i'll bet that's why

"Calum!" Ashton threw several guitar picks at the bassist of 5 Seconds of Summer, sat lazily in the armchair. The boys had been trying to finish off a song they'd been working on for months, but lyrically, everything seemed to come out wrong. "Do you need a lift home, mate?" He asked, eager to get out of the studio. The producer had been pissy at them all day for failing to meet a deadline, and to say Ashton was fed up was an understatement, and he knew that the only place he could let off steam was in Mia's arms. "I'm so ready to see Mia, it's unbelievable." He commented with a slight pout, having missed his girlfriend so much today. Ashton wasn't a clingy type, but his heart always ached when he was away from her for too long.

Giovanna sat, cross legged, on the bed she and Calum shared anxiously. She had laid out all of the post it notes - one where he usually hung up his jacket with a welcome home message, directing him to various areas of the house until he finally would end up beside her. Glancing back at the positive pregnancy test that she had lay on the bed side table, Gigi couldn't help but smile at the sight of it, her hand subconsciously resting on her tummy. Calum was due home within the next half hour, depending if things had gone well in the studio, and Giovanna was anxious, but so excited to see the man she loved more than anything else.

Calum had been skimming through his phone, mostly looking through photos of Gigi - with how things had been going at the studio all day, he just needed to see her face, and he couldn't wait to get home to her, where he could hold her in his arms and breathe in her scent. When he felt guitar picks hit him, he snapped out of his thoughts before blinking, looking over at Ashton. "Oi! Was that necessary?" he asked with a small pout, though he perked up with the offer, because it meant he'd get to get home to Gigi sooner. "I'll take that lift home as an apology for throwing guitar picks." Grinning, he climbed off the chair, sliding his phone into his pocket before he nodded slightly in understanding. "You're telling me. I just want to hold Gigi in my arms already, pretend today wasn't so frustrating."

Mia chewed on her lip as she set up the last post-it note, the one that would lead to the bedroom. Running her finger over it, she smoothed it out before grinning, satisfied, and turned to head to their room. The first post-it note was on the front door, taped over to make sure it wouldn't fall, and it would begin the scavenger hunt, all to lead to the surprise - the positive pregnancy test on Ashton's night stand. Seeing it when she walked into the room, she breathed out, feeling her nerves get to her, and she fiddled with her fingers as she moved to sit on the bed, smiling to herself, hopeful, nervous, but also just eager to see her boyfriend.

Ashton grinned cheekily with Calum's words. "Definitely necessary, seeing as you were daydreaming." Ashton pointed out, trying to justify his need to be a pain in the ass to his band mate. Hearing Calum accept Ashton's offer though, Ashton almost jumped out of his armchair, driven by the fact that Mia was only a few miles away and it wouldn't be long before he got to see her, hold her in his arms, feel her there with him, because that's where Mia belonged. But, with that thought, Ashton was sure that there was nowhere else that felt so homely than when he was in Mia's embrace. Smiling, Ashton grabbed his car keys, twirling them around his fingers. "C'mon, let's get home to our girls." Leading the way out of the studio, Ashton unlocked his car and climbed into the drivers seat, buckling himself into his belt.

dropping gigi for now!

Calum grinned to himself, smoothing out his clothes before he quickly followed after Ashton. "The sooner we get out of this place and I get home, the better," he decided. As much as he loved being at the studio, it'd been full of stress lately because of the song they were stuck on - but, more than anything, he just wanted to be back with Giovanna, enjoy her presence, where he could relax, recharge, and rejuvenate. When they got to the car, he climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up before he leaned back in his seat and grinned to Ashton. "Alright, chauffeur, get me home in one piece, would you?" he teased lightly, "But definitely as soon as possible. Don't take the long way, you jerk." He pouted with the thought.

"Second that," Ashton confirmed, eager to get out of the studio. With even more approaching deadlines and so much work to do, Ashton hoped that this record, the completed project, would be the best thing they came out with, because it was certainly the most difficult challenge they'd had to face. "You're not important enough for a chauffeur, Cal." Ashton teased, happy to be out of the studio, knowing he wasn't too far from seeing Mia. Starting the car and backing out of his parking space, Ashton hummed long way home with the mention of it. He, nor Calum, didn't live too far from the studio, but the cold, November air meant that driving was a lot more convenient than walking. "Alright," Ashton stopped outside the gate for Calum's house, shoving his best friend by the shoulder. "Get out of my car, you're ruining it." He teased, although his heart was pounding within his chest, because he was a mere few minutes from seeing the love of his life. "See you tomorrow, man."

