"Goal!" The buzzer went off with red light and the crowd hollered as The United's were now leading by 4-3. Both Leo and I screamed, jumped up from our seats and hit our fists in the air, except Gwen who was sitting munching her popcorn with her nine-month-old baby bump.

She looked adorable.

Looking down among the kids, I found Lance who was waving back at me with his little hands and a toothy smile tucked on his face veiled by his black helmet as he slid down the rink towards the glass wall before frowned looking beside me at the empty chair and gave me a questioning look.

'Where is he?'

I shrugged shamefully and slowly shook my head to him and sat back seeing how Lance's mood went off as he slid to his teammates with slouched shoulders. Taking out my phone I dialed Ethan's number but it went straight to voice mail again. There wasn't any game that he missed and he promised Lance that he'd be here-

"Hey!" A voice called out as I looked up and saw Ethan who bowed in an apologizing manner to people as he stumbled and finally took a seat beside me, dripping in sweat. "What's the score?"

Glaring hard at him I angrily whispered. "It's 4-3 and where the hell you were? You weren't picking my calls Ethan. Lance just asked about you."

His honey skin was making me uncomfortable. He was still as hot as was in high school.

Putting his coat on his Lap he leaned back tired and closed his eyes before breath out deeply.

"The traffic was insane, sorry," He took out his phone before checked it. "Shit! my phone was on silent due to meeting, so sorry."

A smile of empathy caressed my face as I kissed his cheek and gave him the water bottle which he gulped down in a moment before kissed me and waved at Lance who's mood switched to a happy virus in a swift as out of nowhere, he waved back with his stick.

Cute.

Though Ethan was late, I couldn't blame my husband cause I knew all about his workload after he became the CEO of his enterprise which was before under the name of Mr. Anderson.

Lance was our little champ. A boy who lit up our lives when we were searching for a light to fill our emptiness. Seven years went by like nothing and we had made it through it together.

Ethan proposed me when we were in college and then got married after we graduated. Gwen and Leo tied their knot within the next three months after us. Now we all were happy in our lives. Nate and Rachel were settled in California with their families though they wanted to be here but due to some circumstances, they couldn't.

But they do visit us all the time.

The game continued as Lance took the lead and hit the puck in the net, just like Ethan taught him, when the crowd went wild with both Ethan and Leo jumped and shouted for their boy.

"YES! WE WON!" I cheered standing up.

"OMG! NO!".A little Panic voice reached my ear from down beside me.

"What- oh my God Gwen You Okay?" Seeing Gwen who definitely wasn't fine, Leo panicked too. Following her gaze down my eyes widened.

Ignoring the screams and looking fearfully to her husband, Gwen breathed out and clutched Leo's shirt tight before pulled him down. "My water just broke idiot!"

°°°°°°

The baby was coming.

Gwen was inside but all of us were outside, biting our nails or lips, to calm our hyper nerves as we could hear her screams. Lance was standing by his father's side clutching to his leg fearfully. "What happened to mommy daddy? Why is she crying?"

Yes, he was Leo and Gwen's son.

Lance Leo Evans. A five-year-old who was a burst of sunshine.

But in these past seven years, never once it felt like we didn't have children. Lance never made us feel like it. He was that one beautiful flower of hope in the deserted field that filled me with his dad jokes whenever I needed it. He got it from his father.

But today, Leo was silent. Being a father had made him feel exceptionally responsible towards his life. Grabbing Lance by the sleeve of his hockey jersey I pulled him to me.

"Your mom isn't crying pumpkin," He scrunched his nose at my name before asked with puppy eyes. "Then why is she crying bobo?"

Not again!

Now this time I scrunched my nose at my nickname and pulled this chocolate hair boy to my lap as he watched me through his bangs.

"Because she's fighting for a life pumpkin. She's proving how strong she is, not the opposite. You have a long journey to look forward to, you'll know when the time comes," I said before whispered loudly. "Why don't you go with your uncle Ethan and let him buy the whole ice cream store for you? Buy me some too."

Ethan chuckled and held out his pinky to him which he took and they left. We didn't want to scare the little boy, which left me and Leo alone in the empty corridor with Gwen's deafening screams.

I hoped she was fine.

Leo informed his parents and soon a nurse stumbled out of the room Gwen was in and turned to Leo. "Your wife is asking for you, Mr. Evans. Please come in."

Horror plastered his face and I chuckled and walked to him. "I know you never got used to this but you're the only person she needs now Leo. Believe me, even if I don't know this feeling, I can tell what she must be feeling right now. It's about two beautiful girls in your life, Leo. God has blessed you with another angel, now go and welcome her together."

