#omeliashepherdhunt

[omeliashepherdhunt]

Stay With Me

Chapter One

I wake to muffled cries. A quick glance at Emmy’s monitor reveals it’s not coming from her. Our sweet baby girl has been sleeping through the night for the past month much to her brother’s relief as their bedrooms are adjacent. I briefly rub the sleep from my eyes and realize the distressed sounds is Owen. He’s laying on his stomach but I can see his frightened face contorted with anxiety. Beads of sweat from his forehead blend in with the tears that escape from his tightly shut eyes. I sit up and start to gently shake him awake, afraid of what he’s dreaming of. Owen doesn’t take too long to jolt awake and sit straight up in record timing. His blue eyes dart back and forth and he’s breathless. I reach out and stroke his face that is sticky from sweat.

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay.” I try my best to soothe him. It takes Owen a little bit to be able to form words.

“Bad dream. I’m fine. Go back to sleep please.”

I softly smile at him and squeeze his hand. His T-shirt clings to his body from how much he was sweating.

“I can’t go back to sleep until I know you’re okay so why don’t you tell me what all of that was about?”

“I can’t talk about it, Amelia. It’s scary and traumatic. I don’t want to go there, especially not with you. I couldn’t take it if you started to think of me the way others have.”

I raise my eyebrows, feeling taken back. There is only one thing he has remained tight lipped about — his time in the army.

“Owen, I’m your wife. The wife that has had her fair share of dark and scary things. I can’t help you through it if I don’t know what is torturing you in your sleep. You married a recovering addict and alcoholic with chronic mommy and daddy issues. I have no room to judge.”

Owen peered over at the clock on his nightstand. It’s just after two in the morning.

“It’s late and we have a baby that will be up in a few hours. I swear I’ll be okay. I’m going to jump in the shower and rinse off really quick. I feel disgusting.”

“Owen, please just tell me what it was about. I can handle whatever it is.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily.

“Drop it for Christ’s sake. I don’t need to talk about it. I’m sorry for waking you up.”

My stomach started to form knots so I just gave his hand another squeeze.

“Okay, I’ll change the sheets then come check on you.”

I watched him walk away while my heart sank. His normal 5’11” self from now looked similar to my 5’3” frame purely from how mentally exhausted he looked.

—————————————————————————

It’s not often that I have such vivid flashbacks to my time served in the army, especially not about the explosion. I’m not sure how much time has passed when Amelia comes in and starts the water. I only notice her briefly, unable to tear my eyes away from my reflection in the mirror. Sometimes it’s hard to see why Amelia is attracted to me when I look like I do right now. There’s huge bags under my eyes, skin abnormally pale, and my hair is slicked against my head from the sweat. Another moment or two passes by the time I feel my wife’s petite arms envelope my abdomen.

“Bath water is ready. I know you said you wanted a shower but I wanted to join you. It’ll also help you to soak your tense muscles.”

I couldn’t keep a sheepish smile from escaping.

“Amelia, I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you but I sure am glad I have you. I didn’t mean to be so curt with you earlier. It’s hard.”

Her small hands cupped my face and she pulled me in for a soft kiss which I happily reciprocated. Things didn’t seem to be so bad when she was by my side.

“I just want you to be okay. Leo, Emma, and I need you here both mentally and physically.”

I kissed her again and let my lips linger against hers.

“I’m right here. You and the kids can’t get rid of me that easy.”

She pulls me by the hand over to the tub and takes her own sleep shirt off while I peel my sweat drenched T-shirt and pajama pants off. She gets in first and ushers me to get in front her which is different for us. Usually she curls up in my arms but I’m happy to have her hold me for once. If only I could protect her from the horrors of my past.

—————————————————————————

Owen didn’t say much in the bathtub but it was still nice to just have him lay there with me. It’s not too often we get so much one on one time with each other because Leo or Emma needs one or both of us.

Once we were dried off and back in our freshly made bed, I pulled him to me and let him rest his head on my chest. His ginger curls still damp from the water smelt like his lemon and sandalwood soap.

“Owen, please remember you can tell me anything. I just want to know what scared you so much.”

He sighed heavily but tightened his arms around me.

“It’s not easy for me to talk about… I don’t want it to change what you think about me. It’s not a light story.”

“I figured as much. There isn’t anything you could tell me that would change what I think about you. I love you. You’re my husband and my smoking hot baby daddy.”

Owen let out a sarcastic chuckle which made me giggle. At least I could still get him to smile even when he’s not wanting to.

“I love you more… Now I’m going to tell you this one time and I really don’t want to elaborate on it… We were on a convoy and hit an IED. I wasn’t hurt too badly but everyone else was subsequently killed. Dan Mooney, who served with me as Colonel, initially lived but his injures were too severe and he succumbed to his injuries only after I had to say a Hail Mary with him and he forced me to take my hand off of the wound on his neck. He bled out right before I was rescued by a helicopter. Now I live my life with immense survivor’s guilt. When I nearly choked Cristina to death, that was because I was triggered merely by the blades on our ceiling fan. Callie Torres was actually the one that got me off of her. I haven’t forgiven myself for that.”

His entire body went rigid as he explained the details which just broke my heart. He had been through so much at Grey Sloan without everything that occurred during his time served.

“You know… whatever higher being out there wanted to keep you alive for a reason. Now look at your life. You’re married to a brilliant neurosurgeon, a father to a five year old son and six month old daughter, head of trauma surgery, and we own a beautiful house and both of our vehicles.”

“I know we’ve been very rich in that sense but it doesn’t make what happened to my platoon okay. My own mother didn’t know I was home from the army for the longest time… Who I was then is different from who I am now. The army changed me overnight.”

I softly kissed the top of his head and wished that I could protect him from the world much like we try to protect Leo and Emma.

“I love who you are now. Your journey makes you who you are. You’re not a bad man, Owen. It’s nothing you could’ve controlled. You weren’t driving and no one knew there would be an IED right in the path. You did what you could with the resources you had in the time that you had.”

Owen looked up at me with huge, watery eyes. I held him as close to me as I could. His facial expression reminded me of Leo’s when he’s in time out.

“Mia, there are times where the pain seems unfathomable. When I get flashbacks or have night terrors, everything feels so raw and recent. How am I supposed to be strong for you and the kids?”

“That’s the thing, my love. You don’t always have to be the strong one. I’ve had my fair share of hard things. We are equals. You’re strong when I can’t be so I can do the same for you.”

