Meant To Be Ch. 07

"You're not," he said firmly. "Regardless, it's not something we need to think about now."

I sighed deeply, snuggling into his warm body.

I woke up very early when there was only the hint of sun breaking through the grey sky. I tried to go back to sleep, soon giving up to head to the kitchen. I was surprised to see Abigail sitting at the table.

"Morning," she said cheerfully.

"Why are you up so early?" I teased.

She shrugged. "Too excited to sleep, I expect. We just learned about the baby two days ago," she added, beaming.

"Wow," I said. "It's a shame your husband couldn't be here when you found out."

"Yeah, but he'll be around for every second going forward, lucky duck," she joked. "I expect I'll be back in Chicago before any queasiness starts."

I chuckled, helping myself to some tea. "Have you eaten?" I asked.

"Oh, yes, I feel like I'm already always eating," she assured me with a laugh. "What would you like?"

I refused to let her cook for me, instead joining her at the table while we sipped our tea. We chatted about Chicago and her plans for moving back to England.

"Will it be difficult for your husband? Finding work and all that?" I asked awkwardly. "I have no idea how that works for someone who's not a citizen."

"Well, he's married to a citizen, which helps," she said. "He's from Spain, actually, so we have some experience with it. And since Spain's in the EU, it will be a smoother transition than when he moved to the States."

I nodded and we sat in silence for a few moments.

"Does Nico think of moving back, do you know?" she asked curiously.

"He does," I said slowly. "I don't know what his timeframe is, exactly."

She looked thoughtful. "Would you move here?"

I blinked. "I - well -"

Abigail giggled. "Sorry. I have a tendency towards bluntness. You needn't answer."

I smiled gratefully. "Thanks," I told her. "Don't take it personally if I don't have an answer."

"I just know he wouldn't consider it without you," she explained.

I looked at her in surprise. She smiled.

"I'm glad he stopped being a bloody fool about you, at least. God, he was insufferable this past year," she said in frustration.

"Abigail Elizabeth Hawthorne," a voice from the doorway said sharply.

Abigail and I turned to see Nick leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest.

"You have a big mouth," he continued, the corners of his mouth twitching.

Abigail shrugged and smiled innocently.

"You're just lucky you're with child," he told her. "What would you ladies like for breakfast?"

We spoke benignly about the baby as Nick cooked. I was grateful Abigail was talkative since watching Nick work distracted me. I found everything he did appealing, but there was something especially sexy about him when he was in the kitchen. I realized the room was silent other than the sounds of him cooking and I turned to see Abigail looking at me in amusement. She hid her grin behind her cup as I blushed.

"I told Mum we'd come round for lunch," Abigail told us. "And Charlotte and Edward and the lot will be coming later in the week to see you."

Nick nodded absently, setting down plates in front of us.

"You're about to be overrun with Hawthornes, pet," he said as he sat down next to me, touching my arm lightly.

I smiled to hide my nervousness.

Nick's mother was a shorter version of Abigail. I knew she was in her early sixties, but her hair was dark brown without a hint of white, her grey eyes sparkling with life. She used a walker as she recovered from her illness, but she was still bubbly and energetic. She immediately ordered her children to the kitchen to prepare lunch and instructed me to sit with her so we could talk.

"So. You're Cassandra," she said, looking at me over her glasses.

"You can call me Cassie, if you like," I said shyly. "Nick insists on Cassandra, but everyone else calls me Cassie."

"The curse of prophecy," she murmured teasingly.

"Yes, or just plain old insane, depending on who you read," I said, chuckling.

Mrs. Hawthorne burst out laughing. "Well, it's a lovely name regardless. Now, tell me about yourself."

"Mum," Nick called from the kitchen. "Be nice."

"I'm always nice, Nicholas," she protested, winking at me.

I grinned. She looked at me expectantly so I nervously gave her my brief history. I could see where Nick got his conversational skills; his mother asked the same kind of questions - polite but probing enough that they required a thoughtful response. By the time lunch was ready, she and I were leaning toward each other, excitedly discussing books and my graduate degree.

"I forgot you're studying library science," Abigail said as we sat at the table.

Nick sat across from me and I felt his foot make contact with mine. When our eyes met he raised his eyebrows questioningly and I smiled reassuringly. He knew how nervous I'd been about meeting his mother. I turned to Abigail and nodded.

"You'll have to give me any advice you can think of," I told her.

"Won't help now," Nick said. "She'll be off having babies instead of working."

He winked at his sister, who waved her knife at him threateningly.

"Do you think you'll have a difficult time finding a job here with an American degree?" I asked Abigail carefully.

