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I nodded, a newfound determination settling in. "Together, through all the highs and lows. I love you, Jake."
"And I love you, Mia. More than you'll ever know." He gently pressed his lips against mine, a kiss filled with promises of the future, of hope, and of an unbreakable bond.
As we continued down the trail, side by side, I knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, our love would guide us through. In our hearts, we carried a steadfast trust and understanding. A commitment to each other that would only grow stronger with time.
With Jake by my side, I was ready to face the future, to welcome the joy and tackle the challenges, for I knew we were in it together—forever.
Or at least I strongly hoped so.
Chapter 11
~ Jake ~
Family Matters
I wonder if I’m taking the reins of our growing relationship without allowing Mia to also grip onto them.
It’s in my nature to dominate a situation to the point that I believe that I know best. It’s helped me in life with ensuring that things go as well as they possibly can. I’m so used to being in charge and in control of my life, as well as Dylan’s.
People at the ranch look at me as the cowboy in charge and even the other cowboys tended to follow my lead when the moments called for a leader to step up or take control of a situation.
But this situation is different.
Mia is also in the driver’s seat when it comes to making decisions about this pregnancy and what we’re going to do about it.
But I will admit that I’m the one who kind of pushed and urged her into telling the children after we went back and forth on it for about a week on what to do.
She wanted to wait it out and I told her I didn’t think it would be right, or fair, for the children to find out once her stomach began to balloon in a couple of months.
Mia is the one who wants the children to be comfortable about all of this and I told her that waiting months until she’s showing will make them feel betrayed, not accepting - finding out when everyone else would find out.
So, Mia thought it best we have dinner at her apartment. Especially since Dylan has been asking for the longest time if he could finally see it. They’ve been spending so much time at our house that Dylan has jokingly wondered if they still have their apartment, and has been wanting to see Emily’s room.
We decided on getting their favorite dinner choices from Grandma’s Comfort Diner in an effort to help ease them into the situation. Maybe I’m just optimistic that everything will be alright, while I believe Mia to be worrying too much.
Not saying she isn’t allowed to worry… I guess I feel that she’s been here before.
With being pregnant and not being a first time mom. The kind of worries she has is what first time mothers would usually have who have never been pregnant before. But I’ve been trying to be as supportive of her feelings as I can be because even as a father, I could never personally and physically understand what it meant to carry a child in the womb.
To me, motherhood is such a beautiful thing, with the way women can grow a life inside of them.
"So, how's everyone liking their dinner?" I ask, trying to keep the atmosphere light and jovial. We're all seated around Mia's brightly lit kitchen table, the plates of food casting delicious aromas through the air. Dylan is halfway through his brisket burger, a light smear of sauce at the corner of his mouth, while Emily is meticulously spreading out her shepherd's pie, leveling the mashed potatoes as if they were a piece of art.
"This is the best burger, honestly! You can't get this at school," Dylan says enthusiastically, taking another large bite, barely pausing to come up for air.
Emily, more focused and precise, nods without looking up from her plate. "The shepherd's pie is delicious, too. It’s like grandma’s." Her approval, though quiet, feels like a big win, given how particular she can be about her food.
"That's awesome to hear. Grandma's Comfort Diner never disappoints, right?" I prod them gently for more responses, eager to keep the mood upbeat. "Do you guys think we should do dinner like this more often?" I add, trying to gauge their interest in more family gatherings like this in the near future.
"Yeah! But can we try different foods too? I wanna see if they can beat this burger," Dylan responds with a broad smile, already excited by the prospect.
Emily finally looks up from her plate, her eyes brightening at the suggestion, "Can we go to the pizza buffet next time?"
"Of course we can, honey." I smile brightly at her as Mia stares at me, smiling widely at how well Emily takes to me.
The conversation flows easily from there, and I can't help but feel a sense of relief wash over me. It seems, at least for now, that the news Mia and I have to share might just be received with open minds.
The plates are nearly clean, and the air is filled with the remnants of laughter and easy conversations. It's now or never. I look over to Mia, who gives me a slight nod, signaling it's time. Clearing my throat, I capture the kids' attention. "Guys, we have something important we need to talk about. It's about our family. Or well, the family I am hoping you two will be okay with. Not just involving us four though..."
