The Emerson Legacy 1.2

It had been precisely one month since Natalie had found out she was pregnant and since Phil had outright refused to marry her. While she had enough money to expand on her house a little bit, she could not live in it while it was being worked on, so she had moved in with her sister, Grace until it was finished. The workers promised that it would only take around two months to finish.

Natalie sat in Grace and Callahan's bedroom with Margaret and Grace. Margaret was making threats towards Phil, which may or may not be carried out.

"Just a hundred a month?!" she cried incredulously. "I oughta chop off his left nut and make him eat it! What kind of dick just pays a hundred?!"

"You're not thinking about how Nat feels," Grace snapped. "The man is refusing to help her raise the child and it's apparent that she liked him."

The two of them started bickering. Natalie listened in silence, her knees hugged up to her chest, but she took great care not to squish that baby inside. The doctor had said she was only having one although even though he knew the gender, she had begged him not to say a word. She wanted it to be a surprise.

Natalie was often out of the house as she did not want to burden her sister and her family by always being there. While she did take part in some mealtimes with them, she would often go downtown and shoot some pool.

"You should really find yourself a man," her opponent, a woman named Gwen Thayer, said as she lined up her shot.

"If only it were that easy," Natalie sighed.

In order to keep her sister's mind off of the prospect of raising a child alone, Grace often invited Natalie to family dinners.

"Have you decided on names for the baby yet?" Grace asked.

Natalie had thought about it everyday. "I think if it's a boy, I want to name him Ryan and if it's a girl, I want to name her Tara."

"Those are nice names," Callahan complimented as he took another bite of his pork chops.

Scarlett swung her tiny legs back and forth and banged on the tray of her high chair.

Before Natalie could say anything more, there was the sound of a male clearing his throat. Natalie looked up. Before her stood a young man who appeared to be in his late twenties, early thirties.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but I just opened a new church in town and I was looking for new members. I usually don't outright ask, but I was wondering if you and your companions would like to join?"

Natalie looked up at him. He had a gentle nature about him. His hair was neat, but was still unkempt in a way that made him appear casual and his complexion was not too tan, yet not too pale either. But it wasn't his appearance that drew Natalie in. No...it was the fact that when he looked at her, he was actually looking at her and seemed to see her as a person and not some object. His emerald eyes met hers and did not travel over any other part of her body. "I'm sure we could do that," Natalie said as she took the clipboard and gave the information that she needed. She then passed the clipboard around for the others to sign.

"Thank you very much," the young man said. "Church is every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday from 7 till noon. If you can't make it on account of work or another event, I'll understand. It isn't mandatory." He fell silent before speaking up again. "Well, I will see you all tomorrow," he said. It was then that Natalie realized that she had yet to ask his name, but he had left before she even had the chance.

Author's Note: It was after this point that I turned my game off because I needed a break from playing and it wouldn't come back up so I had to reinstall. Not to worry, I got everything back up and running. There are a few differences though, just minor ones such as a neighborhood change and differences in housing, but that's about it.

The next day, Natalie, Grace, and Callahan sat in the front pew listening to the the young man who they they had met last night. Scarlett was inside one of the children's rooms playing with a few toys.

"And so...while boolprop may make our lives easier, it is the will of Will Wright, himself, that we try to do things for ourselves no matter how tedious they may be."

"I can't believe Margs didn't come," Grace said in disbelief.

"Well, she did have a big case today," Callahan whispered.

"Er...you know you guys aren't supposed to talk," Natalie said softly and upon those words, the three looked towards the front again.

When the service was over, Natalie approached the young man. She at least wanted to get his name.

"That was a wonderful service," she complimented.

He laughed. "I'm glad you enjoyed it and I'm also glad you could come, Mrs..."

"Oh, it's Miss," she corrected him. "Emerson, but you can call me Natalie." Was he the type of religious figure that would judge her for being pregnant when there was no sign of a husband?

He didn't. In fact, he didn't even comment on her pregnancy. "Natalie then. My name is Trevor...Trevor Meade.” Trevor Meade...Beautiful name and beautiful man. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Trevor agreed. "Listen, I would really understand if you said no, but I was wondering if you'd like to get some dinner with me one night."

Dinner? With her? "Sure, I'd love to," Natalie said. "How about tomorrow night, sometime?" she asked.

"Tomorrow night sounds good. I'll call you tomorrow during the day and we can set up the time and place."

And with that, Natalie had a date...or at least an outing.

"So tell me about your family," Trevor asked.

Natalie and Trevor were at the cafe downtown. After having agreed on a place to eat, they met each other at the restaurant. Natalie had almost suggested Londoste, but she didn't want to eat at the place where her marriage proposal had been rejected. Besides, this restaurant seemed to have a more homey feel to it as opposed to the stuffy Londoste.

"Well, I have two sisters. You've met one of them already, Grace. My other sister is named Margaret. She's a lawyer. She works all the time, so I hardly see her. I also have a niece and a nephew."

Their food arrived. Being that Natalie was with child, she had a craving for Lobster Thermidor while Trevor ordered the ribs.

"What about you?" Natalie asked curiously. "Do you have any siblings?"

"I used to have a sister, but she died of Lieukemia," Trevor said. There was a saddened expression upon his face.