Owen’s shaky hand reached up to caress my cheek.

“You are a saint. Let’s try to get some sleep before Emmy needs to nurse again. Just feeling you in the bed helps me feel safe.”

Another kiss on Owen’s head then one on his lips stretched a sweet smile across his face. He looked exhausted but more content by the time he started to doze off. It was a quarter past three in the morning before he was asleep again though I couldn’t sleep. All I could think of was his trauma and what steps we needed to take to get him into some form of counseling. If I can do NA or AA meetings, he could see a PTSD expert.

[bootandbradford]

4,11,15,31

Thank you again, Shannon! 💜

4. What are you most confident about yourself? I am confident in my ability to care for and support the people close to me

11. What’s something that automatically turns you off of other people? Lying and close-mindedness

15. What’s a philosophy that you agree with, but fail to live by? “Everything happens for a reason.” Sometimes it’s hard to understand and accept when bad things happen

31. What’s your favorite song to sing along to? Right now it is “Lost In Japan” by Citizen Queen

(send me numbers)

[hotshepherd]

top ten songs i’ve been listening to lately

Thanks for the tag @owenandameliaforever ❤️

1. Silhouette by aquilo

2. Where's my love (slowed) by syml

3. Someone you loved by Lewis Capaldi

4. Worst of you by Maisie Peters

5. I like me better (normal and slowed) by Lauv

6. Into your arms (slowed) by Witt Lowry

7. Your shirt by Chelsea Cutler

8. Someone to stay by Vancouver Sleep Clinic

9. Body by SYML

10. The story never ends by Lauv

(and basically every other song on my "2k19 sad summer" (u can find it on yt) cuz I've really been missing summer lately and that was my Playlist during that time (yes ik it's sad))

I tag: @ameliashepherdgoeshunting @aameliashepherd @omeliashepherdhunt @omeliastoriesbyari and everyone who wants to :)

[omeliastories]

Little game I thought of to spread some cheer around the fandom! Tag 3-5 accounts you’re grateful for and explain why. Those tagged can do the same! 💖

@ameliashepherdgoeshunting - one of my best friends. Always there for me and so sweet. One of the best writers out there! 💜

@omeliashepherdhunt - one of the sweetest people I know! Keeps me motivated to write. ❤️

@seasidescorsone - amazing person and writer! Always there for me and one of my best friends. 💗

@ameliascorsones - one of my best friends as well. So kind and funny! 💕

I could only think of four on here, but I’m so grateful for all of you lovelies!

[leowenila]

Thank you for the tag, @nevergiveupneverrun

My Top Ten Grey’s (and Private Practice) Ships

Amelia and Owen

April and Jackson

Addison and Jake

Charlotte and Cooper

Amelia and Ryan

Amelia and Link Note: Do not negetivally, come in my anon inbox over this- I already have enough going in my life and starting a ship war is not what I need or want.

Callie and Arizona

Maggie and Deluca

Teddy and Tom

Addison and Derek

I tag @omeliastories, @ameliascorsones, @omeliashepherdhunt and whoever would like to do this tag, who hasn’t done so already 💗

[amelia-blackshepherd]

Top 10 Female Characters

Okay so like this is going to be hard as I’m not even sure I am actually invested in 10 different shows but I’ll give it a go! And thank you to @sheperdessamelia for tagging me in this fun 😎

Rules: write your 10 favorite female characters from 10 different fandoms and tag 10 people!

Seriously though after the top 3-4 it’s just shows I like 🤷‍♀️

1. Veronica Mars - Veronica Mars

2. Amelia Shepherd - Greys Anatomy

3. Alex Russo - Wizards of Waverly Place

4. Fallon Carrignton - Dynasty (2018)

5. Kate Beckett - Castle

6. Kara Danvers - Supergirl

7. Lorelai Gilmore - Gilmore Girls

8. Angela Montenegro - Bones

9. Bay Kennish - Switched at Birth

10. Jessica Day - New Girl

Oops almost forgot to tag people haha also I haven’t been online much so not sure who has and hasn’t been tagged: @ameliashepherdgoeshunting @amelliashepherds @amelias-universe @omeliashepherdhunt @owenameliafiction @owenandameliaforever @owenandamelia

[omeliashepherdhunt]

Simple Ch. 1

Seattle was carrying on its stereotypical behavior with the nonstop rain. Owen hated having to drive in torrential downpour so late at night but another day at work got away from him with a steady flow of traumas. By the time he parked in the driveway, the clock on his dashboard read 10:28. Maybe his wife would still be up to see him. 

With his keys and bag hung up on the hooks by the front door, Owen quietly walked through the entryway and into their living room to see what Amelia was up to. Part of him was disappointed to see she was asleep but he couldn’t help but smile when he saw baby Abel still latched to his mother’s breast, both of them contently asleep. He was a miracle no doubt. Born with Down Syndrome and ASD, he had undergone heart surgery at 4 days old to correct the hole in his heart. However he flatlined twice during the procedure which shook the Hunt family to their core. 

In typical Grey-Sloan surgeon fashion, Amelia and Owen had been up in the surgical theater watching as none other than Sam Bennett operated on their newborn so they witnessed their son come back from the brink of death twice. Amelia decided right then that she would be taking an extended maternity leave. Abel would be immunocompromised more than typical babies with his heart issues, and he already had 2 school aged siblings and 2 parents that worked inside a hospital to provide plenty germs. Owen on the other hand was so bothered by what happened, he didn’t want to think about it ever again. In return, he buried himself in work so he hadn’t been home much the past month other than his one off day he’d take. 

When Owen leaned in to unlatch Abel to move him to the bassinet in their bedroom, he took a moment to admire Amelia’s beauty. However the longer he looked, the more he noticed. Her cheek bones were more prominent, her collarbone was even more noticeable, and even her ring looked a bit loose on her finger. She was already a petite woman so her apparent weight loss didn’t sit right with Owen. 

He quickly moved Abel off of Amelia which only startled her awake. 

“What the hell?”

“It’s just me. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“He was sleeping. We were fine.”

“I know but you can’t sleep in the recliner all night. Let’s go to bed. It’s coming close to 11 o clock.”

