• Matt didn't talk the whole way to Caroline's house, he looked deep in thought. I must have really pissed him off. He usually has something to say when I put the radio on country, he hated country with a passion. But today, He just looked over at me and gave off a weak smile. I was really worried about him. First we fight, then he falls off a ladder and God I almost killed him with the fact that I slept with my best friend. He had way too much stress going on, even the hockey team started going down. It's as if the whole team feels his pain.
    I felt the cause of everything and I didn't know what to do about it. Just kiss him and apologize? Is that really enough right now? I didn't think so.
    "Hey, Coach, Tara." Brink said, winking at me.
    "Not now Brink, we are far from the school and I will take you down in a heartbeat, and in front of your mommy too, so I'd suggest you march your behind up those stairs and do your homework." I said to him.
    "Always gotta put a fella down." Brink turned up the stairs and Caroline invited us in.
    We told her about everything, she seemed confused and unsure if she should believe us, or call the mental hospital, but in the end she said, "You two can have my guest room."
    "Actually, Tara can. I'd rather sleep on the couch tonight. If that is okay with you?" Matt looked at Caroline, not even looking at me.
    "Um, yeah. Sure." She shot me a glance. The Josh issue was still under the covers to her, so I had to tell her what was up.
    Around midnight, the guys had gone to bed. So it left Caroline and I alone to talk.
    "Tahrah, what's going on?" She handed me a cup of coffee and sat down across from me.
    "I slept with Josh." I took a sip, Caroline choked on her own.
    "What? You and Josh. How did that happen?" Her eyes were wide as she looked at me, waiting for an answer.
    "Long story short. Matt and I got in a fight, I called a break. I freaked out crying, Josh was trying to confort me and then it just happened."
    "My God Tara, you weren't drunk or anything? Because you would never do such a thing. You and Matt are like the destined couple."
    "Sober." I sighed.
    "Wow, um...I am going to bed. I suggest the same on your part. Maybe, sneak in the living room and talk this over with your hubby." She smiled and walked up the stairs.
    I sat at the table for a few hours, lost in thought.
    I thought about how Matt and I use to be, how we turned since this ghost thing. I was part to blame, Matt was also. But nothing had ever come between us like this before. I needed to talk to him, and soon. I sat there for what seemed like forever, now nothing was in my head, I just cried.
    Creeeaaakkk.
    Someone was coming in the kitchen. I wipped my eyes quickly, but he saw the tears and walked up to me.
    "Ta." He whispered in my ear.
    "Matt, I am so sorry, please. Please can we just forget about everything and go back to the old times. When we were happy, when we didn't fight as much?" I turned to face him. He looked me in the eyes for a minute then kissed the tip of my nose.
    "Okay, all is forgotten, now come on, lets go upstairs to bed." He grabbed my hand and pulled me up the stairs.
    All night we held on to each other, whispering in each others ears. We never slept, and when morning came, neither of us were tired. We waited till we heard Caroline and Brink go down stairs when we finally decided to go down ourselves.
    "Well, good morning my happy couple. I'm guessing everything was talked out. WOnderful. Brink thrown on a few more eggs." Caroline smiled.
    Matt had his arms wrapped around my waist, standing behind me. "Brink, lets get out today and practice. You have a couple problems in your game that I think we can solve." Matt said. He was never much of a private coach on the weekends, so Brink of course jumped at the offer.
    "Yeah Coach, that'd be great."
    Everyone sat down at the table and started to eat. When we finished, Matt and Brink headed outside and started practicing. Caroline and I sat at the table watching them for a bit.
    "You know, Caroline?"
    "No, what?"
    "Look at Matt and Brink, really look. Push out all you know about them, all you know is what you see. They are complete strangers for this moment." She nodded and looked. "Now, what are you assuming about these strangers?"
    "Father and son." She looked at me and smiled. "Wait, I know where this is going."
    "Do you really?"
    "You are either pregnant, or you are wanting to be." I smiled at her and poked my stomach.
    "Actually, this is empty, other then breakfast." We laughed.
    "Have you talked to Matt about this yet?"
    "I never found the right moment to. But look at him, he loves to coach, those are like his kids. He cares about every one of them, and not just for the teams sake. Did you know, he use to always bring in some kind of snack for them when he first started." She smiled at me. "Should I talk to him about it?" I looked at him and then her.
    "Yeah. But for now, lets go out. Shopping?"
    "Ah, you know my weakness. No shoes. How about hats, books and a movie?"
    "I like that idea. You are lucky I love to read."
    Caroline and I took off, leaving the guys alone. We went from store to store, buying all the little things we liked. Most girls would have bags and bags of clothes and shoes, but not Caroline and I, hats and books. We were the weird girls. We got to the movies and picked a Romantic Comedy, just for kicks, and when we got home, the guys were sitting in the living room yelling at the tv to the current hockey game.
    "Tahrah, get your hubby and get out of here, you have stuff to talk about. I have to get Brink to do his English homework. Maybe I'll convince him you like guys that know their english." Caroline laughed.
    "Okay. Have fun."
    I pulled Matt from the house and we headed out to eat. I was unsure how to start the baby talk.
    "Ta, you haven't touched your food. What's up?" Matt looked at me confused.
    "Well, I was really just thinking about something."
    "Really? What?" He put his fork down and reached for my hand, and smiled at me.
    "Um, I want a..." I paused, the words had slipped my mind. Now I forgot what it was I wanted.
    "A? Car, cat, dog, ice cream, hobo? What?" He laughed slightly, taking a bit of food.
    Oh, that's right. "A baby." Matt coughed, choking a bit.
