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Chapter Fifteen: Planning, Planning and More Planning


"Tier, I don't think the baby has enough things for its room," Kevin teased as he finished placing the celestial border over the deep blue walls. He and Tierja had made a day project of putting everything together in the nursery, including a dresser, crib and bassinet. It had been a couple of months since his family had visited and the baby was thriving inside Tierja's warm womb, causing life to be quite chaotic. "I think we should add a pinball machine."

"Are you serious?" Tierja questioned with thought, glancing up from folding baby clothing into the various drawers. She looked at her fiance expectantly and then to the gorgeous room, almost as if she were deciding where it would fit. "It might wake the baby up in the middle of the night though..."

"I was being sarcastic!" Kevin groaned, stepping off the small ladder. He rolled up the extra border and placed it on the changing table. "This baby is going to be spoiled, I can feel it."

"And what is wrong with that?"

"The terrible two's will be excruciating," Kevin explained with a frown.

"They're going to happen either way, our baby might as well have everything to have a happy life--"

"But he's going to be a brat."

"He?"

"I'm assuming?" Kevin chuckled with pride.

"Yeah, you just want to be able to name him Kevin Scott Richardson, Jr," Tierja shook her head, trying not to laugh.

"Like if we had a girl you wouldn't call her Tierja Holly Blackwell Richardson the Second," Kevin scoffed.

"Well, mine sounds prettier!"

"Mine isn't supposed to sound prettier."

"Are you just arguing for the sake of arguing?"

"Maybe..." Kevin answered with a bemused smile, stepping behind her to draw her backward into his arms. Delicately, he placed some kisses against the back of her neck. "But I love you."

"Mmm... I love you, too," Tierja closed her eyes for a moment as Kevin's hands found their way to her growing abdomen. "Do you like how the room is turning out? Honestly?"

"Honestly?"

"I think it's the perfect place for our first child," Kevin answered freely, leanining forward to kiss the side of her face.

"Me too. Sweet dreams for he or she every night," Tierja smiled, wrapping his arms tighter around her.

"He."

"You're set on having a boy, aren't you?" she craned her neck to look up at him with a raised pierced eyebrow.

"It's a man thing."

"Okay, Mr. It's A Man Thing. We've got to get back to work. I would really like the have the room done now so we don't have to worry about it when I'm a big fat whale," Tierja replied, gently pulling out of his arms.

"You'll look adorable with a big chubby belly," Kevin cooed, affectionately pinching her cheeks.

"And so will you once you turn fifty," she cooed back with a smirk, pinching his behind instead.

"HEY!"

"You liked me pinching your ass--"

"Bullshit!"

"I think you're going to be the one having mood swings," Tierja laughed, turning to hang the moon and stars mobile above the crib.

"Ain't you just adorable," Kevin scowled, kissing her cheek anyway as he nestled a few stuffed pillow stars in the crib.

"Yep, that's why you love me," she grinned, looking around the room before nodding with approval. "Everything is assembled, hung up, pasted on, painted... I think we're done!"

"Nope, we're missing one thing," Kevin shook his head, pulling an object out of the last box and placing it in Tierja's hands.

"Oh my... Kevin, this is wonderful!" he had managed to enlarge the baby's first sonogram and place it next to a picture of its proud parents all inside a frame painted dark blue and stamped with silver stars.

Kevin smiled with pride as he reached for the hammer and nail. "I know, where do you want me to hang it?"

"Um..." Tierja looked around for a moment until her eyes landed on the perfect spot. "Right by the bassinet and crib."

Kevin complied with her wishes, reaching over the wall to gently tap the nail into place. Once he was satisfied, he took the frame from Tierja and nestled it against the wall. Smiling with approval, he knelt down to kiss Tierja's abdomen. "Hope you have your mother's sense of room decor when you get out here."

"We all hope that," she teased softly, running a hand through his loks before he stood up.

"You know--"

"I love you."

~*~*~*~

"Didn't my escapades with Tierj and Leigh baby shopping give you the clue that I don't have the patience?" Ana whined softly as she and Howie strolled through yet another baby store, their cart somewhat full of little clothes and room accessories. "I could go into early labor, you know!"

"I don't think baby shopping is going to make you go into early labor," Howie groaned, kissing the side of her face. "Besides, we're shopping for our baby, and that's different. You're going along four months, it's time to get somewhat ready, don't you agree?"

"How is it different? Baby shopping is baby shopping," Ana complained as Howie reached for her hand, drawing her closer to the cart. With her free hand, she gently rubbed her rounding stomach, already feeling the back aches of the growing weight in the middle of her abdomen. But, fortunately, she enjoyed every minute of being pregnant. Especially when she first could feel the child as she lay in bed. It was exciting to say the least.

"I'll make you a deal. I'll pick out a lot of the clothes part and you can do the entire theme for the room," Howie compromised, kissing her cheek a few times as they stopped in front of curtains, wall papers and borders along with other ways to decorate a nursery. "I know you like doing interior decorating."

"Anything I want for the room?"

"Anything."