Amelia was definitely drowsy but was happy to settle in their bed. She wasn’t used to Owen being around anymore. They hadn’t really discussed it which in the long run would only worsen whatever riff they had, but she didn’t know what to say to him anymore. He just wasn’t around. Instead of focusing solely on their newborn son, she also had to split herself for the older three. Flynn had baseball and Bella was in gymnastics. Between two school kids, their sports, a very clingy one and a half year old, and their specially abled baby, both of which she was still nursing, there was no time for herself. She didn’t have Owen around to help offset the heavy load that was their life and honestly she didn’t have it in herself to fight with him about it. Amelia was spread as thin as possible and it showed. The house wasn’t trashed, but it was messier than they usually kept it. She felt that if she could keep the four kids alive, fed, and on time for school and sports each day, that was enough. Anything else could wait for another day. 

“Well, good night. I hope the kids behaved for you.”

Amelia hugged into her pillow and not Owen like she normally liked to. 

“They were great. Flynn and Bella are great helpers. He has a baseball game tomorrow at noon but don’t worry, he already knows Dad will probably be at work. Bella mastered her back handspring tonight so she’s really excited about that. Rosie is cutting all four molars at the same time so she is miserable.”

“What about Abe?”

“He’s good. He’s as strong as ever. Not at all scary.”

Owen shook his head at the very intentional dig she threw at him. While she didn’t care to argue, she would make it known how much she hated that he willingly chose to stay away. 

“I’m not scared of my own son, Amelia.”

“Really? When was the last time you held him for more than 5 minutes? I mean hold him just to admire him, not just because I need to brush my teeth and hair. They’re only a baby once.”

“I saw the monitor both times his heart stopped. It haunts me. I’ve doubted my ability as a parent ever since that day. I wish I could forget that that happened, but I can’t. Instead I save lives. I focus on that.”

“I was there too! You weren’t the only one. Ya know, I would’ve never done what you did. Then again, I was never given that option. You have three other kids too. They miss their dad. Sam knew what he was doing in the surgery too. Abel is strong and he made it. We clearly aren’t on the same page but just know I’m done covering you with the kids. Flynn and Bella are both old enough to understand what is going on. They will remember when you weren’t around. If you can live with yourself knowing that, okay. I am so exhausted day in and day out. So do what you want but they know Dad has no true reason to always be gone.”

Not another single word was spoken from either of them. Owen didn’t like knowing how much he was impacting his kids. Apparently he hadn’t thought too much into it until now. 

.

Amelia was woken up just after 8 a.m by Bellamy climbing in bed with her. 

“Mama, Daddy is cooking pancakes and bacon for breakfast. Flynn is helping squeeze oranges for orange juice. Daddy put Rosie in her highchair with some banana and the baby is sleeping.”

“Oh thank you for coming to see me. Good morning my sweets.”

“Daddy isn’t working today?”

“It’s supposed to be his weekend off so he shouldn’t...”

Bellamy’s face lit up but Amelia didn’t want her to be disappointed in case he elected to go in.

“... but if he gets paged, then he will have no choice but to go. Mama and Daddy save lives.”

“And if you and Daddy are here, there are people that may not make it.”

“Yes but we love you all the same.”

Bellamy curled up to her mom’s side, basking in the rare moment of being the only one with Amelia. 

“Mama, can we do something fun today? Like going to the aquarium? I want to see the otters again like we did on my field trip.”

Amelia kissed the top of her daughter’s head, taking a second to breathe in the sweet scent of Bella’s strawberry shampoo. 

“Your brother has a baseball game at noon but we can go tomorrow if everyone behaves today. Do you still want to spend the night with Uncle Andrew and Aunt Maggie?”

“Yes please! They let me help give Emma and Evan their baths at night. It’s so much fun. Will Daddy come to the aquarium on Sunday?”

“I don’t know, sweets. You’d have to ask him.” Amelia laid there a little bit long with her oldest daughter until she heard her youngest start to fuss on his baby monitor.

“Bella, go see Dad. I’m going to feed Abel then I’ll come eat breakfast with everyone.” “Okay mommy! I love you very much.”

“Love you too sweet girl.”

.

By the time the older kids were dropped off with their aunt, uncle, and twin one year old cousins by Owen, Amelia had Rosalie and Abel nursed to sleep for their mid-afternoon naps. Shockingly he had been at home with her and the kids all morning and afternoon. Now she was uncertain of what to do. Amelia wasn’t used to his undivided attention since typically the kids were running circles around them or the whole house was asleep by the time Owen got home at night.

Owen carefully sat down beside Amelia on the couch. “Babe, can we talk about last night?”

“What about it?”

Owen ran his fingers through his tousled curls. This wasn’t going to be easy for him but he could only blame himself.

“There’s no excuse for my absence. I have let my wife down and all of my kids. Sorry won’t suffice, I know. I am just going to work on being here. Seeing you last night with Abel still latched onto you and you both fully asleep, looking like a pair of angels, I noticed you have even lost enough weight for your wedding rings to not fit properly anymore. If there’s no one here to help you, you won’t have time to get proper rest or eat meals that isn’t pb&j and goldfish. That’s my fault and I hate myself for it. I have two weeks left of paternity leave that I haven’t used since I went back to work 2 weeks after Abe was born. I called Bailey on the drive home to let her know I’m using those two weeks effective tomorrow.”

“But why? You have been so happy since you went back to work…”

“Absolutely not. I’ve just kept busy. I let my entire family down and now I need to redeem myself. I love you so much Amelia. I love you, Flynn, Bella, Rosie, and baby Abel more than anything. I’m also going to make sure to bond with Abel has much as I can these next two weeks.”

Owen finished his long winded statement to see Amelia’s eyes filled with tears. “Owen, you have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to hear you say something like that.”

She hugged into his side and was happy to have him with her now. “It’s true. I promise. I’ll be right here with you. I’m all yours for two weeks straight.” “I love you. This doesn’t fix everything but it’s a good start.”

“I love you too. I know it’s not gonna get back to normal overnight but we can take it day by day together with the kids.”

[omeliashepherdhunt]

Clarity and Closure

Ch. 1

Super short intro chapter but it sets up the rest. I’m excited about where this story will go and I’d LOVE some feedback. Enjoy!

.

As much clarity as Amelia felt (or thought she felt), she also needed closure. Her past fueled so much of her pain, reluctance to love, and failure of commitment.

Things were hard between her and Owen. There is that corny saying that nothing worth having comes easy. But was that the truth? If it was, their relationship was definitely worth it because it had yet to come easy.

“Amelia? What are you doing? It’s cold out here.”

Owen must have spotted her pacing on his front porch.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

He knew her better than anyone and could tell she was stuck inside her head and trying to not panic.

“Please Amelia, come inside. I can light the fireplace. You had to have come here for a reason.” Owen said, running his fingers through his gingery locks.

