The Fireman's Baby(31)

Laura found that Daniel was attentive and kind and thoughtful in a way that she thought the movies made up. He always seemed to know just when a cup of coffee could save her life and he wasn't afraid to do the dishes every now and then. He was dependable. Laura never had to chase him to come and pick up Annie or remind him of the things she needed. Daniel was simply there.

It amazed her that they could spend so much time together and never argue. They stepped into their respective roles as parents with ease and pleasure, as though everything was exactly as it was meant to be.

Laura came to understand that plans could change and that sometimes the new, unscripted plan was the best kind of all. When Sophie told her all that time ago that the key to contentment was letting loose, she thought her friend was a little crazy, but Sophie was right. Laura's one moment of carefree insanity had allowed her whole life to fall into place, much better than any plan.

Her time as a mother started unexpectedly, but Laura quickly found that being a mother was what she was meant to do. Between Annie, her gift card shop and Daniel just around the corner, Laura didn't think that life could get any better. She felt complete.

Laura and Daniel were growing closer as the months passed, but she didn't want to take anything between them for granted or put something fragile under pressure, so she never questioned where they were headed or asked any of the big and scary questions. Instead, she threw away the plan and let each day surprise her. She found that life was good that way.

Spending days with Daniel and Annie in the park or at the pool were moments of pure joy in Laura's life. She loved nothing more than to watch Daniel fuss over their daughter and the day he presented their now two-year-old with a little red fire truck. She thought with fondness back to a time when he had told her how he'd imagined giving his child such a toy. In a way, both their plans were coming to fruition. It was simply that neither of them ever had the foresight to realize that they were the missing part to the other's plan.

Everything came together so perfectly as they stepped into their roles as parents. Daniel's family loved Laura and, when Laura finally introduced Daniel to her own family, they loved him too. Even her brother, whom she'd once said she'd never tell about her night with Daniel, gave a handshake to the man when he met him at last and he was happy to be another one of the boys in Daniel's group alongside Michael and Sam, who also loved Laura. Laura thought the world of them too.

Both of Daniel's firefighter friends were like part of their family now. It wasn't unusual for Sam to swing by with a present for Annie, or for Michael to stop in just to complain to Laura about his wife. These little interactions were part of the pace of life now and Laura loved every second. Their two families were slowly intertwining in a way that made it impossible for Daniel and Laura to not open up more of their lives to one another.

Even Sophie came around to liking Daniel in time. At first, the protective friend had been wary of the absent firefighter, who so surely must have had some fault for her wayward best friend to fall for him. But, in time, Sophie came to find that Daniel had no secret past or hidden vices, and was simply a nice guy, who, like Laura, only managed to find a different type of girl when he'd stepped outside his comfort zone.

Everybody around them could see the love growing between the pair as Annie grew month by month. Both were incredible parents who doted on their little girl and were kind and considerate to each other. The long and loving looks that passed between them didn't go unnoticed by those around them.

“For heaven's sake, Laura,” her mother told her one day. “What is it going to take for you and that man to admit that you're in love?”

“It's not that easy, Mom,” Laura laughed shyly. “We rushed in the first time, so now we're just taking it slowly. He loves Annie. He's not going anywhere.”

Sophie too, urged Laura to act upon the strong emotions that she so clearly held for the father of her child.

“What are you doing, Laura?” she asked her exasperatedly. “You spend so much time looking for the perfect guy and when he finally appears you start to play it cool. You've already had a kid together. Isn't the hard part done?”

Laura didn't know what to tell them. Just as she and Daniel both knew on that hot afternoon a long time ago, that they needed each other in a carnal and wild way, they both understood now that their needs had changed. As so many things were between them, this too was unspoken, but Laura knew that Daniel was looking for a woman who would love him as he was and trust him implicitly. Daniel knew that Laura was looking for a man who would respect her for who she was, and stand by her side. Both became the person the other needed without needing to be asked, and it was this unspoken understanding that made the love between them so easily grow.