"Take that back," Calum complained with a laugh, not particularly minding. He was used to Ashton's cruelness. He made a face, though, when he heard Ashton humming Long Way Home. "Oi, stop that! Creep." He laughed, though, rolling his eyes. When they got to his house, he could feel his heart racing, eager to see Gigi. "See you tomorrow." Nodding, he climbed out of the car quickly, tugging his jacket around himself properly. He waved over his shoulder at Ashton as he jogged up to his home, mostly to see Gigi, but also to escape the cold air and wind. When he stepped inside, he grinned as he tugged off his jacket and closed the door. "Babe? I'm home," he called out, moving to put his jacket away, though he blinked when he saw a note where he hung his jacket. Pulling the note from the spot, he put his jacket away and read the note, his brows furrowing when he saw the order to go to the spare room. Curious and amused, he followed the instructions, though he really just wanted to have Gigi in his arms. Getting to the spare room, he expected to see Gigi there and pouted when he didn't, but his eyes caught sight of something that wasn't normally in there. On the bed was a baby blanket - he recognized it as Gigi's because they'd gone through her things when she first moved in - and he made his way over, picking it up gently, curious but confused. Had she accidentally left it in here or was this part of this sticky-note game? Examining it further, he saw another sticky note and he picked it up, reading over it. His curiosity growing further, he held the blanket to himself, wondering what it meant or what the whole purpose of this game was. Was there some message he wasn't getting, that he wasn't understanding? It wouldn't surprise him - his mind was exhausted from the long day at the studio and he couldn't piece together what Gigi was trying to tell him yet, if she was trying to tell him anything at all. Still holding the blanket, he followed the instructions and walked to his and Gigi's room. When he walked in, though, he couldn't stop the grin from forming on his features when he saw her. "Hey, babe," he murmured, making his way over, cupping her face with his free hand to kiss her. "I missed you." And he set the blanket down on the bed to hug her for a long moment, holding her close. "It feels so good to be home."

Gigi looked up as Calum walked into their room, smiling as she saw him holding their baby blanket. "Hi baby," she smiled, leaning into his touch as he cupped her face, returning the kiss he offered. "I've missed you too," She murmured into his lips, pouting slightly with the thought, wrapping her arms around his neck as he hugged her. "How was it at the studio?" She asked gently, moving to run her fingers through Calum's hair, wanting to soothe him, wanting him to know that with her, he could drop all of his burdens, all of his worries, but Gigi couldn't deny she was so excited to finally break the news to Calum. She'd known for a few days, and hiding it from him had been the worst thing. Smiling with the thought, Gigi moved over for Calum to sit beside her, wondering how long it would take him to notice the test.

Ashton put the car into motion as Calum exited, honking his horn in goodbye as he drove, taking the right turn down the street that he and Mia lived on, in a quaint house on the corner, the beach not too far away. Ashton felt a familiar rush of relief run through him, just knowing that, as soon as he stepped over the threshold, he could leave his worries on the doorstep and relish in being with Mia, grab a blanket and relax on their favourite armchair, or watch a film in their bedroom, Mia resting in his embrace. Smiling with the thought, Ashton turned into their driveway, almost expertly - even in the dark, and cut off the engine to the car.

Climbing out of the car, Ashton gently closed the door behind him. Being a drummer had it's perks, he didn't have any heavy equipment to carry out of the car. Taking a short cut over the grass of their front garden to get to their front door, Ashton's eyebrows furrowed as he saw the pink post it note taped to the door, and he assumed that Mia had gone to spend time with Gigi, or she was running some sort of errand - she had a habit of going to the grocery store recently to buy Dr Pepper by the bulk, and Ashton loved it, because her reaction when he stole a bottle to leave with in the morning was hilarious. Approaching the front door fully, Ashton read the note, smiling as he took in the sight of Mia's handwriting, but his curiosity grew as he read the rest of the note, directing him to the living room, to the armchair the two favoured - they'd spent nights, cuddled up on that chair, Ashton holding Mia in his lap as they slept.

