The next morning, I call my mother, and I pace back and forth while waiting for her to answer the phone. When she doesn't answer, I decide to leave her a voicemail.

"Mom, I'm going to come over with Alex later on today. We have some really exciting news to tell you guys." I say happily into the phone.

Alex walks up behind me, and Bruno walks next to her. I notice that she's changed into one of my v-neck shirts and a different pair of lace underwear. She has a radiant smile on her face, and her entire face seems to glow in the sunlight, even though I know it's still too early in her pregnancy for her to be glowing yet.

"Good morning," Alex says, and she gives me a kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning," I say back, and I reach out and grab her hand.

"Your mom didn't answer?" Alex asks curiously, and I nod.

"Nope. I planned on surprising her anyways, so we'll be headed over there soon."

"You're such a good son. I love how you constantly visit her and check up on her, it's sweet." Alex says.

"Yeah, I haven't seen her since the funeral, and she hasn't called me so I'm going to see her to see if she's okay and to tell her the good news." I inform her.

The corners of Alex's lips turn down, and she sighs.

"How've you been doing?" She asks, looking into my eyes.

"I'm doing better. Still hurts some days, but I keep going on with life. There's no need to worry, babe."

It has gotten better with time, but sometimes it still stings. Some memories make me smile, some make me cry. I know that he just felt incapable of continuing on, but I still wish he would've held on. If not for us, for our mother.

I've gotten text messages from Brendan and Vanessa, but that still isn't enough for me. I haven't heard my mother's voice in a while, and it's worrying me.

"I just want my boyfriend to be happy." Alex says playfully, and she winks.

"I am happy, Alex. Happier than I've ever been because of you." I say.

Last night, I felt giddy with excitement. I just wanted to scream, shout, jump, and just celebrate the fact that I'm going to be a father. That tingly feeling still courses through my veins as I think about it, and the adrenaline is still fresh.

I'm going to be a dad.

In nine months I'll have a little boy or girl that is my own flesh and blood.

Alex and I stare at each other for what seems like an eternity, and we both have that familiar feeling of euphoria that's taking over our bodies. Her eyes gleam, and her cheeks turn into a rosy pink while gazing up at me.

"I still cannot believe that we're going to have a baby together." I whisper in disbelief, and she smiles.

"Me either," Alex whispers, placing a kiss underneath my jaw. "It just feels unreal."

"We just started off as a doctor and patient, and now we're expecting and it'll be our one year anniversary pretty soon." I say, and my cheeks warm up.

"That's crazy, isn't it?" Alex asks, and she quirks her eyebrow.

My eyebrows raise in surprise, because I've seen her try to mimic how I quirk my eyebrow so naturally, but she did it almost exactly how I do. A smirk tugs at my mouth as she does this, and a small giggle comes from her.

"I know, and a year ago I didn't think that I'd have anything to celebrate. I thought my life would still be mundane and routine like it was, but then you showed up." I reminisce, and she smiles.

I still remember how worried she looked when I told her that she'd have a reduction in her knee, but then when I calmed her down, she gave me that warm smile that made me realize that I had fallen for a patient.

"I thought that I'd still be at home with my mother who's in need of psychiatric help. I thought that the beatings and verbal abuse would still continue, and that I'd still feel worthless." Alex mumbles, and I press my lips to her forehead.

She'd still be with her mother if it weren't for me. It almost makes me feel like one of those cliché superheroes that saves the girl from absolute terror.

"I thought that I'd run into another relationship that would be a disaster like my previous ones." I whisper, and she frowns.

Before Alex, my relationships were nothing but awful. Yes, in the beginning I thought that those girls loved me and that what we had was real, but down the road, things changed.

One of my ex-girlfriends, Amanda was her name, was getting extremely upset that I was working a lot of hours at the hospital, and she even told me that I had to choose between her or my career. Selfish.

Liz, another ex of mine, could probably be on the list of most over possessive women ever. I'd go out to the store or visit my parents, and she'd always accuse me of doing something else.

