“Brielle, honey, if you’ll get the cups, I’ll carry the punch to the table.”

Brielle looked over from where Denise was stirring a large bowl of some kind of red punch. It looked like there were oranges and other fruits floating around in it. “Oh sure.” She crossed to where two large stacks of cups were and gathered them, juggling them in her hands and using the swell in her belly to help keep them from toppling to the floor.

“Be careful, dear, I don’t want you to trip.”

“I got it,” she called out from behind the cups, doing her best to make it safely to the cardboard table that had been set up and draped with a blue tablecloth. Upon reaching the table she managed to drop the cups down and began to straighten them out. “See.”

Denise chuckled low then heaved up the bowl and slowly brought it over. It soon joined the cups and the older woman went about setting everything out nice and neatly with napkins included. “Here, taste this.” She swiped a cup and ladled some of the punch into it then pressed it into Brielle’s hands.

The blonde sipped it and gave an approving ‘yum’. “It’s delicious.”

“Good.” Denise smiled then set the ladle against the side of the bowl. “It’s my secret recipe. And one day, I may pass it on to you.” She winked at her then bustled back into the kitchen to finish her preparations.

It was Sunday, April 10th and Brielle and Alex had traveled back to Florida for the baby shower that Denise was throwing. And throwing one indeed; the place was decorated to the nines with blue streamers and blue and white balloons and a banner that read ‘Congratulations, Alex & Brielle’ in blue and white lettering. And the food galore. Any and every kind of finger food was displayed beautifully on a long table and now the punch Denise had set out.

A tent had been constructed in the backyard with tables and chairs for the guests and a large table stood to the side to hold the gifts that were brought for the couple. Brielle wouldn’t have believed all the trouble Denise and Tony had gone through if she hadn’t witnessed it with her own eyes. She was blown away by all the grandeur and the small details down to the tiny blue baby booty candle mementos for the guests.

After assisting Denise with the cups, Brielle made her way back into the house where she found Alex with his stepfather. The guests were due to arrive any minute now and then the party would be under full swing. She was excited to meet his family and friends that she hadn’t met yet, but she was most excited to see Lily again. Lily and Jordan were supposed to have flown in on Saturday and the two couples were going to have dinner together, but something had come up so they had to change their tickets to this morning and would be arriving about the time the party started.

“There you are.” Alex turned to her as she joined them, holding out a hand for hers. “You look beautiful.”

Brielle smiled softly and looked down to the navy colored, cap sleeved dress she was wearing. Personally, she felt like she was slowly becoming a whale. Her stomach, which had started out growing slowly and little by little, had seemed to double in size over night and now she could hardly even see her toes anymore. Not to mention, her breasts felt like they were getting heavier and heavier with each passing day. She felt so top heavy and waddley like a duck it was a wonder she didn’t fall over on her face.

“I feel huge,” she finally commented, looking back to her fiancé’s face.

Alex leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I think you’re beautiful.”

That made her smile and she squeezed his hand. “Well, thank you.”

Alex stood straight again then pulled her closer and slipped his arm around her shoulders. “Tony was just giving me some name suggestions.” The couple was still kaput on what to name their son.

Brielle leaned into his side. “Oh yeah? Any that you like?”

Tony chuckled. “I suggested Anthony.”

“Anthony…Anthony McLean,” she mulled it over. “I kinda like that. We could call him,” and she paused and laughed low at the realization, “Tony.”

Tony smirked and Alex chuckled. “I told him I wasn’t against it.”

“Hm, what about Antonio?”

“Hey, long as you call him Tony… you could name him George and I’d be fine with it,” Tony teased.

Brielle laughed at that. “I do like Anthony though.”

Alex kissed her cheek. “I do too. Anthony Alexander McLean.”

“Oye, that’s a mouthful.”

Her fiancé opened his mouth to reply, but the doorbell sounded and cut him off. He glanced toward the door then back to her and wiggled his brows. “It’s party time.”

She giggled low and smoothed her dress as Tony went off to answer the door. “I’m so nervous to meet your family.”

“They’re going to love you.”

“I hope so.” She reached up and touched her hair then looked toward the doorway as the voices neared and Tony appeared again.

“Right this way,” he instructed the guests, leading them into the room to the waiting couple.

“Brielle!” Lily appeared in the doorway followed by Jordan who was carrying two large gift bags with baby blue tissue paper overflowing from the tops.

“Lily!” Brielle felt her eyes widen and then tears filled them as she pushed forward to her best friend, meeting Lily halfway across the room and wrapping her into a tight hug.

Lily’s own eyes shimmered with tears and she returned the hug, holding it for a half moment before pulling back enough to look her friend over. “Oh my gosh, look how beautiful you are!”

The blonde blushed some and chuckled softly, wiping under her eyes then looking down at herself. “I’m so big.”

