Best of Me

The room at the doctor’s office was quiet. Kat was lounged on the exam table, fingers twisting together. Brian was sat in the chair next to the table, leg bouncing away. At this rate, he would stomp a hole through the tile flooring. Kat smiled softly to herself, finding his anxiousness endearing. He must have been deep in thought for a long time; he was quiet the entire ride to the doctor’s office.

The silence was broken by the door opening and the doctor stepping in. Dr. Stratford smiled warmly at Kat and Brian before quickly looking over her notes.

“Alright, Miss Taylor. Your tests look normal, better than normal. How’s your HG doing?”

“It’s still coming and going, but I think it’s starting to ease up.” Kat explained, adjusting slightly on the table.

“That’s great! Just let me know if it flares up again, okay? Now, let’s get to the fun part.” Dr. Stratford plopped that cold, blue gel onto Kat’s stomach and placed the ultrasound wand against her skin. She swirled it around for a minute and then reached over to tap a button.

Immediately, the baby’s heartbeat filled the room. Brian had stood up and was now standing right up against the table, his hand blindly grabbing for Kat’s. He thought back to the ultrasound photo that Kat showed him when she broke the news to him. Back then it just looked like a blob, and now it looked like a baby. Finally tearing his eyes away from the screen, he looked down at Kat, admiring her face. She was focused on the screen; her blue eyes filled with many different emotions, but her face was serene, peaceful.

After the appointment and after the necessary amount of ultrasound photos were printed, Brian and Kat left the doctor’s office to get ready for the beach trip that Val planned.

“Talk to me, Kat. What are you thinking about?” Brian asked as they walked into Kat’s house. The brunette sighed as she placed the ultrasound photo on the fridge, holding it in place with a magnet.

“I’m thinking that time is flying by and here soon a baby will be here. I’m thinking about unprepared I am. I’m not ready for this…at all.” Kat admitted, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by all of it.

She was scared shitless when she first found out, but then she accepted it. She was enjoying being pregnant, but the appointment today had her spooked. In six months, she would be giving birth and bringing a baby home.

“This probably isn’t very helpful, but nobody is ever ready for this. Even married couples that have wanted a baby for a long time. You could have all your ducks in a row and still never be prepared.” Brian consoled, smiling warmly at her. Kat nodded her head, knowing that he was right. She was just going to have to do what she could to get ready.

Brian wanted to say more, but he was unsure of what else he could say. He was just as unprepared as she was, so he felt hypocritical for saying anything otherwise.

While Kat made sure that she had everything packed for the beach, Brian slipped into her kitchen to grab a drink. As he closed the fridge, he noticed her laptop on the counter. The screen was displaying search results for houses to rent.

“You lookin’ for a new house?” Brian asked, closing her laptop so the battery wouldn’t drain.

Kat glanced at him briefly. “Yeah, I need a bigger place. For me, the baby, maybe a dog.”

Brian had briefly thought about this before, but let it go just as quickly. He didn’t think Kat would be down for it, but now things might be a little different.

“Do you want to move in with me?” He asked, leaning against the counter. Kat froze, staring at him. Did she hear him correctly? Did he just ask her if she wanted to move in with him?

Brian saw her hesitation and spoke before she could say anything. “Hear me out. I have a lot of space; three extra bedrooms. One could be yours, one could be for the baby, and the other for supplies or whatever.”

“Bri, that’s really sweet, but we aren’t dating or anything. Wouldn’t it be a little weird?” Kat asked, tying her hair into a bun.

“How would it be weird? I think it would make things easier for both of us. I could help you in the middle of the night, we wouldn’t have to travel back and forth when I wanna see the baby. It just makes sense to me.”

Kat had to admit that he was making a lot of sense. She was definitely going to need the help, and things would be a lot easier. However, she knew that Michelle had just moved out. It seemed wrong for Kat to move in this soon. And if she did move in, what did that mean for her and Brian?

“I’ll think about it.”

Brian seemed satisfied with her answer and the two of them finally left Kat’s house to go to the beach.

***

The sound of the ocean crashing against the shore was loud, but it brought Kat a peaceful feeling. This had always been one of her favorite places to go. Even if the beach was crowded, she could always clear her head and find solace here. Today was different though. While she felt at peace, there was no quiet thoughts for her. The guys were busy running through the sand and ocean like children, which brought a smile to her lips.

She and the girls were busy sitting on their beach towels, soaking up the sun. Feeling a little hungry, Kat reached into the snack bag and grabbed her sleeve of crackers.

“How are you feeling, babe?” Meaghan asked, smiling at Kat. The brunette was quickly growing tired of that question. It wasn’t like she was dying; she was just carrying a rapidly growing baby. But she knew the question came from a place of concern and love.

“I’m good. Tired, but that’s pretty much my constant state of existence.”

“Well, that will get better soon.” Meaghan replied, hesitating. “So, Zack told me he talked to Brian. Did Brian really ask you to move in with him?” This question caught Val’s attention. The shorter blonde sat straight up, yanking her sunglasses from her face.

“What?! He asked you to move in with him? When?”

Kat laughed, twisting the plastic around her crackers closed to keep the sand away. “Yes, he did. He asked me earlier today. I swear, they talk to each other more than we do.”

“Well, what did you say?” Lacey chimed in, clearly curious as to what the verdict was.

“He made a lot of good points about being able to help out with the baby and stuff, but I told him I’d think about it. It just seems like a little much. Michelle moved out recently, and Brian and I haven’t even talked about where our relationship might go from here.”

“Sweetheart, I think yours and Brian’s relationship is very complicated now. I personally don’t think you moving in with him would be too out there. But don’t do it if it doesn’t feel right to you.” Val advised. It always amazed Kat how wise Val was when it came to things like this. She always knew what to say without fail.

Before Kat could even think of a response, Brian, Matt, Johnny, and Zack approached them. Kat laughed loudly as Matt grabbed Val, tossing her over his shoulder. He took off towards the water, running until his toes caught in the wet sand and he fell over, the water engulfing them both.

Brian held his arm out and Kat slipped her hand into his, allowing him to pull her to her feet. Brian knew that he couldn’t carry her off like Matt did with Val, but he walked her down to the water, his hand still holding hers.

Kat eventually broke away from him, slowly walking into the water until it was just above her knees. The lukewarm water felt good against her skin, her toes anchoring down into the bed of sand beneath her.

Brian watched her a little too intensely. Her long, dark hair was blowing in the sea breeze, the ocean mist giving the locks a soft beach wave. When she turned to look at him, his breath caught. The sun hit her eyes just right, shrinking her pupils and enhancing the bright blue of her iris’.

Kat was always gorgeous and had a smile that could light up the whole world, but in this moment, she was painfully stunning.

There had always been the possibility that Kat and Brian would end up together at some point. But their close friendship had made it complicated. Brian always had Michelle which kept him from thinking about whatever feelings he could have for Kat.

However, in this moment, when he looked at her, he knew he was a goner.