A/n: this is going to be a few different memorable moments in their lives, so bare with the large time skips :)
Cove's POV
5 years later..
Tears streamed down my face as I looked down at the object in my hand. This is a mistake, it has to be. This can't be real.
Everything that I've worked towards for the past 5 years flashed through my eyes. I began taking classes to learn Italian, graduated high school with a 4.00 gpa, got accepted into NYU medical school and graduated 3 years later. Now I'm about to enter my second year of pre-clinical work before I can finally get my dream job.
In 1 week, my pre-clinical work at a hospital in Milan, Italy starts up again. I was lucky enough to get a short vacation for summer, and before this happened I was excited to go back to work. Now I'm not even sure if I'll be able to return.
I heard footsteps coming towards the door, and after a few second there was a soft knock. That must be Azalea.
While River had to leave for work this morning, Azzy agreed to stay and keep me company. We were watching a movie, and in the middle of it I got up to pee.
For the past week or so, I've noticed that food has been tasting weird to me. One of the first things I learned as an intern of labor and delivery is that food tasting metallic or sour for no reason is an early sign of pregnancy.
Yesterday I bought a pregnancy test at the local market, not thinking much of it. It isn't my first time taking one, it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to this.
However, I didn't expect for a second line to very clearly apear next to the first one. That's how I ended up crying in the bathroom, leaning against the sink and grasping the positive test tightly in my hands.
"Cove?" Azalea asked in a soft voice. "What's wrong?"
I sniffled and wiped my tears away before forcing myself to open the door. Azzy walked in and her eyes almost immediately found the pregnancy test in my hands.
"Oh no.. Cove It's alright. I'm sure it's just a malfunction."
I nodded in agreement, trying to force my thoughts away from all of the what if's. "You're right, just a mistake," I agreed with a shaky voice.
"Yeah, why don't we get another one just to make sure? That way it'll ease your worries?"
After cleaning up and splashing cold water on my face, Azalea and I walked to the store. It's only a few blocks away and takes less than 5 minutes to get to, but two men followed as of River's orders. Whenever Azzy or I leave the vacation house, we always have to have a guard with us.
My main guard's name is Steven. He's kind but super quiet and only talks if I ask him something directly. From the short conversations that we've had in the last 3 years I've know him, he revealed that he has no family and ended up on the streets at the age of 16.
When we flew to River's vacation house here in Florence, Italy, I asked for him to be the one who comes along. I don't think he's ever been able to go on vacation, so I wanted him to come and experience it, even though he's still technically working.
Before I knew it, we came across the familiar red doors of the market. "You guys stay out here," I instructed the guards. They simply nodded in response.
Taking a deep breath, I walked inside. "Ciao," the store owner immediately greeted. I smiled at her in response, too nervous to speak.
Heading to the back of the store, I grabbed 2 pregnancy tests from their spot. I made sure both of them were from different brands before going up to pay.
Azzy and I walked out of the store moments later. The guards followed as we headed back down the path to the vacation house.
All too soon, we were back in my bedroom. The tv displayed the long forgotten movie we were previously watching, it's now paused with 40 minutes remaining.
"I'll wait outside the door if you need me," Azzy said comfortingly.
"Actually.. do you think you can come in with me? You don't have to look of course, just for support?"
"Of course, I'll come with you."
I smiled and opened the door, flipping on the lights. Azalea stood by the sink as I went over to the toilet.
There's a separate door to the toilet area, so I left it cracked and sat down. After a minute or so, I was able to pee which is surprising since I'd just gone half an hour ago.
I placed each stick in for 10 seconds after unwrapping them, then left them on the small counter next to the toilet. "Can you set one timer for 3 minutes and another for 5?" I asked.
"Yes, I set them."
I stood up and went to wash my hands after redoing my pants. Azzy stared at me through the mirror, silently assessing how I'm feeling.
"It's going to be okay Cove, no matter what happens."