Why I ever slept with those two really makes me realize how poor my judgement is, because those women were awful. I never really noticed how unhappy I was until someone asked me if I was okay, or until I actually got out of the toxic relationship.

But with Alexandrianna, it's just different. She gets me, and it feels like it's the first time in a relationship where I'm actually happy. Alex is funny and beautiful and so many other things that would take a million years to name.

I never thought that true love would arrive in the hospital, but she did.

Every kiss, every glance, every touch. Everything is real with Alex. She might not have been my first, but I know she'll be my last.

The warmth of her body spreads to my hands, and my hands wrap around her waist. We stay like this for a while, with my lips glued to her forehead and her ear against my chest. The smallest gestures always seem to comfort us the most. Alex smiles as my heart continues to rhythmically thump into her ear, and I smile, too.

"Y'know the sound of this really comforts me? I just feel a million times better when we hug or cuddle and I can hear your heartbeat. I feel secure and safe." Alex says into my shirt.

I feel safe just holding her in my arms.

I cup her face in my hands, and my thumb gently strokes the skin on her ear. I tuck a strand of her hair behind it, and she gives me a coy grin.

"You are safe when you're with me. Especially now that you're carrying a little boy or girl inside of you, I'll make sure that nothing harms you or this baby." I reassuringly say to her, placing my hands on her shoulders.

"Rian, I love you so much." Alex whispers, and I smile.

"I love you, too."

Our lips unite, and Alex's stomach pressed against mine. I smile against her lips when I feel her smooth skin. Her hands tentatively rub my back, and I moan into her mouth. Alex smiles and moves her lips to my neck, and I close my eyes and sigh.

"I know that you're going to be an excellent father, and I know that I can count on you." Alex says, and her breath against my neck makes my skin tingle.

"I can say the same. With how you are, I can tell that you're going to be a great mommy to this little boy or girl." I say into her ear, and she smiles.

"I still can't believe how nervous I was to tell you about it. I was being irrational, and I should've known that you'd still stick with me." Alex says, and I can tell that she's mentally kicking herself.

"This baby is ours, Alex. The baby is going to be raised by both of us, not one of us. The thought of leaving you alone to take care of a baby all by yourself would hurt me."

"I know that, now. Something in me just felt so relieved when you told me that you're going to raising this baby."

"Why did you feel hesitant to tell me?" I ask, and she sighs.

"I don't know. We never really talked about it, and this is a huge responsibility. For eighteen years, we're going to have this child and parenting is a difficult job, and that's a lot of commitment." Alex says, and her eyes widen.

"Commitment is my middle name. I changed that to my middle name as soon as we got together."

Alex's cheeks blush again, and she giggles before giving me another hug. We pull away when Bruno begins to whine, and we laugh.

"After I feed him we'll get ready, and we'll tell my family the news." I say, and she nods.

"Okay, I'll be taking a shower while you prepare Bruno's meal." Alex purrs.

"Wait for me, baby. I wouldn't want you to be in there all by yourself. I'm sure you could use a hand." I wink, and she bites her lip.