Smiling with the thought, Ashton unlocked the front door and crossed over the threshold, and he felt his worry, his stress, just melt away as he took in the familiar surroundings of the house he shared with his soulmate. The house was gorgeous, and it had small touches that just made it so theirs. Unsure of whether or not he should call out, Ashton decided against it, not wanting to disturb the peace as he kicked off his shoes and treaded down the hallway, shrugging off his hoodie as he did. Throwing it over the banister of the stairs, Ashton headed to the sitting room, smiling as he spotted their armchair, close to the fireplace. Pausing as he saw Mia's baby blanket - a beautiful, white, knitted blanket with Winnie the Pooh embroidered into the corner, Ashton's eyebrows raised in curiosity, but he smiled fondly, picking up the blanket and holding it in his arms, noticing another post it note on the armchair, directing him to their bedroom.

Still clutching the blanket to his chest, mainly for his own comfort, Ashton headed to the stairs, his curiosity getting the better of him. Heading up the stairs, Ashton's grin broadened when he saw a light coming from their shared bedroom, meaning that Mia was home. Quickening his pace, Ashton smiled. "Hi, gorgeous!" He called, just wanting nothing more than to see his girlfriend after a long day. Heading into the bedroom, Ashton's grin turned to a full, happy smile when he caught sight of her. Walking over carefully, Ashton gently placed the baby blanket down onto the foot of the bed, sitting next to Mia and wrapping his arms around her, kissing her temple happily. "Man, am I glad to see you." He murmured, relishing in the scent of her perfume, not noticing what was on his bedside table at first.

Calum smiled as he held her close, rubbing her back gently, just glad to have her in his arms, having missed the weight of her in his arms, the scent of her shampoo and perfume, the way holding her made his heart swell in the best way. "It wasn't the best," he admitted with a sigh, "We still haven't made any progress. But, I'm sure we'll get through it. I'm just glad to be home and to have you in my arms." Grinning with the thought, he kissed the top of her head and sighed out in content. He blinked, though, when he felt his phone vibrate and, pulling it out, he pouted when he saw it was dead. "Looks like I ran the battery down, staring at your pictures all day." Shifting, he held her closer and grinned, kissing the top of her head. "Just give me a minute to put this on the charger, then we can relax for the rest of the night." He kissed her for a moment before pulling back and standing up, moving to put his phone on the charger. He paused, though, when he reached the night stand and saw the test. Picking it up, he examined it for a moment - it didn't take him long to figure out what it was, and, at first, he didn't know what the two lines meant, but he paused, knowing that Gigi wouldn't just leave it there if it was a negative. "Babe?" he asked, looking over at her, "Does this mean what I think it means?" He held up the pregnancy test and, while he tried not to be hopeful in case he was wrong, he could feel his heart swelling, a grin spreading across his face, and tears burning his eyes.

Mia lifted her gaze when she heard Ashton's voice, though she couldn't help but to grin when she saw him. "Hey," she murmured happily, leaning into his hold as she relaxed, her eyes closing over as she took in his scent. "I'm glad to see you, too." She chewed on her lip but her expression softened and she offered a gentle smile as she looked up at him, resting a hand against his cheek, her thumb running over the skin gently. "How'd things at the studio go?" She knew things had been stressful lately, writing for the guys hadn't been easy. It was part of why she'd held off on telling him about the pregnancy the past few days; she didn't want to add to it, but she hoped that, maybe, this would help him, too.

"Oh honey," Gigi smiled sympathetically, looking up at Calum to press a kiss to his cheek. "I'm sure the four of you will figure something out." She promised, but when she heard his comment about his phone battery being low, Gigi moved away from him and tried to hide her grin. She watched him closely, as he made his way to the bed side table - where he always set his phone when it was charging. Biting her lip, half anxious and half excited, she watched closely as Calum picked up the positive pregnancy test. Seeing him look over to her, Gigi laughed, unable to stop herself as she stood to her feet, approaching Calum. "Surprise!" She smiled. "We're going to be a Mommy and Daddy." She laughed. "I did leave a hint." She looked back to her own baby blanket.

