Chapter 16

        "Are you sure you don't want me to stay home with you?" Melissa asked.
        "Melissa, go on your date and have fun. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," I said as I brushed her hair.
        "But what are you going to do all night? Won't you be bored?"
        "No, I'll find something to do. Don't worry about it. Just go and have fun."
        Melissa turned around and smiled. "Okay, but only if you're sure."
        "I'm positive."
        The doorbell rang and Melissa jumped with excitement. "That's Derrick, I'll see you tomorrow," she said as she ran out the door.
        "Bye," I said with a wave.
        Melissa left and I was alone. I grabbed my throw blanket from my room and made myself comfortable on the couch. I wasn't planning on doing anything except watch TV and go to sleep. As I had suspected, Nick never called me. The week was nearly over and no phone call from him. I rolled my eyes at the thought. I turned on the TV and was determined to forget about Nick.
        The night passed on and I was still watching TV. I was in the middle of watching Cat's Eyes when I heard the doorbell ring. I struggled to get up and then answered the door. It had started raining outside and the hallway lights had shut off. I couldn't see through the peep hole to see who it was, so I opened the door. I was shocked when I saw Nick standing outside the door soaking wet with his dog Mikey on a leash. He had tears streaming down his face.
        "Nick! Oh my God, what are you doing here?"
        "I...had...to...see you," he said while shivering and sniffling at the same time.
        I grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. "Come in, you're shivering."
        I gave Nick a towel and found an old pair of his sweats and a big T-shirt to give him.
        "Put these on, I'll dry your clothes."
        He put on the dry clothes and sat on the couch. I made him a cup of hot tea and joined him on the couch.
        "What are you doing here?" I asked again.
        "I was thinking about us and I realized that it was a mistake for us to break up.  I should've never kicked you out like that." The tears were flowing again. "I should've worked things out with you. I'm so sorry, baby. Please forgive me," he said while sobbing.
        I couldn't believe that he was crying like he was. Nick was never the type to be emotional. To see him cry was a rare thing. I knew that he had to be sincerely sorry for what happened. I couldn't help but to take him into my arms and hold him close. Nick sobbed in my arms and I caressed his back.
        "Nick, it's okay. I forgave you a long time ago."
        Nick looked up at me. "You did?"
        "Yes, I did. Nick, you had every right in the world to be angry with me. I was unfaithful to you. That was not fair for me to do."
        "I know, but I shouldn't have treated you the way I did. Not with you being pregnant."
        I kissed a tear from off his cheek. "Don't worry about it, Nick. It's all water under the bridge," I said as I handed him a tissue.
        Nick wiped the tears from his eyes and blew his nose. "I'm sorry I came over here like this."
        "It's okay. You had to get that off your chest, I understand."
        "Do you think there's a chance for us to be together? You, me, and the baby, I mean," Nick asked.
        "I don't know. That all depends."
        "On what?"
        "On you," I said with a smile. "I never wanted us to break up, Nick."
        "I never wanted it either."
        "So, what now?"
        Nick smiled then kissed me. "I'm willing to start over, if you are."
        "I've been waiting to hear you say that for a long time."
        "So, is that a yes?"
        I kissed him back. "A definite yes."
        Nick grinned and held me close. He rubbed his hand on my stomach then kissed it tenderly.
        "How much longer do I have to wait until I can see her?"
        "Four months."
        Nick smiled and rubbed my stomach. "It's too bad you can't come on tour with me."
        "I know, but you only have two months left. That's still plenty of time for you to be part of the delivery."
        "That's true," Nick said. "So, what are my chances of you letting me stay over tonight?"
        I started laughing. "What do you want to stay over for?"
        "Just to stay over. We don't have to do anything. I just want to be able to sleep in the same with you before I leave."
        "Aren't you leaving tomorrow?"
        "Yes."
        "So, why are you wanting to stay over?"
        "I don't leave until tomorrow afternoon," he said with a grin.
        I laughed and relaxed on the couch. "Okay, you can stay."
        "Great," Nick said. "So, what do you want to do?"
        I laid my head on his shoulder. "Sit here and watch TV with you."
        "That's all?"
        "I can't get up, so what else can we do?"
