Paper Hearts.

Heartbeat. *Liam*

“Welcome back you do, oh darling look at you!” Dr. Smith smiled and her face completely lit up at the view of Cassidy’s bloating stomach. I couldn’t help but flash back to Cassidy earlier the day, her shirt pulled up above her stomach, standing sideways in the mirror. She was officially starting to show.

“I literally just woke up with a stomach, I don’t really know what happened.” Cassidy laughed pulling my hand into hers as we walked. Of course I had butterflies, though I wasn’t sure if that was from Cassidy or the fact I got to see my baby today. Cassidy was just over three months pregnant now and the baby was going to be visible as a baby today.

Not only would our baby we able to look like a baby but we could hear the heartbeat for the first time. Everything today had caused me to become emotional and I knew that I would probably bawl like a baby at the small thuds coming from Cassidy’s stomach. I let my mind wonder to everything my life had become. A month and a half goes by really fast, and I was starting to wonder how fast the next couple years would go.

Just a month ago my biggest worry was not to trip on stage in front of thousands of fans. I worried what Danielle would think of my new haircuts and new clothes. I worried about not fighting with the boys because if we fought the band would have a possibility of breaking up. A months ago I had forgotten who Cassidy was, because a month ago she was just a one night stand.

Now here I was, sitting in a doctors office with that same girl. My worries are completely different now and they are really worries now. I worry about Cassidy being fed up with me and leaving me, not allowing me to be part of the pregnancy or the baby life. I worry about the baby not being healthy and I worry about how I’m going to be able to see the baby when it’s born with us on different continent.

Cassidy was so much more than a one night stand now. I wouldn’t go as far as to say I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, not that I would mind, but I still hardly know her. But I no longer see her as a rebound, or just a mother to my child. I see her as a person, someone I have grown fond of and someone that I could see myself loving one day.

“Mr. Payne?” I was snapped out of my thoughts by Dr. Smith. I now realized we were in the room with Cassidy’s shirt pulled up, the gel was already on her stomach and panic rushed over me. Had I missed it? Oh my god I missed the chance to hear my baby’s heartbeat, I couldn’t just ask her to redo it, that would seem rude and Cassidy would grow angry that I was so zoned out that I forgot to listen for the thumping of our baby living. I’m a horrible person I should just-

“Do you want to hear the heartbeat?” So I hadn’t missed it? I gulped and nodded my head. I felt something warm my hand only to look down and see Cassidy’s nimble fingers intertwined with mine. She gave it a slight tug as the wand hit her stomach and Dr. Smith started her search for the baby.

“There’s your baby,” She whispered pointing to the screen. I automatically felt a tear leave my brown eye. I wiped it away quick but it was pointless, that was my baby. I had created that little human being with the girl sitting on the doctor bed with her stomach completely exposed. It was my doing, the little peanut on the screen was part of me. It was amazing to me, something I couldn’t even put into words. I didn’t think it could possibly get any better, but then I heard the snap of a switch.

The quiet room went stiff, but then calmed down. The silence was racked with a small sound. thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. It was a useless idea to hold back my tears because soon my cheeks were soaked and as I looked down to Cassidy she as already looking at me with her eyes spilling tears too. Thump, thump. Thump. Thump. I leaned down and kissed Cassidy’s forehead.

“That’s our baby Liam.” She whispered her voice cracking a bit at the end. I couldn’t even talk, the beautiful girl laying before me was crying happy tears because a small thump filled the room. But the thump wasn’t just any thump. It was the baby we created together.

“It is,” I nodded trying to stop the tears from falling any faster. This moment was all I could ask for.

****

“I can’t believe it,” Cassidy looked down at her stomach. Her free hand rubbed over her stomach while the other held my hand as we walked through a park. I didn’t mind if the paparazzi knew where I was and saw Cassidy rubbing her stomach. The world was going to find our eventually and it was better for an interviewer to question it before I made a public announcement.

“Hey look!” I shouted pointing next to her. In a hurry she turned her neck to see what was happening but nothing was. I simply wrapped her bridal style in a hurry and ran towards the park. Cassidy’s blissful laughter was all I heard until we were close enough for the toddlers to be heard.

“What’re you doing Liam?!” Cassidy shouted through her laughter as I carried her up the playground steps to the tall slide. I sat her down and placed myself behind her wrapping my arms and legs around her and kissing her cheek.

“1.…..2.….-” I started to count and listen to her laughter all at the same time, but I was so detracted by her laughter that I didn’t noticed she joined me in the countdown.

“3!” We both shouted and slid down the curly slide that seemed almost to tall for children. When we made it down the yellow tube we stayed there, laughing. Her head was thrown back in joy with her hands wrapped around my arms that were wrapped around her neck. My legs fell over each side of the slide and I buried my face into her neck the best I could.