“And beautiful!” Her friend reached out and smoothed her hand over Brielle’s tummy. “You have got the cutest bump I think I have ever seen.” She tilted her head some and patted her belly. “Hello in there. This is your Aunt Lily.”

“It just…popped out over night. I woke up like…whoa, I can’t see my feet.”

“It’s so cute!” Lily giggled and patted her belly once more then moved her hand. “You have to let me know if he moves. I want to feel it.”

Brielle couldn’t help her grin. “Oh definitely.” She took a moment to look her friend over then hugged her again. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Lily hugged her back then they separated and Brielle greeted Jordan while Lily said hello to Alex.

“So,” her dear friend questioned once she was back at the blonde’s side, “has Alex felt him move yet?”

“All the time.” A grin spread over her face. “And he loves to talk or sing to him; it’s just the cutest thing, Lily. Ugh, it makes me want to just cry and cry. Stupid hormones.”

“Aww, that’s so cute.” She slipped her arm through her friend’s. “And you’re feeling okay?”

“I feel fat,” came Brielle’s response.

Lily snorted. “I don’t see an ounce of fat on you. You’re all baby, Brie.”

“All huge baby, you mean. I’m so worried he is gonna come out like 20 pounds and three feet tall.”

The brunette laughed. “Like that commercial where the lady gives birth to the teenager.”

“Ugh,” Brielle turned away from her friend, “please don’t put any mental images into my head.”

Lily apologized and Alex joined them, smoothing his arm around Brielle’s waist and gently pulling her to his side. “What mental images are you putting into my fiancée’s head?”

But before either woman could respond, the door chimes were sounding signaling more guests had arrived and the party was kicked into gear.

Brielle met more people than she had expected to meet; all kinds of family friends joined them and near and far family members. Everyone was just so excited to finally get to meet the young woman who had affected Alex’s life so and she hardly had a minute to herself the entire afternoon. It was a day she wanted to never forget. Every person she met had just been so sweet and excited for her and Alex and while the guests munched on the finger foods and sipped Denise’s punch, the happy couple announced the engagement and then it was time to ooh over the ring and ask all kinds of questions about when and where they wanted to get married.

Denise had to finally remind everyone it was a baby shower and then it was time for Baby Bingo, Baby Trivia and a few other baby themed games the hostess had thought up. Afterward, Alex and Brielle opened the gifts and the blonde tried not to cry at all the beautiful and thoughtful mementos and other helpful baby items they had received. She had no idea how they would get any of it back to California, but that was something she would let Alex worry about.

And then while Lily and Denise flittered about cleaning up all the wrapping paper and gift bags, Alex rose from his seat and took Brielle’s hand, helping her to her feet as well. “I have something for you,” he spoke low in her ear before excusing them from the guests that were mingling amongst themselves.

“What do you have?” She questioned him curiously as they made their way back into the house and toward the front living room.

Alex stopped just outside the doorway and grinned at her. “Close your eyes.”

Her brows lifted. “My eyes?”

“Yes,” he touched her cheek, “close your eyes.”

Her blue eyes studied him a moment then she giggled softly and let her lids close. “Don’t let me fall.”

“I’m not gonna let you fall, baby.”

He kissed her cheek softly and she inhaled his scent, feeling herself melting some. “Mkay, I trust you.”

“Good.” And he moved behind her and took hold of her shoulders, slowly steering her into the room so she wouldn’t trip. He waited until they had come to a stop before taking her hand with one of his and speaking once more, “Okay, you can look.”

Brielle’s eyelids fluttered some as she slowly opened them and she gasped at the sight before her.

A bassinette had been placed there in a rich, wooden color to match the décor of the nursery with cream colored bedding and a matching canopy that could be adjusted. At the bottoms of the legs were wheels that could be locked in place and made the bassinette mobile and a shelf under the bedding part looked like it could be used for extra blankets or diapers, tucked conveniently out of the way but within easy reach.

“Oh, Alex,” she breathed out as she took it all in then slowly moved forward and ran her fingers over the smooth finish of the wooden side. “This…this is beautiful.”

“You like it?” He joined her and smoothed a hand over her back.

She turned to him with shimmering eyes. “I love it.”

The smile on his face grew bigger at that and he felt his body relaxing some. “I was gonna give it to you out there with the others watching, but thought maybe we needed this moment for ourselves.”

“Oh, I love it. I love it so much! Thank you!” And she wrapped herself around him and hugged him as tight as she could; holding it for a long moment then pulling away and examining the bassinette more closely. “This is just beautiful.”

Alex’s grin grew even more and he quickly showed her all the tiny bed had to offer like the rolling wheels and removable mattress, the interchangeable skirt of the bed that helped hide the shelf below.

