The Journey Home

I tried to speak, but nothing came out. He smiled and looked me over from head to toe. “Bella,” he said. “I’ve missed you so much.”

I glared at him. “What are you doing here, Andre?”

His smile faded, his eyes turning from happy to angry in an instant. “I came to see if you were done playing house yet. I want you back.”

I looked behind me, then turned and pushed him on the chest to back him up. I stepped outside and shut the door.

“Are you kidding me? Really? You have the nerve to show up on my fiancés doorstep and ask me something like that?” I asked. “I love Cale. I’ve always loved him and I will always love him. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m asking you to please leave and never contact me again. I’m happy. Very happy and very much in love.”

Andre looked over my shoulder. I turned to see Cale standing in the doorway. “I think you heard the lady,” he said. “Leave.”

Andre stood up taller and smirked at Cale. “I walked away from you once before, Bella, without a fight. I’ve returned to claim what is rightfully mine.” He glanced over to Cale. “Fiancé or not.”

My mouth dropped open as I stood there in a stupor.

“I thought maybe all you needed was time, so I gave that to you. I’m tired of waiting. I can give you…” Andre gestured toward Cale. “I can give you what he can’t.”

I closed my eyes. I couldn’t believe this was happening. When I felt Cale push past me, I knew things were about to turn ugly. I opened my eyes as Cale grabbed Andre and pushed him against the side of the house.

“You motherfucker,” Cale said. “You have some damn nerve showing up at my house and talking to my fiancée like this. I’m only going to tell you one time—stay the hell away from Maddie. If I so much as see you step a foot onto my property, I will beat your ass all the way back to New York.”

Andre’s breathing had picked up. I couldn’t move. I finally got my wits together and walked up and grabbed Cale. “Cale, please, just let him go. It’s not worth it.”

I gave Cale a pleading look. He let go of Andre with a forceful push. He took a few steps back as Andre fixed his ruffed-up jacket.

“Andre,” I said. “I thought I made it very clear to you about my feelings for Cale.”

“We had something special, Bella. Do you not remember our time together in Italy?”

I felt my face flush. I didn’t want Andre talking about us being together in front of Cale. “That’s all in the past. I’m where I belong, Andre. I’m home. I’m in love with Cale; I’ve always been in love with him.”

He shook his head and looked at Cale and then back to me. His eyes weren’t filled with sadness, but with anger. I don’t think Andre was used to not getting his way.

He held up his hands and made a face. “Fine. If this is what you really want, Maddison, then I will turn and walk away. Just know that if I leave, this is it.”

“Oh, for the love of God. Do you not hear what she’s saying, asshole?” Cale shouted.

I had to admit I never thought I’d deal with Andre again. In that moment, I wondered what I’d ever seen in him in the first place. He was arrogant, conniving, and selfish.

“Goodbye, Andre.” I said, taking few steps back.

Slowly shaking his head, Andre said, “Arrivederci, Maddison.” He turned on his heels and walked away.

I shook my head, turning to Cale. “I swear I haven’t been in contact with him or anything. I have no idea what would make him just show up like that and—”

Cale quickly kissed me. The kiss was hungry and full of passion. It wasn’t long before we were calling out each other’s names as Cale exploded inside of me. A big part of me wanted to stop taking my birth control, but I knew it would be best if we waited until after the wedding.

I lay in bed, tangled up in Cale, as I thought about that first night. My mother had said you couldn’t fall in love with someone so quickly, but I knew she was wrong. The feelings I’d experienced that night with Cale were magical, mysterious, and powerful. Something I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to explain. Those same feelings were beginning to stir again, but in a very different way. I felt loved, safe, and needed. For the first time in my life, I started to believe that I had finally found that missing piece. Cale was it. I needed him like I needed the air I breathed. That feeling excited and scared me.

Cale began to stir as I slowly slipped out from our web of love. I looked down at him and couldn’t help but smile. I loved him, and there is no way I would ever be able to survive a day without him.

JACK SAT OPPOSITE me on the floor, watching Lily. Lily was now attempting to crawl.

Jack sighed. “Dude, she just gets up on all fours and rocks. When is she going to actually move?”

I smiled and shook my head. As soon as I told Jack on the phone that I thought Lily was about to crawl, he made an excuse to hang up, and the doorbell rang ten minutes later. He always acted like he didn’t care, but he wanted to be here just as much as Monica did for this moment.

