Good Evening All…..
We hope you are having an
amazing Halloween and were given an exclusive treat to
share with you all from
Stacey Mosteller, Author of the Nashville Nights Series!!!
~Halloween with the Meloni’s~
“Sarah?” Jeremy’s
voice travels through the house as the front door shuts. Amelia’s dark head
whips to the door to her room when she hears her daddy’s voice and her chubby
arms grab my shirt as she tries to pull herself up to see better. She’s ten
months old now and full of her own personality. If you’d asked me two years ago
if I thought I’d be here right now, I would have laughed in your face, but now,
I can’t imagine being anywhere else.
I
love the life I’m living right now. I have Jeremy, I have our daughter, we
moved into a brand new house a few months ago, right as the lease Jeremy had on
the apartment was up, and I couldn’t be happier. My degree is finished, but we
both decided that right now it was more important for me to be with Amelia, and
I wouldn’t change that for the world. I’m barely able to finish putting on her
little black shoes before Jeremy walks through the door, looking edible in his
crisp dark blue suit.
“Hey.
I was wondering where you were,” he says as he steps up behind me, wrapping his
arms around my middle and smiling down at our daughter who’s bouncing as she
reaches for him saying “Dadadadadadadada”. Jeremy laughs as he pretends he
going to eat her fingers, making her giggle even louder. “Are you and mommy
ready to trick-or-treat?”
He
picks Amelia up as she starts to babble excitedly, even though she has no idea
what trick-or-treating is. Once they’ve left the room I’m able to go change
into my own costume, even though it’s not really much of one. It’s just a shirt
that I’m hoping Jeremy notices. By the time I get downstairs Jeremy’s already
taken Amelia out to the car, leaving me to grab the diaper bag and her little
pumpkin shaped basket before I follow them out.
It
takes a little more than twenty minutes to get to my brother’s house, but it’s
our first stop because Lyric made me promise to bring Amelia over wearing the
peacock outfit we picked out early this month before they left for Drench. She
and David aren’t married yet, or even engaged, but I don’t think it will be
much longer. I think the only reason they’ve been waiting is because of Lyric’s
mom and the way she acts sometimes. I wouldn’t be surprised if they just up and
eloped one day.
Jeremy
doesn’t even get to knock on the door before it opens to reveal Lyric dressed
in what looks like a cheerleader outfit, only more like one from the fifties
instead of now. It’s pale yellow and when she brushes her hair back over her
shoulder I see the word Grease, letting me know it’s definitely a vintage
cheerleader. It’s nowhere near as sexy as last year’s Ariel costume, but the
skirt is short and the heels are high, so I’m sure my brother loves it.
“Ahh!”
she shrieks, holding her hands out for Amelia. “Look at the pretty little
peacock!” Amelia immediately reaches for Lyric’s bright red hair. She’s been
enthralled by it since she met Lyric. Totally ignoring Jeremy and I, she heads
back into the house talking gibberish to the baby.
Jeremy
leans in to ask quietly, “How long before they have their own?” I laugh,
knowing that if it was up to Lyric, she’d already have one. David wants to do
things right, he doesn’t want anything in their lives to be like things were
with Lyric’s ex, so there won’t be any babies for them until he has a ring on
her finger.
We
follow Lyric and Amelia into the family room where David’s sitting on the couch
watching TV, looking like the party pooper he is. Once again, he isn’t dressed
up at all, wearing his normal “uniform” for the bar. He doesn’t take his eyes
off Lyric though as she walks in holding the baby and I know he’s thinking
about her holding their own. When he sees us walk in behind her, he stands to
give me a quick hug before saying hi to Jeremy.
After
the requisite greetings, he sits beside Lyric on the couch to play with his
niece. “Say hi to Uncle David, Mia,” Lyric coos, bouncing her on her knee.
Amelia immediately reaches for David, and when he takes her, Lyric pouts
briefly before turning to me. “Ilove the
peacock costume. She looks so cute in the purple and blue.” The four of us
continue to talk while Mia entertains herself having a conversation no one
understands with David.
When
it’s time to go to our next stop, Nonna’s house, none of them have noticed my
shirt and I’m starting to worry that I’ll have to just spit it out. I wanted to
do something cute, and this seemed like an easy way to share my latest secret.
Luckily, when Lyric turns to hand me the baby she stole back from my brother,
her mouth widens into an “O” before her smiles widens. I nod, confirming the
question in her eyes and she throws her free arm around me with a high-pitched
squeal.
Lyric
lets me go, her smile so wide it looks like it hurts, and when I look at my
brother and Jeremy, they’re both looking at us like we’ve lost our minds. “Are
we missing something?” David asks Jeremy, who only shrugs.
“Seriously?
Hello?!” Lyric gestures to the words on my shirt - “This is my Mom-to-be
costume” - and both their eyes widen as well before a grin spreads across
Jeremy’s face. We haven’t actively been trying to get pregnant, but I want my
kids to be close in age and this way they’ll be a little less than two years
apart. It took a lot longer this time than I thought it would, especially since
it was so easy with Amelia. Even without using birth control, the fact that
I’ve been breastfeeding has helped slow things down.
Clapping
Jeremy on the back, David says, “Congrats man.”
With
a muttered “Thanks,” Jeremy walks over to me, his eyes bright and full of love.
He doesn’t waste a second when he reaches me, pulling me into his arms and
swinging me around. I’m thankful Lyric still has Amelia because I don’t think
he would have even noticed her. “Are you really?” he asks me, his voice
wavering just a little.
“Yeah.
I just found out last week. Based on the calculator I found online, I’m due
July first.” My own voice is wobbly as tears fall unchecked down my cheeks.
This is such a different experience from when I found out I was pregnant with
Amelia, it’s the way telling the man I love I’m pregnant should be. This time,
it’s a happy event, not something to be terrified over and I’m so happy we’re
in this place now.
After
the visit with my brother and Nonna, we bring Amelia home and put her to bed.
It’s been an exciting night for all of us, but I’m ready for her to fall asleep
so I can spend some much needed alone time with Jeremy. Thankfully, she falls
asleep easily and I’m able to walk across the hall to our room where he waits
for me, sitting on the bed with his back resting against the headboard. Instead
of going to my side, I slip off my shoes and my leggings, leaving my
announcement t-shirt on and climbing up on the bed so I’m straddling his lap.
His arms immediately go to my hips, keeping me steady as he looks down at me
with warm eyes. “Hey you,” he says softly as he runs his hands down my thighs and
back up to rest on my waist.
“Hey.”
I don’t know why I feel so shy, it’s been more than a year, almost a year and a
half that we’ve actually been together but knowing what I just told him tonight
has me feeling a little unsure. I know he’s happy, but the reminder of
everything that happened when I first found out I was pregnant the last time
still makes me nervous.
Jeremy
brings one hand up to cup my cheek, knowing exactly what I’m feeling, and
brings his other around to rest on my still flat stomach. “I love you, Little
Bit, more than I’ve ever loved anyone else. I’m so happy we’re doing this
again. And…I’m really glad I get to be here from the beginning this time.” His
words make me feel a little guilty, even though I know I shouldn’t. There were
reasons I didn’t tell him last time, reasons he understands.
“I’m
glad you’re here this time too.” I lean forward to brush my lips against his.
“I hope we have a boy this time,” I whisper, smiling against his mouth. He
laughs, but it soon turns to a moan as I press my mouth harder against his and
rock my hips against his lap. Jeremy hardens immediately and the kiss turns
from sweet to passionate. We spend the rest of the night wrapped in each
other’s arms, celebrating the fact that we’re going to be parents again.