After pouring the food and water in separate bowls for Bruno, Alex reaches for my hand, and we both walk into the shower to start our morning the right way.

~~~

We pull up to the mansion, and I help Alex out of the car. Alex's cheeks are red, and her body is nervously trembling.

"I thought I was nervous to tell you, but to tell your mother? Nervous is an understatement." Alex nervously mutters, and she wipes her palms on her jeans.

"Baby, it'll go fine. You know how my mother is, overly saccharine and excitable. I'm sure she'll be extremely happy about this."

"Yeah, but I know she's still grieving the loss of her husband. Telling her the news that her son is having a baby with a woman who he met less than a year ago might be kind of alarming, don't you think?" Alex whisper yells, and I pinch my lips together.

I wish Alex wouldn't be so nervous and antsy most of the time, but then again, she does have a point. I just don't want to tell her that so that she doesn't psych herself out.

The door opens, and I see my grandmother standing there. I almost forgot that she was temporarily staying with my mother at the mansion to keep an eye on her.

"It's so nice to see my favorite grandson!" Grandma exclaims, and her arms wrap around my body.

"Hey, it's nice to see you, too."

"Goodness, you two look starving! Come inside, I made soup and biscuits with gravy." Grandma says, and beckons to us.

My grandmother was born in Louisiana back in the old days, and she took her southern hospitality to California when she moved here after giving birth to her fifth child, my mother.

My grandmother also took her southern cooking here with her, and she never really adapted or really believed in healthy eating that us Californians are so used to because "it isn't as good as a home cooked meal."

My grandmother has had seven kids, and my mom is one of the youngest. My aunt Veronica who passed away from ovarian cancer was born about three years before my mom.

We walk into the kitchen, and Alex is noticeably blushing and her breathing is shaky.

"Baby," I whisper, and she bites her lip. "Everything's going to be okay."

"I hope so." Alex mumbles.

Grandma fixes us both a bowl of soup first, and afterwards she gives us a plate of biscuits and gravy. Alex and I are both stuffed after the delicious meal, and her belly noticeably sticks out a bit more even though it's still small.

"Man, I forgot how much I miss your cooking, Grandma." I sigh, holding my stomach.

"As I've matured, I've only improved my cooking skills." Grandma chuckles.

"Yeah, that was one of the best meals I've had in a while." Alex smiles, and my grandmother does the same.

"Thank you, dear. How've you been? It's been a while since we last saw each other at the funeral."

"I've been doing great! Besides that, I still take some time to grieve and still process. It still seems unreal that Mr. Peterson isn't here. He was just beginning to become like a second father to me, and now he's not here." Alex sighs.

I feel my lip quiver as I look at the tears form in her eyes, but she blinks them away instantly. Her look is placid, like she wasn't about to cry, and the redness in her cheeks dissipate.

I can tell that she wants to cry, but she's holding it in.

That's another thing I love about Alex. How strong she is.

She shows her emotions in the most beautiful way. Alex will weep until she feels like she's gotten it off of her chest, and then she'll reminisce and go deep into the most sentimental parts of her mind and connect herself to me.

I find that so touching that someone grieves the same way that I do. That's a thing that I hate about Brendan, and how he'll try to act emotionally detached because he thinks he shouldn't cry because he's a man.

That's complete bullshit in my opinion.

Seeing him crying at the funeral actually surprised me, and I don't know why I was so shocked. I've seen him cry before, but he doesn't do it so publicly because he doesn't want a lot of people to perceive him as being weak.

As Alex and Grandma continue to quietly chat, I begin to text Vanessa.

Rian: Are you on your way?

Vanessa: I'll be there in less than five minutes. I picked up Brendan from his apartment because his car is in the shop.

Rian: Hurry! This cannot wait!

I put my phone back into my pocket, and my grandmother is giving me one of the sweetest smiles I've ever seen. Alex smiles, too, and my cheeks heat up.

"Yes?"

"Alexandrianna just told me about her necklace after I asked her about it, and it just warms my little old heart that there are still gentlemen like you in this generation." Grandma smiles.

"She's my girl, so of course I'm going to be a gentleman to her. That's how it should be." I say.

Alex walks over, sitting on my lap. I wrap an arm around her waist, and my grandmother leaves to go find my mom and tell her that we're here. My fingers are against her belly, and I can't help but smile knowing that there's a baby inside of her.

Soon, my mother walks into the kitchen, and I see Brendan and Vanessa behind her. We all exchange our hugs and all catch up with each other.

After the funeral, it seemed like we all just went off on our own paths for a while.

I look to my right and I see Vanessa hugging Alex, and they excitedly chat and catch up with each other, and I smile. I see Brendan walk towards me with open arms, and we embrace while slapping each other's backs.

"Hey, it's good to see you." Brendan says as we hug, and I nod.

"It's good to see you, too. What happened to your car? Vanessa was texting me about it."

"Oil change, and I'm getting new tires." Brendan says, and I nod.

We all walk out to the living room, and I feel so warm and cozy underneath the large chandelier that hangs over our massive couches.

"So, what's this huge news that cannot wait?" Vanessa asks curiously, resting her chin in her palm.

"Did you get promoted at the hospital or something?" Brendan asks, and I shake my head.

"Nope, this is something even bigger than that."

All of the eyes are on us, and I reach over and grab Alex's hand to comfort her. Her hand is warm, and her leg shakes almost uncontrollably.

"We're having a baby." Alex and I announce in unison.

Their jaws drop in unison, and their eyes bug out out their heads. My mom lets out a squeal, and she runs over to the both of us and gives us giant hugs. My grandmother walks over and gives us a hug, too, and the both of us are struggling to breath.

I can see Vanessa jumping for joy, and she covers her mouth to hide her smile.

This is the excitement and joy from my family that we've been missing.

"Oh, my goodness! I'm going to be a grandmother!" Mom exclaims, and she kisses Alex and I on the cheeks multiple times.

Alex giggles, and her entire face is the reddest I've ever seen it. Vanessa gives me a hug while Alex is being smothered by my mom and grandma.

"Rian, I'm so happy for you guys! I'm going to be an aunt!" Vanessa screeches, and I smile.

"Yep, and Brendan's going to be an uncle."

Brendan has a smile that lights up his entire face, and he embraces me again.

"Ayy! Rian's gonna be a dad!" Brendan says, and I laugh.

"We weren't even planning for the baby, so that makes this even better in my mind." I say, and Vanessa places a hand over her chest.

"Aww!"

We all come together as a group, loudly discussing the news of Alex's pregnancy.

"Baby, when did you find out?" Mom asks me.

"Yesterday!" I happily cheer.

"Wow, you found out on your birthday? I can't imagine it getting any better than that." Brendan chuckles.

"Best birthday gift ever. Thanks, babe." I say, looking over at Alex.

"You're welcome." She says.

As the celebration continues, I look over and realize that all of this celebration wouldn't be going on if it weren't for her.

Every time I look at her, I realize how blank my life was. The canvas was white and bland with no color or expression. Alex was like a burst of paint to that canvas, bringing so many different emotions and feelings.

I was the canvas, and she was the paint who brought me to life.

