Best Mistake

I woke up the next morning, feeling extremely well rested. I couldn't help but think that it was due to the fact that the past few days were a great form of relief from stress. Also, Alex and I were snuggled close together - let alone touching - as we went to sleep the night before, which had never happened up until that point. I rolled over to see him, but found myself alone.

With a small pout I stood from my bed and stretched. The time on the alarm clock indicated we only had an hour before we were to leave and head to my dads house. My heart sunk in my chest a little bit as I pulled out clothes to change into.

Once I was downstairs, I saw my mom and Alex sitting at the dining room table, whispering. I stopped when I was in the doorway, straining my hearing and hoping to catch a little bit of their conversation.

My mom was the first to look up at me and she smiled nervously.

"Good morning, sweetie," she said, cutting Alex off mid sentence. His head turned sharply in my direction and he closed his mouth, smiling.

I glanced between the two of them before saying, "Morning. What are y'all talking about?"

Alex's smile fell a little before my mom quickly said, "I was just apologizing to Alex for my behavior last night."

I nodded slowly. That was a load of shit.

"Would you like some breakfast?" she asked, standing from the table and rushing into the kitchen before I could answer her.

I slowly walked towards Alex, staring him down the whole time. He smiled innocently, pulling out the seat beside him for me to sit.

"So really, what were you guys talking about?" I asked.

He shrugged. "She told you. She was just apologizing."

I rose my eyebrows at him and he laughed nervously.

"What?" he asked. "Don't believe me?"

"No," I said bluntly, shaking my head. "But I'll let it go for now."

He smiled a little, but I could tell he was relieved.

My mom soon came back into the dining room carrying two plates with grits and bacon on them. David followed behind her, bringing two cups of milk with him. She placed the plates in front of us.

"Thanks," I said, eyeing her suspiciously.

She nodded with a smile and sat across from me. I watched as she sipped on her coffee. She looked sick.

"So how are you feeling this morning?" I asked, poking fun at her.

"Horrible," she frowned. "Y'all should have stopped me from drinking so much."

"We tried," David said, laughing beside her. "You wouldn't let go of the bottle."

She frowned again, taking another sip of coffee.

"Well now we know next time to pry it from your hands," Alex smiled.

My mom shook her head quickly. "There won't be a next time. I'm never drinking again."

We laughed and chatted lightly throughout the rest of breakfast. Once we finished eating, Alex and I went upstairs to pack all of our stuff up. I handed him my bag and he took it to the car while I stood in the kitchen with my mom.

My mom offered me a sad smile as she walked over to me.

"I'm going to miss you so much," she said, her voice wavering like she was about to cry.

"I'm gonna miss you, too, mama," I said, my eyes starting to collect tears.

Her hand rested on my bump and she looked at me with so much pride. "I'm so proud of you, Whit. You're going to be a great mommy."

Her words opened up the flood gates, and tears started streaming down my face. She quickly pulled me into a tight hug, rubbing my back as we both sobbed. I wanted to stay in her arms forever.

It hadn't dawned on me until she said it that I was going to be a mom. I hadn't even considered my role in our sons, life really. I had no idea what to expect or how I was going to make it. Sure, Alex was going to be there and I already knew he was going to be a great dad. It seemed like he had a natural fatherly instinct. I, on the other hand, was practically clueless, and suddenly very scared.

"Is there anyway you can move to Baltimore and help me?" I asked, my voice shaking uncontrollably.

My mom chuckled and back out of the hug a little, brushing her fingers through my hair.

"I wish, baby girl," she said. "But you've got this. You may feel like you're going to get lost right now, but once he's here and in your arms, you'll know what you have to do. Take it from me. I was scared out of my mind when I was close to having you. But it just took one look at your beautiful, sweet face and my mind went into mommy mode. You're going to be fine."

I nodded slowly, sniffling. "Are you going to be there when he's born?"

She scoffed. "You bet your ass I am. I wouldn't miss it."

I smiled and soon Alex was back inside. He saw the tears staining my face and frowned. My mom motioned for him to come join us, and soon his arm was wrapped around my waist, holding me close.

My mom looked at us for a few seconds before smiling. "My grandbaby is gonna be so cute," she gushed.

I laughed, and Alex looked at me, nodding. "If he looks anything like her he will be," he smiled.

My mom and David walked us out to the car. I stood back while Alex told them goodbye, hugging them both tightly. It was soon my turn, and I felt another wave of tears wash over me.

"Bye, pops," I said, hugging him.

"We'll see you later, Whit," he smiled.

I turned to my mom and pulled her into a hug so tight, I could hardly breathe. I didn't mind though.

"I love you," she whispered in my ear.

"I love you too," I choked out.

She pushed me away, rubbing my arm with one hand and wiping away tears with the other. "We'll see you again in about two months," she smiled reassuringly.

I smiled back and nodded, pulling her into another tight hug before Alex helped me into the car. He was soon sitting next to me in the drivers seat and turned the engine on before backing out of the driveway.

Once my mom's house was out of site, I lost control and began sobbing so hard I thought I was going to throw up. I could feel Alex staring at me, and he pulled over to the side of the road. I hadn't even noticed he'd gotten out of the car until he was opening my door. He reached over and unbuckled my seat belt and pulled me out of the car and I crashed into his arms.

He silently held me while I cried into his chest. I wanted to apologize, but I couldn't catch my breath long enough to.

"It's ok," he finally whispered. "Get it all out, Whit. It's ok."

I took a few deeps breaths to calm myself before looking up at him.

"She told me I'm going to be a good mommy," I said.

Alex nodded. "You are going to be a good mommy."

I sobbed again. "How do you know that though? I feel so mentally unprepared."

Alex placed his hands on my cheeks, bringing my face up to meet his.

"I know because for as long as I can remember, you've taken this very seriously. Even before I decided to man up and join you, you were ready to take on raising him alone. You think if you were unprepared you'd be willing to do that?" he asked.

All I can do was shrug.

"You are a fantastic woman, Whitney Pate. You're going to be an even more fantastic mother to our son."

I blushed as his words washed over me. "Thank you," I whispered.

He smiled and moved in for kiss, but I quickly turned my head away. I'd been crying hard for a while, so I was sure my face wasn't too appealing.

"Kiss me!" he demanded, stomping his foot.

"No," I groaned, wiping under my eyes. "I'm all gross."

Alex scoffed. "I don't give a shit," he said before pressing his lips firmly against mine.

Notes