When Jeanie got off the phone with her family, she decided to sit down with Chad and explain her plan for her part in their future together. This included when she wanted to start thinking about children. She wanted to be sure that Chad was on the same page as her when it came to this.
Chad agreed to the terms that Jeanie set forth about their future. He understood her desire to wait for children until they were both more financially stable as well as her being finished with medical school. He explained that he had invested a portion of the money he had gotten from selling his art and figures and was seeing a good return on his investment. He had no desire to interfere or delay her future and that invested money was going to be their nest egg for purchasing their own home someday. If they wanted to raise children in the future, then having a house with a good-sized yard would be ideal. After discussing things to do with children, Jeanie brought up something that she had been curious about.
"Chad? How come you don't draw or paint any more? I don't even see you using your tablet for your digital art. It's been months since you made anything, and you've stopped requesting to draw me. What's going on? You love your art!"
Chad wasn't exactly hiding the fact that he wasn't drawing or painting any longer, but he didn't want to worry Jeanie and just outright tell her that he had sold his art supplies to aid in keeping a roof over their head when things had been the tightest for them.
"I sold them to help us afford this place. I wanted a home that you would feel comfortable in and one where we could enjoy our privacy and the only apartment that met that criteria was this place. This apartment isn't exactly cheap, Jeanie, it's actually quite expensive, but I was determined to have a place of our own where we could be ourselves."
"How much is expensive? What kind of numbers are we talking about here?" Jeanie had never really thought about the cost of their rent since the apartment was being leased by Chad. He always paid the bills and she just contributed financially whatever she could spare that wasn't going toward her schooling.
Chad laid out the numbers which averaged the cost of an apartment twice this size in the better part of town. They lived in a studio apartment which was the smallest and most inexpensive one that was offered in this new apartment complex. But they had a lovely balcony that they had put a few plants on as well as a couple of lounge chairs that he had gotten for cheap. They often spent an evening out there just talking and enjoying the sunset. The car he's had since his 16th birthday had long since been paid off by his grandfather, for which he was grateful. Jeanie didn't have a car, but they lived close to campus, so she just walked there more often than not.
Jeanie was surprised and a little upset. Chad had never asked her to contribute more to their living expenses, even when she had been working. "Why didn't you tell me?! I would have contributed more while working! You didn't have to give up your art for me!"
"I wanted you to focus on your dream, my lovely angel. It was and is still important to me that you achieve your dream of becoming a doctor." He pulled her into his lap and embraced her, burying his face into her scent gland and just inhaled her peach scented pheromones. "Your money was for your dream, and I wanted to make sure you could afford your dream. I was selfish enough wanting to move out of my family home, just to be alone with you more often. If we had stayed, then we could have saved on rent and utilities costs and maybe I wouldn't have had to sell my collection of figures and art, but I consider it well worth it seeing you so happy when you come home every day. Besides there's no reason that I can't work a normal 9-5 job and pull in that income. It's at least steady work and it pays for this place. Whatever isn't covered by my job, you have been more than generous making up the difference."
Jeanie sighed. "Alright, I get it. But from now on, I want a more equal split in the way we pay for things. You shouldn't sacrifice your dream for my sake!"
After the two had this serious discussion, time moved on for them with both of them working in tandem to pay for their lifestyle. They managed their expenses better and Chad eventually started to paint again. He found a better paying job about a year after they moved into their apartment and acted as a private art instructor for several families. The pay was extremely generous, and it allowed him more time to paint for himself and for Jeannette.
Chad eventually started to get a small amount of recognition for his artwork as he continued to sell it to private collectors and soon enough, he was able to make art his full-time passion. His paintings began to fetch ridiculous prices in certain circles, but his real success wouldn't start until many years later. His subject? Family life. His series of paintings, depicting a day in the life of a family, were the most sought after works in his collection. His inspiration? His own children with Jeannette.
The year after Jeannette graduated medical school and earned her doctorate, Jeanie married Chad in a midsummer ceremony. Shortly after her honeymoon, and before she became a full-fledged doctor, she decided that now was when she wanted children. Her first child was a little boy, and she named him Chadwick Matthew Baker after his papa. Jeanie and Chad settled on having two children, with a little girl born 4 years after her big brother. Chloé Isabella Baker was as calm and poised as could be, while Chad Jr. on the other hand was a rambunctious child and loved mischief.
Their children would go on to become best friends with Vivi's children, growing up together and going to school together. Her best friend Vivi ended up marrying Leon Bartley, which to those that had seen the two over the years saw as no surprise. Ever since their school days they could see the way that Leon had looked at Vivi and eventually the two mated and married. Jeanie had delivered every one of her best friend's children, being named their godparent right alongside Chad who was best friends with Leon. Even though there was a huge age gap between their husbands, they were close friends due to Leon being a sigma alpha and more advanced than most people his age.
Jeanie and Chad's parents both spoiled their grandkids rotten, while Chad's siblings Chaz and Kat both loved being the fun aunt and uncle. Alice was enamored with her baby nephew when he was born and loved to babysit for her when she needed a hand. They had a good support network of friends and family, which allowed them to achieve their dreams. Even though Jeanie wasn't as famous as Vivi had become in the medical community, she did make quite the name for herself amongst her beta patients. She was fairly sought after and often had to turn patients away since she had a strict rule about quality over quantity when it came to patient care. She followed her great-aunt Matty's credo and learned from the best as she trained to be a doctor. She had been both her and Vivi's mentor as they trained under her tutelage.
Being an obstetrician and mostly focusing on beta patients, didn't mean that she didn't see the occasional omega patient. She made exceptions when Vivi referred them to her since she trusted her friend's judgment. However, what she didn't expect was that one day, she would have her oldest god-daughter come to visit her in her office with her mother right behind her. That was one hell of a surprise and a long story. It was an interesting tale and once everything had been explained, she found herself with a new patient since Liona was expecting an unknown alpha's child and she was tight-lipped about who the father was. She had her work cut out for her, but that was a story for another time…
END