Calum's PoV:

Nessa sat across from me at the table, Eli next to her and Cade next to me.

We decided (well I decided) to go out to dinner to celebrate.

Nessa seemed a little off, and I figured it was because of the court verdict, so I wanted to do everything I could to make her feel back to normal.

"So I was thinking we could all go swimming tomorrow." I said, Nessa looking up at me.

"Daddy, can we go to the pool by nanas house? That one has the slide!"

"Sure." I smiled and then looked at Nessa. "You up for it?"

"Yeah. Of course." She gave me a fake smile.

"You okay?" I asked her since the boys weren't paying attention.

"Yeah. I'm just tired."

She picked at her dinner, barely eating.

I knew that this had messed with her, but not this badly.

I decided I didn't want her to be alone tonight, so after dinner I drove us back to my place.

"Go shower." I told her when we walked through the door and sent her back to my room.

While Nessa showered I bathed Eli and Cade, and then dressed them in their pyjamas. I headed back to my room and opened the bathroom door, Nessa still in the shower, washing her hair.

"Cal, you're almost out of conditioner." She called.

"That's because you keep using mine." I said and could imagine her rolling her eyes. "You know, you could just get your own to keep here."

"But I like the smell of your shampoo."

I chuckled at this.

I was drying off my face after washing it when suddenly Eli ran into the bathroom.

"Daddy, I can't find my toothbrush."

Nessa squeaked in surprise and turned around as Eli looked her direction.

"Hey, get out!" I shooed him away and out of my bathroom, following him out and closing the door. "Nessa is showering right now,
you can't go in there."

"Is that why Momma is naked?"

"Yes."

"But you're in there." He pointed out and I groaned. "You see her naked? Ew!"

"Your toothbrush is in the drawer, now go!" I turned him around and sent him out of my room.

I sighed as I walked back into the bathroom, Nessa now wrapped in a towel and using my hairbrush to brush out her wet hair.

"My son just told me that seeing a naked woman was gross. He'll be saying otherwise in about ten years."

She giggled at this.

I watched Nessa carefully as we both changed into pyjamas and she braided her short hair into two braids. She stayed in bed while I went to say goodnight to Eli and Cade and then walked back in my room to get in bed with her.

Tonight was a night to make her feel safe, so I wrapped my arms around her waist, kissed her goodnight, and closed my eyes.

The adrenaline from the day must've finally taken its toll because Nessa fell right to sleep, leaving me there to try and fall asleep too, but for some reason I couldn't.

Nessa hadn't been in the courtroom today when they handed down the verdict, and I'm glad she wasn't, because what happened would have hurt her even more.

When the jury handed out their verdict of guilty, the man who had hit her car started crying. I knew he felt awful but the law was the law, and he broke it.

I knew if Nessa would have seen him crying she would've fallen apart.

Then Captain Sutherland had clapped me on the shoulder and told me "good job" before I left the courtroom to find Nessa and Kate crying over God knows what.

This had been a rough week for Nessa, but I wanted to make it better.

Just as I started to think of ways I surprise her or make her smile she twisted in my arms, a whimper leaving her.

"No." She mumbled in her sleep, her body moving around. "No!"

I furrowed my eyebrows.

"No. Don't kill me. Please don't kill me." She whimpered, her body then thrashing as a cry left her.

Then I remembered the night before the accident, she'd had a nightmare so bad the police were called because of her screaming. I had heard that screaming and thought someone was murdering her. But she had been saying those same things.

"No. No! No! NO!" She shouted as she thrashed about and I knew I had to wake her up.

"Nessa! Nessa!" I held her down, restricting her arms from moving as I said her name.

"Nessa, wake up!" I said louder and her eyes shot open, looking me dead in the eye with fear.

It took a moment but it went away and she saw it was me and she took a breath before relaxing.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"Yeah. I'm sorry."

"What the hell were you dreaming about?"

"I don't even remember it." She said before moving to get out of the bed. "I'm going to get some water."

I watched as she left the room and then came back a few minutes later.

She got back in bed and laid down but not as close.

"Nessa." I sighed. "I know you're upset but I promise you'll be alright. Just stop worrying."

"It's just hard to see someone go to jail over me."

"Well you didn't put them in the position to commit a crime, they did. This is not your fault."

She nodded before scooting a little closer.

I moved to put my arms around her again.

"I've gone a really long time without having someone that truly made me happy. But now I have you, and it's wonderful, but i'm scared i'm going to lose you." She admitted into the dark.

"You're not going to lose me." I said.

"You don't know that." She shook her head. "You don't know what's going to happen in the future."

