“Aiden, come back here!” Lexie called out to the little boy who was making his way happily down the beach. Aiden James Carpenter was four and thoroughly obsessed with the beach, the ocean, and everything else that entailed.

Lexie watched with a tender smile as Zach rose to his feet and jogged after their runaway son. Screaming and laughing, the boy ran faster, and Zach quickened his pace slightly.

A few feet from the water, Zach swung Aiden up in his arms, spinning in a quick circle before holding the laughing boy out so an incoming wave soaked his feet.

They looked more and more alike with each passing day. Aiden was like a miniature Zach, from the chocolate hair and puppy dog eyes, right down to his facial expressions and the way his gestured with his chubby little hands.

Shifting slightly as she watched the two play near the shoreline, Lexie’s hand landed on Chili’s head. Part Australian Cattle Dog, and part German Shepherd, Chili didn’t always remember that he wasn’t a lap dog. He had taken over Zach’s side of the bench as soon as he could, and had moved until his head was across Lexie’s thighs, within easy petting distance.

Obediently, she scratched his head, knowing he wouldn’t leave her alone until she did.

Originally, Lexie had been nervous at the thought of raising a child so close to the ocean. There was so much that could go wrong, and Lexie had shared her fears with Zach before she had even gotten pregnant.

He had been quick to reassure her even though he admitted to sharing her fears. To make both of them feel better, he had built a fence enclosing the area on the side of their house, with a child-proof gate that blocked the way down to the water.

Just then, Zach came up to her, a smiling, happy Aiden bouncing excitedly on his shoulders. He deposited the boy with her reach and then shooed Chili off the seat.

“Love you,” he said, leaning over to kiss her. He tasted like salt and sand, but his lips were warm and comforting against her.

“I wanna kiss too, Mommy!” Aiden exclaimed in his high-pitched little boy voice.

With a smile, she pulled her son into her lap and puckered her lips against his.

“There! A kiss for my little boy.” He giggled and shivered in her arms.

“Zach, honey, hand me his towel?” she asked and he did so, his fingers brushing against hers.

With a touch of her lips to Aiden’s forehead, she wrapped the towel around his sturdy little body and shifted him until he was in the middle of the bench. Zach had his arm across the back and his fingers were gently toying with her hair.

She had never been more content in her entire life. Everything was perfect. Her husband was perfect, her son was perfect. She couldn’t ask for anything more. It was hard to believe they had been married for almost exactly five years. Some days it seemed like forever, and other days, it seemed like only a few seconds.

And in the grand scheme of things, maybe it was only a short amount of time, but they were together. There was only one more thing she could want. They had always talked about having more than one child.

They sat like that, watching the sun set over the water for the better part of an hour, until Aiden fell asleep across Zach’s lap.

Without a word, Zach stood and started to carry the boy inside, Lexie and Chili not far behind him.

Zach came out of Aiden’s room to find Lexie curled up on the couch, a blanket around her otherwise bare shoulders. Abby was on the floor at her feet, looking just as asleep.

He would have sat down beside her, but just then, the phone rang.

“Oh, hey, Dad, how are you?” he greeted his father cheerfully. About two years ago, his father had moved into Lexie’s old room in her mother’s house. It was a relief to both Lexie and Zach. Neither of them liked having their parents living alone, and now at least they had each other for company, and just in case.

“Yeah, we’re good. We were outside, didn’t hear the phone ring…Dinner Friday?”

Lexie’s eyes were closed but they flew open when he sat down next to her, moving her until she was resting against his chest, her head tucked securely under his. She snuggled against him, listening to his conversation. “Say hi and give them my love,” Lexie whispered with a yawn, and Zach nodded, doing as she asked.

He hung up a few minutes later, and put his hand on Lexie’s leg.

Something on the other side of the room caught his eye.

“Did you water the plants?” he asked curiously.

“Yeah, I did,” she answered, cuddling closer to him.

“Sweetie, the ones on the bookshelf are plastic,” he laughed.

She giggled. “You have so many I can’t keep track of which are which.”

“Yeah yeah, good thing I’ve started keeping the fake ones on plastic trays too, or all our furniture would be flooded out.”

“Jerk,” she said with a yawn.

“You okay, baby? You’ve seem really tired the past week or so.” His hand was on her leg, caressing it lightly.

He felt her lips curve into a smile against his neck, and he knew before she even said the words.

“I think I’m pregnant,” she told him happily. His hand moved from her leg up to rest on her stomach.

“Do you think it’s a girl?” he asked in a hushed voice. “A little girl, with pretty golden hair, just like yours…”

“I hope so,” she answered, putting her hand over his.

“I like Laila,” he said with a grin.

“That’s pretty. But what if it’s a boy?”