“I had it custom made,” he admitted after she’d looked it carefully over. “I wasn’t sure they would get it done in time for today, but my guy came through.”

Brielle’s eyes widened. “Custom made?”

“Yup.” He smiled all big and proud at her then took her hand in his and led her around to the front of it. “And…he told me that as soon as we figure out the name, he’ll stencil it right there for us.” And he motioned toward the blank section on the outside of the head of the bassinette.

“Ooh, it’ll match the one on his wall.” And she was hugging him again and showering his face and neck with kisses. “I love it and I love you!”

He laughed softly and hugged her close. “Mm good, I’m so glad you do, love it and me,” he added as an afterthought.

She giggled and squeezed him once more then pulled back. “You really are amazing, you know that?”

“I’ve been told that once or twice.” He drew a shoulder up some, trying not to let the blush creep over his cheeks that was trying to. He would have to give all the credit for his amazing-ness to his fiancée though. She made him great and made him want to be better and do better.

She smiled and touched his cheek. “I’m so grateful I get to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Me too.” He kissed her palm then held her hand to his cheek. “And I hope I live to be really, really old so we have lots and lots of years together.”

“That feeling is definitely mutual.” Then she slipped closer and melted into his embrace.

Alex held her close for a long moment then finally gave a small sound in his throat and pulled back, taking her hand into his. “We should probably get back out there. Another minute or two and my mom will probably be sending Lily in after us.”

Brielle laughed at that. “Probably so; we can’t be rude to our guests. Besides, I’m having the best time.”

“Me too.” He met her eyes and squeezed her hand firmly. “Now, let’s go have some cake before they cut it without us and eat it all up.”

“Ack, c’mon on!” And then she was pulling him out of the room and heading back for the backyard.

~*~*~*~*~

“Do you need any help in here?”

Denise turned to find Brielle in the doorway to her kitchen. She smiled softly at the blonde and shook her head. “No, I don’t want you lifting a finger here; I’m doing just fine.” She tilted her head toward the counter. “You can keep me company though.”

Brielle slipped to the counter and managed to wiggle herself onto a stool there. “Are you sure? I can wash a mean dish.”

“I’m almost finished up here, actually.” The older woman surveyed the scene where she stood hand washing the last of the dishes.

The party had been a success and after the guests had finally taken their leave, Alex, Tony and Jordan had cleaned up the backyard while Lily and Denise did the inside, including the dishes.

“Besides,” she looked back to her future daughter-in-law, “I thought you and Lily were cataloging the gifts.”

“We did that already. Lily is very efficient and now she’s helping Jordan and Alex take ‘em to the spare bedroom so they can be packed and shipped back to California.”

“And they won’t let you lift anything, will they?”

The blonde shook her head and pushed some hair from her face. “Nope, I get lucky if he let’s me carry in a grocery bag.”

Denise chuckled low and rinsed a plate under the water. “Well, you can’t be too careful. He just wants to make sure you’re doing all you can to keep you and the baby safe.”

“I know,” she sighed and propped her chin in her hand, her elbow on the counter, “but sometimes I just want to look at him and be like …‘I think I can carry a bag of food into the house’.”

“Enjoy it while it lasts.” She tucked the plate into the dish drain and moved on to the next one. “Soon he’ll be hollering at you to carry all the bags while he’s chasing a toddler that has escaped from his car seat and is now racing down the driveway.”

That made the blonde giggle. “You think that’ll happen?”

“That and much, much more.”

She giggled more. “I’m excited. I can’t wait to see his little face and his big eyes that look into mine, to feel his fingers gripping mine, to just hold him close and know that he’s mine.”

Denise paused at that and smiled softly. “It’s a wonderful feeling.”

“I’m scared for, ya know, all the stuff that happens before that, but I’m so itching to be at that point already.”

“Don’t rush it, sweetheart.” The older woman scrubbed some silverware then rinsed them and tucked them into the dish drain. “It’ll happen soon enough and then before you know it, he’s grown up and moving out. You need to enjoy every moment while it lasts.”

“I’m definitely gonna try.” She smoothed her hands over the counter and watched her future mother-in-law work. “I really appreciate that you’re coming out to stay with me while Alex is out of town.”

Denise turned to her. “I’m glad to be doing it.” She smiled brightly. “We’ll have so much fun; we’ll go shopping and out to lunch and take plenty of naps.”

“Ugh, Alex has talked to you, hasn’t he?”

She chuckled. “He doesn’t need to talk to me; I know that a pregnant woman needs plenty of rest.”

“Yeah, but are you gonna let me carry the grocery bags into the house?”

“That depends on how heavy they are.”

Brielle made a face. “Alex won’t even let me take in the eggs and bread.”