        "Why can't you get up?"
        "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for a woman who is five months pregnant to get up off of a couch? It's a work out in itself."
        Nick laughed. "Well, as far as I'm concerned, you're the sexiest pregnant woman I know."
        "You're really dishing up the compliments tonight," I commented.
        "I'm making up for lost time."
        "Mmm, I bet," I said as I leaned closer to him.
        We were about to kiss when we heard Mikey bark. We both looked over at him and laughed. He was perked up on his hind legs and his front paws were balancing him on the edge of the couch. 
        Nick laughed. "I think someone is feeling left out."
        "Come up here, Mikey," I said as I patted the couch. Mikey jumped in between us and licked my face. "Yeah, I missed you too, sit down."
        "He was miserable without you. He didn't have anyone that would let him sleep on the bed."
        I laughed and patted Mikey. "That is something I missed. Having all your dogs sleeping in the bed with me."
        "You know, I always hated it when you did that."
        "I know," I said then kissed him.
        We spent the rest of that night in silence. I turned off the TV and the lights as we listened to the rain from outside. Eventually we grew tired and we went to my bed to go to sleep. I was happy to be in his arms again and I hoped that it would last forever.

Chapter 17 

        When the tour ended, I moved back in with Nick. He wanted to be part of the pregnancy as much as possible. I was seven months pregnant and I felt like a huge cow. Everything was becoming difficult for me. I couldn't wait to deliver. I just wanted to get everything done and over with. I spent most of my time sleeping because I had no energy to do anything else. Nick was really great throughout the whole thing. He was always there to help me out whenever I needed it.
        By this time, I felt so ugly. I was ashamed to even let Nick see me naked. He always hated it when I would go to bed fully dressed. He never understood my insecurity,
        One night, I had just taken a shower when Nick came home from a meeting. I was in the middle of drying off when he knocked on the door.
        "Baby, are you in there?" Nick asked from behind the door.
        "Yeah, but don't come in here yet," I said as I tried to dry off quickly.
        Nick opened the door and walked in. "Hey!" he said.
        "Damn it, Nick! I told you not to come in yet," I said as I covered my front side with my towel.
        Nick shook his head and smiled. "I don't know why you won't let me see you naked. It's not like I've never seen you naked before."
        "Not when I look like this," I said sternly.
        Nick came up to me and kissed me on the lips. "I don't know what the big deal is. I'm not going to think any less of you."
        "I know you won't, but I don't feel comfortable letting you see me naked. I look horrible."
        Nick gently pulled the towel away from my hands. The towel fell to the floor and Nick gazed at my naked body with loving eyes. He traced his hands over my sides and across my stomach. Nick placed his hands over my breasts and smiled.
        "You're beautiful," he said.
        I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, right. I'm fat."
        Nick laughed and continued to caress my breasts. "Your boobs are heavy."
        "Duh, they're getting ready to give milk. Of course they're gonna be heavy."
        Nick smiled and handed me my robe. "Put this on before you get sick."
        I put on my robe and kissed Nick on the lips. "How was your day?"
        "It was all right," he said as he grabbed my brush from off the sink counter.            "Come with me into the bedroom. I'll brush your hair."
        I smiled and followed him to the bedroom. He sat on the bed and I sat in between his legs. Gently, he brushed my hair.
        "Where did you learn how to brush a girl's hair?" I asked.
        "Hey, when you live in a house full of sisters, you're going to learn a think or two about women."
        I laughed and closed my eyes. I always found it relaxing when someone brushed my hair. It meant more to me only because Nick was the one doing it. He always did the cutest things for me.
        "How about you? How was your day?"
        I yawned. "Boring as usual. I slept the day away."
        Nick chuckled softly. "You sleep more than a bear during winter."
        "Hey, you try being seven months pregnant and keep your energy level up. It's not easy. Carrying a baby can wear you out."
        "I don't doubt that," he said as he put my brush down on the night stand. "I'm going to check my E-mail real quick. I'll be back."
        "Okay," I said as I stood up. "I'll get dressed and find something for dinner."
        "I'll join you as soon as I'm done," he said as he left the room. 