I nodded, trying my best to believe her words. If I really am pregnant, which is a low chance, I think I'll still be happy. Even if I don't get to finish my last year of work before finally getting to be a midwife, it won't be the end the world. I've always wanted kids, so even at the young age of 22, I think I'm ready.
The sound of the first timer going off filled the room. I patted my hands dry before slowly walking through the door.
I grabbed the first test and tried to build up the courage to check it, but couldn't. I'll wait until the other timer is over before looking at them both at the same time.
"River texted that he's on the way home," Azzy broke the silence. I don't think I'm ready to tell him about this, whether or not it's positive.
"Okay, I'm going to bring the tests out there." Without waiting for a response, I picked both up and walked out to the sink.
"Can you set a paper towel down?"
Azalea nodded and unfolded one, then placed it on the counter next to the sink. I put both pregnancy tests down on it just in time for the second alarm to go off.
"Okay, I'll look at the one on the right and you look at the left?" I suggested.
"Alright, on three."
My heart rate started to speed up. This is it, this very moment is going to determine if my life will change forever.
"One.. two.. three."
I looked down, and to my shock, there was a faint red plus. Looking up into the mirror, I saw Azalea's shocked face telling me exactly what was on the other test.
I'm pregnant.
"Cove.." she whispered. I didn't have it in me to react, I didn't know what to say or what to do. I was in a pure state of shock. I'm pregnant.
I felt a pair of arms wrap around me tightly, but I didn't move at all. My dreams of being a nurse working in labor and delivery are put on hold less than a year before I get to achieve them.
On the bright side, my other dream of becoming a mother is coming true. Even if it came a few years early, I will love this baby with everything in me and give it the best life possible.
The front door opened by who I assume is River. It's no time before he comes in here, and I have to tell him the news.
"I'll go talk to him, I won't tell him what happened, but I'll tell him to come to the bathroom," Azzy said. I nodded in agreement, and she gave me one last squeeze before walking away.
With a sigh, I sat on the counter with my back against the mirror. With both tests now clutched in my hands, I waited for what felt like hours.
The bathroom door finally opened and in came River with a slightly worried look on his face. "Baby, are you alright? Az told me that you need me."
I sniffled and let the tears start falling again. This time, I'm not sure what they're from. Excitement, nervousness, sadness, happiness, or maybe even fear of rejection.
River came closer and placed his hands on my cheeks, not yet noticing what was in my hands.
"Are you feeling sick? It's okay, I've got you." I was pulled forward into his arms and he held me with ease. The thought that this will be one of the last times in a long time where he'll be able to hold my weight only made me cry harder.
"Please tell me what's wrong, I promise everything will be okay. I've got you."
With River's reassuring words, I was finally able to shakily lift up the positive pregnancy tests.
River's eyes went wide and his face paled slightly. I looked at him nervously, not sure if his reaction was good or bad.
My question was quickly answered though when I was hugged and he started kissing all over my face happily.
"Cove- Oh my- are you serious?" He stumbled over his words in excitement.
"I've taken three, all positive," I answered with a small smile. If River's happy, then I'm happy too.
"I love you so much, this is amazing Cove. We're going to have a baby!"
I nodded and leaned my head onto his shoulder. "Yes, I'm excited. But.. what about my job? I only have one year left of my internship.."
"You can still work, you have at least 7 to 8 months until bedrest. It's not until spring of next year that you'll give birth, and by then your time will almost be up. I have no doubt that they'll just let you graduate, and even if they don't, you'll only have to make up 2 or 3 months of internship. It'll be okay Cove, I promise."
"I guess you're right, I was too caught up in worry to think about the positives. I really want this baby and I can't wait until it's born. We'll have a kid River, our own kid!!"
River nodded and gently set me down, not before kissing me though. I wrapped my arms around him and held tightly.
"This is the best day of my life. You're growing our baby in your belly. I love you, Cove."
