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Chapter Twelve

Nearly Twelve Years Ago—Thanksgiving Weekend

Thursday morning, twenty-one-year-old Logan ran up the front steps of AJ’s dad’s house. They had a couple of hours to hang out before they were expected at her grandmother’s for dinner prep. He knocked on the door.

No answer. Was AJ still in bed? She hadn’t been feeling super great the last week or so.

He glanced around the side of the house. Her dad’s car wasn’t there. Logan tried the knob. It was unlocked.

He let himself in. “AJ?”

“In here.”

He turned down the hallway. She sat on the floor outside of the bathroom, forearms resting on her knees.

“Are you feeling okay?” He squatted down in front of her.

She shrugged. “I’m late, Logan. Like a week late.”

The implications of her words slammed into him.

They’d been stupid again. Despite their grandiose plans to wait until they were married this time around, they hadn’t even made it a month of being back together before they’d slipped into old habits.

He couldn’t figure out how he felt … well, other than the guilt.

“A baby.” The words slipped out softly.

“I think so. The test is sitting on the counter in there. I’m scared to look.”

“But a baby.” Joy surged through him. He cupped the side of her face. “We can face whatever it says. Either way, we should get married.”

“I’m gonna get kicked out of school if it’s positive.”

“Not if we’re married.”

“Are you crazy? I’ll be showing before summer.”

“Why should we wait until summer?”

She released a rueful laugh. “Let’s check the test first.”

He stood and offered his hands. She took them, and he pulled her up and against his chest. Kissing her head, he hugged her close. “I love you.”

“Same.” She stepped back and tugged him into the little bathroom.

His heart sped up like a motorcycle on an open country road. From behind, he wrapped his arms around her waist.

She lifted the test, and they looked together.

Two bright pink lines.

They were going to have a baby. He shifted his hand to rest on her lower abdomen. Inside her womb, a little life grew. The product of their love for one another. And their inability to follow God’s law.

The dichotomy of joy and guilt was unbearable. He felt like he was going to explode and implode at the same time.

She spun in his arms. Tears brimmed in her eyes. “A baby.”

“A baby. Our baby.”

A giggle overcame her, and a matching one burst from his heart. They had spent hours talking about having a family one day, and the day was coming much sooner than they had planned.

AJ wrapped her arms around his neck, and he lifted her off the ground and spun her around. A baby.

He couldn’t get his mind around it, but his heart was all in. He was going to be a dad. One day he’d have to get a motorcycle with a side car, and they could go on all kinds of adventures together.

Setting AJ back on her feet, he gazed into her eyes. “Will you marry me?”

“This is how you ask? In a bathroom and not even on one knee?” She chuckled.

She didn’t care about those kinds of things, but she was right, this was a horrible proposal. “Fine, this isn’t the real proposal. I have to talk to your dad after all.”

Somberness overtook them both. He was not going to be impressed.

Logan asked, “Do you know when he’ll be home?”

She shrugged. “Probably not for another hour. Let’s get some breakfast. I need to eat.”

After AJ hid the pregnancy test in her room, they went and made some pancakes, and while they were finishing eating, her dad arrived home.

He came into the dining room and kissed AJ on top of her head. He greeted them both and settled in the living room with the newspaper.

Logan met AJ’s eyes. “I’m going to talk to him.”

She nodded. “I’ll clean this up.”

Logan shuffled to the next room. God, I know we did this backwards, but please help us make it right. Help me find favor in Mr. Jacobson’s eyes. And please forgive AJ and me for our disobedience.

“Logan?”

He snapped out of his prayer and realized he was standing right in front of AJ’s dad. “Hi.”

Mr. Jacobson folded up his newspaper and set it on the coffee table in front of him. “What’s going on?” He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees.

“I have a question to ask you. Do you have a moment?”

“I take it that wasn’t the question.” He gave Logan a crooked smile.

He relaxed a little. “I suppose I have more than one question then.”

“Sit, son, before you hurt yourself.”

Logan grabbed a wooden chair and pulled it a little closer, so he could look more directly at AJ’s dad. He fiddled with his hands.

“Ask the question, Logan. I promise not to bite your head off.”