        I went to my dresser and pulled out some big, comfortable pajamas and put them on. I made my way downstairs to the kitchen and looked for something to make for dinner. The one thing I always hated about being pregnant was the fact that I was always hungry. When I was hungry everything looked good to me. Trying to make a simple decision on what to have for dinner wasn't an easy task. Finally, I narrowed it down to three entrees, so I decided to leave the final decision up to Nick. I walked upstairs to his office and tapped on the door. He didn't answer. All I heard was music.
        "Nick?" I called as I tried to turn the doorknob. The door was locked, so I knocked harder. "Nick, unlock the door. I have to ask you something."
        The music turned off and Nick spoke. "Hold on a second," he said. I heard him shuffling around and then he opened the door. "Sorry," he said. "What did you want?"
        I looked at him suspiciously. "What were you doing in there?"
        "Reading my E-mail," he answered quickly.
        I laughed and shook my head. "What do you want for dinner? You have a choice between spaghetti, buffalo wings, or ziti. Which do you prefer?"
Nick thought a moment. "Why don't we go with buffalo wings? We haven't had those in a while."
        "That's fine. Do you want the morning star vegetarian ones or the regular fried ones? We have both."
        Nick smiled. "I'll go with the regular ones if you'll make your macaroni salad with it."
        I laughed. "Okay, I'll make the macaroni salad, but only if you'll help me cook."
        "Okay," Nick said as he followed me into the kitchen.
        Cooking with Nick was always one of my favorite things to do. It was a way for us to spend some quality time together. I usually wound up doing most of the cooking while Nick sampled.
        "Get your hand away from that bowl, Nick. It has to cool first. Here, eat an egg yolk if you're starving," I said as I handed him an egg yolk.
        Nick scrunched up his nose. "That stuff is nasty. Besides it can make a man fart. I don't think so."
        I laughed and handed him a buffalo wing wrapped in a napkin. "Here, eat this. Be careful, it's hot."
        Nick bit into the buffalo wing and smiled. "That is some good stuff," he said as he took another bite.
        I kissed him on the cheek. "I'm glad you like it. Do me a favor and set the table. I'll bring the food over."
        "Great," Nick said as he got up and got the dishes.
        After dinner, we went to the bedroom and watched "Survivor" together. I hated the show, but Nick always wanted to watch it. I didn't mind though. I would use the time to snuggle up close to him and feel the baby moving around in my stomach. I closed my eyes for a second then felt Nick rub his hand across my stomach. I looked up at him and smiled. He kissed me on top of my head and turned the TV off I yawned and placed my head on his lap.
        "Are you tired?" he asked.
        "A little bit," I said as I pulled the blankets over me.
        Nick his hand on my arm. "Okay," he said as he turned off the lamp by the bed.
        "You didn't have to turn off the light," I said softly.
        "I know," he answered then put my pillows down beside him. "Come up here so I can lay down.
        "But I'm comfortable," I whined.
        Nick laughed and pulled me off his lap. "You get comfortable right here," he said as he tapped my pillows.
        "How about here?" I said as I laid on my side and placed my head on his chest.
        "Even better," he said then put his arms around me. He was quiet for a moment then he sighed.
        "What's wrong?" I asked.
        "Nothing," he said softly.
        "Don't give me that. I can tell when something is bothering you. Tell me what's wrong."
        Nick hesitated for a moment then spoke. "You never told me what happened that night with AJ."
        I sat up and looked away from him. "I thought we agreed that it was water under the bridge."
        "It is water under the bridge, baby."
        "Then why are you bringing it up again?" I said with a quivering voice.
        "Marcy, you have to look at it from my perspective. We were in a steady relationship and then, out of nowhere, you tell me you slept with AJ. Now every time I look at either one of you, I want to know what happened. It's eating me up inside. You have to tell me." 
        Tears began to stream down my face. "I just want to forget that it ever happened."
        Nick shifted his position and looked at me. "Please tell me. I'm not trying to hurt you, but I really need to know."