She blindly followed him inside as if her body was on auto pilot and found herself sitting right on the hearth of the fireplace.

“I can’t let you sign those papers alone. I know we’ve been so indecisive, maybe it was just me... There was truth to what you said earlier. About me being fundamentally incapable of love and being loved.” She was rambling at the same time he thought she was going to bite all of her fingernails off.

“Amelia, that was said in the heat of the moment. I didn’t really mean that.”

“But you weren’t wrong. I’m incapable because I’m petrified. I’ve lost my dad, my best friend, my brother, Mark, Ryan, and even my own baby. The people I have loved most in this world have died and it was always unbearable. But then I thought about letting you and Leo go out of my life and that’s unfathomable. You are you, Owen. You seem to be my best friend and my worst enemy wrapped in one — I mean that lovingly. Leo is ours. I know we said you’d raise Leo and I’ll raise Betty or Britney, whoever the hell she is today... She’s gone back home and we’ve been raising Leo together all along. That maternal pull I felt with Christopher is exactly what I feel with Leo. I can’t let him go. I don’t want to be Auntie Amelia. I want to be Mama.” Amelia inhaled deeply, clearly winded from her monologue.

“Amelia, I still want you. That hasn’t changed and it won’t change. We can be together.”

“It’s not that simple. We have some big issues that need to be worked out. In order to reach that point, I need you to do me a huge favor.”

Owen grabbed onto Amelia’s hand and planted a soft kiss on top of it.

“Anything Amelia. You know that.”

She peered up at Owen with her watering bright blue eyes that seems a little dull. She really was struggling here.

“I know it sounds crazy but it’s how I’m going to be able to move on and how we will be able to give it another shot... I need us to go to New York. I just need to see my mom and show her that I’m clean. That I’m doing okay and that I’m with you and I’m safe and that we have a son. I need to see the man who shot and killed my father. One is dead, the other is still in prison. I’ve kept up loosely. I want to see my father’s headstone. The last time I saw it was during his funeral. It was always too hard after that. Then I need to go to L.A. I need to go to Ryan and Christopher’s graves. That’s important to me. And then I want to go to Derek’s grave and even put some flowers on Mark’s grave. Only then will I feel ready to let go a little bit and we can work on us. We will need to see a counselor and keep Leo’s best interest in mind.”

There was so much going through Owen’s mind but he knew he had to answer quickly or she’d get flighty again. She was wanting to do a lot in seemingly a small amount of time and she actually wanted him to go with her. That was more progress than he ever expected her to make within 24 hours.

“Okay. I’m in. It’s important Leo meets his other grandma and that you can find peace. I’ll be there to support you in any way that I can. When would we go?”

“Tomorrow. We would fly out at lunch time. We will only be out of work 6 days. Three in New York, two in California, and one day at home to rest. By rest, I mean we’d decide on a counselor together and figure out everything else with Leo.”

He couldn’t believe that he was agreeing to this but he didn’t want to lose Amelia ever again.

“I’ll start packing.”

[omeliashepherdhunt]

Meet the kiddos!

These are the kiddos in my newest untitled Omelia fic/universe. First chapter will be posted in the next few days!

Enjoy reading and let me know which one you think you’ll like the most!!!

.

Name: Andrew Flynn Hunt (nn Flynn)

Age: 8

Gender: male

Looks like: Owen

Acts like: a mix of Owen & Amelia

Personality: Loves to help, natural leader, fascinated with military stuff. Favorite toy is his G.I Joe action figure.

.

Name: Bellamy Joy Hunt (nn Bella)

Age: 6

Gender: female

Looks like: more like the Shepherd family, indirectly Amelia

Acts like: Amelia ... Very much a Mommy’s girl

Personality: Very sensitive and sweet. Loves to spend time with her parents but definitely favors her mama. Obsessed with unicorns.

.

Name: Rosalie Grace Hunt (nn Rose/Rosie/Ro)

Age: 1.5

Gender: female

Looks like: Amelia more than Owen

Acts like: Owen

Personality: Coy like Owen, loves her big brother and sister and tries her best to keep up with them. Loves to be held. Still breastfed regularly but loves to eat real food too and is healthy and chunky. Has a brown stuffed puppy she always has with her.

.

Name: Abel Christopher Hunt (nn Abe)

Age: 6 weeks old

Gender: male

Looks like: Amelia 110%

Acts like: hard to tell so far.

Personality: Very happy baby. Healthy ever since his heart surgery at 4 days old. Had a hole in his heart, common in babies with Down Syndrome. Good eater. Loves his sleep. Never goes without his pacifier.

[bootandbradford]

Thank you for the tag @latetothegreysparty and @omeliathehurricane! Hmm, this took me some time, but the character I relate to most is Amelia. Like her I’ve been through a lot in my life and despite the setbacks I’ve had I am stronger because of them and I am very emotional person. I’ll tag the following people and let them pick their own character:

@omeliashepherdhunt

@erikarayearth41

@beautiful-bluewater

@only-freakin-sunflowers

Just thought of this little game!! Tag yourself as a Grey’s anatomy/private practice character and explain why you see yourself as that character. Then tag 5 people and assign them to a character and explain!! Those tagged have to do the same!:)

This was a really hard one, anon! I went back and forth between 2 characters, but I eventually settled on Maggie. I relate to her because I’m a rule follower, everyone always ends up telling me all of their business, and I worry a lot about the people I care about. I’ll tag people, but I want them to pick their own characters. I tag the following people:@omeliathehurricane@owenandameliaforever@sheperdessamelia@aameliashepherd@bafy-usy

[omeliashepherdhunt]

Clarity and Closure

Ch. 4

It was raining when Amelia woke up in the middle of the night. She took great comfort in feeling Owen’s body pressed against her with his arms wrapped around her petite body. Amelia could tell he was deeply sleeping from how relaxed and heavy his body felt. She turn 180° to bury her face in his chest. She couldn’t sleep and didn’t want to be left alone with her thoughts. In efforts to not wake Owen up, she decided to go check on Leo and Brooklyn. She had to do something— her mind was wide awake.

She quietly crept out of their little hotel bedroom and into the main area where Brooklyn was fast asleep on the bed. She really did resemble Amelia; only Brooklyn had significantly longer hair than her. It was so great to have her around the past day and a half and she wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her when they had to go from New York to California. Amelia then turned to admire her sweet little boy. He always slept on his tummy with his butt up in the air. Leo conned them into buying him a stuffed lion from their visit to the zoo and he looked so damn cute cuddling it under one of his arms. She bent over to fix his blanket and felt strong hands on her hips, making her jump and yelp from surprise.