He nodded. “As you know, I love your daughter with all my heart. I am committed to her, and I would like to marry her. So my question is: may I have her hand in marriage?” Logan felt out of breath.

Mr. Jacobson sat back with a serious expression Logan couldn’t read. He glanced past Logan to the kitchen. “Alice Jane, come in here.”

Logan’s heart refused to beat normally. His chest was too constricted.

AJ came in the room and slid her hand onto Logan’s shoulder. “Yes, Daddy?”

“I think you should be part of this conversation. No doubt you know what Logan asked me.”

She nodded.

Mr. Jacobson met Logan’s eyes. “Is she pregnant?”

Logan froze. While they’d made breakfast, they had talked about waiting to tell her dad or anyone. Logan looked at AJ.

Her dad said, “You don’t need permission from her to answer the question I already know the answer to. I could see it in her face and gait when you guys got here yesterday from school.”

“Yes, sir. We’re gonna have a baby. I’m prepared to take her as my wife and be her one and only ’til death do us part.”

“The two of you are done with your fickleness and are committed to each other?”

They both nodded. Logan said, “Yes, sir.”

“Marriage isn’t easy, and you will face things that will threaten to tear you apart. Seek Jesus in the good times and bad times. Seek Him individually and together. Then, and only then, can you face the challenges ahead. You two should have gotten married before now, but you are where you are. You have my blessing. When’s the wedding?”

AJ’s hand gripped Logan’s shoulder. “Needs to be soon enough that I don’t get kicked out of school.”

Mr. Jacobson nodded. “The week after exams, right before Christmas?”

Logan sat up a little taller. “Three weeks from now?”

AJ smiled. “Let’s do it. I never wanted anything too fancy anyway.”

Logan wrapped his arm around her waist. He was going to finally marry his best friend. “We’ll make it perfect.”

Three Weeks Later

AJ held the trash can on her lap as Granny did her hair. In the last three weeks her morning sickness had gotten worse. She was afraid she was going to be walking down the aisle with the trash can instead of her bouquet.

“You look beautiful, Allie.”

“Thanks, Granny. But I feel awful. I’m going to ruin everything by throwing up all over the pastor.”

“You’ll be fine. I remember thinking my morning sickness was going to keep me from everything, but I managed to do what I needed to without losing my breakfast. You’ll be distracted enough by that handsome young man.”

AJ hadn’t told Granny why she didn’t feel good. “Did Daddy tell you?”

“No, dear, I figured it out. When I heard you were planning the wedding so quickly, I was going to take you aside and encourage you to not get pregnant right away, but then I saw the way Logan looked at you. That boy is in love—has been for a long time—but it only grows like that when it’s been multiplied by a new life.”

“Yeah? You think we’ll do okay? Like you and Grandpa? Married forever?”

A shadow crossed Granny’s eyes for a split second. “I pray the two of you have an even more blessed marriage. I know you two have had a challenge keeping your eyes on Jesus, but you must learn to do so. Just because you have the freedom to express your love physically now, doesn’t mean all your challenges will be gone. New ones will rise, especially as you are starting off on the wrong foot.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

A knock sounded on the door. Granny went and cracked it open. “You can’t come in here.”

Logan’s chuckle came from the other side of the door. “I know. But I would like to pray with my future wife before we say our vows. I promise I won’t peek.”

“I guess I can’t argue with that.”

Granny left, and AJ went to the door and found Logan’s hand coming from the other side of the door.

She hid on the opposite side of the wall and grasped his fingers. “I love you.”

He said, “I love you too. Pray with me?”

“Yes.”

He prayed for them. Repented of their sin, and implored God for His mercy to abound in their marriage. He prayed for protection and God’s help in navigating the next stages of life. He prayed for blessing and grace above all.

When he said amen , AJ added, “Ditto and amen.”

Logan chuckled. “Are you ready?”

“Mentally, yes. Physically, no. Send Granny back in.”

“Will do. See you soon.” His hand slipped from hers, and it was all she could do not to burst from the room and embrace the man who would soon be her husband.

An hour later, the front room of Granny’s old Victorian-style home was filled with all their guests: AJ’s mom and brother and grandpa; Logan’s parents, siblings, and grandparents; Will and his entire family.

