Vanessa    I paced back and forth, feeling guilty and desperate. If Clay doesn’t find her, I don’t know what I would do.    “Vanessa, you need to calm down. Here, take this,” Candice said, leading me to the couch and handing me a cup of chamomile tea to calm my nerves. “Think of the baby. It’s feeling what you are.”   I knew she was right, but I couldn’t help it. “What if something happens to her?”   “We're in the middle of nowhere, practically. And she knows these lands. I don’t think anything will happen to her.” She tried to reassure me.   “There could be wild anima

Vanessa    Two days had gone by in a blur. Clay had to cancel his jobs yesterday to focus on getting his documents and preparing himself mentally for the custody hearing.    As I was looking at myself in the mirror to make sure I was presentable with my buttoned up shirt and black pencil skirt, I could see Clay nervously putting and tying his tie up, but he was failing to do so.    With a smile on my face, I approached him. Pulling his hands away, I took over to fix it for him.    “You sure know what you’re doing,” he mentioned with a chuckle, trying to ease the tension he was feeling. But as he saw my serious expression, he apologized for indirectly bringing my married life into the

Vanessa    Another week had finally gone by and we sat in the clinic’s waiting area, filling up forms and insurance information.   Clay sat next to me, his legs bouncing up and down, nervous as he looked at every baby poster on the walls. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it in reassurance.    “Hey, it’s going to be okay,” I said in a soft voice.   “I know, but I’m still nervous. When I used to come here with Kelly, I was excited, but in the end…”   “Clay, I’m not Kelly. I came here for a fresh start. You and Emily are it for me. I’m not leaving you, I told you that already,” I sai

Vanessa    A few weeks have gone by and my belly was growing at a rapid pace. I looked like Candice did when she was five months pregnant herself. I woke up this morning feeling nauseous and vomiting, just as I have every single day.   As I leaned against the toilet, I could feel Clay’s hand gently stroking my back. He was supportive through this first trimester.   “I’m sorry,” he whispered as he kissed my head. I leaned against his shoulder, smiling and trying to forget the unpleasant taste in my mouth as I closed my eyes to take on his care and love.    “Come on, Clay. Don’t be silly. We both made these babies, and to be honest, I don’t regret it. At all.”

Vanessa     It was such a wonderful evening. Clay had really gone above and beyond to make this a moment to remember.    As we sat there, him against the pillows, while my back was pressed against his chest, both our bodies naked under the extra blanket he brought, we finally enjoyed our now cold dinner.   “Thank you,” I whispered, turning my head to the side and rubbing my nose against his jawline. “It was a beautiful proposal.”   Clay chuckled, rubbing my arms as I cut a piece of the steak and fed it to him, watching his Adam’s apple bob while he swallowed it.   “I’m the luckiest woman in the world.&rdq