Chapter 64
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
FOUR MONTHS LATER
“This totally sucks,” says Lauren as she lumbers into the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.
“It does,” I say, walking as slowly as she does. “How did I let you talk me into coming here when I’m still puking my guts out?”
“Because I told Val I wanted your bachelorette party here. She had it booked and paid for as soon as you set a wedding date. How’d we know we’d both get knocked up?”
I groan, thinking about being knocked up.
I feel a wave of nausea. I take a few deep breaths, attempting to keep it at bay.
I look over at Lauren and see she’s not doing as well as I am.
She’s a weird shade of green. I quickly look around for a restroom.
Hell, she’d probably take a closet as long as there was something she could toss her cookies into.
I spot the ladies’ room and point. Lauren takes off in a sprint. “God, I hope she makes it,” I whisper.
“Where’s she running off to?” asks Valerie.
“Bathroom.”
“Again? She went several times on the flight.” Valerie says, looking contemplative.
“At the airport too. Now here?” I watch as the light bulb hits.
“Oh, my God. She’s pregnant?” Valerie squeals with joy as she jumps up and down.
In the last four months, Valerie and Perri have become a wonderful part of my life.
Lauren’s, too. We’re the fabulous foursome, as Val likes to call us.
Just watching Valerie jump is making me nauseous.
“Stop, please,” I say, placing my hand over my mouth.
I was hoping we could wait to share the news until I was past the first trimester.
I don’t think that’s going to work now. I hit the bathroom just in time to lose my single saltine and sip of lemon-lime soda.
I hear her before I see her. “You’re pregnant, too?” Valerie screams right behind my head.
I moan in pain.
“Oh, honey. I’m sorry. You should have told me. We could have skipped this trip and stayed home to shop for the nursery.” I hear her feet clack on the floor as she jumps up and down. A second pair of clacks enters the bathroom. “Perri. They’re both pregnant. Isn’t that exciting?”
“Sweet,” she shouts. “I’m gonna be the best damn auntie in the entire world, ladies. Just you wait and see.”
I stand up and turn to look at my soon-to-be in-laws. They’re hugging and jumping. I smile at them. “So, you’re okay with this?” I say, patting my belly. “You’re ready to be Grandma Val?”
“Nana Valerie, please,” she says, beaming. “It sounds much more dignified.”
I laugh as I make my way to the sink. Lauren exits a bathroom stall at the same time. She looks like shit. “You look like shit,” I say to my bestie.
“Screw you,” she mutters. “You look like shit, too.”
“Now, ladies. Let’s not get bitchy,” says Perri, laughing. “We’re going to have fun even though you can’t drink. We can still gamble and pick up men. Oops, I guess I’m the only one that can do that. You two can help me pick up men? You can be my wingwomen.”
“What about me?” asks Valerie, looking a little offended. “I can pick up men, too.”
Perri’s mouth gapes open. “Seriously? You’re ready for that, finally?”
“Maybe. We’ll see. I’m open to a fling.” She turns and winks at me. “A woman has needs, you know.”
“Nope. No, don’t go there, Mom. I don’t want to know about my mother and her needs. Nope. Nope,” she says, shaking her head.
I feel well enough to laugh at their exchange. They are so fun to watch.
“You can take turns hooking up. Just put a sock on the door if you’re in there bangin’ someone,” Lauren deadpans.
“Gross,” groans Perri. “I may never have sex again. Thanks a lot, Lauren.”
All four of us burst out laughing as we walk up to the check-in desk.
“Where are the guys staying?” Perri asks us.
Gill and Sam are in Vegas too. They brought a few of their buddies with them, but some had to stay back and keep the business running. “The Bellagio,” I reply.
“I’ll bet you a hundred bucks they don’t make it until dinner before they’re over here sniffing around for you two. They’re both whipped.”
I smile at Lauren, who smiles right back. “I give Gill until lunchtime. He won’t be able to stay away.”