“Shhh. It’s just me. Come back to bed.”

She lightheartedly shoved him back a little, still partially annoyed he snuck up on her.

“You scared me. Announce yourself next time.” She barked in a hushed tone.

“Sorry. Come on. You need sleep.”

He led her back to the bedroom by holding her hand and closed the door behind them.

“I wasn’t trying to wake you up. That’s why I got up to check on the kids.”

“Of course I’ll wake up the second my personal heater leaves the bed. It got way too cold too fast. Why are you awake?”

They both settled back down in bed.

“My mind won’t shut off. This trip was just a lot between my mom, Walt, and the impending departure from Brooklyn.”

Owen smiled and brushed his thumb across her cheek.

“You know, I’d love for Brooklyn to come to Seattle. We can renovate Betty’s old room just for her. It’d be nice to have a nanny even part time for Leo and he really loves her. Then it shouldn’t be goodbye for too long, it would be see you soon. She’d be a perfect addition to our family.”

“You really think so? I see so much of myself in her. I feel like it would do her a lot of good to get away from the toxicity of the New York Shepherd family.”

“I know so. I think she’d like it too. We will have to talk to her about it in the morning. You need to sleep, babe.”

Almost child like, Amelia’s eyes started to water and her bottom lip began quivering.

“I just can’t.”

Owen held her as closely as he could to his own body, not understanding why she was so emotional.

“Hey, hey, hey... Why are you getting upset? Everything is fine. Leo is happily asleep, we are going to talk to Brooklyn in the morning, and we will be in California by lunch time.”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me... I’m just so stressed out.”

Like a lightbulb going off, Owen had a new idea.

“I know we have a lot of progress to make but I know something that could help you relax...”

“Sex? Really, Owen? It’s been months since we’ve done anything between all the drama going on.”

“Yeah but things are calming down and I miss you.”

Amelia bit her bottom lip, toying with the idea of letting him do her or not.

“I miss you too. Kiss me.”

.

Basking in their after sex glow, they were cuddling, kissing, and giggling as quietly as they could. Neither of them were expecting it to go three rounds but now she was blissfully tired and feeling closer to Owen than she had in a very long time.

“That was amazing. We need to not wait months again.”

“Yeah I know. We need to get condoms before we have sex again.”

“Me getting pregnant wouldn’t be the worst thing.”

Owen couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Amelia wanted to have his baby.

“Are you really sure about that? I mean don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have a baby with you. There’s just a lot going on and we are still getting back to a good place.”

Amelia shrugged and suddenly lost the playfulness she just had not even a minute prior.

“I know there’s Leo... and your baby with Teddy. That baby won’t be mine though. She has a mother who wants to be very present in her life, just like you want to be. I’ll love her because she’s part of you but I won’t ever be her mom. I’m just her future stepmom. I know Leo is my son, and I know I’ll love your daughter like she’s mine, but I also want to experience a healthy pregnancy with you and just get all those experiences we didn’t get with Leo. Maybe it’s not the best time but it’s not like I’ll get pregnant right away.”

“You’re right. I’ve always wanted a large family. If you think you’re ready, I am too.”

She turned to face him again and pulled the sheet over them a little more.

“We don’t have to intentionally try but maybe we just don’t use protection. Whatever is meant to happen will happen.”

“I love you. I want us to get used to saying that.”

“Me too. Maybe with more time it’ll get easier for me. We still need to go to counseling— baby or not, it still needs to be a priority.”

He moved to kiss her soft and delicate lips again.

“It is still a high priority. I’m willing to do whatever to get us back and stronger than before.”

“Good. I’m glad. Now I think I’m ready for sleep even though our alarms go off in two and half hours.”

“Thank god for caffeine.”

They both smiled and got comfortable in each other’s arms, drifting back to sleep together.

.

Brooklyn sat across the table from Amelia and Owen. They were enjoying their room service breakfast before having to go to the air port. Amelia observed Brooklyn interacting with Leo. They were like two peas in a pod. He loved to playful grab little handfuls of her long espresso colored hair. She would pretend to be hurt and it made him belly laugh every time.

“So Brook, Owen and I have been talking. We have an idea and you can say no if you want to. We will support you either way.”

“Okay, that’s scary.”

Owen squeezes Amelia’s hand under the table for support. He knew she was nervous she’d be rejected.

“We had the idea of you moving to Seattle. No strings attached whatsoever. I know college isn’t your thing and that is okay. We were going to look into hiring a nanny, at least part time, for Leo. If you moved to Washington, you have a job waiting for you if that’s what you wanted to do. I figured you’d maybe like getting away from your nana and mom. They can both be real pills sometimes.”

“Yeah no kidding...”

Brooklyn’s eyes dropped down to her plate and Amelia’s stomach dropped to her toes. She couldn’t read her niece’s emotions which concerned her.

“Like your Aunt Amelia said, you can say no and we won’t be mad. You’re an adult so you have a say.”

“I’m a little taken back because just two nights ago I was at Nana’s and dealing with all of her drama. I’d love to move out there. I volunteered in the nursery at church all throughout teen hood and taking care of my little cousin certainly beats answering phones 40 hours a week. I’d need to still work my 2 week notice, but yes. I’d love to move in. You’re sure I wouldn’t be imposing?”

“Not at all, Brooklyn. We will even be able to pay you more for days you may have to help with Owen’s daughter when she’s born. It can all be figured out later. I am just so happy you want to come. You’ll have such a better life in Seattle with us.”

The young lady stood up and walked over to hug her aunt and sort-of-uncle.

“Thank you so much. It’ll be so nice to be able to breathe without getting yelled at for not doing it their way. I’m going to miss you all so much, especially my little dude Leo. It’s just two weeks though. I’ll never be able to repay you.”

Amelia hugged Brooklyn as tightly as she could and Owen pulled them both in for a group hug.

“No repayment is needed. I mean that and so does Amelia. You’re a wonderful girl and we are excited to have another family member under our roof.”

Maybe they’d be able to figure everything out after all. Amelia’s road to redemption, healing, and closure was turning out better than she thought.

[omeliashepherdhunt]

Good For Us

Ch. 1

This is a very short chapter but it’s basically setting up the beginning of a mildly angsty, fluffy family fic. I’d love any reblogs or comments. Enjoy!

