"Oh my god, look at your lip!" Kate says when she sees him sitting on the porch. She grasps the side of his face and looks him over. "Are you feelin' okay?"

"I'm fine, Katie." He responds flatly. "I'm not some weak pussy."

She takes in a sharp breath at his words and pulls away. "Sorry I care about you." She spits, heading back inside.

"Kate-" He shakes his head when the door shuts behind her.

He leans his elbows on his knees and runs a sore hand over his hair. He doesn't mean to be an ass to her, his masculinity has been demolished by her ex boyfriend.

"I gotta go to work." She says from the door. "See you later."

"Wait." He says, reaching out to take her hand. "I love you." He cups the sides of her face. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." She whispers back, looking away from the damage she practically caused. She hates seeing him like this but it's kind of hot.

"You feeling okay?" She asks, her fingers pressing lightly against his bare chest, her eyes on the huge black bruise on his side.

"A little sore but yeah, I'm okay."

She nods, running her fingertips over his swollen lip, tucking her own between her teeth.

She likes what she sees.

Morgan grabs her hips and pulls her down to his lap, threading his fingers through her neatly styled hair.

"I gotta get to work." She chuckles, her eyes closing when he kisses her neck. He sneakily starts unbuttoning her blouse, her tight tank top makes her breasts look amazing. He bites his swollen lip carefully, his eyes dropping there as his hands move down to them.

She laughs quietly as he pushes her tank top and bra down, tucking the fabrics under her breasts.

"Morgan, I gotta go."

"You can be late." He responds, leaving wet kisses on her skin.

"But-" She cuts herself off with a laugh when he picks her up, the two of them blindly making their way back inside.

+++

"The hell is that smell?" Kate asks, her stomach turning.

"Uh, chicken salad sandwich?" Morgan says around a mouthful of said sandwich. "You made it this mornin'."

She pulls face, her stomach gurgling and twisting as she suddenly stands from her desk and rushes to the bathroom down the hall where she gags then throws up.

Morgan stands on the other side of the door, his brows furrowed. "Babe, you okay?"

"Yeah, just- just go back to my office." She coughs back, gagging again. He hesitates for a few seconds before heading back to her office like asked.

Kate stands and leans against the bathroom counter, breathing hard. She pulls her phone out of her back pocket and calls Taylor.

"What's up, babe?" Taylor says when she answers.

"Are you busy?"

"Not at all. What's up?"

"I- I-"

"Kate, what's up?"

"Meet me at my house in half an hour. I'm gonna leave work early."

"Okay, yeah."

Kate hangs up then heads back to her office. "I'm gon' head home. I'm not feelin' too well."

"What? You okay?" Morgan asks, his voice laced with concern as he packs up his lunch.

"Yeah, my stomach is a little messed up."

"You want me to come with?"

"No, no." She runs her fingers through his hair and over his cheek. "I'll be okay. You got stuff you gotta do."

He sighs and nods. "Okay." He leans up and kisses her cheek. "Feel better." She picks up her jacket and purse.

"Get some rest." He says, walking her out to her car.

"Don't worry about me." She smiles. "I'll see you at home. Love you."

"Love you too." He responds, opening them closing the door for her.

Morgan watches her drive off and he sighs, his lunchbox tight in his hand.

Something's up beside just an upset stomach but if she doesn't know or doesn't want to talk about it, he isn't going to press unless she starts acting weird.

+++

"What's up?" Taylor asks, sitting next to Kate on the couch. "Your call freaked me out."

"Morgan's sandwich made me sick." She says, pulling her sweater sleeves over her hands.

"Like, you ate it and-?"

"No, like the smell."

"Oh." Her eyes go wide. "Oh."

"Yeah. But I could just have a messed up stomach, right? I couldn't be pregnant. Y'know, I'm on- I'm on the pill, I can't be-"

"The only way you'll know is if you take a test." Taylor says, her hand on Kaitlyn's arm. "You've been stressed as hell lately, it's probably just that. Remember last time you got this stressed? You got sick. Maybe it's the same thing."

Those words calm her nerves slightly.

"You're right." She nods. "Let's get a test."

They both stand and head out to Kate's car.

+++

Kate just pours everything that's been weighing on her out to her best friend. It feels so good to just let it go, get it off her chest.

"This is what I mean by you could just be stressed." Taylor says, looking over at her. "I wouldn't sweat it."

She unbuckles and hops out of the car, Kate following.

They walk around the drugstore, arms linked together. "We need a girls night." Taylor states, picking up a basket. "Like back in high school and college."

"You wanna stay up late, watch shitty movies and do face masks?"

"Hell yeah!" She grins, dropping a jar of some random face mask into the basket. "You need to unwind, okay? You been non stop since September."

Kate nods and rubs her eyes under her glasses. "You're right."