I chuckled and said, “Give her time, she’ll do it.”

Maddie sat down next to me as Monica joined Jack on the floor. Monica glanced at me and I smiled. She was about to tell Jack she was pregnant. She wanted to do it with all of us there. It meant a lot to her to have Maddie and me there when she told Jack, since we had both been there for them during their rough patch.

“Here’s a cookie I helped Maddie make,” Monica said as she handed the cookie to Jack. His eyes were focused on Lily, who was staring at him.

“She’s eyeing me like she knows something’s up.” He said as he titled his head and looked at her. He reached for the cookie and looked down at it.

He looked up at me and frowned. “I think this one is for you.”

I snapped my head back in surprise and asked. “Why?”

He looked away as he said, “It says ‘Congratulations, Daddy.’”

Maddie grabbed my hand as Monica quickly wiped a tear away. I shook my head. “I don’t think so. Monica?”

Jack turned to Monica. He dropped the cookie and placed both hands on the sides of her face. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

Monica let out a small sob and said, “I made that cookie for you.”

Jack looked down at the cookie before grabbing it. He was about to put it in his mouth when Monica and Maddie called out, “No!”

Lily startled, then squealed and giggled.

Jack dropped the cookie again. “Motherfucker. What the hell is wrong with you guys? You scared the shit out of me.” He looked back at Monica and used his thumbs to wipe her tears away. “Monica, why are you…”

My heart began to beat faster as I looked at Maddie. Her smile was breathtaking and I knew this moment was big for her.

“Wait,” Jack said. “You made that cookie for me?”

Monica nodded and whispered, “Yes. I made another one too.”

She reached behind her and handed him another cookie. Jack read the writing on the cookie out loud. “Miracle baby on board…” His head snapped up. “What? I mean…what does this mean? Does this mean…are you?”

Monica began crying harder. “I’m two months pregnant. I’d like to think it happened on our honeymoon.”

I watched as tears began to make their way down Jack’s face as I fought to keep my own tears at bay.

“Monica! Oh, God.” Jack pulled his wife close and they kissed.

I glanced to Lily and saw her inching toward the cookie that Jack had dropped. I nudged Maddie and pointed. “Look! Look at Lily!”

Maddie gasped. “She’s crawling! She’s crawling.”

Jack and Monica stopped kissing, and Jack practically pushed Monica away. “That’s right, baby girl. Come to Uncle Jack. Come on. Come on.” Jack was clapping his hands as he tried to get Lily to come to him.

Monica snarled, hitting Jack on the arm. “She’s not a dog, for Pete’s sake.” She grabbed the cookie and held it so Lily could see. Lily laughed, turning toward Monica.

“What the hell?” Jack yelled. He grabbed the cookie out of Monica’s hand. “Lily, look at what a big girl you are, crawling! Come to Uncle Jack. I have two cookies.”

“You prick!” Monica shouted. “Give me that cookie.”

I looked at Maddie who was crying as she watched our daughter crawl for the first time. I glanced back and said, “Lily, Daddy has a cookie.”

I reached for the cookie Maddie was holding and held it up. Lily stopped and looked at me. She smiled, and all I could see was the two little teeth that had broken through her gums. I couldn’t believe how fast she crawled toward me with those blue eyes sparkling.

“Hey! That is totally not fair. She was coming to me first. You cheated!” Jack said.

When Lily crawled up to me and reached for the cookie, I scooped her up and kissed all over her face as she laughed.

Maddie jumped up and clapped and said, “Yay! Look at our big girl!”

Jack and Monica both stared up at us, smiling. I couldn’t wait for them to experience all of this with their own child. I smiled at Jack as he nodded.

We spent the rest of the afternoon following Lily around as she crawled everywhere.

I looked over at Maddie and laughed. “Shit. I think our world just changed in a major way.”

She giggled and nodded. “I think so too.”

“MR. BLACKWOOD?”

I glanced up from my computer to see Katrina, my assistant, smiling at me.

“Yes?” I watched as she moved toward my desk.

I was going to have to talk to her about her work attire. It was getting tighter and tighter. I was pretty sure she didn’t have a bra on today—her nipples were showing through her light blouse.