Ashton felt himself relax completely when Mia spoke, just the sound of her voice being the most incredible thing to him. "I've missed you so much, baby." He told her, kissing the top of her head as the smell of her perfume surrounded him, and Ashton loved it. It was such a unique scent, and it suited Mia perfectly. As she rested her hand against his cheek, Ashton leaned into Mia's touch, sighing with her question. "It's not been good." He admitted, ducking his head slightly. "The producer was pissed, we got it in the neck, and things just... yeah, this writers block isn't great." He admitted. "But I got a pretty good beat, I recorded it to show you..." He pulled away slightly, although not putting too much distance between them, because Ashton missed Mia when she wasn't close to him. However, pulling his phone from his pocket, Ashton bit his lip. "Shit, phone's dead." He spoke softly, looking to Mia. "Give me a sec, babe. I'll get this charged up." He stood to his feet, heading to his night stand, where his wireless charger was sat. "How does a movie and a pizza sound?" Although his question became quieter with each word when he spotted the pregnancy test. Biting his lip, Ashton picked it up, studying it for a long moment, noticing the two lines instantly. Turning around to face Mia, Ashton laughed, almost in disbelief. "Babe?" His voice sounded heavy, choked up with emotion, trying to keep his happiness at bay, although the smile that took over just couldn't be held back much longer. "Babe... baby? Really?" He grinned, trying to get his words out, the excitement stopping him. "Really?" He laughed.

Calum looked at Gigi for a moment, then back down at the pregnancy test, processing her words, his tears beginning to fall, his grin spreading across his face all the more. "We're going to be a Mommy and Daddy," he repeated quietly before he laughed and shifted, moving to wrap his arms around her, lifting her gently to spin her in his elation, being careful of the bed and nightstand and any other decorations in their bedroom. "Holy shit, babe! We're going to be parents!" He laughed again, almost in disbelief, shocked, but so damn happy. "This is the best news ever, holy shit." Grinning, he set her down, pulling her close to himself, as close as he could get her, and he leaned down to kiss her lips, lovingly and happily, just on such a high from the news that they were going to have a baby. His arms tightened around her gently as he held her close, pulling back from the kiss to press his forehead to hers, his hand lifting to cup her face, his thumb running over her cheek, laughing again. "I can't believe how damn lucky I am." He chewed on his lip, but it didn't stop the grin from still being in place, though he blinked, watching her. "Are you okay with this, though?"

"I've missed you so much, too," Mia told him quietly, smiling slightly with his affection, though she watched him, her expression softening when he ducked his head. "Do you want to talk about it? I know you guys have been working super hard on this album, I'm sure it'll all be worth it in the end when it comes out perfect." She had all the faith in the world in Ashton, knowing how hard he worked on every project. Still, when he mentioned charging his phone, she couldn't help but to perk up, hopeful that he'd notice the test without much trouble, and she couldn't help the grin that spread across her face when he picked the test up. And, when he turned around and laughed, she couldn't help the relieved laugh that escaped her and she nodded. "Yeah, yeah, really," she confirmed with a broad grin, moving to stand to make her way over to him, so glad to see his grin, and she rested her hands on his shoulders, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt, her grin broadening all the more. "We're gonna have a baby, Ash."

Giovanna bit her lip as she saw tears rolling down Calum's cheeks, but knowing they were tears of happiness warmed her heart. "Baby..." She laughed, her voice cracking a little under her own emotion; although when Calum lifted her, Gigi gasped happily, wrapping her arms around Calum's neck with a laugh, her head leaning back in amusement. "We're going to be parents!" She repeated with a grin, showing her own happiness for the situation, and once Calum set her back down on firm ground, Gigi kept her arms wrapped around him, returning his kiss. "Oh my god, you've made me so damn happy, Calum Hood." She told him with a breath, her forehead falling naturally against his, trying to blink back her own tears. "Calum, I'm the happiest I've ever been. We're going to be parents." She laughed, biting her lip.

Ashton bit his lip, trying his hardest to remain calm, but when Mia approached him, resting her hands on his shoulders, Ashton laughed happily, his tears escaping, despite his best efforts to keep himself together. "Holy shit," he murmured, wrapping his arms around Mia's waist, still gripping to the test. "Holy shit!" He laughed, louder now, happier. "Babe! We're going to be parents! We're starting a family!" He grinned, lifting her and spinning her around, kissing her as he did. Realising what he was doing, Ashton set Mia back down, afraid of hurting her, or his baby. "Holy - Mia, this is the best news ever. Ever." He grinned, moving a hand from her waist to rest against her flat stomach, tears still rolling down his cheeks as he grinned, pressing a kiss to Mia's forehead, then to her lips. "Baby Irwin... oh my god, this baby is going to be so loved." He told her with a smile. "Daddy promises to be the best Daddy he can be." He said, rubbing her tummy as he said that. "Fuck, Mia, this is incredible." And knowing that the love they had between them, so overwhelming and incredible, helped to create their tiny miracle, made everything so much more amazing. "How do you feel, gorgeous?"

