Six months after the newlyweds moved to Arizona, they found out that his company was transferring them back to Kansas City. Since they were given only a six-week notice, there was a great deal of traveling back and forth between the two states as they looked for a house to buy in Missouri.
They couldn’t find a place they both liked, and Mallory was getting discouraged. The first house had only one bathroom, which wouldn’t work, as they wanted at least two. The second house, the master bedroom was too small; the third house didn’t have a basement, and on and on it went. Derrick told her they wouldn’t buy a house until they find the one, they wanted. If they didn’t find a place in the next two weeks, they would have to move into an apartment.
On the last weekend before they had to start looking for other living arrangements, they both fell in love with a ten-year-old house. It was perfect for them, as it had three bathrooms, two full and one three-quarter bath. The master bedroom was spacey, with an enormous walk-in closet and the bathroom had two sinks.
The yard was perfect for them as it already had a play area built there. They both fell in love with it, and the best part was the owners was anxious to sell they were willing to let them move in and pay rent until closing. There was only one thing wrong with the house, and that was it was five houses down from Brooke and Garrison’s home.
Mallory had been so excited about the house, telling the realtor she wanted this house, but when Derrick told her that his brother and ex-wife lived just a few doors down from her dream house. She debated if they should live so close to his ex-wife. She didn’t worry about Derrick and Brooke still having feelings for each other, as she knew that wasn’t the case. Since they were going to see each other at every family gathering, and their children were going to be less than a year apart, she had to get along with Brooke, so maybe living near wasn’t all that bad.
* * *
Soon they were living in their new home, and she was the happiest she ever been in her entire life, so thankful they had found each other again. Every morning when she made the bed, she would pick up Derrick’s pillow, sniff it, and smiled, as it always reminded her of the most wonderful night in her life.
At first, Derrick was worried how Mallory would feel about the two of them spending time with Brooke, but she seemed happy to do things with his brother and ex-wife. When Brooke offered to help Mallory with decorating their new home, Derrick was worried it would be too much for her to accept. He kept quiet, as he wasn’t going to influence her either way, as it was her decision if she wanted Brooke’s help.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
It seemed strange to Mallory to be friends with Derrick’s ex-wife, but not wanting to be the reason Derrick didn’t spend time with his brother and his wife, she accepted Brooke’s offer of help. Soon the two women became friends, and Mallory forgot about Brooke’s previous relationship with her husband.
Katrina had been afraid how her two daughters-in-law would react around each other, but she was pleasantly surprised how Brooke had warmly welcomed Mallory to the family, and Mallory had graciously accepted her friendship. She was thrilled both of her sons were happily married and brothers again thanks to Mallory and her relationship with Derrick.
The months passed quickly, and soon Mallory’s due date for baby arrived, her labor started in the middle of the night, and she’d been sound asleep when a contraction woke her. Fuzzy with sleep, she assumed they had plenty of time before the baby came, and so she went back to sleep. Two hours later, a contraction woke her for a second time, and she started timing her contractions, and was shocked when she realized they were already two minutes apart.
She woke Derrick, and he quickly dressed. They grabbed her packed bag and rushed out the door, in the hope of reaching the hospital before the baby made his appearance. They hadn’t gone three miles when her water broke, causing her to think they weren’t going to make it to the hospital in time, and she began crying.
Derrick was concerned, as he really didn’t want to deliver their child, especially not on the dark highway. When he saw the hospital up ahead, he let out a breath of relief, and soon was pulling the emergency entrance.
“I’m going to walk in,” Mallory told him when he stopped the car.
His eyes grew round. “Are you kidding?” he asked, as he assumed, she would be in too much pain to walk.
She gave him a weak smile. “No, walking is good for labor.”
“Well at least let me help you inside before I move the car.”
Derrick took hold of her hand and they walked into the emergency room. Once Mallory was in a wheelchair, he left to move the car. When he returned, he was taken to change and then he joined his wife for the last stage of her labor.
Derrick’s eyes filled with tears as he held his son, a child he never thought he’d have. Joshua Eric, named after her uncle, weighed in at eight pounds, and had full head of dark brown hair.
Once Mallory was settled in her room, she called her uncle to tell him the baby was here, and she was doing fine. When she told him what Joshua’s middle name was, he was so touched that he cried. As with every conversation they have had during the past six months, her uncle asked her if she was happy and again, she assured him she was.
Mallory and the baby came home three days later, and she was thrilled to be home in her own bed with her husband, as sleeping hadn’t been easy for her as at night while in the hospital. Her bed felt empty without Derrick, the hallway way at the hospital had been filled with sounds of footsteps of the medical personal walking back and forth between rooms which had disturbed her rest.
Waiting for her husband to bring the baby to her from his bassinet, she thought of the day when she’d first read his note asking her to marry him. She smiled, as she had never been sorry for saying yes. If nothing else, the last few months had showed her that she had made the right choice when she decided to marry Derrick Hart.