“You’re both wrong,” says Valerie, pointing toward the entrance to the hotel.
We turn to see Sam and Gill walk in the door carrying their luggage. “We decided to get rooms here instead,” Gill says to Lauren. “The Bellagio was a hellhole.”
We all burst out laughing. The Bellagio is not a hellhole. We know he just wants to stay close to Lauren. I look at Sam and watch him shrug and smirk. “What can we say? This place has everything we need.” Then he winks at me.
Aww, he’s so sweet. “You can’t share a room with us. This is supposed to be a girls’ trip. Your mom will be upset. She’s got everything planned for us,” I whisper in his ear.
“No problem, we’ve rented the presidential suite.”
“You did?” I say too loud.
“Yeah, so if you ladies want, we’d be more than happy to share. There are four bedrooms,” says Gill with his own smirk.
“No. Ladies, stay strong,” chides Perri. “We’ve got things to do, and no boys allowed.”
“Suit yourself. See you ladies later, then?” Sam leans over and kisses my cheek. “You feeling okay?” he whispers in my ear. He’s been there for the majority of my morning sickness sessions.
“So-so. Just lost my cracker a minute ago. But I’ll be fine. I’m almost through with this part of it. Oh, and your mom and sister know now.”
Just then, Valerie walks over to her son and wraps her arms around him. “Congratulations, honey. I’m so proud of you. You’re going to be a wonderful father. Just like your dad.” I see his eyes sparkle with emotion. He says nothing for a minute, but he recovers.
“Thanks, Mom. If I’m half the father Dad was, I’ll consider it a success.”
I wipe a tear from my cheek and smile at my man. I look at everyone, and they’re all watching us. My family is here sharing this moment with us. I place my palm on my belly and smile brightly. My entire family is here, and I couldn’t be happier.
New Year’s Eve
“Just one more push, baby. Just one more,” says my husband softly in my ear.
I could bite his damn head off right now.
He thinks this is so damn easy. I’ve got news for him.
Giving birth to a nine-pound baby isn’t for the faint of heart.
I should’ve known Sam would produce giant offspring.
When the doctor told us last week that our little bundle of joy could top out at ten pounds, I nearly delivered him on the spot.
My vagina isn’t supposed to be able to squeeze out a toddler.
“One more push, MacKenzie.” This time it’s my know-it-all doctor talking.
I’d love to tell him to shut his pie hole, but he won’t listen. He’s got a job to do, I say mockingly in my head. I take a giant breath and bear down. I push so hard I’m positive I could have delivered a Plymouth. When I hear the loud cry, I look over at Sam and blink.
He looks to his left and then back at me. “You did it, sweetheart. You did it. You’re incredible. You… you’re amazing.”
I look at the doctor and see he’s holding up a—well, to be honest, a gross little alien creature. I’m sure he’s perfectly beautiful beneath all of the goo. I wait with bated breath to hear the words. We wanted to be surprised about the sex. “MacKenzie? Sam? It’s a boy!” he shouts.
Hearing the words out loud is overwhelming.
I can’t control the tears that start to pour out of my eyes.
I’m sobbing, and when I turn to my husband, he’s doing the same.
He’s crying so hard I feel like I need to console him.
I hold my arms out to come to me, and he does.
He wraps his arms around me and sobs into my neck.
“I’m so happy, Mac. You’ve made me the happiest man on the planet. Thank you.”
“Here he is, Mom and Dad.” Sam steps away as a nurse sets our son onto my chest.
“Well, hello there Franklyn Sean Stone,” I coo. We had names picked out. If we’d had a girl, she would have been named Madelyn Margaret after my mom and grandmother. Since it’s a boy, we’re naming him after Pops and Sam’s dad. It’s perfect.
He’s perfect. He’s got a lot of blond hair on his tiny head.
It’s hard to tell who he looks like yet but I see he’s got long fingers and toes like Sam.
His sweet little mouth is puckering like he wants to cry.