~~~

Later on that night, I run into Brendan on the stairs on the way down. I'm expecting him to hit me with every sarcastic and annoying comment he could possibly have in his head, but he smiles at me.

"Congrats on the baby." Brendan says with a smile, and I furrow my eyebrows.

He's being extra nice to me.

"Thanks," I say hesitantly. "You seemed to be really happy earlier."

"I am. I'm trying to make up for my actions and be the big brother that Rian deserves."

"Good. We were barely tolerating you, so it's about damn time you change." I say half-humorously, and half-serious.

"Seriously! Rian said some words to me that really made me think, and during the funeral I thought about it and realized how much of an asshole I am to people."

"Rian put you in your place, and it was well deserved."

"God, I'm trying to congratulate you and yet you still reprimand me!" Brendan frustratedly exclaims.

"Ooh, reprimand! Nice choice of words there, I'm surprised you knew a word that big." I sarcastically add.

"This is why I can't be nice to certain people. No matter what I do they still treat me like I'm nothing but sh—"

"So you're just going to forget the time that you called me a bitch? You don't remember how you tried to take me away from Rian at the hospital and he hit you? Do you not remember how when Rian and I were having problems you tried to flirt with me and call me baby?" I ask, and he doesn't answer for a while.

Brendan ashamedly looks down at his feet, and I bite my tongue before anything else can slip out.

"I was actually going to apologize, but you didn't let me get that far." Brendan mutters.

My eyes widen, and I cross my arms while raising my eyebrows at him before I say, "You were?"

"Alex, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the way I acted, and I'm sorry that I still didn't listen to how persistent you were. Since you're going to be giving birth to my niece or nephew, I just wanted to—"

"Bury the hatchet?" I finish, and he nods.

"Well, since you've finally owned up to your mistakes, I can accept your apology. You're Rian's brother, and no matter how much you may piss each other off, I can tell you two still love each other. I don't want to hurt Rian by neglecting his loved one." I explain.

It is time to put our petty differences aside and end this quarrel. Things won't be solved unless we deal with them in a non confrontational way.

"Thank you, Alex."