Complicated | Calum Hood (Sequel to Unexpected)

8.

Jes

The drive to the aquarium is quiet in a comfortable way. Calum picks a playlist and my favorite Jack's Mannequin song drifts through the speakers. He places his hand palm up on the center console, an invitation that I quickly accept, sliding my hand on top of his. As Andrew McMahon sings about feeling alone in a crowded room, I appreciate the fact that when I'm with Cal, I never have to feel alone.

I see the smile play on his lips at the contact as he softly squeezes my hand. Paisley rests safely tucked into her car seat in the second row. She's babbling away to herself and playing with the toys attached to her seat.

The normalcy of this moment isn't lost on me. In the two years I've known Calum we've never had so many options available to us. For the next year we could do, well, anything. We could get married, we could have another baby, we could take a trip, we could do none of those things and simply enjoy each other and the daughter we already share. For once though, it's nice to have the option. To not have to worry about his jobs requirements pulling him away from us. Of course, I'd never say it out loud, but Calum's job had definitely taken a toll on both of us. Being left to care for a newborn while he ran off on tour was probably the hardest thing I'd ever been through. Of course I'd had support but it hadn't been the same as if Cal had been there.

"What are you thinking about?" He asks his eyes trailing over me curiously.

"Just how nice it is to know you're home and to not have the next time you leave in the back of my mind. I feel like I was always counting down the days I had left with you and now, the future seems so bright and full of possibilities. I'm really excited to have you home for so long." I glance up at him to see his reaction.

"I'm really excited to be home, Jes. I want to get us back on track, I feel like last night and this morning have made huge strides in that. You're still the one thing I'm sure of Jes. I love you and I want to show you we can get back to how things were. I still want to marry you, I still want to have more kids with you, I want all the things I did before this all went to hell in a hand basket, and I hope you still do too."

I love that our thoughts always seem to line up when we're together, like we share a brainwave.

"I don't know what the future will hold, Cal. Right now though, I want all those things too."

He smiles at me with the sparkle back in his eyes as he pulls into a parking spot at the aquarium, Calum unloads P from her car seat and I grab the baby bag slipping the straps onto my shoulders.

"Pais do you want to ride in your stroller or do you want daddy to carry you?" He asks and she quickly responds by holding our her arms to him.

"You're gonna regret that in a few hours." I say as he lifts her to his side and forgoes the stroller, shutting the trunk of the car.

"She's not heavy and I don't mind. What the princess wants she gets." He says shrugging and I roll my eyes. Spoiled little thing.

"Okayyyy" I say in a teasing tone knowing he'll be exhausted from holding her by the time we return to the car.

We make the short walk to the ticket gate and pay our entry fee before heading inside. I'm surprised to see the aquarium isn't slam packed like I'd worried it would be.

"Why don't we start out with smaller exhibits and take her to the big tank last?" Cal says and I nod. I don't particularly care what we do, as long as we're together.

As we walk next to each other headed for the Amazon area I look over and really take Calum in. His T-shirt clings to his arms where they're still overly defined from tour. He's wearing black jeans like he used to in all the pictures I've seen from his younger days and I must admit they look fantastic on him. He topped his look off with a SnapBack worn backwards. I think he's done this just to rev me up and it's working. He looks fucking incredible.