Calum laughed, holding Gigi as close as he could, as gently as he could and he leaned to kiss her lips several, multiple times, just beyond happy with the news. "This is perfect," he whispered, laughing as he watched her. "You're perfect. Baby Hood is perfect." He grinned broadly, rubbing her back before he slid his hand around to her tummy, rubbing her tummy gently. "We're gonna have the perfect family." He laughed, holding her closer to himself still, amazed by her, by this news. "And, I swear, I'm gonna do absolutely everything possible to make you comfortable through the pregnancy, to get whatever you need, and to be there through everything."

Mia gave a noise of surprise when he lifted and spun her, but she laughed when he set her down, her hands reaching to cup his face, her thumbs wiping at his tears, her own eyes watering happily. "We're starting a family," she confirmed with a laugh, grinning with his kisses, her arms sliding around his neck, her heart swelling with his hand against her stomach. "Maybe I should have told you sooner, in that case." Grinning, she toyed with the hair at the back of his neck. "You're gonna be the absolute best Daddy ever, I just know it." She shifted to wipe at her own eyes but grinned. "I couldn't be happier, Ash. I just - God, it's amazing."

Gigi giggled with each of Calum's kisses, cupping his face gently, biting her lip as he spoke. Studying him, Gigi swore her heart swelled happily when he mentioned Baby Hood, and she laughed, pressing a kiss to his lips, her hand resting on top of his on her tummy. "We are." She nodded with a grin, so glad that it was Calum who was going to be the father of her child. "I know you are. And Baby Hood and I are so grateful." She pressed a kiss to his jaw, smiling. "God, that was the best reaction I could of asked for."

Ashton grinned as Mia wiped at his tears, biting his lip happily. "Our beautiful, perfect little family. Mommy, Daddy, and baby." He rubbed her tummy once more, his free arm wrapped around her. "Oh my god, I'm so damn happy, Mia." He smiled. "When did you find out?" He asked with a smile. "Your sneaky girl." He grinned, leaning to press a kiss to her lips, kissing her forehead with adoration, so glad that his soulmate, the girl Ashton was sure he was going to marry, was going to be the mother of his first child. "I'm going to look after you both. I promise. You won't ever have to worry, Mia." He murmured into her hair.

Calum relaxed with her touch, leaning into her hold with a broad grin as he watched her, loving hearing her giggling, loving seeing her so happy, and the feeling of her hand over his on her tummy just felt so perfect, he couldn't believe this was his life now. "I love you, Giovanna," he murmured, kissing her forehead, then her lips, and he grinned slightly. "And I love Baby Hood, too. I'm so excited to see him or her already, oh man." He laughed quietly, chewing on his lip, though he grinned with feeling her kiss his jaw, and he held her close with his free arm. "Oh? How long have you been waiting for a reaction?"

Mia grinned slightly, making a slight face. "Monday," she told him quietly, toying with his hair happily, "I would have told you sooner, but I know you've been stressing about the music, so I didn't want to add to that, but then I started thinking that maybe this would help a bit. Or at least it would give us a night to be happy before things are stressful again when you go back to the studio." Smiling, she closed her eyes, shifting to press her forehead to his chest. "I know, Ash. I love you. We love you." She grinned with the thought, chewing on her lip, swearing she was the luckiest woman alive.

Giovanna smiled as Calum leaned into her touch, reaching on her tip toes to kiss his lips, reaching to wrap her arms around his neck, playing with his hair, relishing in the feeling of his hand on her tummy. “I love you too, Calum.” She smiled, kissing him just once more. “And I love our little Baby Hood.” She smiled, pressing her forehead to Calum’s. Hearing his words, she laughed. “Ugh, you’re so cute.” She complained teasingly, but hearing his question, Giovanna smiled. “Since Monday night.” She told him. “You’ve just been so stressed with the studio, I didn’t want to add onto that.” She explained gently.

