~September 25, 2003~

"I don't want you to go!" Katie sighed into AJ's chest, then changed her mind, "I don't mean that.  I know you have a job to do, a job you love.  I'm just...I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you, too, babe.  But I'll talk to you every night," he reminded her.

The sound of the car horn interrupted their tearful goodbye.  AJ turned to the waiting SUV in time to see Kevin scolding Nick.

"You've got to go..." Katie whispered.

"They'll kill me if we miss our flight," AJ squeezed Katie tightly against him once more.

She leaned up and softly pressed her lips to his, trying to hold the tears back, and let him go.  She watched him climb into the SUV and close the door.  This was going to be the longest three months ever.

Katie watched as the SUV began to move, waving to the Boys as their car left.  AJ turned and waved at her through the back window.  And then they were gone.

Katie let the tears flow.  She stood on the front steps of their house and cried.

The soft sounds of crying babies broke her from her tears.  Katie forced the tears away, wiped her face and returned to the house.

"Jakob is hungry, mama," Leighanne smiled at Katie as she walked in the door.

Katie just nodded and took Jakob from her, "How do you do it Leigh?"

"What?" Leighanne looked up from Joslin, a goofy grin on her face for the baby.

Katie sat down and began nursing Jakob, "Tour?  I mean, do you usually go with them?  I didn't think it would be this difficult...and he just left!  I can't do this!"

"Aww, hun, it's okay.  It will be okay.  I had a really hard time the first time Brian left, too.  I mean, I didn't have two babies...It got easier though."

"Really?  Because I might go crazy if it doesn't," Katie laughed through watery eyes.

"Hey, we get to do all the wedding planning we want, with no boys interrupting us!  We will have a blast, and before you know it, the guys will be home," Leighanne tried to reassure Katie.

Katie just nodded, not fully believing her friend.

"Okay, what about this one?" Denise held out a picture of a wedding cake.

AJ's mom, Leighanne, Beth and Kristin all sat around the living room, magazines, pictures and samples strewn about the room.

"Oooh, I like that one," Katie smiled and held the picture up for the other girls' opinions.

"So you've decided to definitely do it here?" Kristin asked as she flipped through a magazine of dresses.

"Yeah, Alex and I thought it would be more intimate, just our close friends and family, keep it more private," Katie answered, then turned back to Denise, "I think that cake, but I want some chocolate in there, not just white."

"Well I'll talk to the bakery then, see what we can whip up!" Denise smiled.

"What colors did you want?" Beth questioned, eyeing a bridesmaid's dress.

"I thought maybe black and white?  Very classic, elegant..."

"This dress would be perfect then," Beth pointed out a strapless knee-length dress.

"Hmm...I didn't think I'd consider a dress that was shorter.  I like the little belt thing with the rhinestone.  It gives it a little sparkle," Katie looked at the other ladies.

"Ooh yeah, that's really pretty.  That would look great on all of us!" Kristin laughed, the other girls laughing in agreement.

"We will definitely have to try that one on at the store next week!"

"Are you like most girls, picked out your wedding dress when you were five?" Denise asked with a smile.

Katie and Beth looked at each other and laughed.

"We used to play weddings when we were kids!" Beth squealed.

"Yeah, you always had to be the bride," Katie giggled.

"And you got to be the groom?" Leighanne smirked.

"Yeah right!" Katie exclaimed, "I refused, so we used to make one of the neighborhood boys do it!"

The two girls laughed hysterically at the memories.

"So...no childhood wedding dress?" Kristin asked again.

"Unless a mostly white Sunday church dress and a pillowcase count?  Not so much," Katie finally settled down enough to answer.  All five began to laugh at the picture of a pillowcase veil.

"How horrible would it be to skip the invitations?"

"Why?  If you don't have invitations, you might forget your wedding date!" Leighanne joked.

"Oh you hush.  I will not forget...okay fine.  I might forget.  But can you blame me?  I have two tiny human beings I have to take care of."

"You have to have invitations.  It's a nice keepsake," Denise reasoned.

"Yeah, you can make something simple.  A picture of you and Alex," Kristin suggested.

"You could see if the magazine would let you use pictures from the story," Beth added.

"Oh yeah!  That would be great!  Exchange a wedding exclusive for wedding invitation photos," Leighanne chimed in.

"I did look hot in those pictures!" Katie smiled, "Alright, but only because those were great pictures...and only if they let us use them!"

"Great, so we have a cake planned out, invitation ideas in the works, bridesmaid dresses...we're checking stuff off the list!" Denise listed off their accomplishments.

"Yeah, three things out of...how many?  Like four billion?" Katie groaned.

"Hey, at least you have 11 months to plan it all," Kristin reminded.

"That's long enough to have a baby and get your shape back before your wedding," Leighanne replied.

Katie grumbled at her, "I'm NOT having another baby!"

"I didn't mean you," Leighanne mumbled.

Katie knit her eyebrows in confusion.  Leighanne watched as her friends processed her words and smiled when she saw the lights turn on in their heads.

"You're pregnant?!?!" Kristin exclaimed.

Leighanne nodded, "We found out just before Jakob and Joslin were born.  We were waiting for the right time to tell everyone."

"Is that why your crazy ass volunteered to help me while the guys were gone?"

Leighanne nodded.  The mention of the babies must have set them off.  The sound of two crying babies came over the baby monitors.

"Naptime's over.  Ugh, I feel like a cow!" Katie laughed as she pushed herself up to go get the babies.

Leighanne stood as well, "I'll help you, I could use the practice."

Katie smiled at her friend, "Thanks.  And congratulations."