It was hard to believe that at one point Amelia screamed to Owen that she didn’t want a baby. Unbeknownst to her, she was already pregnant with their first son Leo. 1 year and 1 day later, their second son Luca was born, and a year and a day after that, their only girl Lyla was born. 3 kids in three years was more than they bargained for but they loved every second of parenthood.

The road to becoming mommy and daddy was not an easy one. Not only were they working on their marriage, Amelia had preeclampsia which led to all three births being scheduled cesarean sections. Their marriage was strong and happy which truly helped their ability to parent their young trio.

Owen came through their mahogany front door and was delighted by what he saw. Amelia was passed out on their sectional sofa with Lyla asleep on her chest, and Leo and Luca’s heads in her lap. She amazed him by how effortlessly incredible she was as a mother. Nothing seemed to faze her at work or at home.

It wasn’t a rare occurrence for him to find his wife cuddled up with all three kids. Pregnancy was incredibly hard for her each go around but she swore a million times over it was worth it. After all, they had three big, beautiful, healthy babies. Owen lived for Amelia. She was his best friend, wife, and the mother of his children. She was his entire world.

Owen was able to move Leo and Luca to their cribs before Amelia woke up looking for them.

“Hey, sorry. I didn’t want to wake you up. I got the boys laid down. How was your first on call shift since Lyla? I didn’t get to see you before you left the hospital this afternoon.”

Amelia patted the couch for Owen to sit beside her. He willingly followed her cue and put his arm around her. She turned in for a kiss which he happily reciprocated.

“It was okay. None of the kids would settle down to sleep in daycare so Deluca had to close up on the emergency craniectomy I had so that I could nurse them to sleep. Overnight was fine which was weird. I slept almost six hours without being paged and that was only because Lyla needed to eat again. Maybe I should be on call more often so I can get restful sleep.”

“Hey now. It was so lonely here all alone. Maybe I can bribe Karev into giving us the same on call schedule. You could’ve at least left Leo or Luca.”

Amelia laughed and shook her head.

“Unless in the one night I was gone you’ve began to lactate, I don’t think that would work. Leo still nurses first thing in the morning and right before bed and maybe another couple times. Luca nurses on demand as does Lyla.”

“Worth a shot. Are you hungry? I’ll make dinner.”

“Depends on what you’re making.”

“How about chicken alfredo? The boys will eat it too.”

“Sounds good. How about we stay here until little miss wakes up? I missed you last night too.”

Owen kissed her face and held her and Lyla even closer in his arms. Family time was his absolute favorite.

.

Once the kids were in fed, bathed, and asleep in their cribs, Amelia and Owen decided to go lay out in the hammock in their backyard. Even for an August night, it was warm and breezy.

“Have you made your decision yet?”

“What decision?”

“Owen, about the training course and trauma seminar you’re supposed to go to.”

It was a topic he tried to avoid because he was torn. Yes, it would be great for his job but he didn’t want to be away from Amelia and the babies for a week and a half.

“No. I haven’t made up my mind.”

Amelia sighed and mumbled something under her breath that Owen couldn’t make out.

“Owen, I told you the kids and I would be fine. Deluca will stay in the spare room. Karev is leaving me off call while you’re gone so that I can actually be with the kids while I’m not working. This is going to be so good for you. It’ll be good for the hospital. You should go.”

“Won’t you miss me? I’d have to leave in three days.”

“Well of course I’ll miss you. The babies will miss you too but it’s going to be a quick ten days, then you’ll be back. I can hold down the fort. I promise.”

Owen stared up at the night sky, admiring the brightness of each star before he made his decision.

“Okay. I’ll go. I’ll be twelve and a half hours away by car, and two hours away by plane. Salt Lake City has plenty of hotels if you want to join.”

“I have a job here that needs me. It’ll be okay. What’s that corny ass saying? Distance makes the heart grow fonder. This will be good for us all.”

[omeliashepherdhunt]

The Hunts pt. 1

Amelia cursed lightly under her breath. Yet again they all overslept, being the third time that week, and it was only Wednesday.

“Owen, get up. I know Betty is up with the kids and the baby is still sleeping for once.”

“Shit. It’s Leo’s sixth birthday. We promised him chocolate chip pancakes.”

Amelia rolled over to her other side to peek at the youngest Hunt sleeping soundly in her bassinet.

They swore they were done having kids once they had their fourth. Betty and Leo came first, then Jonah a week after Leo turned three, and Piper 14 months after that. Owen’s vasectomy was scheduled for a Tuesday and they had conceived kid number 5 the day before his procedure. 9 months later on the Halloween day, Hannah was born.

Now Hannah was three months old and Amelia was epically failing at returning back to work in a professional manner. They were late the first two days and now they had a day off for their eldest son’s birthday in which they let him stay home from school to celebrate together.

“Since she’s still asleep, I’m going to start on the batter. She’s going to want to nurse when she wakes up so I need to hurry.”

In the time it took Amelia to go to the bathroom, wash her hands, and brush her teeth, Hannah was already awake and hunger crying.

“Sorry babe. I already changed her diaper but she’s hungry. I’m not much help when it comes to that.”

“Men and their worthless nipples. Okay, go start on the pancakes and I’ll get comfy on the couch while this chunky baby eats.”

By the time they got through breakfast and gave Leo his gifts, a new bike, hiking boots, and Jurassic World legos, it was nap time for the two little girls. Betty told everyone goodbye so she could get back to campus for her afternoon and evening classes. Amelia always got a bit sappy when Betty would go back to her college. She was so proud of Betty but also missed her tremendously.

“Okay birthday boy, what do you want to do with Daddy? I’m already going to be here with the little kids since you wanted alone time with Dad.”

“Um. It’s snowy out but maybe we can hike that trail by my school and get a hot chocolate after?”

Amelia smiled at Leo then at her husband who was watching their conversation.

“I don’t know Daddy. What do you think? A hike and hot chocolate with our big boy?”

Owen winked at Leo and smiled back at them.

“I think we can manage that. Come on buddy, let’s get our stuff together.”

He was quickly stopped by 3 year old Jonah who clung to Owen’s leg.

“Daddy, I can go with you?”

Owen knelt down to be on Jonah’s level.

“Not today Jo. Your birthday is in 7 days and I’d love to do something special with you then.”

“Please Dada?”

Amelia decided to finally chime in.

“Hey Jonah, you’re gonna stay here with me. We can watch a movie while Piper and Hannah nap. You can pick.”

