D E R E K ' S   P O V

"Take a right up here."

Following Layla's directions, I flick on my blinker and turn right down into a quiet residential street. Our flight to Chicago got in about an hour ago and we loaded our bags into the rental car and set off straight for her brothers house.

We're in one of the nicer suburbs of the city and all these houses along this street get nicer and nicer the further we drive along. "When did they move here?" I ask Layla. When we worked together Adam and I lived in equally shitty apartments a couple blocks from each other so this is definitely a step up.

"They bought their house after they got married," Layla says, pointing out the window. "Turn left."

"Damn." I've been buying, renovating and selling properties for years now so I'm pretty good at estimating the price of real estate. I know nothing about Violets salary but having worked with him, I know what Adam's is so I'm curious now. "How did they swing this?"

"You know what?" Layla responds with just as much curiosity as me. "I don't actually know. I never asked them."

Since we're here to meet Layla's new niece and not pry into her brother and sister in laws finances, our conversation about that is parked there and forgotten about when Layla lets me to turn left again into the driveway of one of the nicest houses on this street.

Layla clicks off her seat belt the second the car rolls to a stop. "See you in there," She smiles, leaning over and pressing a quick kiss to my lips before she basically throws herself out of the car. I love seeing her this happy. She's practically beaming on her toes as she rushes towards the front door.

Still chuckling at her giddiness, I kill the engine and climb out of the car before I grab our bags from the backseat. Yes, bags. Layla and I are only here for the weekend so all of our clothes fit comfortably into one duffle, but the other two bags are practically filled to the brim with presents for the baby and Violet.

Even though he's her brother, when I joked that maybe we should get Adam a present too, Layla looked me dead in the eye and said 'you only get presents if you push a baby out of your fucking vagina.' I laughed. The elderly woman shopping in the aisle next to us was appalled.

I make it up the porch steps and walk through the front door. The living room is just off to the left and Violet and Adam are standing there and I'm not surprised one bit that Layla is already cradling the baby in her arms.

"She just pried the baby from my arms," Adam says, sweeping his hands out towards me. "No hello, nothing."

"You should have seen her all week." I laugh because I'm not surprised one bit.

Layla's been radiating excitement and showing the the photos to everyone around the office. She's not a morning person but she was up at the crack of dawn this morning and dragged me out of bed to make sure we made it to the airport on time because there was no chance she was letting us miss that flight.

"Derek," Layla coo's, not even paying one ounce of attention to our conversation about her. She's completely focused on the baby. "She's even cuter in person."

I step into Layla to get a better look. The sweet baby brings her tiny thumb to her mouth, tucking it between her small, pouted lips as she begins to settle in Layla's arms and let's out a cute content hum.

"That's it. I want one." Layla says. Her eyes land on me and they're screaming now.

Violet silently winces as she slowly sits herself down on the couch. "You might rethink that when I tell you how many stitches I had to get. Spoiler, it's a lot."

Now it's Layla's turn to wince. "Yeah, Okay. Maybe I can hold off for another while."

A grin forms on Violet's lips. "Will being her god mother suffice for now?"

"Yes, it will," Layla murmurs through kisses on the baby's head. She turns to violet and Adam and raises an amused eyebrow. "And thanks, but you know I would have rioted if it wasn't me."

Adam rolls his eyes at his sisters dramatics before he claps his hand to my shoulder. "How about you?" He asks, grinning. "Will you be her godfather?"

Now that I wasn't expecting. "Yes," I smile, heart full that they're trusting us with this responsibility. "Of course I will."

The front door unlocks and opens, followed by Layla's dad stepping into the living room. All of us less important people get a nod of acknowledgement as he beelines to the baby.

He taps Layla's arm. "Give me my granddaughter."

Layla tightens her hold on the baby and glares at him over her shoulder. "Go away, you've seen her all week and you'll get to see her all the time. I won't."

His mouth drops open but he recovers quickly with a sarcastic comment. "You'll have longer with her in your life. I could die soon."

Layla's eyes narrow as she holds her stance. "Don't try to guilt trip me, old man."