        I sighed and clasped my hands in my lap. "Fine," I whispered. "It happened one night when AJ and I went to a party that was going on in one of the hotel rooms. You had out to see a movie with Aaron, so I went to the party alone. AJ and I were the only ones without dates, so we decided to hang out together. The night moved on and we were having a really good time, but I guess we had a little too much to drink. We went to his room and chill. We were just hanging out and the next thing I knew, we were kissing. I don't remember much of what happened in between because I was so drunk, but I know we wound up naked and we fucked the entire night. During the process, one of the condoms broke and he had already came. That's when I freaked out and left. I don't know why I did it. All I know is that I regret it." I looked at Nick and he wasn't looking at me. "Baby, I'm so sorry."
        Nick looked at me. "It's okay," he said as tear trickled down his cheek.
        "No, it's not. You're crying. It still bothers you that this happened."
        Nick wiped the tears from off his face. "Of course it still bothers me. You're the love of my life and you slept with someone else. The thought of you with another man brings chills up my spine. No matter what I do, that thought is always going to haunt me. You have no idea how badly you hurt me that night you told me the truth. It makes it hard for me to trust you."
        "I understand that you hate me, Nick. If I could turn back time I would. I never meant to hurt you."
        "I know you didn't," Nick said as he his arms around me. "And I don't hate you. But I'll be honest and tell you that this is going to take me a while to get over."
        "I know," I said sadly.
        Nick held me close. "Don't be so sad about it, baby. I still love you."
        "I guess I just feel so guilty about this whole thing. I should've never let it happen."
        "You made a mistake, baby. It happens. You're only human. Don't let the guilt eat you up too badly. You'll make me have to kiss you to death." I smiled slightly.             "Okay, you leave me no choice," he said as he began to kiss me over and over again on my cheek.
        "Ah, Nick stop!" I squealed. "That tickles!"
        "What are you going to do about it, huh?"
        I laughed and tickled his sides. "That!" I said as I ticked him all over.
        "Oh shit! Stop, that tickles!" he shouted while laughing.
        I pinned him down and sat on top of him. "Had enough?"
        Nick laughed and rested his hands on my stomach. "I surrender. Now kiss me."
        "I can't, my stomach is too big for me to bend down."
        "Then get off me, retard," he joked.
        I laughed and got off of him. He sat up and began kissing me. He tongue swarmed around in my mouth as I moved my hand from his chest, down to his package. A soft moan escaped his mouth as I slipped my hand into his boxers. Since I was too big to bend down and suck his dick, I had to settle with jacking him off. Nick didn't seem to mind since he was moaning loudly. I slowly ran my hand up and down his dick and watched him squirm in ecstasy.
        "Oh, shit! Yeah, baby, stroke me. Make me cum all over you."
        I stroked him faster and caressed his balls with my other hand. He gripped onto his pillow as I began to stroke him faster.
        "Oh, yeah!" he shouted. "Keep going, I'm almost there. Oh! Oh! Ooooh!" he screamed as he came all over my hand. He breathed in deeply and grabbed a tissue from beside the bed. "You are amazing," he said with a grin.
        "I know," I said as I laid down beside him.
        Nick laughed and put his arms around me. "I love you," he said quietly.
        I smiled then kissed him. "I love you too. Nick, I have a question for you."
        "What's that?"
        "When you were in your office earlier, what were you doing before I knocked on the door?"
        Nick laughed and looked away. "Nothing," he said.
        "Nick, don't lie to me," I said with a smirk. "What were you doing?"
        "I was uh," he cleared this throat. "Doing some personal business," he finished.
        "And what exactly would that personal business be?"
        "Masturbating," Nick mumbled.
        I laughed then kissed him on the cheek. "You're too cute."
        "I couldn't help it. I haven't had sex in months and I was horny as hell. I had to do something."
        "Aw, it's okay, baby. I understand."
        "Good," he said with a yawn. "I'm sleepy. Maybe we should go to bed."
        "Yeah," I agreed as I snuggled under the blankets.
        "Good night," he said then kissed me.
        "Good night," I replied then drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 18

        "Come on, Marcy. I need one more push for the baby to come out," said the doctor.
        "I'm pushing as hard as I can!" I shouted. I looked over at Melissa. "Oh, God, where the fuck is Nick?"
        "He's on his way, I promise. Come, Marcy. Keep pushing. You're almost there!" Melissa coached.