“Even Toy Story?”

“Sure! I would love to watch that for the hundredth time this month.”

.

Just as Jonah had fallen asleep with his head on his mother’s lap, her phone started to ring. Owen’s name and picture popped up on her screen.

“Hey baby. How was your hike?”

“Yeah about that... Leo and I went to Grey-Sloan...”

“You’re hesitating. I hear the hesitation in your voice.”

Amelia’s heart was pounding in her chest and she heard him sigh deeply.

“Leo slipped by the frozen pond. Some rocks on the bank broke his fall. He may or may not have a broken arm.”

“May or may not? What the hell! Owen!”

“I know. He just got done with X-rays and ortho is going to come in and cast it.”

“Why weren’t you holding his hand?! Owen, dammit! It’s his birthday.”

“He went down first. I know it’s his birthday, Amelia, and I feel bad.”

“You should! Happy birthday Leo, here is a broken arm!”

“Okay, that’s enough. I’ll talk to you when we get home. We still have Tylenol, right?”

“Yes Owen. Is he okay? Is he crying?”

“He cries when it first happened. He knows what happened and understands he needs a cast. He’s gonna be fine. Kids break bones. He’s not the first and won’t be the last.”

Amelia’s bottom lip started to quiver with anger.

“You’re lucky the babies are sleeping. Hurry home with my son.”

[omeliashepherdhunt]

Good for Us

Ch. 5 (finale)

7 months later

———————

Bed rest was getting to the best of Amelia and she was hating it more and more with each passing day. She was able to be at home for the past two months but now it was too close to their delivery date so she was being kept at Grey-Sloan which meant Leo turned 3, Luca turned 2, and Lyla turned one all celebrating at the hospital. Owen tried his best to split his time between work, Amelia, and the kids at home but he was only one man.

Amelia rolled over onto her right side desperately trying to find any position that made her feel even the slightest bit more comfortable than she felt. At 39 weeks pregnant with twins, she felt like a beluga whale and was ready for the c-section in the morning. They decided to keep the genders a surprise until delivery since they already had at least one of each gender. Owen walked in with their overnight bags since the next time they’d leave would be with their new babies in tow.

“Sorry. Luca was really giving me a hard time about leaving. Maggie basically had to pry him off of my leg. I can’t believe our baby girl turned one year old today. Seems like just yesterday we were doing this exact thing getting ready for her arrival.”

“Yep except now there will be two hungry, screeching babies. Double the sleep deprivation too.”

“Did you eat dinner yet?”

“No. You’d think one of the chiefs of this hospital would receive decent care but nope. Hospitality hasn’t even brought the menu to take my order and you weren’t here to bring me anything.”

“You’re hangry. What can I get you? After midnight you’re not allowed to eat.”

“Jesus, Owen, I know. This isn’t my first, second, or third time doing this.”

Owen shook his head as he was refusing to let Amelia change his mood. They had a great time singing happy birthday to the kids earlier and they were about to have two more babies.

“Babe, what are you hungry for? I’ll get it.”

Without even blinking, she knew her answer.

“Lemon pepper chicken wings with extra bleu cheese, fries, and a large sprite.”

“From that place around the corner? I’ll call for delivery. That sounds really good.”

Once dinner was complete and Amelia was no longer rabid, Owen settled in the recliner next to her bed so that he could hold her hand.

“You’re so beautiful. I tell you that all the time but it’s so true. It’s surreal this is our last time doing all of this.”

Amelia brought his hand to her lips and planted a soft kiss to the top of it.

“Don’t get sappy on me, Hunt. I’m just concerned how long it will take for Avery to fix my scar tissue and everything especially when they are tying my tubes. I don’t want the babies to go to the nursery. Be ready to do skin to skin with them until I’m able to.”

“He promised it wouldn’t take long especially since you’ll already be open. They’re cutting through the same incision they’ve done for the other deliveries. Our babies will be just fine and so will you.”

.

Right at 7 a.m the next day, Amelia was prepped and in the O.R. They made it to the finish line. This would be her last c-section and it was for the best. Amelia’s preeclampsia didn’t make its appearance this time which was a blessing. The pregnancy was already hard enough with there being two babies.

“Ready to have some babies? Once Dr. Porter delivers them and ties your tubes, I’ll do the scar tissue removal and tuck. You’ll look as good as new in no time.”

“As ready as I’ll ever be. Don’t take too long though because I want to hold my babies.”

Everyone in the hospital was buzzing with anticipation of the twins’ arrivals. Owen and Amelia pulled it off with consecutive birthdays. Leo was June 4, Luca June 5, Lyla June 6, and now the twins on June 7th. Had Amelia not had the blood pressure issues she did requiring c-sections, it would’ve never happened.

They got started and the first baby to be born at 7:23 was a loud and chunky baby boy. He had little ginger tufts so he’d look more like Owen and weighed 7 lbs 1 oz... By 7:26 their last ever baby was born— a sweet little girl who looked just like Amelia but with light brown hair like her big brother Leo. She weighed in at 5 lbs 12 oz so there was nearly one and a half pound difference between the two newborns.

.

After Amelia’s surgery was finished, she was finally able to hold her babies in her room. She was exhausted from the surgery but the adrenaline was coursing through her veins and she didn’t want to sleep. She just wanted to spend this time bonding with Owen and their last 2 babies. Their babies were so beautiful and healthy. She couldn’t feel any luckier than she already did.

“O, we have to pick their names.”

“I thought we’d just go with our top picks since there is one of each. Lilly and Liam.”

“Liam Christopher and Lilly Christine Hunt?”

“Perfect. Just like they are. Just like you are too.”

“And you. My genetics are stronger though. I win 3 to 2 on kids that look like me. Luca and Liam are mini Owens through and through.”

“I’m okay with our girls being just like you. Leo is closer to a blend of us though.”

“No way. The only thing that is you is the curly hair. He has brown hair.”

“Not as dark as yours and Lyla’s. Lilly hardly has enough to really tell.”

“It was dark when he was a baby. It’s still dark enough to know it’s not gonna be red.”

Owen moved from the recliner to lounge beside Amelia and the babies who were asleep on her chest from doing skin to skin.

“Fair enough. Did you want to try to get them to latch again?”

“They’re asleep and comfortable. It’s okay. My supply hasn’t changed. I’ve been nursing daily since Leo was born.”

Amelia tilted her head to rest on his shoulder. She know Maggie would be bringing Leo, Luca, and Lyla to meet the babies after they had a nap and lunch. However she just wanted to sleep before Lilly and Liam needed to be changed or eat again.