Since there's zero chance either of us are getting to hold the baby any time soon, Layla's dad and I make ourselves useful and get to building the changing table and dresser for the baby's nursery since Adam didn't get around to doing it yet since the baby came early.

By the time we make it back downstairs the baby is asleep in the bassinet and Layla, Violet and Adam are on the couch flipping through some photo albums in the middle of a debate on who the baby looks more like.

I go to where Layla is sitting and lean over the back of the couch and watch over her shoulder as she flips through her album. We both laugh when she pauses on a photo of an adorable three year old Layla with crayons in her hands colouring all over the living room walls.

I lean down and kiss the side of her head. "You were quite the artist."

"She was caught red handed," Adam says, waving an accusing finger at her. "And she still tried to tell mom it was me."

Layla pauses on a photograph of her and her mom. Her mom is making pancakes by the stove and Layla is sitting up on the countertop beside her, not hiding her cheesy front toothless adorable grin as her mom teasingly wipes some batter on the tip of her nose. Layla's eyes are sad when she looks over her shoulder at me, keeping her voice low. "I wish you could have met her."

Something about her feels so familiar, but that's probably because she looks just like Layla. Layla has told me so many stories that I feel like I know her, but sadly I never got the chance to. I wish I did. I wish I could have known the incredible woman that blessed this world with Layla. I would thank her endlessly. I squeeze Layla's arms comfortingly. "Me too."

"Patients of a saint that woman," Layla's dad laughs quietly, with a longing glint of love in his eyes. "How she dealt with a classroom full of kindergarteners and then had to come home to you two and didn't kill you is beyond me."

We all laugh as we continue to swipe through the photos and there's one of a very unhappy Adam with a buzz cut in his hair and I laugh even harder when I hear the story behind it. Apparently he ate all of Layla's Halloween candy so she shaved his head while he was sleeping. I also make a mental note not to cross her. I don't have any hair so I don't even want to know what else she would cut.

"Wait.." Layla looks over her shoulder at me with an amused smile on her face. "Were you a bald baby?"

I'm already preparing myself for the level of shock that is about to consume her. "Believe it or not, I had some hair."

As expected, Layla eyes widen with excitement. "I need to see this. Can we stop by your moms now?"

"Yeah," I say, checking my watch. "And we'll have dinner when we get back. Lots of dinner."

The second my mom heard why Layla and I were up in Chicago this weekend she was excited to help in anyway she could. Doing what she loves, she decided on making them meals they could just reheat so they don't have to worry about cooking for the next week or two while trying to juggle learning how to take care of a newborn.

"That's so sweet," Violet says, looking towards me. "Thank her for me?"

With Layla's family now being mine by extension, my mom has adopted that same mindset and is considering us all one big family. She's already decided that next Christmas we're all getting together. The bigger the better she said.

A concept with which, in an entirely different way, Layla agrees completely.

-

I always joked that I was my moms favourite child, but it was over for me when my mom met Layla.

When we got to her house I didn't even get a look in before my mom wrapped Layla up in a hug and dragged her off to catch up while I was left standing there like a fool wondering if I should be happy she likes my girlfriend so much or offended that I'm now forgotten about.

I eventually settle on deciding that I'm happy about this situation as I watch the two of them float around the kitchen, chatting like they've known each other forever and not that this is only the second time they've meet in person.

We're helping my mom finish up with cooking. Well, I say we but really only Layla is. I tried to taste some of the lasagna and got swatted with a dish towel and told to go away. By both of them.

I really hope Adam and Violets freezer is empty because my mom made enough to keep them fed for a month.

"Yeah, of course," My mom says when she wipes her hands off with a rag when Layla asks her about seeing my baby photos. "I have albums for every year."

We all sit down in the living room and start flipping through my baby pictures. Layla gushes over all the cute ones but we all laugh at the fact that I was small enough that my mom could give me a bath in the sink. But eventually we get out of the baby and toddler photos to me getting ready for my first day of school.

"I have more albums upstairs," My mom says, sliding the pictures to Layla. "I'll be back in one minute."

My mom was always taking photos of me and my sisters when we were growing up so I'm not surprised that for this memorable event there's photos of absolutely everything I did that day down to of me eating my morning cereal and even one of my dad doing up my shoe laces.

