SURPRISEEEE! after leaving you guys so long without an update you deserved a peek of what I've been working on, so here's the first of many to come!
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Christmas.
She's not a big holiday person.
Okay, that's a blatant lie, she is, but Christmas doesn't appeal to her anymore, not since the accident anyway.
She can feel the chill creeping down her spine and through her thin wool sweater and she walks through Nashville, yet another thing that's changed in her life.
After only three years of dating, Bethany and Derek were convinced they were forever and moved into a little house in Nashville, which gave them the opportunity to live both away from the spotlight they were so constantly in, and closer to Derek's family which is exactly what they wanted. Though she already loved the tiny little home she had found in Nashville, for somebody who lived in California her whole life, the cold was harsh on her- Derek not so much.
She walked into the house, immediately feeling the warm feel of the fire Derek had running. Bethany pulled Winnie into the house, immediately shaking her coat the minute she got in the house. Bethany smiled and kept walking, only to bump into a box. She looked down at it confused and opened it only to see dozens and dozens of Christmas decorations, and then her heart sunk.
It was still November, she was going to talk to Derek about not decorating for Christmas, too much pain was felt, it was all too much. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and she hastily wipes them away, before Derek has a chance to see them, but little does she know Derek's seeing everything just from a few steps behind through a mirror.
"Beth." He whispers, just barely enough for her to hear him.
She turns after wiping away one last stray tear and plasters a smile on her face that she knows Derek will see through anyway. "Yeah?" She asks. Derek shakes his head, "It's okay, c'mere." He says, his arms wide open as he walks to the couch, just long enough for her to crash into his arms, her body shaking with sobs.
About a year ago, 11 months to be exact, their Christmas ruined. They had found out they had been expecting a baby, already three months into their pregnancy before Christmas. Bethany was already dreaming of a baby girl or baby boy to dress up, Derek already envisioned the little tiny dancers they would have, and then those dreams were ruined.
Christmas Eve, their friends and family surrounding them as they broke the news of the baby, the house that was usually so silent with just Bethany and Derek in it, was now lively and loud. But before they got to share the news that the first of many Dancing With the Stars babies was on it's way, Bethany's stomach started to hurt, and then she started to bleed, and then it was over.
They spent their very first Christmas together in a hospital, grieving the life of their baby.
That memory was still fresh in Bethany's mind, no matter how much time passed, seeing the Christmas decorations everywhere was still like taking a dagger to the heart. She ws going to ask Derek not to decorate, that it was too much for her to handle, but she was a bit too late.
Derek was still hugging her to his chest though she had stopped crying long ago letting himself too wonder what would have happened in that baby hadn't died. The baby would be here right now, probably asleep in its crib as it's mommy and daddy decorated the house for his or her first Christmas.
Would Derek have a little baby girl to overprotect? Or a little baby boy to joke around with? Would their house be smothered in blue or pink? Who would change the diapers? Whose eyes would the baby have? Whose hair? All these questions were still fresh in his mind, but somehow he'd learned to put these demons away.
He was going to have kids with Bethany, that was something he was sure of. Sure that he was just as how he was sure he was in love with Bethany. Just as sure as he was that he was going to get Bethany through this obstacle, this demon that seemed to haunt her so much.
"Where'd you even get all of this?" He heard Bethany ask. "Some of it's from last year, and since none of us are staying with mom and dad they decided to give me and my sisters a bit more since they aren't decorating much." Bethany nodded her heard, only to have the house go back to dead silent again, only the crackle of the fire heard occasionally.
Bethany took her head out of her boyfriend's neck and just looked down, and Derek knew she needed a pick me up. "I can't believe that the girl who decorated my bachelor pad to the point of insanity in our first two months of dating, isn't going to decorate a wholleeeee house that she has available to her." He'd said it to lighten the mood and to brighten up Beth just a bit, but it hadn't seemed to work much.
Bethany had only smiled slightly only to look down again, at her stomach. Derek's heart broke just watching her.
He put two fingers under her chin, pushing her head up so his eyes interlocked with her own, putting his other hand on her stomach.
"I need you to listen to me, what happened isn't your fault, it's not Christmas' fault, maybe heaven just needed another angel and we were right here. There was little baby in here a year ago, now there isn't, but that doesn't mean there's never going to be one again. I can sure as hell give you one right now if you want. Please don't let this tear you down, because somewhere in heaven our little boy or girl is having the time of its life decorating with God right now, it'd want us to do the same with the house it was supposed to have." He had started loud and his words ended up being more and more of a whisper with each word, knowing that his words were having an effect on Bethany.
Her eyes were pressed shut trying to evade any more tears from falling out, her hand pressed against her stomach tight, holding onto Derek's like a lifeline, and then- she let go. She wiped the tears away and walked over to the box and began to pull out the countless decorations the box held, ignoring the slight tightness she felt in her stomach.
Derek watched her from afar just smiling slightly, slowly watching the joy she usually felt this time of year come back to her features, and he slowly joined her.
An hour later, she was smiling with more ease, slowly watching all the decorations come together. The stockings on the fireplace, the snow globes on the mantel, the wreath on the door, it was simpler now, and that night for the first time since it happened, she sang a Christmas song.
He smiled as she sang silent night, only to quickly join in, with a much more different song. "Oh Dasher! Oh Dancer! Oh Comet, and Vixen!" He yelled out just as he walked behind her spanking her bum slightly. She turned around quick as lightening, a much more playful smile on her face, "That's not how Santa drives his sleigh." She quirked, her eyebrow raised slightly.
"I could whip you instead if that's what you'd like." Derek mused, only to have Bethany's mouth drop to the floor. "You had that in your mind already didn't you?" She asked him. He shrugged his shoulders with a playful smirk on his face, relishing in this feeling that he had missed for so long.
He walked up to her, putting his hands around her waist, pressing his lips to hers, smiling against them. He hoisted her up, putting her against the kitchen counter only to have Bethany break them apart, "What about the Christmas tree?" Derek sighed with a smile on his face.
"I've had enough Christmas for one day, haven't you?" Bethany smiled slightly, her previous Christmas blues forgotten as she pressed her lips to her boyfriend's again only to have him carry her up the stairs, "Merry Christmas my love." He whispered to her, setting her down softly on the bed, beginning the routine they knew all too well.
Their baby, whether it was going to be a girl or a boy was okay, Bethany knew that now. Christmas was okay. She and Derek were okay.
And they made love in between the sheets as Bethany regained her Christmas spirit, both of them unbeknownst that in only a month they would receive a much better present than whatever they had planned for each other. Involving a lot of puking, a lot of food, a lot of hope, a lot of smiles, and a little pink plus sign.
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So sorry it literally took me forever, and that this kinda sucked considering I'm a bit rusty after not writing much for a month, but thanks for reading anyway guys!!
