�Hey, Loni,� Nickolas said. �Look who it is.� Valondra stopped hanging up the bed sheets on the clothesline and looked. Nickolas stood beside her and she saw his parents.
�Jane, Bob, hey,� Valondra said.
�Hi,� they said.
�You didn�t have to come up,� Valondra said. �We were actually coming down.�
�Nick said,� Robert replied. �But the kids are with friends and it was quiet.�
�O,� Valondra said. �Ok. Whatever.� She shrugged and went back to hanging up the bed sheets.
�Are you ok out here?� Nickolas asked.
�Yes,� Valondra said. �Just hanging up wash.�
�Ok.� He kissed her cheek.
�So what did ya want to see us about?� Robert asked and Valondra and Nickolas looked.
�Well, um,� Nickolas began, �it�s something important.� Valondra finished and Nickolas put his arm around her. �Let�s go sit.� The four of them walked over to the swings and sat down.
�It sounds serious,� Jane said.
�It is,� Valondra stated. �Quite serious.�
�Ok,� Jane said. �What is it?�
�You guys want to be grandparents so you�re getting your wish,� Nickolas blurted out and not beating around the bush and his parents looked at each other. �Lon�s pregnant.� Valondra gave a little grin.
�Are ya sure?� Jane asked.
�Yeah,� Valondra replied. �The doc confirmed it.�
�We wouldn�t be telling you if we weren�t positive,� Nickolas stated.
�When did ya find out?� Robert asked.
�Yesterday,� Nickolas replied.
�Wow! This is�� Jane began, �this is amazing.�
�Yes it is,� Nickolas agreed and Valondra just looked at them.
�Do your parents know?� Robert asked.
�Not yet,� Valondra answered. �According to their answering machine, they went to Australia�for a month.� She sighed. �I left them a message telling them the wonderful news. Not that they�ll care though since its Nick�s kid.�
�But their grandkid,� Jane said and Valondra shrugged.
�They already got three,� Valondra pointed out. �What�s one more from me?� She got up. �Excuse me.� She walked away.
�Lon!� Nickolas called after her, but she kept walking. �She�s afraid she�ll end up like her parents and be a bad mother.�
�That�s not going to happen,� Jane said. �She�ll make a great mother. She already makes a great girlfriend and fianc�e.� Nickolas smiled. �She makes my son happy and she�ll make your children happy.�
�She thinks otherwise. I tried telling her differently.�
�Hopefully she�ll feel differently after the baby comes,� Robert said.
�I hope so. I don�t want her to feel she�ll be a bad mom, because of her parents, ya know.� They nodded. �She�s already going through enough with Bridgett always showing her face and trying to cause trouble.� He sighed. �She tries to let her bother her, but it�s tough for her. But she does know that she ain�t losing me and never will.�
�That�s good,� Robert said.
�Lon�s got a great guy in my son,� Jane said.
�And I got a great girl in Loni,� Nickolas added with a smile. They sat there a few minutes in silent and Valondra rejoined them. �Hey.�
�Hey,� Valondra said sitting beside Nickolas.
�You ok?�
�Mmmhmm. I just got a little sick.�
�Morning sickness,� Jane said.
�Yeah; it�s just hitting me now though.�
�It�ll be worth it in the end,� Robert said.
�I hope so.�
�So how are you guys going to do the wedding?� Jane asked.
�We�re not sure yet,� Nickolas replied.
�You should have it before the baby comes.�
�Why?� Valondra asked and Nickolas looked at her.
�A baby really shouldn�t be born out of wedlock.�
�Single unwed mothers are having babies everyday, Jane. I may not be married, but I ain�t single either; I got Nick.�
�I know that.�
�Our wedding date is up to us,� Nickolas stated. �Not anyone else. If we want to wait until after the baby we will. If we want to get married right now or within the next seven months we will. It�s our decision.�
�I just don�t want my grandchild to be born to unwed parents.�
�Jane, it�s their choice,� Robert said.
�They have a name for children like that,� Jane started, �and that name is �bastard�.�
�Is that what I am then?� Valondra wanted to know. �Am I a bastard? My parents got divorced after my sister was born and didn�t get remarried until a couple months before my brother was born. I spent five years of my life with unwed parents so does that make me a bastard?� They all looked at her. �I thought so.� She walked away.
�Loni!� Nickolas yelled. �Thanks, ma.� He got up and ran after Valondra.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
�Hey, where�s Lon?� Trixie asked coming downstairs.
�Her and Nick went for a drive,� Storm replied.
�Shit; I need to talk to her.�
�Lon looked upset so who knows when they�ll be back.� Trixie sat on the sofa. �Nick probably took her somewhere to make her feel better.� They laughed. �Sex will make me feel better too.�
�I know what ya mean.�
�I�m glad someone does.�
�Yeah.�
�Maybe I could help ya out.�
�Huh?�
�About what ya have to talk to Lon about.�
�Oh�um��
�I don�t mind.�
�It�s guy problems.�
�I can help.�
�Well�I don�t know.� She sighed. �Lon knows this guy better than anyone of us and�she can just help me a lot better.�
�Ok.�
�It�s nothing against you or anything.�
�I understand.�
�Plus I hardly know you and I don�t want to burden you with my problems. You have a wedding in a couple months and should concentrate on that.�
�Yeah.� Storm smiled. �May is coming rather quickly.�
�Yes it is.�
�I�m really excited. Before I know it I�ll be Mrs. Lance Bass.�
�Lucky you.�
�I ain�t even nervous.�
�Yet; when the day comes you�ll be very nervous and just want to rush it.�
�Yeah.� They laughed. �It�ll be worth it in the end though.�
�Yes it will be.�
�I can�t wait.�
�Where are you going for you honeymoon?�
�Rome; I�ve never been there so Lance is taking me.�
�That�s nice of him.�
�Yeah it is. He left me pick the honeymoon place so�he picked the wedding day; May 3.�
�It�ll be a beautiful day.�
�Yes it will be.�
�It�s cool Valondra�s letting you have it here.� Storm nodded.
�We don�t want anything big and fancy just because Lance is a rock star. We want to keep it simple like Lillie and Howie did.�
�A nice beautiful Catholic wedding.�
�Yep.�
�I want to have my dream wedding�nice, beautiful, and big.� They laughed and the door opened.
�Hey, Trace,� Storm said.
�Hey, Storm,� Trace said and looking at Trixie. �Trixie.�
�Hey,� Trixie said.
�How�s it going?� Storm asked.
�Alright,� Trace replied. �And you?�
�Great.�
�Is Lon around?�
�She�s with Nick. Anything I can help ya with?�
�No. Only Lon can.�
�Right.�
�If Lon gets back anytime soon,� Trixie began getting up. �Tell her I need to talk.�
�Gotcha,� Storm said as Trixie went upstairs and Trace watched.
�I�m starving,� Trace said heading towards the kitchen.
�There�s bar-b-que chicken left from earlier,� Strom pointed out.
�Sounds good,� Trace said going in the kitchen.
CHAPTER 14
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