"Well unless you're a psychic and haven't told me, then neither do you." I said and she exhaled. "If you spend all of your time worrying about the future you'll never enjoy the present. And I really want you to enjoy the present with me Nessa, because it's a lot more fun when you do."

She rested her head on my shoulder before closing her eyes.

"Kiss me?" She looked up at me and I smiled before leaning down to connect our lips.

It was a sweet kiss and she placed her hand on my cheek to pull me in closer.

When we broke it she turned into my chest and closed her eyes, me doing the same.

"If I have another nightmare just pinch my nose and i'll wake up. Jess used to do that and it worked every time." She whispered.

"Okay."

In the morning I woke up next to Nessa, her breathing steady and quiet. Her arms were wound around my waist and I began to run my fingers over her side as I looked around my room.

Straight ahead was my dresser, the top of it covered with pictures of me and Meredith. I knew it must be awkward for her to be surrounded by all of these photos.

I had put them up so the kids would be able to see her face, and I still wanted that, but I also wanted Nessa to feel comfortable here.

Looking next to me I saw the photo of Meredith and I on our wedding day and out of annoyance I flipped it down and shoved it in the drawer.

Nessa seemed to wake up at the noise because she turned over and sighed.

"Morning." I said and then cleared my throat.

"Hi." She croaked out before flipping over to hide her face.

I decided to get out of bed and go take a shower, and when I walked back in she was awake, watching the television.

"I think i'm going to get doughnuts for breakfast because I really don't feel like cooking." I said as I went to get dressed.

"That sounds good." She stretched.

"You good to handle the boys?"

"Sure." She smiled and then yawned.

I tied the laces on my shoes and then went over to kiss her.

"Love you. I'll be back."

"Love you." She scrunched up her nose adorably.

I left the house to go get breakfast and on the way there called my mom.

"Calum? Why are you calling this early?" She answered.

"I need some advice." I said.

"Okay. What do you need advice about?"

"So you know how I have pictures of Meredith and I in the house? Well she hasn't said anything but I think Nessa feels awkward being surrounded by all of these pictures of me and Meredith. I mean, I know if I were her it would be weird for me, but I don't know what to do. Should I take them down?"

"Has she asked you to take them down?"

"No. Nessa would never do that."

"Well I can understand how she must feel, but you shouldn't have to take them all down. Maybe you could just take a few down and put up some of you and Nessa. Find a happy medium."

"I could do that. I need more pictures of us then."

She laughed.

"So Nessa has been staying over a lot lately." She pointed out.

"Yeah she has. She spent the night last night and i'm on my way to get breakfast because I have no desire to cook."

"I'm glad things are going well for you."

"Me too. I love her a lot."

"You love her?"

"Yes."

"You haven't told me that."

"Well I figured after the night where Eli called her 'momma' it was pretty obvious that I wasn't taking this relationship lightly."

"I mean I knew you were serious about her but I didn't know you loved her."

"Okay, sorry for not telling you sooner but yes I am in love with her and she loves me too so no need to worry."

"That's wonderful, Calum. Really. I want to invite you two over for dinner so we can get to know her even better."

"Sure, i'll try and set something up."

"Okay. Well have a good day and call me soon."

"Yeah. Bye, Mom."

I hung up with her and then drove through the doughnut shop before heading back home where I walked in to see Nessa, Eli, and Cade in the living room.

They were laying on the sofa, Eli hugging her waist while Cade was up by her chest, playing with her necklace.

"I have doughnuts!" I called through the house and they all jumped up to get them.

"Thanks, Cal." Nessa kissed my cheek before grabbing a chocolate glazed.

"Sure." I laughed before grabbing one of my own. "So I talked to my mom today, and she apparently had no idea I was so in love with you."

She laughed.

"And she wants us over for dinner soon."

"Sounds nice."

After breakfast I gathered up all of our pool toys, towels and sun block before getting the boys in their swimsuits and tee shirts.

We had to stop by Nessa's house so she could get a swim suit and clothes to wear over it.

I then drove us to the pool by my parents neighbourhood, Nessa carrying Cade inside while I had the pool bag and Eli.

We found a set of chairs and I was glad to have Nessa there because she could help me control the boys who wanted to get in the pool so badly but needed sunscreen first.

"Well when you're not sun burnt you can thank me." Nessa told Eli who was whining and I laughed at her comment.

Once Eli had his sunscreen on he put his goggles on his face before jumping into the pool.

Cade took a little longer to get in floaties but once he was in them I took him to the kiddie pool where he began to splash around.

I sat next to him on the edge and looked back to see Nessa putting on tanning lotion before laying back on the chair, her body on full display in her black bikini.

Cade hit my knees with his hands to get
my attention and so I turned back to him, watching him run beneath the mushroom that had water coming down like a curtain.