“You should nap. I can hold them.”

“You take one and nap with us right here.”

Owen kissed the top of her head and smiled.

“I won’t say no to that. You did a great job this morning babe. I’m very proud of you.”

“Thank you. Couldn’t have done it without you. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Owen quickly moved Lilly to his chest and draped a swaddle blanket across her to keep her warm against his bare chest. Their family was complete now with Liam and Lilly. It hadn’t been easy but it was good for them.

[omeliashepherdhunt]

From Now On pt. 3

Over seven months had passed since Amelia and Owen decided to try for a baby. Each month Amelia’s heart would break a little more since her period kept coming like clockwork. To make matters worse, whenever Teddy gave birth it was revealed that the baby wasn’t his. Little Andrew Altman was half African American meaning Teddy’s coworker Tony Davis fathered the boy. Owen was in a slump along side Amelia. Had Leo not been under their roof, there was no telling where they would be in their relationship. With Betty now in rehab and Leo’s adoption by Owen and Amelia finalized, they tried their best to keep things running smoothly despite their personal anguish.

When Amelia woke up the next morning, she quickly went to the bathroom. Her period should be coming like it had been routinely. However there was nothing. Her heart cinched with hope. Maybe this would finally be their big break. Her stomach started to flip as she made her way back to the bed. They had a spat the night before over whether to bring Betty home or not. Amelia thought she was ready but Owen insisted she wasn’t. Months of tension had them like oil and water.

She took a deep breath and admired how calm his face looked currently. Owen hadn’t looked that calm awake in a very long time. She loved him more than anything and hated that they were at odds more times than not lately. With a shaky hand, she brought it gently to his face. Her thumb gently glided across his defined jaw line and she planted a kiss on his forehead.

“Owen, wake up.”

At the sound of her voice, his eyes shot open and he quickly sat up.

“What’s wrong? Is everything okay? Where is Leo?”

“Everything is fine, I think. Leo is still asleep.”

“Okay, are you alright?”

She sighed softly to herself. There was definite regret in waking him up. She was extremely nervous.

“I think so. I’m late. Well, my period is late. It should’ve come last night. I know it’s early but it’s the first time this has happened since we’ve been trying.”

A small smile crept across his face. It instantly warmed her heart. There was her Owen. Her husband. Her friend.

“I’m sure it’s too soon for you to pee on a stick but maybe someone could do a blood test.”

Owen pulled her down to be right next to him and he held her close to kiss her face.

“Someone is happy.”

“And someone might be pregnant... I’ll call my mom to have her watch Leo.”

They got through their showers, breakfast, and dropping Leo off before they consulted with an OB at Grey-Sloan.

Time stood still as they waited for the blood results to come back. The nurse popped around the curtain with a face they were unable to read

“Dr. Hunt, Dr. Shepherd, the results are in... You are —“

[omeliashepherdhunt]

From Now On pt. 2

As soon as the power was restored, Amelia was out of the elevator and gone out of sight. I needed the craziness in the pit to die down so that I could go home to Amelia. I couldn’t let her move out. I would do literally anything it took to reassure her I was with her and that she was who I wanted without a doubt.

I hated myself so much for listening to Amelia and going to Germany. I was filled with guilt and regret. However, Teddy was pregnant, and apparently with my child, so I would do what I need to in terms of supporting her. I also wanted a paternity test done but that would need to wait until the baby was born. I just really wanted Amelia to tell me everything was going to be alright. I couldn’t lose her or Betty. Leo and I would be nothing without our girls.

.

It was nearly 10 p.m when I finally pulled into the driveway. I could tell by nearly off of the lights being on that they were still awake and still there seeing as they checked Leo out of daycare at 7:25 according to the ladies who work there.

I nervously walked through the door, completely unsure of what I would find. Betty was lounging on the couch watching a movie and motioned towards the hall.

“Is she okay?”

“Besides the fact she insisted we were leaving as soon as you got home and I told her she needed to actually talk to you, I think so. I’ve convinced her enough to at least unpack her stuff. She also got an air mattress from Target that is set up in your room. Her mind is in a million places at once. I wouldn’t be surprised if she just passed out.”

“I’ll go talk to her. How is Leo?”

“Asleep. I have the monitor. Just go before Amelia tries to change her mind again.”

I hurried to set my keys and wallet in the dish by the door and hang up my jacket before I went down the hall and to the bedroom.

She was curled up on her side on the inflatable mattress and was facing the wall.

“Amelia...”

“I’m really tired. Please let me sleep.”

“Sleep in our bed. Don’t be crazy.”

She rolled over and looked at me like I definitely had 3 heads.

“Our bed? That’s your bed. Betty doesn’t want to move out so I’m stuck here. I don’t know what else to do.”

“I know you’re overwhelmed but hear me out... I don’t want Teddy. I’ll support her and the baby if it’s mine. If so, I’ll coparent with her to the best of my ability but it’s you. Amelia, it’s always been you. The life we are living now together is so unconventional but it’s perfect for us. We have a wonderful little family.”

“You should be with Teddy if that’s what you want... Don’t stay with me just because you feel bad for me. I’ll be okay.”

Even being on the twin sized air mattress, Amelia looked so small and fragile. The tears threatening to spill from her eyes entirely broke my heart. I quickly moved to sit beside her and hold her as closely as possible.

“You’d be okay because you’re incredibly strong and brave. However, you wouldn’t be happy. I don’t feel bad for you for any other reason than I may have impregnated a person that isn’t you. Teddy isn’t who I want. I want you. I love you so much Amelia. I don’t say it enough but I do. I know things are so confusing right now but please don’t leave me.”

She pulled away temporarily to make eye contact with me. Her deep blue eyes pooled crocodile tears that started to spill.

“I won’t go anywhere. Owen, I love you too.”

Amelia clung to me just like she did that night on Derek’s porch. I would forever be beating myself up for causing her this pain. Neither of us had been saints to one another in our marriage but I would do anything to make all of it up to her.

We sat on that air bed hugging each other until her sobs against my chest subsided.

“We are going to be okay. I promise.”

“Owen... I hate that she is pregnant. Nothing against her but I’m green with envy. I want that. I want the pregnancy. The cravings, body aches, random extra hormonal moments... I want the baby. I want the baby with you.”

And in one long statement from Amelia, the air in my chest left and my head started to spin with excitement and joy. I had waited so long to hear her say that.