opened the door.

My jaw dropped. There was no tools inside. There was fairy lights all along the roof and cascading down the walls. There was a small table in the middle with a red and white check table cloth and dinner. My favourite, which we were never allowed to eat, fettuccine carbonara. Two champagne glasses filled with bubbly, a basket of garlic bread and an ice box with a bottle.

“Oh my god,” I covered my mouth.

“You like it?” Jackson asked, pulling out a chair for me.

“I love it,” I sat down, “did you do this while I was asleep?”

He nodded, taking the seat across from me, “your mum and dad helped.”

“It smells so good,” I leant forward and breathed in, “but you know I can’t drink right?”

Jackson pushed the glass towards me, “sparkling apple juice.”

“You thought of everything,” I shook my head at him. Sneaky devil.

“Before we eat I just want to make a toast,” he raised his glass, “Melody Christiansen, I love you with all my heart, I knew it the first time you walked into the gym, you and this baby mean the world to me. You’ve made me so happy.”

I don’t even know how big my smile was, probably bigger than my mothers today. Jackson got up and walked over to me.

My smile dropped and my heart was in my throat, he took a knee right in front of me, pulling out a red velvet box out of his pocket and opening it to show a beautiful engagement ring, “Melody, will you marry me?”

I pushed my chair out and got down on my knees with him, tears streaming down my face, “yes.” I said, but the words barely came out.

But he knew the answer. He took out the ring and put it on my ring finger, leaning forward and kissing me deeply then hugging me tightly.

He let go of me and kissed my belly, I held up my hand to get a better look at my finger with a ring on it. Jacksons ring.

He got up and held a hand out to help me up.

“Are you happy baby?” He asked as we took our places back at the table.

“So happy,” I beamed at him.

“Well you better eat up, because I’m going to consummate this engagement so bad after we’re done,” he winked at me, taking a sip of his apple juice.

I laughed, “that’s not a thing.”

“It will be now,” he said.

“Well I’ll kill this pasta, it’s my favourite and I haven’t had carbs in so long,” I declared.

He laughed, “I can’t wait for you to be my wife.”

“Can we have this baby first? I want to look banging for you in my dress.”

“What about a shot gun wedding?” He asked jokingly.

I opened my mouth in shock.

“Joking baby, I would’ve married you sooner if we had the chance,” he took my hand and kissed it.

Then we started dinner.