That made his mother laugh. “All I can say to that is to be grateful you have a man as wonderful and caring as he is. Some aren’t so lucky.”

“I know,” she smiled at the thought, “and I’m very grateful. You saw the bassinette he had made, right?”

“I did. It’s beautiful.” Denise tucked the last of the dishes into the dish drain then shut the water off and pulled the plug from the sink. “It’ll be perfect for when you want him in your bedroom those first few months. And easy to just move around the house while you’re doing this or that.”

“I know; I thought the same thing.” She sighed happily and let her mind wander back to the last few months of her life and how her life had changed so much and in such wonderful ways.

“So, have you two talked about wedding dates yet?” Denise questioned as she dried her hands and hung the dishtowel on a hook by the sink.

That pulled the blonde from her daydreaming and she sat up a little straighter. “Somewhat. Our mind hasn’t really been on that as much as it has on the baby, but we’ve discussed it a little.”

“Oh of course and there’s no rush, ya know. If you two want to wait another year or two, that’s fine.”

“Mhm, but I don’t think we will. We were kind of talking about maybe late fall sometime.”

The older woman arched a brow. “This year?”

“Yeah, he thinks their tour will be finished by September, so maybe October.” She couldn’t help the smile that graced her features at that thought.

“That’s not that far off.” Denise joined her at the counter. “Do you think you’ll be able to plan a wedding and have a baby in that amount of time?”

Brielle shrugged. “I dunno. We hadn’t set it in stone; we were just talking it over.” She paused. “Do you think it’s too soon?”

Her head tilted just a tad as she thought it over. “Well, no, but maybe a little. I just feel like that’s a lot to try and do. You’re gonna be adjusting to a baby and Alex will be out touring during half that time. I think it’s gonna be added stress on what’s stressful already. Wedding planning is not easy and neither is being a new mom.”

The blonde made a face; she hadn’t thought about all that to be honest. “Well, what do you think about March?”

Denise chuckled low. “I think that’d give you more time and less headache, but,” she reached and touched the younger woman’s arm, “it’s your and Alex’s decision. I don’t want you to think I’m trying to talk you into or out of something.”

“I know you’re not.” She smiled and reached to squeeze Denise’s hand. “I’ll talk to Alex about it though.”

“Talk to me about what?” The subject of their conversation questioned as he strolled into the room.

Denise turned to her son. “Are you eavesdropping on our conversation?”

He chuckled at that. “Hey, I was just coming into the room. Is it something I’m not supposed to hear?”

Brielle reached for his hand and pulled him closer as their fingers laced. “No, we were just discussing when would be a good time to get married.”

“Ooh,” he smoothed his free hand over her back and turned to his mother. “We were thinking about October.”

“That’s what Brielle had said.”

“Yeah, we don’t really want anything big; something small and intimate with close family and friends.”

His mother’s eyes widened some. “Oh really now? I always pictured your wedding with grandeur and flair.”

“Eh,” he gave a shrug, “we don’t really need any fanfare. We just want our closest family and friends there.” He smiled softly at his fiancée. “I told her I’d marry her in jeans and a tee in Vegas if it were up to me.”

Denise chuckled at that. “As long as I’m there, you could do that.”

“Aww, we wouldn’t deprive you of that, Mom.” He leaned and kissed her cheek.

“Of course not,” Brielle added. “And when it comes down to the actual wedding planning, we’d love for your help and input.”

That made her smile. “Oh gosh, I would love to help out. Though I do have a tendency to go overboard, so if I start, just reel me back in.”

Alex chuckled. “No worries there, we’ll let you know the minute that happens.”

Denise laughed low at that. “I’m sure you will.” Then she slipped from the stool. “I’m going to go see where my husband wandered off to. Let me know if you kids need anything.”

“We will, thank you,” Brielle thanked her before she exited the room and left the couple alone together. With a sigh, she turned back to her fiancé. “You look tired.”

“Mm,” he lifted the hair from her neck and kissed it softly, “I am. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”

Her head tilted for him. “I am, but Lily is only here until tomorrow. We have a lot to talk about and she brought some of her wedding stuff to show me.”

“Hm, well...” he drew the word out. “I suppose I could let you slide for one day. But tomorrow, you’re back to napping and resting.”

Brielle chuckled low then saluted him. “Yes, sir.”

He smirked and kissed her shoulder then smoothed a hand over her belly. “Alright, let’s go join them and maybe while you two girls catch up, Jordan and I can play some pool or something.”

“That sounds good to me.” She slid from the stool and stretched then took his hand in hers. “Though, I’m warning you now; Jordan’s a bit of a pool shark so don’t let him tell you otherwise.”

“Ooh, thanks for the heads up.”

She smiled and kissed his cheek. “You’re welcome. Now, c’mon.” Then she tugged him from the room in search of their friends.