        I sat up and gave one last, final push and the sound of a crying baby filled the room.
        "Congratulations, Marcy. You have a daughter," said the doctor.
        I smiled and laid back. I was exhausted, but happy at the same time. I had been in labor for eight hours, and I was glad that it was over. My only disappointment was that Nick wasn't there. He was supposed to be, but something happened.
They had take the baby to the nursery and I was left alone in my hospital room. I was so tired that I fell asleep almost instantly. When I woke up, I found Nick sitting in a chair holding our daughter. He had the smile of a proud father on his face. It was the most precious thing I had ever seen. Nick looked up and saw that I was awake. He put the baby back in the hospital crib and walked over to me.
        "Hey, baby," he said then kissed me.
        "Where were you? You missed the whole thing."
        "I know, I'm really sorry. I was stuck in traffic. I tried my hardest to get here, but when I finally did, you hard already delivered. I'm so sorry I missed it."
        "Baby, it's okay. I'm just glad you're here now," I said then kissed him.
        We were in the middle of kissing when I heard the baby cry. I rolled my eyes jokingly.
        "It's feeding time. Nick, can you bring her over to me?"
        Nick brought her over to me and I placed my nipple into her mouth. I looked over at Nick and laughed. He was staring in amazement.
        "Nick, it's just my boob. Why do you look so shocked? It's not like you've never seen them before."
        "Yeah, but this time they're huge!"
        I laughed. "Nickolas, you are a piece of work."
        He smiled and moved her chair closer. "What did you name her?"
        "Aurora Leigh Alexia Carter."
        Nick mumbled the name to himself. "That's nice. I like that. It's perfect."
        "Thank you."
        Nick was silent for a moment. "Marcy?"
        "Yes?"
        "Do you still have that ring?"
        "Yeah."
        "What did you do with it?"
        "It's on my dresser. Why?" I asked suspiciously.
        "No reason," he replied.
        "Oh!" I said. "I just remembered. What did the contractor say about getting us a baby room?"
        "It's already done," Nick said with a grin.
        "What do you mean?"
        "They already put it together. I paid the bill this morning. That's why I was late."
        "You mean, you already had them make the baby room?"
        "You've got it."
        "Nick, I wanted to help with the baby room. That wasn't fair of you to do."
        "Don't worry, I had it done exactly the way you wanted it. Everything is done in the classic Winnie the Pooh characters."
        I gasped in surprise. "You remembered," I said with a smile.
        "Of course I did. I listen to everything you say. I knew it was important to you for the baby to have your dream baby room, so I had it done. I wanted you to be happy."
        I smiled then kissed him. "Thank you."
        "You're welcome," he replied. "I love you."
        "I love you too," I said.
        Nick and I watched the baby eat and we were filled with love. For the first time, we bonded as a family.


Chapter 19

        My first day back from the hospital was hectic. Everyone we knew wanted to come and see the baby. Nick's mother came and stayed for hours. She wouldn't let me do anything. I thought I was going to go crazy. I was getting a headache from her bickering.
        "Marcy, you really should consider a breast pump. It'll save you some time."
        "Jane, I can handle feeding her like this," I said as I picked Aurora up to feed her.
        "But what if you have to feed her in public? You can't just whip out your breast for all to see."
        "Nick bought me the shirts and bras for that purpose. I can feed the baby anywhere and no one would ever know. They've made things easier for mothers now."
        "Well, what about your school? Are you going to quit?"
        "No, I have plenty of baby-sitters lined up for that."
        "A baby should be with its mother, not some stranger. What does Nick think about all of this? Does he know?"
        "Yes, of course he knows. He's the one who encouraged the idea."
        "Well, he's gone crazy," Jane said with a huff.
        I rolled my eyes and put the baby over my shoulder to burp her. I knew she was going to complain about something else by the look on her face.
        "You really shouldn't hold her like that. You should sit her up and gently rub her back."
        "Jane, I know what I'm doing, okay. I have two younger brothers and plenty of babies in my family."
        "Well, I raised five children, two of them are twins. I've had many years of motherly experience. Twenty-two years, mind you."