She glanced at Nick and I saw a small smile on his lips. I nudged his foot and his smile widened when our eyes met. He hooked his foot around my ankle and locked it between his calves. I heard Abigail answering my question but couldn't register her words. If she or their mother noticed, they were polite enough not to let on.

After lunch, Nick's mother ordered us to go home and rest. Abigail told us she would be staying at the flat during our visit to give us some privacy, which made me blush and Nick laugh. It was a twenty-minute walk from the flat to the house, and we took it leisurely, stopping in bookstores or shops and finally a cafe for tea along the way. It reminded me of our weekend explorations when I first moved to New York and I found myself smiling happily despite my fatigue.

"Let's get you to bed, love," Nick murmured as we left the cafe.

I covered a yawn. "I'm not tired," I protested.

"I didn't say anything about sleep," he told me sternly, pulling me close.

We did sleep, eventually. I had the foresight to set the alarm so we woke up in time to meet his family for dinner. Abigail and Mrs. Hawthorne had prepared a wonderful meal and I ate heartily while listening to their easy conversation.

"What do you have planned for tomorrow?" Mrs. Hawthorne asked us.

"I didn't plan anything - I thought I was going to be dealing with the house and agents all week," Nick said with a teasing glance at Abigail.

She made a face at him. "I have to check in with work tomorrow and try to get some things done - you should take the car and take a day trip somewhere."

"What do you think?" Nick asked me.

I shrugged, smiling. "I'm up for anything. Will you be able to join us, Mrs. Hawthorne?" I added politely.

"Oh, call me Louise, dear," she said sweetly. "I don't want to barge in on your holiday."

"It's not really a holiday," I said. "The point was to see you."

Louise beamed at me and I blushed. I heard Nick cough and looked at him to find him holding back a laugh.

"Nicely done, pet," he teased.

"Shut up," I muttered, grinning. "It's true."

The week went by too quickly. Nick and I took in a few shows but most of our time was spent with his family, either for meals or museum visits or day trips. Abigail and I spent one day shopping while Nick took his mother to a few doctor's appointments. I insisted on buying the baby a stuffed animal and adorable sweater set. Their older brother and sister came to town with their families a few days before we were scheduled to leave. The house was full of siblings and children and noise and food, and it was delightful.

After Charlotte and Edward left with their families, I took Louise back to her flat while Nick and Abigail tidied up the house. Abigail had arranged to be on our flight to New York and wanted to prepare the house for a few months of vacancy. I felt completely relaxed with Louise by this point; she was funny and spirited, but with a slightly wicked edge. She didn't seem to take anything too seriously, and it occurred to me she must have been a fun mother to have. I said as much and she looked puzzled.

"Fun?" she repeated.

"Well, you know - playful," I tried to explain awkwardly. "You seem like the type of mom to get down on the floor with the kids, come up with games to play with them, things like that."

"What else would mothers do?" She looked baffled. "Your mum didn't do that?"

"Not really," I said, only now realizing it. "She worked a lot. I played with my sisters, of course," I added, hoping I didn't sound defensive.

"Half the reason I had children was so I'd have a reason to keep acting like I was still a child," she said, giggling.

"You must be so excited about Abigail moving back, and the baby," I said with a grin.

"Dear, you have no idea," she declared. "I never thought I'd wait this long. Of course I have Charlotte and Edward's children, but I don't see them often. I don't know where I went wrong that Abigail and Nicholas have taken so long to settle down."

I gave a small start at the mention of Nick settling down, but she didn't comment on it.

"Well, sometimes it takes people a while to find the right person or be ready, I guess," I mused. "My sisters are close to thirty and neither are close to settling down."

"Aren't your parents anxious for grandchildren?" she asked curiously.

"They don't act like it. They always encouraged us to get our careers established and travel and that kind of thing before thinking about marriage," I told her. "Pretty American, huh?" I added teasingly.

She shrugged. "Not particularly - my two aren't American, after all," she joked. "And you, dear? Do you think about settling down?"

I smiled indulgently. I had been waiting for a question of this kind, though I had been expecting it from Abigail.

"I don't know," I admitted.

Louise responded with a small nod. It was on the tip of my tongue to elaborate, despite not knowing what to say about it. Nick and I had only recently reunited, though once we got back together it felt like our time apart had been mere seconds. While I felt wholly committed to him and knew he felt the same way about me, it was impossible to know what the future held. I didn't want to be with anyone else and I couldn't imagine that changing. But our age difference was there, after all. The fact that he was over forty and had never married made me wonder if it was something he just wasn't interested in.