"We don't even know what we're having, so how can we even begin to shop for these things?" Ana accused, attempting to do her best to get out of the task. She held a slightly triumphant grin until Howie pulled out a sealed envelope from his back pocket. She immediately frowned, knowing he had the results from her most recent OBGYN appointment. "I hate you."

"No you don't. You love me. You just hate that I caught you trying to wiggle out of the deal," Howie now held the triumphant grin as he placed the envelope in her hands. "Let's open it."

"I don't know if I like this whole 'planning everything out' quality you have. You seem to have every angle of every situation perfected to the way you want it to flow. Drives me crazy, considering I never even have a good idea what's happening five minutes into the future," Ana murmured with an cute scowl crossing her features. She complied with his wishes, however, turning the envelope over to rip it open. She then took the slip of paper out, handing it to Howie. "What'd you make us four months ago, Bee?"

"A baby...?" Howie trailed off in confusion, looking down at the unopened paper before unfolding it. "A baby girl! We're having a little girl!"

"Are you kidding me?" she groaned softly, reaching to take the piece of paper for verification. Sure enough, the sex of the baby was listed as female. It took her a moment to actually smile, knowing she wasn't exactly the most delicate woman in the world. She wondered if her little girl would suffer because she wasn't feminine enough.

"Sweetheart, don't go doubting yourself," Howie immediately chided, bringing her into his arms for a warm embrace. He knew what was going through her mind and he had to put a stop to it. "You can handle a baby girl."

"I know..." she answered, reaching to wrap her arms around his neck. He had been so excited about the pregnancy from the beginning, even if it had been a slight blunder because of her antibiotics. Yet, to have a daughter first probably wasn't the first choice Howie would have made. Or at least that's what Ana assumed. She couldn't help but be slightly disappointed in herself, knowing she probably would have rathered a little boy.

"What's going through your mind?" Howie whispered into her hair. He could read her to the point where it scared her, but it wasn't something he could control. It was something that he was always able to do. "And don't say nothing."

"You probably wanted a little boy first, huh?"

"Ana, I'm happy we're just having a baby. Boy first or girl first, it doesn't matter," Howie pulled away slightly so she could look into his eyes. "You hear me?"

"I hear you..." she promised, running her fingers lightly against the back of his neck. Her blue-green eyes misted with tears, though she wasn't exactly sure what they were from. The erratic hormones of pregnancy had made her far more emotional than before, more teary to be exact. She seemed to cry easily, whether it be joy or sadness.

"Good," he smiled softly, kissing the bridge of her nose. He thought it was cute that his wife was going through all the pregnancy hormone changes. "Come on, let's pick out a bedroom theme for our little girl."

"Do you want to look at the clothing while I do this or what?" she asked in confusion as he moved back to the cart.

"Remember our deal? I trust what you want for the nursery."

"And he's already deserting me with the little girl like I know what I'm doing..." Ana breathed as she moved toward the nursery bedding, deciding once she knew what bed set she wanted, then she could work around the rest of the room. Only, she felt slightly baffled as she was bombarded by what seemed like millions of choices of pink, causing her to cringe. Instantly, she brought her hands to her swollen abdomen, rubbing in a small circular motion. Tucking her chin to her chest, she started to speak quietly to her daughter, unaware that Howie had circled back to make sure she was okay. "We've got to make a deal here, Sweetheart. I've never been much of a girl. When I was little, your grandmother had to shop in the boys' section for me... But, I want to give you a chance to be a little girl, so I'm really going to try my best. I'll let you wear dresses and I'll play with your hair, I promise... I'm just going to need a little help... Like with this nursery... I'm not crazy about pink, y'know... I don't even like pink cotton candy, so I'm thinking light purple... Your grandmother used to call me Princess Anya when I was little because of naming me Anastacia... So, can we do a royal princess theme for your room? I love the Disney Princesses... We could paint a castle on the wall and make this crown of fabric that spills over your crib like royalty used to do. How does that sound?"

Almost as if on cue, the unborn girl gently moved inside her mother's abdomen to agree with the deal.

"I think it sounds perfect," Howie finally spoke, startling Ana from her private conversation.

"Bee!" Ana yelped as she turned around, her cheeks instantly blushing with a fiery tone of cherry red. "I thought you said I was doing this all on my own?"

"You are, but I just wanted to check up to see that you're alright--"

"More like spying on me!"

"I was not spying on you--"

"I'm done shopping," she immediately groaned, covering her face with shame. She had only meant for her daughter to hear her words and fears. She was terrified of mothering a daughter before a son, but she really didn't want Howie to know. Nor did she want him to know the feminine side of her nature. It just didn't seem fair that he had caught her pink handed in a sense...

"Wait a damn minute. How can we be--"

"You weren't supposed to hear that... it was between just me and her..."

"Ana, baby, just stop a minute. I didn't mean to spy, I was honestly just checking to see if you were alright. If I had known it would bother you so much, I wouldn't have done it--"

"I didn't want you to hear that," she whispered painfully, continuing to shield her face as she blinked back heavy tears.