That, he got from me. I smile at my husband as he lets Frankie clutch his big finger. “He’s strong,” he says proudly.
“Just like his daddy,” I coo to my baby boy.
Minutes after I’ve been cleaned up and covered up, we’re inundated with family as Valerie, Perri, Lauren, and Gill step into the room to see our little man.
“He’s beautiful,” says Nana Valerie. “He looks a lot like you did, Sam. But I see a lot of Mac in him, too.” She wipes a tear away.
“He’s adorable,” says Auntie Perri. “We’re going to have so much fun together, aren’t we, Frankie?”
They all knew the names we’d chosen. I was concerned someone would have negative comments about one or both of the names, but they all seemed to like our choices. “He’s beautiful, Mac. Just like you,” says my best friend. “You feeling okay? He’s huge,” she says, looking concerned.
“Nine pounds, ten ounces. I may have to have reconstructive hoo-ha surgery, but it was worth it.” There’s laughter all around me. The nurses are giggling, and even the doctor, who is still standing by, laughs. “What? I wasn’t kidding. This boy is ginormous.”
Everyone in the room laughs, and in no time, I’m even giggling.
The noise makes Frankie fussy, so after hugs and kisses all around, everyone leaves except Sam.
The lactation expert comes in to show me how to nurse.
It’s harder than it looks, and not just a little painful.
Frankie’s not sure he likes it. I hope we can both figure it out soon.
“Just give it some time. He’ll latch on eventually. You may be sore, so be sure you use the salve I gave you. There are nipple guards you can use if it gets to be too much. Those help quite a bit.”
Sam and I both nod. We’ve got one of those at home.
Actually, we have everything we’d ever need and more at home.
Between Val, Perri, Lauren, and Gill, our little guy is set up for life.
Lauren has had a head start on this baby stuff.
She and Gill delivered a baby girl about three weeks ago.
Her name is Violet, and she’s gorgeous, just like her mama.
Gill and Lauren were married in Las Vegas by an Elvis impersonator.
Her divorce had been finalized the week before our trip, so when Gill got down on one knee and presented Lauren with the biggest ring I’ve ever seen—a cushion-cut diamond micropavé design of at least three carats—she went literally speechless, a rare occurrence for Lauren.
I’m almost positive she thought it was a cubic zirconia until she saw the ring box with the words Harry Winston embossed on the inside of the lid.
When she saw that, she nearly passed out. “You can’t afford that,” she squeaked. “Gill? You don’t need to prove anything to me. I love you no matter what. It’s okay that you’re poor. Can we take it back? It’s too expensive.”
She rambled on and on until Gill finally shut her up with a kiss. “Is that a yes?” he said with a chuckle.
“Of course it’s a yes, but this has to go back,” she said with her hands on her hips.
Gill leaned over and gave her another sweet kiss, and then he whispered in her ear. I watched her face turn first pale as a ghost and then red as a tomato. He wrapped his arms around her, and I watched his back shake. He was laughing.
“You’re rich?” she said quietly.
“I am.”
“It doesn’t mean I love you any differently, Gill. I love you the same either way.”
“I know, baby. I feel the same about you.”
We all watched as they kissed so sweetly and then so passionately that it got a little uncomfortable. Sam finally cleared his throat, loudly. They finally stopped. To the relief of everyone.
That meant my bachelorette weekend turned into the Gill and Lauren wedding weekend, and that was okay with me.
It was perfect and hilarious. Sam and I considered making it into a double wedding, but we didn’t.
In the end, we were married in the same chapel that his mom and dad were married in.
We had a small ceremony on a hot July day.
I was over the morning sickness and well into the glowing stage.
Even though I was showing at the ceremony, I didn’t mind.
It just meant our little guy was with us when we said our vows.
I look over at Sam and smile. I can’t believe how lucky I am. I’ve got the two most handsome men in the world with me right now, and I know they’ll always be with me. I also know that Pops, Mom, and Grandma are all looking down and smiling.