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“Nope. He stopped asking,” Marie said tearfully, turning towards her. Her friend’s eyes were glassy with tears, and the tip of her nose was red like she’d been crying off and on for a while now. “Between a miserable baby, lack of sleep, and the fact that I’m probably driving him away… I’m a mess, Calista.”
“You need to talk to him,” Calista urged softly. “He’ll help you, but you have to give him a chance.”
“I’m always crying and…”
“It’s called ‘hormones’ after you have a baby. They make you an emotional mess, and I cried at Hallmark commercials for a week. It gets better – and he will still be there.”
“I think Jared’s sick of my weeping.”
“I think Jared is probably intimidated because he doesn’t want to make things worse,” she told Marie sagely. “He’s still the same ornery guy – and you are the same woman he adores.”
“I don’t know why…” she sniffed, wiping her eyes. “You know, nobody mentioned that I’d have my period for a month after having a baby. That’s a pretty twisted kick in the knee after you score the winning field goal. Give birth to the most beautiful child… no offense…”
“None taken,” Calista smiled.
“And BOOM! Maxi pads for a month. Now, that does not seem fair by any stretch of the imagination… oh yeah – and you only sleep two hours a night.”
“Did you talk some sense into her?” Jared grumbled, standing over Marie’s chair. “I’m not a moron.”
“I never said you were,” Marie choked out, wiping her eyes again.
Calista looked at Will helplessly and saw his slight smile as he gave her a slight shake, cradling Jack on his arm. Their son was holding a shell up to his ear, listening for the ocean… and she smiled at the sight of them together.
Jared sank down beside Marie’s chair in the sand, looking at her.
“I love you,” Jared said in a tender tone that Calista never imagined that the big gruff guy had in him. “I love our life, Felicity, and can’t picture not seeing your smile – but I’ve been living that hell for the last four weeks since Felicity arrived.”
Marie looked utterly miserable – and Calista’s heart was breaking for her friend.
“Let me be here, let me help you,” Jared urged. “If it’s the wrong formula, let’s throw it away. If I put the diaper onwrong, show me how. I’m your partner… and I want you as my wife.”
Calista’s eyes widened in surprise as she glanced at Will, seeing his conspiring wink as Jared pulled out an engagement ring that sparkled in the sunshine.
Marie was hiccupping and sobbing in earnest, wiping her eyes as fast as she could without disturbing the baby against her chest.
“Your tears are killing me,” Jared said thickly. “I need you to laugh, tell me I’m bossy or a dummy, and pat me on the bum occasionally so I know things are okay between us.”
Marie choked out a laugh – as did Calista and Will.
“Daddy, what’s a ‘bum’?”
“A booty,” Will whispered, grinning and kissing his son on the cheek as Jack laughed in understanding.
“It would serve you right if you were stuck with all this mess,” Marie sobbed, waving her hand in front of her. “Stretch marks, leaking boobs, crazy hormones…”
“I want it all,” Jared smiled tearfully. “Gimme everything you got, Sexy.”
“Oh gracious…” Marie scoffed in disbelief, crying even harder. “Fine. Let’s do this. You’ll be stuck with me forever, and if you ever leave me? I’ll take you to the cleaners just because I’m a vengeful creature.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Jared chuckled, sliding the ring on Marie’s finger. “I love you, woman… and the only other female that I can’t live without is sighing against those beautiful boobs.”
“You need your head examined.”
“And my pants – but we aren’t clear for any of that for another two weeks.”
“Geez Jared…” Marie retorted, looking slightly pleased and a little disbelieving at his comments. Calista thought she looked more like herself in that moment than she had in the last few weeks – recognizing that Jared’s coarse tone and his dry humor was just what the woman needed to pull her out of her misery. “Just because you’ve got good timing and some bling – that doesn’t get you out of replacing my Taylor Swift concert shirt.”
“I’ll take you to another concert.”