After watching him play for a bit I took him into the deeper water, holding him up in my arms while Eli dove for the pool toys.

Looking up I saw Nessa still laying there sunbathing.

"Ness!" I called and she sat up, finding me. "Come on!"

"I'm good here!" She smiled.

"You sure?"

"Yeah!"

I went back to playing with Eli and Cade, and when they blew he whistle for adult swim I took them out of the water and went over to where Nessa was.

"Aren't you going to come swim?" I asked her.

"I don't really feel like swimming today. I might dip my feet in." She said and I nodded.

When adult swim was over Eli wanted to go down the slide, so I went over with him and so did Nessa, holding Cade in her arms.

He wanted us to watch him go down the slide so we watched him a few times before he went back to swim and Nessa took Cade to the kiddie pool.

As I was helping Eli do flips in the water, I looked over to see Cade having a blast with Nessa in the kiddie pool. She was chasing him around and then letting him chase her.

"Eli, lets go get Nessa." I said to my son and he grinned before following me.

We went behind Nessa and I wrapped my arms around her waist and lifted her up, Nessa shrieking until I put her down.

"I'm going to get you back for that." She turned around and placed her hands on my chest.

"I'm sure you will." I winked. "Now lets go have more fun."

Nessa went back to lay in the sun for a while and finally I swam up to the edge of the pool she was by.

"Ness!"

She sat up and smiled before coming to sit on the edge, putting her feet in the water.

"Hi." I wrapped my hands around her calfs.

"Hi." She smiled.

"So I was thinking that tonight you and I could...."

"Could..." She raised her eyebrows.

"I think you know what i'm talking about." I smirked as I moved her knees apart so I could stand between her legs.

"Hmm." She pretended to be in deep thought. "Okay."

I laughed.

"But I need to stop by my place first because i've used all the clothes I kept at yours."

"See, if we moved in together this wouldn't be a problem." I pointed out and she rolled her eyes.

"I love you but it's still too soon." She laughed.

After our time at the pool was done, I dropped Nessa off at her house and then went back to mine to feed the boys lunch and then put them down for naps.

While they rested I walked back in my room and looked at all of the pictures on the dresser.

I was in a relationship now, and this house needed to reflect that.

I then wasted no time in taking all of the photos off the dresser. I took the photographs out of the frames and then went to the kitchen to get the envelope of the pictures of Nessa and I that I had developed. I was going to give them to her on her birthday but now seemed like the best time.

I cut them out and then put them in the frames before setting two on the dresser and then one on my nightstand.

I stowed the old photographs in a photo box in the closet, and then put the empty frames in a box in the garage.

Admiring my work I then cut out another one of our selfie photos and used a magnet to stick it to the fridge.

Nessa sent me a text that she was doing laundry and would be over after dinner, and so I decided to get one more surprise for her.

I was waiting for her in the living room when she knocked on the door.

Eli tried to race me to open the door but I reached it first and opened it to reveal my beautiful girlfriend, a bag slung over her shoulder.

"Woah, this is quite the greeting." She laughed as she stepped in.

"You bet." I winked.

"I'll go put these away." She held up her bag full of clothes and I bit my lip as I followed her to the bedroom.

She walked in and set her bag on the bed and then turned around to open the drawer of the dresser but paused.

I watched her in amusement as she tried to figure out what was different.

"Where are all of the pictures of Meredith?" She asked as she picked up one of the photos of us.

"I figured that it must be incredibly awkward to be surrounded by photos of my dead wife, and I want you to feel comfortable here. It's not fair to you to be surrounded by my old life when you're my life now."

She gave me a smile and then came forward to hug me.

"You didn't have to do this." She spoke into my neck.

"Yes I did." I held her tightly. "And I also had to do this." I then reached into my back pocket, finding the silver key and handing it to her.

"What is this?"

"A key to my house."

Her eyes went wide.

"You're giving me a key?"

"You are over here all the time already, so since you're my girlfriend and I feel like it's awkward for you to knock on my door, consider this house yours."

She stretched up on her tip toes to kiss me.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

I helped Nessa put her clothes away, internally smirking at the sight of her red lace bra.

"Momma!" Eli ran into the bedroom. "Come watch The Jungle Book with me!"

"Okay. Let's go!" She smiled and followed him out to the living room.

I tossed Nessa's bag in the corner before heading out to join her and the boys.

Nessa leaned against my side as we watched the movies with the boys, and I smiled as I watched her sing the songs with them.

These were the moments I enjoyed most, being here and having fun with my family.

I was just really glad my family now included Nessa."

--

Next chapter is pretty dramatic so prepare yourselves haha

Much love xx-m