Ashton smiled with Mia’s affection, feeling her play around with his hair relaxing him beyond what he could explain verbally. “You went four days without telling me?” He pouted teasingly. “That’s okay, baby.” He told her, pressing a kiss to Mia’s forehead. “I love you and your concern.” He told her as she shifted, squeezing around her protectively. Sighing happily, Ashton smiled, suddenly feeling inspired. “I don’t think the studio’s going to be much of a problem anymore.” He admitted with a smile, feeling a weight off his shoulders. But hearing her words, Ashton swore he’d never tire of hearing Mia tell him she loved him. “I love you too.” And shifting away to kneel down, Ashton laughed, pressing his cheek to her tummy. “I love you too, Baby Irwin.”

Calum grinned slightly. “I love our little Baby Hood, too. Baby Hood’s gonna kick ass,” he murmured happily, his heart swelling happily with the fact that they’d created the little miracle growing in Giovanna’s tummy. He couldn’t wait to meet it, to see it, to hold it, and his heart swelled more and more with each though. His forehead still against hers when she rested her forehead to his, he couldn’t help but to laugh quietly, happily, to her words. “I can’t believe you kept this from me since Monday!” he teased but he grinned, leaning forward to kiss her again. “Nothing you ever do could stress me out, babe. Neither could our Baby Hood.” He grinned, rubbing her tummy again. “God, I can’t believe how damn lucky I am to have both of you.”

Mia made a face with hearing his words, though she smiled, aware he was teasing. “It was worth the wait, though, right?” she asked with a small grin, at least glad that, despite waiting to tell him, it had all worked out in the end. Smiling, she relaxed in his hold, closing her eyes for a moment with feeling him squeeze. “I’m glad,” she whispered quietly, “You’ve been so stressed, I really hope things get easier.” She grinned, though, when he knelt down, and she laughed quietly, running her fingers through his hair gently. “You really are just so amazing, Ash,” she murmured as she watched him, “You’re gonna be an amazing Dad, I just know it.”

Giovanna laughed with Calum's words, biting her lip as she listened to him. "You're such a nerd." She spoke fondly, their foreheads still pressed together. But hearing his laugh though, Giovanna bit her lip. "Hey, it was difficult to keep my mouth shut!" She teased, returning his kiss softly, her hands running through his hair. "I wanted to tell you every single second of every day, it was so difficult." She laughed, shaking her head. "But you know now." She teased, although her smile softened with his words. "We're the lucky ones." She told him gently. "Baby Hood couldn't ask for a better Dad."

Ashton grinned when he saw Mia pull a face, unable to stop himself. "It was well worth the wait, because we are blessed. We're going to have the world's most beautiful baby." He told her with a confident grin, pressing a kiss to Mia's lips, unable to stop himself. Still, Ashton smiled with Mia's words. "Babe, I feel like I could write a whole album with how elated I am right now." He admitted with a laugh, but feeling Mia's fingers run through his hair, Ashton relaxed, lifting Mia's shirt slightly so he could kiss her flat tummy. "I hope so." He muttered. "I'm terrified Mia, but I'm gonna be the best damn Dad I can be." He told her, knowing Mia knew his own circumstance with his own father.

Calum laughed, holding her close to himself as he grinned down at her. “I’m your nerd, so I think it works out wonderfully,” he chimed quietly, running a hand through her hair gently, his other hand still resting on her tummy, rubbing gentle, soothing circles there, so amazed that their lives had come to this. Grinning broader, he pressed a kiss to her forehead before resting his forehead against hers. “I think you picked the perfect time to tell me,” he decided quietly, “Because, I swear, after all the stress at the studio today, I was just ready to crash, but hearing this news? Babe, it wiped all of that stress clear off the board.” He chuckled gently, so elated and excited, just looking forward to eventually meeting their little miracle. “Baby Hood couldn’t ask for a better Mom, Giovanna. You’re perfection.” His grin broadened even more. “And this baby is gonna be perfection, too. Damn, I can’t wait.”

Mia grinned with hearing Ashton’s words, her heart swelling with so much fondness with knowing that Ashton was as excited about their little growing bundle as she was. “Of course. We couldn’t possibly be luckier,” she murmured happily, though she laughed, her fingers still running through his hair, and her grin broadened. “I’m sure you could. I wholeheartedly believe in you, babe.” But, as he spoke again after kissing her tummy, her expression softened and she shifted, moving to sit on her knees in front of him to cup his face in her hands gently. “You’re gonna be the perfect Dad, Ash, I just know it.” Smiling gently, she shifted to press her forehead to his. “You’ve already practically been a father to your siblings and you did amazingly there, so I have all the faith in the world in you.”

@ youngblood.
(For the bookmark!)