"Look at this," Layla laughs, pointing to the traditional photo on our front porch. "Your backpack is bigger than you."

I'm busy looking at a photo of my dad walking me into the school when I hear a sniffle beside me. I look over to find Layla crying.

Layla isn't a crier. In fact, I've only ever seen Layla cry twice. Once after we got done with a really tough case and she shed a tear when I told her I loved her for the first time.

It doesn't take a profiler to know that the photo she's clutching in her hands has something to do with why she's now suddenly sobbing. But still confused, I gently try to turn it over in her hands to look at it.

And what it is completely shocks me. My eyes widen and my heart skips a beat. "Is that..."

"My mom," Layla confirms, nodding through the tears slipping down her cheeks. "My mom was your kindergarten teacher."

I'm looking at Layla's mom and me in my kindergarten class photo. I knew Layla's mom was a kindergarten teacher but I never would've thought she was my teacher because obviously, being that young I don't remember all that much from that age. But I don't need to. The proof is right here in these photos.

"Oh my god." What a fucking coincidence. "This is crazy."

"I know," Layla laughs, half sobs when I sweep my thumbs underneath her eyes to wipe her tears. She turns to the next page in the album and there's more. "Look at this one.."

This is definitely why her mom has always seemed so familiar to me. Even though I didn't connect it myself, somewhere in the back of my brain I recognised her.

My memory is hazy from back then but now racking my brain, one distinct memory comes to mind. I remember her sitting inside with me during recess when the other kids gave me a hard time. She gave me cookies and juice to cheer me up and I was so grateful to her for that. And after that day those kids never bothered me again and I know it was because she made sure it never happened again.

I make the mistake of telling Layla that story and it only makes her cry harder. Probably should have saved that one for a later date.

"I can't believe this," Layla says quietly, tracing her finger down the photo of her mom helping me with my finger painting. "You've met her," Her smile is warm when her eyes lift to mine. "That's all I've ever wanted."

"Oh god," My mom drops the stack of photo albums from her hands and reaches for a Kleenex when she steps back into the room and sees Layla crying. "He wasn't that ugly as a kid, was he?"

My mom is just as shocked as us when Layla tells her what's happening. She sits down and wraps a comforting arm around Layla. There's many more tears as we continue to flip through the photos from that year and Layla gets to see photos of her of mom that she didn't know existed. Towards the end of the year, her mom is very clearly pregnant with her in the photo's.

Stunned, my mom fiddles with the cross necklace around her neck. "Now if this isn't a sign from the lord I don't know what is." Her eyes drift to mine when she mouths, "Don't take it for granted."

I won't. The fact that I'm so young that I could barely say my abc's and unknowingly the love of my life is unborn, but that close to me is truly unbelievable. I can't help but take this as another sign from the universe that Layla and I are meant to be together.

Suddenly Layla's holding another photo in front of my face and when my eyes focus, it's of what looks like me giving a valentines card to a little girl in my class.

Layla arches a teasing eyebrow. "Who's this bitch?"

I clutch my hand to my chest when I sigh deeply. "Ah, my first love." Don't even remember her name. "I don't think I ever truly got over her." I couldn't pick her out of a lineup.

Layla whacks me hard in the leg but if her hand went and a couple inches left, I'm not sure we would be able to have kids. I know it wasn't a mistake because her narrowed eyes are telling me that if we weren't where we were, she would have went for the balls.

My mom laughs at my misery. I have officially lost her to my girlfriend. Case closed.

-

When I woke up this morning I never would have guessed I'm about to do what I'm about to do. Today has taken a real turn and I'm honestly not mad about it.

Layla and I left my moms house when she had to go to work and when we pulled back up to her brothers house, her dad was leaving to pick some things up from the store and I offered to go with him.

If I'm going to have this conversation with him we needed to be alone because I couldn't risk Layla hearing, I don't want her to know it's coming.

Because when I ask her to marry me I want it to be a complete surprise.