"I love you more, River."
ð ð ð
1 month later ..
River's POV
I felt Cove get out of bed. Morning sickness has been kicking her ass for the past 2 weeks, I feel horrible for her and I just want to take all the pain away.
As I draped my legs over the edge of the bed to get up and help, I heard Cove scream.
In a few seconds, I was in the bathroom crouching down next to her as she sobbed uncontrollably. My arms wrapped around her shaking body tightly and I tried to console her.
"Cove, what's wrong? You have to tell me baby," I said with fear in my voice.
"The baby, the baby," she cried. My heart stopped.
In an instant, I picked Cove up with one arm under her legs and the other supporting her back.
"What happened?" I asked while rushing out to the car. Our driver, who was just about to clock out, noticed and quickly got in the driver's seat.
"There was blood and it hurt so bad, there's something wrong," she cried. I simply nodded while getting into the back of the car and leaving Cove on my lap.
"It's okay, it's okay we'll get through this," I promised while kissing her wet cheeks. The driver started towards the hospital. It's only 10 minutes away, but with empty streets and speeding, it should only take 5.
"Our baby," she cried harder.
"I know baby, I know. It's okay."
"It's hurts."
"Tell me where it hurts."
Cove pointed to her heart, which made my own break even more. I leaned down and kissed her chest softly, wanting to provide comfort even though it's nearly impossible in this situation.
"Anywhere else?" I asked with a shaky breath.
"My stomach and my lower back," she whispered. I pulled her closer and gently started to massage her lower back.
"I've got you, it's okay," I whispered. She nodded and sniffled, looking up at me with teary eyes. "Please let the baby be okay," she whispered to no one in particular.
It felt like an eternity before we finally reached the hospital. When we did, the driver pulled up to the front and I rushed out with Cove in my arms.
As we got in the ER, the receptionist took one look at us and immediately called a doctor. The doctor quickly lead us to a room and I laid cove down on the bed.
"She's pregnant, yes?" The doctor asked.
"Yes, something happened. There was blood and she's cramping, please help."
"Okay, let me take a look." The doctor pulled up Cove's sleep shirt and rubbed a gel on her stomach. "The ultrasound tech is coming right now, we'll see what's going on."
Not even a minute later, a woman walked in. "Cosa sta succedendo?" (What is happening)
"La ragazza ha strani sintomi, controlla se ha il bambino," the doctor replied. (The wife is experiencing strange symptoms, check for the baby).
Nodding in agreement, the ultrasound tech took out the machine and slowly started to run it over Cove's stomach while looking at the screen. I held Cove's hand for the entire 5 minutes it took for her to check.
"We have some good news and bad news," she finally said in a heavy accent. I nodded for her to continue.
"There's one baby, perfectly healthy and breathing." I sighed in relief. "But, I'm not sure how this was missed, there was another baby as well. It's no longer here, but when I checked your past ultrasound, I could clearly see two fetuses."
"I had twins?" Cove asked in shock. The doctor and tech person nodded. "Yes, it's not super uncommon to have twins but one of them does early on. You're 12 weeks along."
She simply nodded and looked at me unsurely. "So, a baby died but I still have another healthy one?"
"Correct, the other is perfectly healthy. I'll give you some pills to take, and you need to strictly rest for at least a week. It is perfectly normal to feel sad at this time, so we provide free therapy and resources. Even though you have every right to feel upset, you need to do everything you can to limit stress during these times."
Cove nodded and slowly sat up. "Thank you for helping me," she said to both doctors.
"Of course, we're here to help. I'm not quite sure how to say this but ti auguro buona fortuna e benedizioni, credo in te." (I wish you luck and blessings, I believe in you.)
Cove smiled at her while grabbing my hand. "Don't worry, I understand. Thank you again."
We walked out of the hospital hand in hand. That was definitely really though news, but I know that we'll get through it. Together.
ð ð ð
A few months later..