His eyes softened at my words as he patted my head. "You've been always a support to everyone muffin. Just believe in him," Pointing up he continued. "He won't let your patience and prayers go to waste. I pray he listens soon."

Or maybe he did already...

I gulped and looked away and blinked away my tears before turned back to him smiling. The nurse raised her brows at him as he contemplates standing there when a threatening voice echoed which shook the walls.

"I SWEAR LEO EVANS IF YOU DON'T COME INSIDE JUST NOW, I'M GONNA CHOKE YOU WITH THE UMBILICAL CORD!" And then giving thumps up to Leo, I pushed him inside, dropped back to my seat and rested my head against the wall.

Life was never the same after we got married. We thought it would be easy, when on the other side, it was a roller coaster of emotions, waiting for us to get on.

When I burst my bubble in which I was isolating myself from the outside, I tried to look at nature to find something every morning to live for and every time I did, I found Ethan looking back at me.

He was the only person who had patted my back, who had talked to me all night all these seven years when I lost the last bit of myself for this need. He was the only one, who had wiped my tears of sorrow and incapability to give him a baby.

Every time I broke into the bathroom, he knew what it was like cause he went through the same. Every ray of hope I saw cascading down our room, illuminated him as a sign that showed; He's the reason to live on as life goes on.

He taught me one thing; To count blessing every morning I woke up and I did. There were a lot of around us that made me feel alive and smile. This morning, the difference was, we had one more.

Yes....

My love, my respect for this man grew deeper and stronger. I loved him more with every second of my existence, he made sure was worth it. unconditionally...he loved me unconditionally and now I'd give him the best gift of his life.

Seeing how everyone around us was blessed with this truly priceless blessing made it harder for me to breathe but Ethan taught me to accept the truth. Besides Gwen and Leo, Blake and Sasha got a cute boy too while Nate and Rachel had twins; a girl and a boy.

But I had Ethan who I could never replace with anything.

Ethan came back as just then a loud whimper of a baby made us share a look and after they shifted Gwen in a private room, Lance pranced inside before us to her mom who was holding a little cute girl wrapped in a pink blanket.

My heart.

Ethan squeezed my hand, knowing what went through when Lance was born. I didn't remember what went through my head that I had locked myself in our room for the whole day before he had to break the door. I wasn't jealous but upset with myself.

Now when I think about it, I felt like I was being selfish, cause I didn't think about the only person who cared for me, who was struggling too.

I still remember that night. We both sat on each side of the door of our room. I was in and he was out, leaning against it in the dark.

'It's not your fault Aria, not mine either. Believe me, do not blame yourself, please. If we are not blessed with it, think deeply, maybe we are not ready baby.'

I sniffed listening to his soothing voice.

'Open the door please Aria. I promise, everything will gonna be alright. You have to trust me please. One day he'll listen to our prayers till then you've to have faith in him.'

I squeezed back his hand and blinked at him, assuring that what happened that night wouldn't happen again. All these years we had traveled around the world and discovered a lot.

Lance jumped to sit on bed but couldn't but Leo helped him who stood beside Gwen adoring his little baby. My heart felt full as I walked to Gwen and eyed the little peanut. Gwen saw me adoring her as she nodded to the baby before soundlessly placed her in my open arms.

"She's adorable Gwen just like you," I whispered in disbelief as Leo cleared his throat, which made me chuckle.

"Excuse me, she's my daughter too, we made her togeth- ow!" He winced when Gwen elbowed him in the ribs, pointing towards Lance who was caressing baby's cheek unaware of the talk.

"Her cheeks are so soft mommy! What do we call her? Marshmallow?" He asked in his sweet voice and we all laughed out loud.

Attention turned towards the parents of the baby as I gave her back to Gwen. Me and Ethan stood in each other's arms, holding ourselves. My head pressed Ethan's chest and I knew I didn't have to look up to see cause his eyes were probably stuck this adorable human being.

We've waited long Ethan...He listened to us.

"Lowen, a fusion of Leo and Gwen. We both discussed lots of names but this is what we ended up agreeing before my handsome husband would be sleeping outside the room. What do you think Aria?" Gwen looked at me in desperation.

"It's beautiful Gwen. I love it!"

Just then Nate and Rachel face timed us and we talked, Leo showed them the baby and soon both of their parents hollered inside with balloons in their hands and the room was crowded with cheerful, compliments.