    "A--a baby? Of our own?" He blinked a few times and put his hand over his mouth, still coughing a bit.
    "Yeah. If you don't want to, it's fine...." Matt shot me a glance.
    "A baby? Wow, really? Okay." I looked at him, a smile slowly formed on my face.
    "Really? You want to? Oh Matt." I jumped up and hugged him.
    "If we are going to, we would need to get our own place, even if it isn't our house now. Lets put that up and buy a new one." My excitment grew. "How about, we stay at a hotel as we look. I'm sure Caroline won't mind." Matt payed for our food. "Lets start tonight."
    "Matt, I don't know what to say."
    "Um, how about I love you Matthew, lets hurry and get our stuff." He laughed.
    "I love you Matthew, lets hurry and get our stuff."
    "I love you too Tara, and lets." We got in the car.
    We packed our stuff up and headed for a hotel, before we left, Caroline winked at me.
    Matt and I found a nice hotel. We didn't sleep at all that night. Nor the next. Christmas came, we didn't care though, other things were on our mind. New Years was here, so we decided to go out and party. The only thing about that was, I couldn't drink, if you catch my drift.
    "Caroline! You know you should have bought Sparkling Cider." I said, leaving Matt with his friends and team.
    "Why, you love wine." She looked at me funny. Then if hit her. "Oh my God, you are not!" She hugged me.
    "Yeah, found out yesterday."
    "Oh, Tara, yay! It is Matt's right?"
    "Carol!"
    "Joking, duh it is." I glared at her. She invited Josh here also. Since the day Mat and I left his house, we hadn't talked.
    I didn't call him because I was mostl confused. I love him, but like my brother. So I needed time away from him to recover from my mind blowing mistake.
    "Hey hun." Josh said, hugging me.
    "Hey."
    "I noticed you weren't drinking."
    "Oh yeah. Matt and I are going to have a baby." I smiled. Josh looked at me worried for a minute. "Don't worry, it's 100% Matt's. I've been checking all week, last night was the only positive answer." Josh smiled.
    "Okay. I don't want him killing me now."
    "Oh, if it was yours, you would be dead already." I stated. Josh laughed nurviously, but smiled and left to talk with others.
    I wondered around the room for a bit. I decided to convinc Matt to go back to our actual home tonight, maybe the ghost will have pity for the new baby.
    Matt agreed, though he fought for a bit about the promise he made me at the hospital. We headed out after the ball dropped and packed out stuff. When we got to our house, it was in perfect condition, it was a bit odd, but I ignored it.
    "Home sweet home." I said, laying on the bed.
    "Well, he seems to be chill for now." Matt said. I laughed at his choice of words.
    "You really have to stop hanging out with the high schoolers at parties."
    "Mmm, well, I am going to be a daddy, so I have to get use to being around it."
    "Matt, you still have um, I don't know, 15 years before you have to be 'hip' again."
    "Calling me unhip now?" He jumped on the bed beside me.
    I laughed and poked his nose, "I'd cool down before you break a hip."
    "Now I am old?" He joked, kissing me.
    "Mhmm." I smiled, kissing him back.
    "Well, you are older then me."
    "By a year and a day!" I protested.
    We kept joking around till we fell asleep.
    I was running, runing as fast as my feet would take me. I wasn't wearing shoes for some reason and I didn't know where I was. The halls were long, narrow. It looked like a school, but not one I had been in. I ran in one of the dark rooms, desks lined up. 5 to each row, and 6 rows. There were noises coming from the hallway. Steps, coming and going. They didn't sound human though, they seemed more animal. But what animal? I ran behind the big desk in the back of the room. Closing my eyes, I listened for the animal to come closer. But it was completely silent. When I opened my eyes, the room was full of light, and the sound of voices filled it. I stood to find myself in a class full of students, they looked at me. All the desks were full and one student said, "So is there homework?" I looked at them for a minute and smiled. I tried to speak, but nothing came out. I took a deep breathe and closed my eyes again. Suddenly the room changed. As I opened my eyes, I found myself on a boat. I was alone and no one was steering. I looked beyond the tip of the boat and saw rocks ahead. Not kind rocks either, sharp ones. I screamed, running for the wheel. Trying to steer off the path of rocks. But the wheel wouldn't budge. The rocks moved closer and closer. I closed my eyes, seeing the pattern it bought. But when I opened them, I was still heading for the rocks, now known as my death. I started crying and screaming.
    "Tara, wake up. It's okay, it's just a dream." Matt pulled me into a hug. I cried in his chest, trying to calm down.

    ~5 Months later~

    I was sitting in a chair, rubbing my belly as the baby kicked. She was getting stonger, the kicks were more powerful then a month ago. It was Monday afternoon and I was correcting papers. Matt was out with a few friends, on the off seasons, he was teaching freshman gym classes.
    I was alone, for once in this house. Matt would never leave my side, he was so supportive. I made him go out. He has no reason to be around me 24-7.
    The baby was due on September 28th. It was now May. The ghost still hasn't bothered us. It made me happy to actually be able to sleep at night and not worry. I am pretty bitchy now, but when I get lack of sleep lately, my name isn't Tara, it's Terror.
    I had quizes to correct. Finals were coming soon, and I wanted to get these done and over with before I have to correct those. I finished 5 of the 6 classes, all I had left was my smallest class, which was good because I was getting tired. I started getting hungry so I made some nachos and put them in the oven.
    Crash. Creeeaaakkk. Crash. Creeeeaaaakkkk.
    Was all I heard. It was coming from the living room. I hesitated but got up and looked around. A few pictures had fallen, and the window was open, so I figured it was just the wind.