“Hmm…”

“If we have another boy…I’d like to call him Landen. After my father.”

Zach nodded, and kiss her temple quickly. “Fine by me. Lex…do you have any idea how much I love you?”

“Yeah…I think I just might, Zach. I just might.” She lifted her head off his shoulder until she could reach his lips with hers.

“I guess I should start the renovations, huh?”

Their house only had two bedrooms, but a while back, Zach had worked out a floor plan to put a new wing on the house, which would have two more bedrooms, and a bathroom, as well as an expansion of the kitchen. For now, their little house suited them, but they needed more space soon.

“Mmm, yeah, honey. I think you have a little over seven months.” She yawned again, and he tightened his arms around her. “Zach?”

“Yeah?”

“How many more years?”

He understood her immediately. She still wasn’t comfortable with the fact that he was a cop. Every day, she worried that he wouldn’t come home, that something would happen. It was her worst fear.

“Four more.” He’d been a cop for almost 16 years. It was hard to believe that much time had passed already. He was 38 years old, and he had a wife and a son, and another baby the way. He grinned.

“Then what?” she asked softly.

“Honestly, honey, I don’t even know. I was thinking maybe going into PI work. Not criminal, just investigative, or maybe even security. It’s still a ways off.” He’d retire from the force after his twenty years were up. She hadn’t come right out and said, but he knew that was what she wanted him to do, and maybe it was her silent unease, but he wasn’t as happy in the job that had once been his life. The excitement had worn off when he realized that he couldn’t save everyone, no matter how hard he tried. The Hyde Park rapist had been the hardest case he had ever faced, and the weeks of trials afterwards had been hell, but he couldn’t help but feel grateful to the man, as crazy as he was.

If it hadn’t been for him, Zach might have never met Lexie.

“Want to go upstairs?” he asked after a few minutes of silence.

She shook her head. “I’m okay here. With you, like this. ‘Lil while longer.”

Without a word, he shifted until he had one leg up against the back of the couch and was leaning against the arm rest. She sat in between his legs, resting against his chest.

“Love you,” she murmured sleepily as she pressed her forehead into his neck.

“Love you too, Lexie, always.” His hands slipped around to rub gentle circles over her abdomen. Over his child. “Thank you so much, sweetheart.”

She was already half asleep against him, and he brought one hand up to her face. Brushing his fingers down her cheek, he whispered for her to go to sleep. “It’s okay…I’m here, love. Go to sleep.”

Having her fall asleep in his arms was something he would never grow tired of.

---

Aw, happy endings :) I know this opened a few new things, but that's in case I decide on a sequel. I doubt it, but I wanted to leave my options open.

Thank you SO much to everyone who's reviewed this story, and especially, everyone who reviewed the last chapter! 19, a new record! (twenty would be great if someone wants to go back and review that chapter )

sleepiedreamer

Unyin-- thanks for the great review! I'm a hopeless romantic, so it's what I write, but its nice to know I can appeal even to people who aren't necessarily romance fans. I have to say, I laughed when you said "slightly cliche." Very cliche at parts would be a lot more accurate, IMO. Thanks!

Sithmouse

To'xx'y

immortalstranger

Oooh.Look.A.Cat

akaCHEEKS

Somewhere in between-- Aw, I really made you cry? I'd say I'm sorry...but I'm really not. Thank you so much!

arouralai

Luthian

chevy-luv

Hayley- I don't think the cowboy one will be the next one, I don't have enough worked out to have a good chance of finishing in a decent time period, but I will keep working on it, and as soon as its in good shape, I'll see what I can do about getting up here ;)

The Banshee's Tears

CrimsonScarz

Friggen-Crazy- No problem, hope it worked for you!

Unique Child

love always and forever

Liquid Sorrow

Not going to take the time to thank you all individually, since its almost 1 and I have a midterm tomorrow morning, but i LOVE you all very much, and please let me know what you want from me next! Thanks soooooo much to all of you, you've been wonderful :)

Now, regarding my next project. I can:

1. Just work on Finding Alaska Again until I get farther into another story so that I can update like you guys are used to

2. I can post a work in progress, and update as I finish chapters, which will probably be every 7-10 days. If that's the case, I can post a college aged romance (Roma's Spell, see my profile for summary), or another one I've been working on that I really like and have substantially outlined:

No More Than This:

He’s a bitter workaholic with a fear of commitment. Could a one night stand possibly mean something more, especially when that night is spent with Emmaline Mitchells? She’s a workaholic too, but the difference is, she’s looking to fall in love before she turns thirty.

Those are the two main options if I'm going to post right away.

Let me know if you guys would be okay with me updating something less often. I'll do whatever the majority says :)

Thanks so much!

Love, Ashley