I'm not exactly nervous, but I just don't feel prepared for this conversation because I wasn't expecting this to happen today. Was I supposed to prepare for this conversation? Have detailed spreadsheets on my finances to show I can take care of her for the rest of our lives? Have a numbered list on everything I plan to do to make sure Layla is happy?

I don't even know if I'm meant to be doing this. This whole asking for her hand in marriage thing seems outdated because she's not a piece of property. But it seems respectful to ask for his blessing, not permission.

On top of that, I'm trying to approach a serious talk with the most unserious person I've ever met.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What?" My head whips to his to see him staring at me. "Nothing."

He raises an amused eyebrow. "Derek, you're visibly sweating."

Maybe I'm more nervous than I thought. I try to swallow when I realise my mouth is bone dry. "Can I talk to you?"

"Like you are right now?" His suspicious eyes float to me. "Sure."

I take a few breaths and lead with my emotions. "I can't even explain to you how much I love Layla."

"I know. I see the way you look at her." He snorts a laugh and his eyes flicker quickly from the road to me. "You're not subtle."

I take another deep, steading breath. "The day she agreed to be my girlfriend was the best day of my life. She makes me so—" I stop short of my sentence and look over my shoulder when I realise he just took a wrong turn. "Eh, the store is the opposite way."

"I know what I'm doing," He waves a flippant hand at me. "Keep talking."

Not overthinking and trying to find the right words all while keeping it short and straightforward is hard. "Well, what I'm saying is that I want to marry Layla and I promise that I will spend the rest of my life trying to make sure I give her even a fraction of the happiness she gives me everyday by just being in my life."

He's quiet for a few seconds before he eventually says, "If you convert to Judaism and learn Hebrew you can marry my daughter."

I wasn't expecting that, but I'll do anything short of..no, I'll pretty much do anything. "Deal."

The car rolls to a stop. He turns and looks me dead in the eye. I think I'm sweating again. The first giveaway is when his lip quirks up, and when he starts laughing I know it's because of the seriousness in my tone when I agreed.

I groan, knowing I just walked myself straight into his trap. "You're not even Jewish, are you?"

"Not one bit," He laughs, throwing open the car door. "How desperate are you?"

Now it's my turn to laugh. When he hops out of the car only now do I realise that we're at his house instead of the store.

"Are you coming in or what?" He yells from the porch.

I follow him up the driveway and step into the house after he unlocks the front door. I walk behind him as he heads straight for the book shelf in the corner of the living room.

Along with some books, it's filled with family photos. I remember looking at all of the photos on here when I was here at Christmas and I was a cute baby, but I don't hold a candle to Layla. I'm praying to whoever is listening that our kids look like her.

He's not even looking at me as he flips through a random book. I'm getting nervous again. I clear my throat. "You haven't really said anything.."

"Derek, if you're looking for my blessing..you have it," He says smiling as he reaches into a secret compartment and pulls something out. It's a ring.

I recognise it straight away from all of the photos Layla has showed me of her mom. It's her engagement band.

"Layla thinks she was buried with it," He says quietly as he places the ring in my hand, curling it into my palm. "But Hope wanted it to be a surprise for Layla someday."

"Thank you." I say honestly and sincerely. "She's going to love it." This holds real sentimental value that no ring I could have ever bought her would have. That makes it so much more special.

"Appreciate every minute you get to spend with her.
Life is crazy and it's a privilege to go through it with the one you love."

I do appreciate the little things like laughing until our stomachs hurt and talking about everything and anything until we fall asleep every night. To love and be loved by Layla is the best thing I've ever experienced. She's my best friend and honestly she has become an extension of me I didn't know I was missing my whole life. I'm going to hold on tight to her because something this great doesn't happen twice in one lifetime.

But despite his sentiment, I can't help but chuckle. "I think that's the most serious thing I've ever heard you say."

His lips fold into a thin, almost embarrassed line. "Don't get used to it."

-

I grab two water bottles from the fridge before I flip off the kitchen lights when I'm the last one up the stairs for the night.

Layla insisted we stay with Adam and Violet so we can help out in any way we can when we're here. She's already planning on getting up early tomorrow and cleaning for them so they wake up to a fresh house. I honestly couldn't tell you if it's more for them or for Layla. She loves to clean and will use any excuse to do it.