"I always am."

+++

"What's all this?" Morgan asks when he steps into the house, a six pack under one arm and a pizza in his opposite hand.

"Hey!" Taylor says, waving at him from her spot on the floor. "Wanna join us?"

He laughs. "Do I gotta do one of 'em face things too?"

"Yessir!" She laughs back, taking a gulp of from her wine glass. "C'mon, it'll be fun."

"Where's Katie?" He asks, panning over the living room.

"Bathroom."

Morgan chuckles and leans against the wall. "What y'all doin'?"

"She's been nonstop for like two months so we're having a sleepover."

He smiles. "Nice."

"Hey babe." Kate says from behind him.

She kisses his bruised cheekbone lightly and gives his ass a squeeze. He jumps slightly and smirks down at her.

"You feelin' better?" He asks as he kisses her temple.

"Yeah." She lies but smiles back. "You wanna join us?"

"I dunno-"

"One face mask won't kill you." She says, tugging him to the couch

Taylor squeals when Kate uses a headband to push his growing hair back.

Morgan can't help the smile on his face as he watches his fiancé enjoy her night for the first time in two months. She's been working her ass off and deserves a break.

Kate took a pregnancy test when they got back to her house- two pregnancy tests and they were both positive. She's been trying to let the new information sink in before she even thinks about telling Morgan. She doesn't want to believe it herself.

+++

Morgan's fingers brush across Kate's cheek as she sleeps peacefully. He trails his fingertips across her forehead and down to her chin then over her pretty lips.

He had turned some music on when he woke up, that was over an hour ago. He's just been laying there next to his fiancé just looking at her.

She is drop-dead gorgeous.

Even with her hair stuck to her face and her mouth open slightly with soft snores falling from her lips, she can still make his heart flutter.

She hums softly, pressing her face further against the pillow under her head as she stretches out her long legs. She turns on her back and yawns.

"Hey." Morgan whispers, brushing his thumb across her arm. She hums again, turning on her other side.

Morgan wraps his arm her middle and pulls her close, slipping his other arm under her head. Kate fiddles with his fingers, sighing softly. She leans up on her elbow, something doesn't feel right.

Morgan lifts his arm as he watches her. "You okay?"

She forces down the rising bile in her throat but it threatens to come back up. She hops out of bed and rushes to the bathroom.

"Babe?" He asks as he knocks on the bathroom door.

"I'm- I'm okay, Morgan. Can you just start some tea for me, please?"

He sighs and heads down to the kitchen. "I told you to throw out the leftovers from the diner."

Kate takes a few minutes to recollect herself.

She brushes her teeth, pulls on one of Morgan's sleeved flannels and a pair of slouchy socks with her cute pajama shorts then heads downstairs.

"You okay?" He asks again, running her hand over the back of her head.

"I'm sure it's just a stomach bug." She dismisses. "Thanks." He kisses her forehead then leans against the counter across from her, smiling. "What?"

"I get to marry you." He grins. "You're stuck with me for life, baby." He practically cackles with that goofy smile that immediately lifts her mood.

"I love you." She smiles back, her chin on her palm as she looks at him with nothing but love in her tired eyes. "So much."

+++

"I dunno, man. She's been actin' so weird lately." Morgan sighs, running his hand through his hair.

"Have you talked to her?" Michael asks, leaning back against his tailgate, flicking the ash off the end of his cigarette.

"She's been sayin' she's fine."

"Then, there you go." He says, passing him the smoke.

Morgan takes a drag and sighs again. "I dunno, man. The last time she was this weird was in high school."

Kate never told him- she never told anyone beside Taylor that she was pregnant in high school.

It was junior year.

She had thrown him a party for his birthday that turned into a podunk party and got out of hand.

They celebrated his birthday with a bang, literally.

She didn't find out she was pregnant until a couple months later. She was an absolute mess. Taylor was the only one she could talk to about this.

She helped her pay for her abortion and she will be forever thankful. When he was away at some baseball or church camp thing, she took that week to heal so when he came back, she was back to normal.

"Talk to her, man." Michael repeats, stepping out the cigarette he's been holding.

He nods and heads to his truck parked down the alleyway a bit then speeds home to see her fiancé on her day off.

+++

Kate's curled up on the couch under a thick blanket. She has her comfort show playing with a cup of coffee in her hand and Boots laying on top of her legs.

She jumps up when the door opens.

"Hey, why're you home so early? You okay?" Kate asks, fighting off an intense body ache.

"I need you to tell me what's been goin' on. You ain't been yourself lately and I'm worried 'bout you." He says as he sits on the coffee table in front her.

"Morgan, I told you I'm fine."

"Katie." He takes the coffee cup from her hand and sets it next to him so he can take her hands. "I'm worried 'bout you." He repeats.

"I'm pregnant."