The Coffee Spill |Demi Lovato|

Chapter 66

*Demi's POV*

"Ellie?" I call out, scanning the downstairs for my fiance. I checked room after room before making my way upstairs. The house is quiet. Almost too quiet. Our room, the guest room, and the bathrooms turned up empty, and I start to worry. 

As I walk down the hall, I notice Isabella's bedroom door shut. I open it quietly, revealing the woman in my search. Ellie is fast asleep in Isabella's bed. A notebook lays at the foot of the bed while Ellie clutches onto an almost two-foot-long Supergirl stuffed doll we bought last week for Isabella. I let go of the door handle, letting the door slowly swing open until it stops. 

I pick up the notebook, letting my eyes scan over Ellie's loopy handwriting. A checklist? Ellie wrote a detailed checklist to ensure everything would be ready for Isabella's arrival in just over a week. She checked a few items off; buy furniture, buy toys, decorate her room, booster seat. The rest were waited to be completed; Buy kid-appropriate snacks, buy board games, buy clothes and shoes, kid-friendly medicine and first aid supplies, cover outlets, and other dangerous hazards. 

I chuckle as I place the notebook back on the edge of the bed. Ellie thought of absolutely everything and her tenacity makes my heart flutter. 

Ellie begins to stir, stretching her legs as she rolls over to her back. I stand still, frozen almost, not wanting to scare her with any sudden movement or sound. Her eyes flutter open and it takes her a second to notice my presence. 

She lifts her head, faint lines from the wrinkles in the pillowcase have marked her skin. Her hair is messy, flocks of hair have escaped her loose ponytail while baby hairs stand upward, curling at the ends. 

"Mhmm, what?" She asks, scanning around the room as she rubs her eyes. 

"I've been looking for you for quite some time," I say, taking a seat at the edge of the bed, placing her notebook on my lap. "Were you going over this checklist?" I ask, briefly holding the notebook up for her to acknowledge. 

She nods her head, yes. She moves closer to the edge of the bed and extends her arms out, silently asking for cuddles. I place the notebook on the nightstand and lay my body against hers. Her arms wrap around my waist comfortably as we crammed together on Isabella's twin-size bed. 

I feel Ellie's breath against my neck every time she exhales. It's silent for quite some time before I speak up. "Can you believe Isabella will be here in just under ten days? Officially down to single digits." 

Ellie sighs, her body becoming stiff around me. "I'm nervous." She admits. 

I shift my body to face Ellie. A single tear has fallen down her cheek. I raise my hand, careful not to extend my arm too far, and push her off the bed. I use my thumb to wipe the tear away before caressing her cheek soothingly. 

"I failed once. What if I fail again?" 

Ellie's confession makes my heart shatter into a million little pieces. I nod, letting her know I'm listening to her fully. 

"Isabella deserves stability and love and what if I can't provide it? Giving her up for adoption and failing as her parent while she was still a newborn was one thing. She could have grown up with love and nurturing without my choices having much effect on her life. But to be five years old and unfamiliar to love and nurturing while moving from foster home to foster home? This is her chance to finally settle down, spread her roots, and grow. What if I mess it all up?" Ellie cries out, tears now staining the pink pillowcase beneath her. Her body is heaving with each sob she cries out and I wrap my arms around her tightly. I rub soothing circles on her back with one hand and hold her lovingly with the other.