I held River's hand as we went on our daily walk. The baby is due any day now so I'm trying to get as much exercise as possible.
We walked through the gates to a local hiking spot. It's super close to our house, and usually we'd just climb over the fence in our backyard to get to it. But since I can no longer lift myself over, we have to go around and through a gate.
The path split into two, one side is a mile long hike up a mountain that brings you to the top of the waterfall. The other is one and half miles long and brings you to the bottom of the waterfall.
We chose the latter since the first is too steep and dangerous. At this point in time, we're being as careful as possible. I don't want to take any risks right now that can possibly hurt the baby boy in my stomach.
We walked silently down the path, listening to the sound of our shoes crunching the dirt and birds chirping around us.
In the distance, if you listened closely, you could hear the sound of a waterfall. As we got closer, the rushing water got louder.
River let go of my hand for a moment to zip up the pocket on his jacket before quickly grabbing it again. I squeezed his hand lightly and he squeezed back.
Tiny droplets of water started to land in my hair. Water splashed onto the rocks and bounced off, causing me to get a bit wet.
I started to feel tired from the walk and sat down on a big rock, far away enough from the water where I wouldn't get completely soaked.
"You alright baby?" River asked as he sat next to me.
"Yes, just a bit winded," I replied with a smile. Pregnancy makes even simple tasks ten times harder.
"Understandable." He started to gently stroke my hair while I leaned my head against his shoulder. I closed my eyes and sighed at the feeling.
"I want to show you something," River said after a few minutes. I nodded and opened my eyes. "What is it?"
Instead of replying, he got up and helped me stand. Then, he grabbed my hand and started walking around the waterfall.
I shielded my face with my hand and laughed as we got to the side of it. There was a lot more splashing on this side, so I've never walked around this way.
We walked behind the waterfall and I was surprised to see that there's a cliff. Down at the bottom is a beautiful river that stretches along as far as I can see.
River lead me until we were about 10 feet away from the cliff's edge. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach as I noticed how far down the drop is, but that feeling was quickly replaced with a sense of calmness. Nature always makes my feel relaxed.
Smiling, I looked back at River. "This is beautiful, how'd you find this place?"
He simply shrugged. "I've always known it was here, I just wanted to find the right time to show you."
I nodded and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "What made you choose now?"
"Well, my beautiful girl is about to give birth to our child. We're going to have a family together Cove, I'm going to have a family with the person I love most and I honestly can't believe it."
I smiled harder at his words and he gently rubbed my hip. "Sometimes it doesn't feel real. We've come so far, I never knew it was possible to feel so much love for someone."
"I love you River," was all I managed to reply, not sure how to express the love I feel for him.
"I love you more. Hey, look at the ducks in the water."
I turned to look and smiled when I noticed a family of ducks. "Aw, they're so cute."
When River didn't answer, I turned back around only to see him on his knee with a box propped open in his hands.
My heart skipped a beat in surprise and excitement as my eyes widened. I was taken aback, not at all expecting this to happen.
For the last couple of months, River and I have been talking more seriously about marriage. I've always known that he's the man I want to marry, but I still can't believe that its happening right now.
"Cove, I'm the happiest when I'm around you. I never knew what the meaning of life was until I met you. You've showed me what really living is, and you captured my heart in the process. I've loved you since the day we first laid eyes on each other, and every day I only fall for you harder. Cove, will you marry me?"
I nodded quickly and tried not to let tears come to my eyes. My heart beat impossibly fast in my chest, and I managed to reply "yes."
River smiled harder than I've ever seen him smile before and slipped the ring on my finger. Its beautiful, it has a thin silver band and a sparkly diamond.
"This is so pretty," I whispered as River kissed my finger before standing up.
"I thought you'd like it."
"I love it, I love you. Thank you River, you have given me the best life ever. I'm never sad when I'm around you, and I can't wait until our wedding. You and I are forever."
"Forever."