Before Natalie could stop herself, she reached out and touched his hand. It was so warm. He looked up at her.

"I'm sorry for your loss. It must be hard to lose a family member. I lost my parents two years ago."

Trevor's lips curled into a smile. "But they're all in a better place now."

"Of course," Natalie agreed reluctantly letting go of his hand.

After dinner, the two decided to go to the Sugar Cube Bowling lanes.

"Now sit down and watch a pro at work," Trevor said teasingly.

"Oh, really now?" Natalie said with equal playfulness.

"Woo! Now that's how you do it."

"Uh...you missed one," Natalie said with a smirk.

"I'd like to see you do better."

This teasing felt natural and not forced. Natalie could feel comfortable around him.

Natalie took her place, holding the ball up and contemplated the best way to knock down the pins. "Watch and learn," she said smugly.

However, she caught something out of the corner of her eye that caused her elated mood to fall a few notches. A few feet behind her stood Phil Haggerty, the man who was the child of her father. He didn't look at Natalie. In fact, it was like she didn't even exist.

Natalie felt a surge of anger and the temptation to lodge the bowling ball into his skull, but she was the better person. If he wanted to pretend she didn't exist, then so could she.

The floor was rather slippery, so when Natalie threw her ball forward, she slipped. But luckily, the way she fell wouldn't have hurt the baby. She watched as the ball rolled ever closer to the pins.

Her spirits were lifted once again as she made a strike. "And that's how you do it!" she said doing a little happy dance.

"Good job!" Trevor complimented her.

After about an hour of bowling, Natalie and Trevor sat next to each other on the bench. Trevor surprised Natalie by putting an arm around her and pulling her close.

"We should do this again, sometime," he said caressing her hand.

"We should," Natalie agreed. "The renovations on my house should be done within a week or so. You should come over."

"I'd love to," Trevor said.

Natalie found herself resting her head on his shoulder. Was she falling in love too fast? Who cares if she was. She felt comfortable with him. She could be herself and he treated her like a person and not some object of physical pleasure.

Natalie loved her new house. It was a little on the small side, but there was a nice beachfront and it had three bedrooms plus a nursery for the baby. Trevor came over nearly everyday. He didn't seem to mind laying on the sand and looking up at the stars with her.

"So, Sunshine. When is the baby due?" he asked rubbing her baby bump gently."

"I still have a few more months to go," Natalie said.

"You're going to be a wonderful mother. I just know it."

He never seemed to bring up the fact that she was raising the child alone.

Many hours passed and after they had passed, Trevor announced that he needed to go.

"I'll call you tomorrow or come by," he said pulling her close and whispering in her ear.

Natalie nodded, a soft blush upon her cheeks before she was helped up by Trevor.

Trevor leaned down to rub her belly before he kissed it. "Now don't give your mother too hard of a time. She needs her sleep you know," he said teasingly, but also with a hint of love for the tiny life growing inside of her.

He would be a good father someday, Natalie thought. He was so full of love.

Trevor then surprised Natalie by dipping her down and pressing his lips against hers. How different this kiss was from Phil's. It was so gentle and soft as opposed to Phil's rough kisses. Trevor's hands didn't wander either. Instead, he held her securely as if she were a fragile porcelain doll that needed care and affection.

After she was right side up again, he kissed her once more before bidding her a good night.

Months passed and one evening while coming in, Natalie's water broke.

Oh no! she thought. I'm going to have the baby right here!

The pain began and Natalie's screams reverberated throughout the entire neighborhood.

Natalie soon held her child up. She had blonde hair that could have come from either her mother or her father, tan skin, and silvery grey eyes that came from her father.

"Welcome to the world, Little Tara," Natalie cooed at her daughter.

And so, the heiress of Generation Two was born.

That next day, Trevor came over to see little Tara.

"She's beautiful, Nat," Trevor said looking down at Natalie's precious child.

"Yes she is," Natalie agreed. She had thought long and hard about her feelings for Trevor. She knew he would be a good father and it had nothing to do with the fact that he was family oriented. "Um...Trevor? Can you meet me down at the beach?" she asked.

Trevor nodded and followed Natalie outside.

Once Natalie had Trevor outside, she leaned down on one knee.

"Nattie? What's this?" Trevor asked.

"Trevor, I know we've only known each other for a few months, but I feel something with you. You're gentle, you're sweet. I can see that you love Tara even though you just met her. I can see that you will one day be a wonderful father."

"What are you asking of me?"

Natalie produced a box with a ring inside that she'd bought a few weeks ago. "I'm asking you to marry me," Natalie said.

Trevor gasped. There was that fear in Natalie's icy blue eyes. Would he reject her? Would he run? What would he do?

Trevor took the ring and placed it on his finger. It was a perfect fit. "Of course I'll marry you! If you weren't going to propose to me, then I was going to propose to you today...right here...in this very spot."

Natalie threw her arms around Trevor. He had just made her the happiest woman in the world. She knew that nothing could ruin this moment.

Natalie and Trevor were married in a simple, yet beautiful beach wedding surrounded by their friends and loved ones.

The party ended up being a roaring success to say the least. What was in store for the newly weds? Well, they would just have to find out.

That's it for this chapter! Join us next time!