Taking it as my cue, I slowly soundlessly stepped back, exited the room, and went out the sliding door of the balcony of the waiting area at some distance from the room.

There was no one around.

It was cold as it was December and heavy clouds were sheltering New York with an upcoming storm, but it felt good to be by yourself sometimes. It was cloudy cause it snowed an hour ago. Closing my eyes I breathed out deeply when a pair of arms wrapped my small body in them and my back was pressed to his warm chest.

"What are you doing here alone Aria? You left all of a sudden..I got scared-" His warm breath tingled my ears as he rested his forehead on my shoulder and sighed.

"Sorry I-..Nothing just... wanted some fresh air," Somehow the words left my mouth because I felt like my throat was cloaking and I couldn't speak.

What would he be expecting? Would he be happy?

"You're thinking the same thing, don't you?" He sighed and snuggled his face in my hairs. "Things will work out when it'll be the time baby. Maybe it isn't our time but I'm sure that it'll be-

"In nine months?"

Silence...

Sound of wind...

"What?"

With a sharp intake of air, he raised his head as I looked sideways to his perplexed eyes.

"What if our time will be in the next nine months, Ethan. What if we'll be holding our baby in our arms too," My heart hammered in my chest as my eyes teared up while his ocean eyes opened wide and he completely turned me around carefully.

"Are you-?" Gulping hard he stuttered as we float in our ocean of emotions. I found out last morning and cried helplessly near the sink as I thanked God for this blessing we were begging him for so long.

He knew I would never joke about this.

"Just found out yesterday morning," I hiccupped nodding when he cupped my face and kissed me like the first time. "I don't believe it, Ethan, we are really pregnant."

"Are you sure Aria? It'd be false..I don't want your hope breaki-

"I am, Ethan, I took five tests, they all were positive. Then Doctor Anna confirmed it this morn-ing. We a-re gonna be parents." I choked a sob when he engulfed me in his arms.

I could hear his sobs as he continued to silently thank God, caressing the back of my head. His voice soon vanished when he pulled back and wiped my tears with the of his thumb.

"He listened to our prayers Aria. See I told you, I told you that we'll have it when the time comes. Maybe we weren't ready for it? Maybe we were lost? Who knows, no one but him."

I nodded sniffing and scrunched my nose when he laughed out loud before pecked my frozen nose, making me frown.."No doubt you still look cute with a red nose."

I hit his chest and he kissed my palms before wrapped his arm around my shoulder as we stared at the snow falling, showering us with it's blessing.

"You know, people say that women are more sensible than men but I can truly say that in my case, you are more sensible than me. What we have gone through, would have made any men mentally retarded and exhausted but you always comforted me when I needed Ethan. You were there when I thought having a baby was everything but no.... I was wrong. I could've never made it this far without you," Opening my eyes I confessed what I'd buried deep inside me and always wanted to say and saw pure Euphoria in his eyes, I'd been dying to see.

"Well, life has so much in it love. When he creates Soulmates, he gives them the power to console each other in hardships. Maybe you didn't see but you did comforted me too," He pressed his lips on my head as I looked up. "You didn't give up and that's all I wanted. Something's don't have words so explain it Aria but believe me you have helped me too."

Smiling to him I nodded and stayed silent. He was right. Some things weren't meant to be said or put in words. Sometimes it'd be good to just feel Euphoria than to justify for it.

"Mom and dad would be so happy," I whispered as he agreed. "They definitely will be. You know time never stays the same. Night changes and every day comes with a ray of hope. Thank You Aria, thank you for giving me this precious gift."

Shaking my head, I looked up to him. "Don't thank me, it wasn't even possible. Thank him." Looking to sky I smiled.

"You're right," After a while of tranquility he spoke again. "Well I was thinking, Marshmallow isn't a bad name if we'd have a girl," He joked and I gaped at him."or cupcake if a boy?"

Laughing out loud against him I said. "Why? Are you that hungry?"

He gave me a big ear-to-ear dashing smile and hugged me tight, made me squeal.

"Maybe!"

I swear Ethan, If there'd be anything I could ask for in my next life, I'd beg for you to be my soulmate.

In another life I'd make you mine again even If I had to fight for it. Our past wasn't something to recall but every moment with him was something I'd die for to live with him again.

Not being sure about anything, I was extremely nervous what'd happen in upcoming months but all I wanted was health and nothing at all. One thing that I was sure blindly was, Ethan would be the best Father ever.

And I couldn't wait to see him holding our baby in his arms. Life truly goes on.

_____

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