𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘴 3

Chapter 3:

IVF Struggles & Pregnancy Test

Reese had never been great at handling pain. She could take a punch, sure. She'd been in her fair share of bar fights when she was younger (all of which, Taylor hated hearing about), but this? This was different.

This wasn't a single moment of pain, quick and over with. It was constant.

Hormone injections every day. The bloating. The headaches. The nausea. The rollercoaster of emotions that hit her like a freight train and made her cry over the most ridiculous shit—like the time Taylor accidentally stepped on her shoelace and said, "Oops."

Reese had sobbed.

Like, full-body sobbing.

Taylor, bless her heart, had held her the whole time, rubbing circles into her back and whispering, "It's okay, baby. I've got you."

And Reese knew Taylor meant it. She knew Taylor would always have her, no matter what.

But it still sucked.

"I don't know if I can do this," Reese admitted one night, curled up against Taylor on the couch.

Taylor held her a little tighter. "Yes, you can."

Reese shook her head, voice thick with frustration. "No, Tay. You don't get it. My body feels like it's not mine anymore. I'm exhausted all the time, and my brain is a mess. And what if this doesn't work? What if we go through all of this for nothing?"

Taylor hated hearing Reese doubt herself. She hated seeing her in pain. She wished she could take it all away, but all she could do was be there.

So she did what she always did—she pulled Reese closer, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "Then we'll try again. And if that doesn't work, we'll try something else. We'll figure it out together."

Reese sniffled, curling into Taylor's chest. "You promise?"

Taylor kissed her again. "I swear."

And for the moment, that was enough.

—

Two weeks later, they sat in the clinic, waiting for the results. Reese's heart pounded so hard it was all she could hear. Taylor squeezed her hand, but Reese barely felt it.

Then the doctor walked in. And the second she saw her face, Reese knew.

It didn't work.

It took a few seconds for the words to fully hit, but when they did, Reese felt like she was drowning.

Taylor's hand was on her back immediately, grounding her, but Reese barely heard anything the doctor was saying. Something about how this was common. How the first round of IVF wasn't always successful. How they could try again.

But all Reese could think was I failed.

She barely made it to the car before the tears came.

Taylor didn't say anything. She didn't tell Reese to stop crying or try to make her feel better with empty words. She just held her.

And that was what Reese needed the most.

That night, Taylor canceled everything.

Studio sessions, meetings, interviews—all of it. Nothing mattered more than Reese.

They spent the whole night in bed, tangled up together. Taylor stroked Reese's hair, whispering soft reassurances into her skin.

"I love you."

"We're gonna be okay."

"I'm right here."

Reese fell asleep in Taylor's arms, feeling safe, even in her sadness.

—

A month later, they tried again.

Reese was terrified. She wanted to hope, but she was so fucking scared.

Taylor, on the other hand, was a rock.

"You're the strongest person I know," Taylor whispered one night, holding Reese's face in her hands. "I know this is going to work."

And somehow, against all odds, Reese believed her.

So they did it. They went through the shots, the bloating, the emotional breakdowns (which Taylor handled like a champ). And then, after another two agonizing weeks, it was time.

—

It was just past 6 AM when Reese woke up, stomach twisting in knots.

Taylor was still asleep, curled up beside her, soft and warm. For a second, Reese just watched her—her fiancée, her favorite person, her home.

Then the nerves kicked back in.

Reese carefully slipped out of bed, heart racing as she walked to the bathroom. The pregnancy test was already on the counter, waiting for her.

She took a deep breath. Then another.

And then she took the test.

She set it down, staring at the timer like it was taunting her. Three minutes. Three fucking minutes.

The longest three minutes of her life.

When she finally picked it up, her hands were shaking. She squeezed her eyes shut, heart pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears.

Then—

She opened her eyes.

And saw the word.

Pregnant.

Reese's breath caught in her throat. Her whole body went still.

And then, before she could even think, she was running.

She sprinted back to the bedroom, practically jumping onto the bed. "TAYLOR."

Taylor jolted awake, eyes flying open. "What?! What happened?!"

Reese shoved the test into her hands.

Taylor blinked at it. Once. Twice. Then her lips parted.

"Oh my God."

Reese's voice was barely a whisper. "It worked."

Taylor looked at her, then back at the test, then back at Reese.

And then she burst into tears.

Reese laughed through her own tears as Taylor tackled her into a hug, burying her face in Reese's neck. "Baby," Taylor sobbed, clutching her like she was afraid to let go. "We did it. You're pregnant."

Reese let out a shaky breath, nodding. "I'm pregnant."

They stayed like that for a long time—wrapped up in each other, crying, laughing, disbelieving.

It was real. They were going to have a baby.

—

Selena was the first call.

The second she answered, Reese held up the test.

Selena screamed so loudly that Taylor flinched.

"OH MY GOD. HOLY SHIT. I'M GONNA BE AN AUNT."

Then she immediately started sobbing. "I'm so happy for you guys," she sniffled. "I knew it was gonna happen."

Gracie and Sabrina were next.

Reese barely got the words out before Gracie burst into tears. Full-on, dramatic, movie-scene crying.

Sabrina was just as bad. "I'm so fucking emotional right now. I love you guys so much."

And because Selena could never let a moment be chill, she immediately planned a private celebration.

"We're getting drunk tonight," she announced. "Well, you're not, Reese, but the rest of us are drinking for you."

Taylor laughed, still clutching Reese's hand. "That sounds perfect."

And as they hung up, still wrapped in the aftershock of their news, Reese turned to Taylor, pressing their foreheads together.

"We're gonna be parents."

Taylor's eyes shined with pure love. "Yeah, baby. We are."

And with that, they started the next chapter of their lives. Together.