Moments

Catching Up

"Noah." Quinn said softly as she rolled over to face Puck. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah." Puck replied. "What's wrong?"

"Can we talk?" Quinn requested.

"Sure." Puck said as he turned on the lamp.

Quinn sat up and looked at Puck.

"What's up, babe?" Puck asked, propping himself up on his elbow and looking at Quinn.

"You seem like you're doing better." Quinn noted. "I mean, it's only been, like, a month of therapy, but you've been sleeping well. Are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah, I think so." Puck nodded slowly. "My sleep schedule was fucked up for so long that I didn't even realize it, but I think everything is helping."

"You're getting back to your old self." Quinn said with a small smile.

"Yeah." Puck smiled back. "And I've been talking to my therapist about getting clean and sober, and I haven't had a drink in about a week now. I didn't wanna make a big deal of it because it's a small thing, but-"

"No, it isn't." Quinn cut Puck off.

"Yeah, but..." Puck shrugged. "I promise I'll work on the cigarettes, too."

"Just listen to your therapist." Quinn advised Puck as she paused for a minute. "This is the first time since I've known you that you're really taking care of yourself and I'm so proud of you."

Puck looked at Quinn.

"I mean it, Noah." Quinn continued. "You're setting a good example for Beth, too."

"Thank you." Puck said softly. "For always trusting and believing in me."

"I love you." Quinn responded.

"I love you, too." Puck told Quinn. "Now get some sleep."

"Wait." Quinn said. "I wanna talk."

"We just did." Puck noted.

"No, I wanted to talk about us and Beth." Quinn stated. "And our future."

"Okay." Puck nodded. "Well, I wanna get engaged and married."

"I want that, too." Quinn said. "I actually thought you were gonna ask me to marry you at my graduation."

"I didn't wanna make your big day about me." Puck noted, shaking his head. "Besides, you said not until I was done with the Air Force."

"Well, now that you are, I wanna talk about it." Quinn clarified. "About the life we wanna build together."

Puck furrowed his eyebrow.

"We've talked about having more kids when you were home and when we were ready." Quinn began. "And I want to, but I'm afraid."

"Because of the miscarriage?" Puck guessed.

Quinn nodded. "I know you and the doctors said it wasn't my fault but-"

"It wasn't." Puck interrupted. "There was nothing you did or didn't do that caused that to happen."

"I know." Quinn said. "But I'm scared of it happening again. I can't go through that ever again."

Puck took Quinn's hand and squeezed it. "If you don't wanna have another baby, we don't have to. We have Beth."

Quinn didn't say anything.

"I don't want you to do anything for me." Puck added. "Or because you think it's what I want. You have to want it, too."

"I do." Quinn stated. "I'm just afraid."

"I know." Puck replied. "And if you're too afraid to try again, then we won't. We can wait until you're ready or we can look into adopting a baby, or we can just keep our family the way it is now."

"But Noah-"

"It's your body and I don't want you putting yourself through anything you're not comfortable with." Puck interrupted. "You've been through a lot already, and you and Beth are enough for me."

"I want everything we've talked about, but right now I'm too afraid." Quinn confessed. "But I'm gonna work on that so when the time comes, I'll be ready."

Puck nodded. "Whatever you want is fine with me, Quinn. But in the meantime, I'll keep taking care of myself so you know I'll be ready, too."

"You're a good dad." Quinn said. "You always have been. I know you're ready."

"Well, then I'll wait for you." Puck promised. "Whatever you want whenever you want. No pressure."

"Okay." Quinn nodded.

"And if you change your mind, come talk to me." Puck requested.

Quinn nodded again.

"Now get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay." Quinn repeated. "And Noah?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."