AJ descended the stairs on Daddy’s arm and searched for Logan at the end of the tiny aisle. He beamed with joy and love. In three short weeks, despite exams, they had pulled off the perfect little wedding. They had tried for a church, but none were available. When Granny and Grandpa offered their home, all the pieces had fallen into place. Very little was needed in the way of decorations because Granny had a beautiful knack for Christmas decorating. Everything was perfect. AJ’s nausea was even at bay as her dad gave her hand to Logan.

The ceremony was beautiful too. Not that AJ could focus on any of it as she kept her eyes fixed with Logan’s.

The pastor led them in their vows. They pledged themselves to one another. Promised to walk through life together, no matter what. In the sight of God and man, they voiced the commitments their hearts had already made to one another.

The pastor then said, “I pronounce you husband and wife. Logan, kiss your bride.”

Logan let go of one of her hands and slid it behind her neck and drew her close. Tenderness and passion entangled their lips. She slipped her hands around his shoulders. His other hand took the small of her back and drew her as close as possible, dipping her back slightly.

Finally. They were married. Man and wife. One. United in soul and body. God had brought them together. Even if they’d stumbled their way into this union, AJ knew God had made them for each other. They fit, maybe a little bit too much like gasoline and fire sometimes, but they encouraged each other and were always ready to be what the other needed.

Logan drew out of the kiss first and placed a peck on her forehead when he steadied her upright again.

“I present Mr. and Mrs. Logan Jackson.”

Mrs. AJ Jackson. She liked it. And she’d perfected that signature when she was ten, so she was ready.

Eight Months Later—August

Logan paced the living room in the apartment above AJ’s grandmother’s garage. She was letting them live there rent free for the summer between their junior and senior years of college. He stopped in front of the bathroom door again. AJ had been having contractions for the last five hours. Surely it would be time to go to the hospital soon.

“I’m fine, Logan.”

“Are they closer?”

The door opened. “Yes, and it’s probably time to go, but it’s not a rush. We’re not on TV. This girl isn’t coming quite yet. If I’m lucky, it’ll be today.”

Logan looked at his watch. It wasn’t even noon yet. He hoped she wouldn’t be in labor that long. Not only did he hate seeing her in pain, but he wanted to hold his little girl.

AJ set down her phone and turned to Logan. “Dance with me. The swaying helps.”

He raised his hands to her and ran them along the sides of her swollen abdomen to her back, drawing her as close as was possible.

He’d never seen a more beautiful sight than the woman he loved with their child growing inside.

He hummed as they swayed back and forth. With her against him, he felt the contraction begin and seize her entire body.

“Breathe. In. Out. Deep breaths. That’s it. You’ve got this.”

They continued to sway as AJ breathed through the contraction.

When it eased, she said, “It’s time to go.”

“Yeah? You sure?”

“Yeah, that one hurt different.”

“Okay, I’ll get our bags.”

In less than thirty minutes, they were settled in their hospital room. He turned on the music AJ wanted and made sure she had her water bottle and pillow.

“What else do you want me to do?”

She took his hand. “Hold my hand. You got me into this mess.” She winked at him.

He laughed until another even harder contraction hit.

Surely it wouldn’t be much longer. Watching AJ work through the contractions was torture. He wanted to take it away, ease her pain, but he couldn’t.

Three hours later, after spending entirely too much time pushing, a baby’s cry cut through the air. “It’s a girl.”

The doctor laid a messy baby on AJ’s chest. The nurses wiped her off. She was perfect. Golden peach fuzz covered her squishy little head. He was in love.

“Logan!” He met AJ’s eyes. “We did it.”

“You did it.” He leaned down and kissed his wife. “I’m so proud of you.”

The nurses whisked the baby away to measure and clean her up more.

He stroked AJ’s damp hair from her face. “What shall we name her?” They’d narrowed it down to two names but still hadn’t decided.

“Bree. Breana Joy. What do you think?”

“I fully agree.”

The nurse came back with a tiny bundle. “Daddy?”

His heart soared. He reached out and took the baby. “Hi, Bree. Welcome to the world.”

She cooed softly, wrapping him firmly around her itty-bitty finger. He kissed her forehead before holding her close to his chest.