We all ate dinner together before her dad went home. Exhausted, Adam and Violet were in bed by eight with the baby and having been up since six this morning, Layla and I weren't long behind them.

I walk down the hall to the guest room and push open the door. Layla already has the curtains pulled and the bedside lamps on and the en-suite door is half closed over as the sound of the shower running filters out.

As quietly as I can I cross the bedroom to the dresser in the corner and pick a random drawer. I slide it open and take the ring from my pocket and place it in the back, hidden between some clothes, hoping Layla won't look in here. I need to keep it hidden until we get back to DC and I can plan on how I'm going to propose.

Man, my life has changed so much since Layla came into it. I've watched almost everyone in my life get the house, the wife, the kids. Those things were always a maybe for me but someday soon that's all going to be mine because I want it all with her.

"Hey."

I slam the drawer shut at the sound of Layla's voice and turn around as she steps out of the bathroom, freshly showered wrapped up in a towel. Thankfully, I'm in the clear because she's not paying attention to what I'm doing as she grabs our duffle bag and starts riffing through it.

I place our water bottles down on the nightstand before my arms circle around her and I lift her and start walking back into the bathroom.

Layla's laughs in my arms but makes no attempt to wiggle free. "What are you doing?"

I place her back down on her feet when we're in the bathroom and kiss her lips. "I need you to keep me company while I shower."

It's not a complete lie, but it's going to take me approximately ninety seconds to wash my body.
I know I can be needy, but I'm not that needy. I just need to keep my eyes on her until I can get the ring properly hidden away.

Layla starts her skincare while I strip off and step into the shower and by the time I have the loofa loaded up with shower gel, she's already circled our conversation back to how crazy it is that her mom was my kindergarten teacher. She won't stop talking about it. Not that I want her too, I will gladly have this conversation with her twenty four seven if her face will continue to light up with joy the way it has been all today.

I listen to her talk while I shower and after I'm out I realise she's been so focused on rambling that she hasn't even started getting ready for bed so I comb through her towel dried hair, slip my T-shirt over her body and slide her glasses onto her face.

But soon enough I'm pulling back the comforter and sliding into bed with Layla tucked into my side while she flips through the photos for the millionth time. Knowing how important and sentimental they are to her, my mom insisted Layla have all the photos of me and her mom.

I hook my finger underneath Layla's chin to direct her gaze to me. I smile warmly. "How do you think these will look framed on the mantle in our home?"

Layla's eyes soften and she try's and fails to hold back her bright grin. "Our home?"

Layla basically lives with me already, but I think it's time to make it official. "Will you move in with me?"

"Yes, Derek," Layla murmurs between small kisses on my smiling lips. "I'll move in with you."

We spend the next ten minutes tangled together, laughing quietly as we roll around the bed sharing tender kisses and sweet whispered I love you's. We're so in love i'd be nauseous if I wasn't part of us.

But then something I thought we wouldn't have to worry about for a while happens. The unmistakable sound of a baby wailing through the wall from the next room.

Layla groans, resting her forehead to mine. "Well if that isn't a birth control reminder I don't know what is."

I clear my throat and raise a challenging eyebrow. "Speaking off.."

Layla looks completely confused for a second until it clicks and her face falls. "Oh my god," She groans, scrubbing her hand down her face. "I forgot to bring it. Again."

I reach down the side of the bed into the side pocket of our bag. I hold up and flip the small blister packet between my fingers. "Luckily your boyfriend didn't."

I've never seen her look so grateful. "I think I'm going to book an appointment to get the iud when we get back," Layla twists the cap off the water bottle and swallows the pill down with a mouthful of water. "I'm too forgetful for this."

Layla soon falls asleep in my arms and when I'm sure she's completely out, I can't help but slipping out of the bed and getting the ring. I carefully slip it onto her finger just to see how it will look.

It's absolutely perfect.

I can't wait to get started with the rest of our lives.

-

A/N: sooooo, we still have a lot to get through before there's a proposal 🙃 But for now.. remember that box of ✨pillows✨ layla hid in the back of her closet in the first chapter? I think it's time for Derek to find it😌