        I sighed and put the baby down. "Fine, Jane. You take the baby. I'm going to take a nap," I said as I walked up the stairs.
        "Good, I'll take her to the store with me."
        I went straight to the bedroom and laid on the bed. Jane had really upset me with her overbearing ways. I fell asleep for a while, but when I woke up, I found Nick lying next to me. I smiled and snuggled up next to him.
        "Hi," he aid then kissed me. "Did you have a nice nap?"
        "Yeah, I feel refreshed. I had to get away from your mother for a little while."
        Nick laughed. "She wasn't that bad, was she?"
        "Nick, she told me to get a breast pump."
        "She's only trying to help."
        "I know, but she needs to back off a little bit."
        Nick put his arms around me. "Don't stress it. You'll be okay."
        I smiled and kissed him. "So, how was your day?"
        "It was all right. Your dad was bragging about his beautiful granddaughter. It was sickening."
        I laughed. "Well, he's a proud grandfather. That's what they're supposed to do."
        "I guess," Nick said as be began kissing my neck.
        I grinned and tried to escape from him. "Nick, don't start that."
        "Why not?"
        "Because you know I can't have sex yet. I still have my stitches in."
        "I know, but that doesn't mean you can't help me out does it?"
        I laughed. "It's always gotta be about you doesn't it?"
        "Not always, just right now."
        I sat up and got on his lap. "I'll do whatever it is that you want me to," I said as I unzipped his pants.
        "Great," he said as he laid down. "Then suck it."
        I smiled seductively and pulled his dick out from his pants. I stroked him slowly and grazed my thumb across the tip. He groaned softly as I moved my hand down the shaft and licked the head. I shoved nearly his entire dick into my mouth. I began moving up and down at a steady pace, giving Nick a tremendous amount of pleasure.
        "Ooh yes, baby. I like that," he moaned.
        I licked the tip of it and moved my hand up the down the rest. Nick was going crazy. He was grabbing tightly onto his pillow and gritting his teeth. His breathing became short and rapid. I sped up my pace and listened to him moan loudly.
        "Oh yes! Fuck yeah! Keep going, I'm almost there. Oooh! Yeah!" he cried as he came into my mouth.
        I licked the cum from off his penis and sat up. Nick grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to him. He brought his lips up to mine and kissed me passionately. I felt chills go up my spine. His kisses were always so electrifying.
        "I love you," he said softly.
        "I love you too," I replied.
        We went back to kissing then we heard a knock on the bedroom door. Nick quickly shoved his dick back in his pants then pulled the zipped back up.
        "Come in," I said.
        Jane came in with a plastic grocery bag. "We just got back from the store. I saw this and I thought I'd get it for you."
        "Thank you," I said as I opened the bag. I was upset when I saw that it was a breast pump. "A breast pump? I thought I told you that I wasn't going to use one of these things."
        "You don't have to use it everyday, but you will need it if you plan on leaving Aurora with a baby-sitter."
        "True," I said, feeling sheepish. "Thanks."
        "No problem, honey. That's what I'm here for. To help you out, since you don't know what you're doing."
        I started to say something in my defense, but Nick stopped me.
        "Mom, why don't you go on home? I'm here now. I'm sure we can handle the baby."
        "All right, honey. I'll call you tomorrow to see how things are going."
        "Okay, bye, Mom," Nick sad.
        I heard her leave the house and looked over at Nick.
        "That woman is impossible. You have got to talk to her."
        Nick laughed and hugged me. "I will, don't worry."
        I sighed and laid my head on his chest. "I've had a long day. I can't believe I'm still tired."
        "Well, you've been on the go ever since you've had the baby. I don't blame you."
        I draped my arm over his chest. "I should've slept longer."
        "Go ahead," Nick said then kissed me. "I'll take care of the baby."
        "What if she gets hungry?"
        "No problem. I'll just stick the breast pump to your boob, push the button, and voila, fresh milk."
        I laughed. "I don't think so."
        "I'm just kidding. I'll wake you up if she gets hungry."
        "Okay," I said as I pulled the blankets over myself. "Good night."
        "Sleep well, baby," Nick said then kissed me. "I'll make dinner."
        "Great," I replied then fell asleep.