"I'm sorry," he walked over and pulled her into his arms. "Please, don't cry. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she sniffled, completely annoyed with herself that she had broken into tears over something so simple. But, she didn't waste the embrace, pressing her face into Howie's t-shirt and clutching the material with her fist. Her emotions were just so unsteady as the months progressed and even her daughter inside seemed to notice, attempting to move which always seemed to cause Ana to smile with true delight. "I'm sorry. I just don't want to be a bad mom to her. I was such an oddball and I want her to be a little girl and--"

"She will be our little girl no matter what, okay? Don't worry," he interrupted, kissing the top of her head as he rubbed her back gently. "You're going to be a perfect mom, I promise."

"This is why you do all the shopping before you're pregnant because your hormones cause you to cry too damn much," Ana wept softly against him, her shoulders shaking with the power of her tears.

"It's not that bad. Shh," Howie chuckled, holding her close as she calmed down. "It's okay, Baby."

"I'm sorry--"

"You don't need to be sorry. Let's just get the things we need for our princess's room," Howie interrupted.

"You're not leaving me are you?"

"No, of course not. We'll do this together."

"Just because you want to take me to the little girls' clothes and see me break out bawling again..."

"No, because I love you and I want the best for both my girls."

"I'm going to have to share your love with another woman..."

A woman who will be a baby first and will need us for everything."

"What if she turns into a Daddy's girl?"

"You'll still be the first woman in my life."

~*~*~*~

"Kev, this is getting ridiculous. Everytime I try to get you to sit down and talk about wedding or baby stuff you change the subject," Tierja whined, sitting next to Kevin on the plush couch. A gentle fire was burning in the marbled fireplace, adding a crimson glow to the living room. It was nearing springtime and the weather was unpredictable. One day could be warm and sunny, the next cloudy and cold as it was right then.

"Baby, I just want a moment's peace," Kevin whined back, grasping her face in his hands to give her a fierce kiss. He found her whining adorable to a point, but since she was an only child, she was used to getting her way. Which made it hard because Kevin had been the youngest child, also used to getting his way.

"That's what you always say," Tierja pouted, holding the journal Ann had bought her to write down things about the baby in the front half and wedding ideas in the back half. The baby part was starting to brim over with tidbits, but the wedding part was almost bare. "Kevin, please?"

"You drive me crazy."

"Does that mean you will?"

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Baby names, the wedding date, wedding colors and flowers?"

"Alright, Sweetheart," Kevin groaned, reaching to pull Tierja into his arms. He found it adorable that she was so determined to finish planning for their child and begin planning for their wedding. Usually, she didn't want to do any of this and it was horrendous even getting her to rebuild the house after the tornado. That's why Kevin had put off decisions, knowing it'd drive her crazy. Reverse psychology was always a fun game to play.

"Thank you," Tierja chirped, kissing his cheek as she opened up her journal. She flipped to the place she marked as Baby Names and decorated with little booties and teddy bears. "What names do you like if it's a girl?"

"I like classic, beautiful names like Catherine and Elizabeth..." Kevin trailed, resting his chin on her shoulder as he glanced down at the pages filled with ideas. Everything she had written out was what he thought about during nights that she slept peacefully curled to his side.

"Yeah... me too..." Tierja smiled, writing down the names he had spoken of along with Katrina, Caroline and Laura. "What about boys besides Kevin Scott, Jr.?"

"What's so wrong with Kevin Scott Jr.?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," Tierja placed a few kisses under his chin. "But I just want some more ideas to put in the boy section of names."

"What about Jerald?"

"I like that," she smiled softly, rubbing his knee as she wrote it down. Having their child carry his grandfather's name was something she could never deny Kevin. She may have never met the man, but it felt like she knew him. "Okay, this is a good start... how about wedding stuff now?"

"What kind of wedding stuff do I need to help plan? I thought I just forked over the money?"

"Kevin Scott..."

"I'm kidding," he chuckled, gently rubbing her rounded stomach. "The wedding date, right?"

"That would be a start..." she growled.

"Oh hush, we're talking about wedding stuff now. What kind of wedding do you like the most? Fall? Summer?"

"I hate the fall."

"One season gone, three to go... will you just pick one?"

"What do you like?" she fired back, squeeezing his knee in the one ticklish spot he claimed no one could find.

"Hey!" he laughed, "What about spring?!"

"Spring it is," she grinned, jotting it down. "How about... May 15th? Is that a good date?"

"Sounds fine to me!"

"May of this year or next?"

"When would you like it?"

"Preferably next year... then I can get my fat ass into a wedding dress--"

"Tierja Holly..."

"What I do now?"

"You don't have a fat ass, just a bowling ball stomach."

"Oh and that's so much better," she frowned, writing down the date of their wedding. It caused her to shiver with excitement, knowing she was going to spend the rest of her life with this man and the child they created along with more on the way.

"At least the baby can be in the wedding then."

"Aww... that's right, it's going to be adorable!" Tierja gushed, pressing on to the next subject. "Speaking of which... wedding colors and flowers."

"Good Lord, it never ends..."