The imagination of a perfect life

Chapter twenty

Veronica is still lying on the bed, holding onto Archie's hand. Suddenly he chuckles softly.

"What?" Veronica asks.

"It's just- can you believe we're here? Married, family, about to have another baby? I remember the day you walked into Pop's and made me forget how to breathe"

She giggles and squeezes his hand.

"I fell in love with you the second my eyes met yours. You looked so beautiful. The way your hair lay over your shoulders... to be honest I wished I kissed you right back then, in that moment"

"I would have slapped you" Veronica grins.

Archie chuckles and kisses her hand. "I already told you this but the second I saw you, I knew you were it for me Ronnie, my one and only, the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I saw our future and now we're living it"

"You're so cute Archiekins. I love you"

"I love you more" he whispers and squeezes her hand. "We should name that baby Cheryl" he laughs "we kissed for the first time at her party"

"And broke Betty's heart"

"Betty's alright now" Archie chuckles. "When we went to that closet my heart was about to explode. You looked so pretty. The way you looked up to me and giggled and touched my chest. And then we kissed. Oh Ronnie, I can't describe how you made me feel. I just know that every time we kiss now, it feels like the first time in that closet. I couldn't get you out of my mind but it still took me an entire school year until I made you mine. I had that imagination of a perfect life with you and now look at us, we're living it"

By now Veronica is full on crying. Archie did not only just say the cutest things ever but her baby is also killing her. Archie chuckles and wipes her tears away before he kisses her forehead. "I love you so much Ronnie"

"I love you too" she breaths out before she screams again. She feels her daughter coming but she's not ready. She's scared, exhausted and tired.

"I'm right here my love, you got this" Archie whispers.

Suddenly there's a knock on the door and all three kids walk in. Aurelia lifts the twins onto the bed and they sit down next to Veronica. Aurelia sits down next to her siblings, Archie sits across from them. Ben starts to wipe his mom's forehead with a towel again and Emilia rubs her shoulder.

"I'm so scared" Veronica whines.

"Me too baby but we got this"

"WE?!"

"You, you got this"

"ARCHIE" she cries and squeezes his hand.

"Kids are you sure you want to stay here?"

"Yes daddy" Ben says while still wiping Veronica's forehead.

"We want to help mommy" Emilia smiles.

"I feel her head"

Archie eyes widen. "Okay babe, you know how it's done. You push and I count to 10"

She nods and shuts her eyes. She squeezes Archie hand so tightly that she almost breaks it. She doesn't dare to take her kids' hands because she doesn't want to hurt them.

"Okay Ronnie, on 3. 1,2,3"

Veronica screams. Tears run down her cheeks and nails dig into Archie's hand. Ben wipes her forehead again and Emilia claps her hands. "Go mommy!"

Archie lets go of her hand for a second and walks down do her feet. "I can see her head!"

"Let me see!" Aurelia squeals and walks next to her dad. "Mom, she has dark hair!"