"I guess I don't know - what Nick's...intentions are?" I said quietly. "I mean, he's never been married and I'm sure he had plenty of opportunities. I guess I assumed it wasn't something he was interested in."

Louise studied me for several minutes, her head tilted thoughtfully.

"He might not have been in the past," she said softly. "I think that's changed now."

"Really?" I asked, unable to prevent the hopeful tone. "I sometimes wonder if the age difference still bothers him, if that will become an issue again."

I twisted my hands in my lap. Until now I hadn't allowed myself to voice this fear even to myself, but I realized it had always been lingering in the recesses of my mind, as if I was waiting for another shoe to drop. Louise scoffed, waving her hand dismissively.

"He was a fool about that. And I think he realizes it, too," she said firmly. "I'm twenty years younger than his father, and we were very happy."

I smiled gratefully. I hadn't thought about the age difference between his parents. Nick and Abigail soon arrived and we put together a light dinner before he and I headed back to the house.

"Did Mum pester you with questions?" he asked on the walk home.

"No," I said, chuckling. "We just talked. She wasn't intrusive."

"She likes you," he remarked, hugging me to him.

"I like her," I replied meaningfully. "I like your whole family."

I looked up at him with a smile. Nick kissed my forehead and looked pleased.

"Are you glad the house isn't being sold to a stranger?" I asked when we arrived.

I had paused in Nick's old bedroom doorway to look at the height marks his parents had made as he grew, tracing each dated line with my finger, a soft smile on my face. Nick stood behind me, wrapping his arms around me.

"Actually, I am," he admitted. "I love this house."

"I wish I could have met your dad," I said softly.

"He would have loved you," Nick said, nuzzling my neck.

"Oh?" I asked breathlessly, shivering at his touch.

"Mm," he murmured, his throat vibrating against my skin. "Thank you for coming here with me, love."

I sighed happily, turning to meet his eyes. "Thank you for asking me," I said sincerely.

He straightened up and touched my cheek lightly, a cryptic smile on his face.

"Is that all I need to do? Ask?"

His voice was light as if he was trying to tease, but his eyes searched mine intently. I placed my fingers over his. I couldn't determine the meaning behind his question, but whether or not he was talking about something specific my answer would be the same.

"Yes," I said simply.

He smiled slowly, the brown depths of his eyes warm. I watched the corners crinkle and felt my breath catch. He kissed me softly at first, then deepened the kiss. I had to steady myself against the doorframe when his lips moved to my ear, then trailed down my neck.

"Nick," I panted.

I reached behind me to twist my fingers in his hair, my head falling back. He curled his fingers on my cheek, then cupped my breast, brushing the nipple with his thumb. His hand traveled down my stomach to my skirt, pulling the material up my legs. I groaned and pushed back against him. His teeth closed on my neck, his hands stroking my inner thighs.

"Nick - God." I dragged out the words in a gasp.

He spun me around and kissed me deeply.

"I want you, Cassandra," he whispered. "I need you."

"I'm all yours," I breathed.

His hands had been cupping my face but quickly moved down the sides of my body, tracing each part of me with his fingers as if committing it to memory. I untucked his shirt frantically, digging my nails into his back. Our tongues danced around each other urgently and I arched my hips into his, needing to get closer. Suddenly Nick gripped me under my arms and lifted me up, hooking my legs around his waist one at a time.

"Lift up your skirt, love," he said in a rough voice.

I hitched my skirt up, bunching it around my waist and gripped his shoulders. I felt him undoing his pants and moaned. He gasped against my lips when he sprung free and searched for my panties. I whimpered when I felt him teasing between my legs, rocking against his fingers.

He shoved aside the crotch of my underwear and positioned himself. Cupping my bottom, he slowly lowered me onto him and we both groaned. I locked my ankles behind him and he turned to press me up against the wall. Snaking his arms up my back, he grasped my shoulders and began thrusting into me. I rested my head against the wall, closing my eyes to concentrate of the feel of him. He inhaled sharply when he felt me fluttering around him.

"Look at me, pet," he said.

I slowly opened my eyes to see his, heated and intense. I tangled my fingers in his hair tightly as I began crying out. His lips captured mine, swallowing my moans and screams. I was still crying out when he found his release, groaning into my mouth. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I buried my face in his neck, so overwhelmed that my eyes filled with tears.

"God, I love you," I whispered.

He squeezed me tighter and walked to the bed, tipping us over so we were lying down still wrapped around each other.

"I love you, darling," he murmured, brushing the hair off my face and looking at me tenderly. "I love you so much," he added, his lips against mine.