If you had told yourself a few years ago that youâd be sitting in a beat-up truck with two kids in the backseat and another bun in the oven, you would have laughed right in your own face. You probably would've thrown in your usual sassy, âYeah, right. Iâm never having kids.â
But that was before you met Evan.
âAlright, you know the drill,â Evan said, shifting the truck into park as they arrived at their usual lakeside camping spot. He turned around in his seat, pointing a playful, warning finger at the back. âNo sâmores unless you actually help set up. Got it?â
He tried to sound tough, but everyone in that truck knew heâd inevitably give in to their puppy-dog eyes and feed them all the sugar they wanted. Those girls were his ultimate weakness.
Maggie, their oldest at ten, already had a bit of a "know-it-all" attitude, though she was still the biggest daddyâs girl on the planet. She crossed her arms, a cheeky little grin on her lips. âDad, I always help. It's Beth you have to worry about.â
âHey!â Your six-year-old Beth protested, kicking her legs. Beth was a chaotic force of nature, inheriting every bit of Evan's adventurous, reckless spirit. âIâm the bestest best helper!â
âOkay, okay..â Evan laughed, trying to keep the conversation from turning into a bickering match. He swung his door open and gave a quick âLetâs get to work!â to get the girlsâ attention.
As soon as the doors flew open, their routine commenced. Evan got straight to work, offloading the heavy grill, the foldable chairs and a few bags of supplies before he began pitching the tent all while Maggie and Beth dashed off toward the tree line, giggling as they began hunting for the perfect sticks for their bonfire later that night.
You claimed one of the foldable camping chairs, resting a hand over your growing baby bump. A gentle breeze carried the scent of pine cones and crisp lake water. Watching Evan wrestle with the tent poles while the girls argued over who found the bigger stick, you couldn't help but sigh in pure awe.
Evan caught you looking and paused, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. âYou doing okay over there, mama? Not too hot?â
âPerfect,â you smiled, leaning back. âJust enjoying the show. Youâre doing great, babe.â
âFlattery will get you everywhere.â he teased before hammering a tent stake into the ground.
By the time the sun began to dip below the tree line, painting the sky in deep shades of orange and purple, the campsite was fully transformed. The tent was pitched up with all four sleeping bags were unrolled inside, and Evan had successfully coaxed a brilliant, crackling fire to life in the stone pit. The air grew chilly, prompting everyone to bundle up in oversized hoodies and spare blankets.
Evan collapsed into the lawn chair next to you, letting out a long sigh as he stretched his legs toward the fire. âMan. I forgot how much I love it out here.â He grunted, earning a sound of agreement as you shifted closer, to which he immediately put a heavy arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his side. His thumb rubbed soothing circles against your arm while his other hand carefully rubbed your baby bump.
âLook, Dad! I got the perfect one!â Beth squealed, running up to the fire with a stick that was practically twice her size and so thin it looked more like a dry noodle with a pointy end. âWhoa, killer, careful,â Evan chuckled, catching the end of the stick before it poked him in the shin. âThatâs a serious weapon, sweetheart.â He snickered.
Maggie marched over, holding a perfectly straight stick with the right amount of thickness (to her standards at least) âit doesnât matter how long it is, Beth. They have to be strong enough to hold the mallow! Yours is gonna snap and drop your marshmallow in the dirt.â
âAlright, alright, break it up, girls,â you chimed in, laughing. âBring over the graham crackers and letâs test the theories, hm?.â
For the next hour, the campsite was filled with giggly, chaotic bliss of marshmallow roasting around their cozy bonfire. Beth, true to Maggie's prediction, immediately caught her marshmallow on fire, panicked, waved it around in hopes of putting it out, and dropped it into the ashes. She looked like she was about to burst into tears until Evan seamlessly swapped his perfectly golden-brown marshmallow onto her graham cracker.
âWeâll try another stick tomorrow, hm?â Evan smiled, bopping her nose. âThanks, Daddy,â Beth mumbled around a mouthful of chocolate and a few cheeky giggles.
As the night deepened, their sugar rush faded into cozy, quiet exhaustion. The stars crept out, reflecting perfectly on the still surface of the lake. Maggie was curled up on a blanket near Evanâs feet, leaning her head against his knee, while Beth had climbed into your lap, her heavy eyelids fluttering closed against your chest.
Evan looked down at Beth, then over to you, his eyes reflecting the warm glow of the dying embers. He reached out, gently placing his hand over yours, which was still resting on your belly.
âHey,â he said softly, his voice dropping to a tender murmur so he wouldn't wake the girls. âWhat are you thinking about?â
You looked at him, then down at the two beautiful, messy girls youâd made together, and finally at the little life kicking softly against your palm.
âJust thinking about having our other little angel here with us,â you whispered, a soft, smile playing at your lips as you gently rubbed up and down her bump. âWatching our last little angel grow up with the girls.â
Evanâs smile softened, his eyes full of a quiet, fierce affection. He leaned over, pressing a sweet, lingering kiss to your temple. âI mean..â he whispered back, giving a knowing look while wiggling his brows. âDoesnât have to be the last?â
âAlright, alright! Just throwing it out there ya know..â