It was late June of 2009. Karen and Jimi had recently celebrated their 3rd wedding anniversary. LBT had played at CMA Fest earlier in the month. And were currently on their "Road to Here" Tour. Kimberly was married, and had a little girl, Daisy Pearl. She is a little less than two years old. And Phillip, married as well, also has a little girl, Penelopi Jane, who is about 18 months old. Life is good for LBT. "Road to Here" produced their most successful single so far, "Boondocks."
They band had time off and they were all at home with their families for a couple of days. Kimberly spent most of her free time cooking. This is something she loves to do. Phillip spent some time on the golf course, and Jimi joined him for a few hours. Karen spent time shopping, it was one of her many talents. Always looking like she was about to strut down a runway any minute. They enjoyed being on the road, but it was nice to live a normal, at home, family life.
Spending time with their spouses, without four other adults practically in the same room as them, was a very important part of a marriage. The one thing about Karen being best friends with Kimberly, and Jimi being best friends with Phillip, they could talk to them about anything going on in each other's lives. As June turned into July, their tour continued.
Karen approached Kimberly one afternoon. "What made you suspect you were pregnant with Daisy?" Karen asked her. "What?" Kimberly said. "What made you suspect you were pregnant with Daisy?" She repeated. Kimberly just looked at Karen, wondering why she was asking. "Uh. I-I felt sick every morning. I was craving a bunch of sweet things. Then, I was late." Kimberly said. "Why?" Kimberly asked. "I've been really sick the past few mornings. About how far along were you when you started feeling sick?" Karen asked.
"I was about four weeks." Kimberly said. "Karen, do you think you're pregnant?" Kimberly asked. "I don't know." Karen said. "Well you need to take a test as soon as you can. And then you need to tell Jimi. Have yall talked about having kids at the moment?" Kimberly asked. "We both want kids. I've always wanted to be a mom. But I don't know if we wanted them now. Daisy and Penelopi are still little."
They had a long way to go, so Karen figured why not talk to Jimi and see what his opinion was on having kids at the time. "Jimi, hey. Look, I've been thinking. Do you want kids? I mean, do you want them any time soon?" Karen vaguely asked him. "Well, of course I want kids. But I don't know about right now. I mean, we are in the middle of the tour, and I think we make a pretty good 'aunt' and 'uncle' to Daisy and Penelopi right now." He said. "So you really don't want them anytime soon?" She asked. "Yeah. Exactly. Just not any time soon. I think if we had a baby now, he/she would just be a little too much to handle." He said.
As night came around, Daisy and Penelopi were asleep, Jimi, Phillip, and Kimberly were in their bunks. Karen was pacing up and down the bus, wondering how she would tell Jimi, if it turned out she was pregnant. How did this happen? We talked about not getting pregnant until we were both ready. We don't even know what we would do. The bus is already crowded with six adults and two toddlers. What would you do with an infant as well?
Karen's pacing woke Kimberly. "What are you doing up at 3 o'clock in the morning?" She asked. "Couldn't sleep." Karen answered, still walking up and down the bus. "Are you still on this pregnancy thing?" Kimberly asked her. "Yes. I am. Jimi told me today that he doesn't want kids right now. He thinks it would be too much to handle. And quite frankly, I agree. What are we going to do with two toddlers AND a baby on this bus? That will make nine of us in one bus for hours at a time." Karen said frantically.
"I think that is what he thinks now. But if you did told him you were carrying his child, I think he may have a change in thought." Kimberly said. "That's what I'm afraid of. He said he's not ready now, and I don't just want him to think he is ready, just because he has to be!" Karen said. "Karen, first of all, you don't even know if you are pregnant. So you may not have to worry about it! You may just be getting sick. You may just be late. It happens. You don't know for sure that you are pregnant. Now, if you are, lack of sleep isn't good for you or the baby anyway. So lie down, and try to get at least a few hours of sleep, and we will readdress the situation tomorrow." Kimberly demanded.
The next morning Kimberly was the first one up. She saw that Karen had finally sat down, and had fallen asleep on the couch. During the night, they had arrived in Birmingham, Alabama, where they were playing that evening. Next, Jimi awoke. He saw Karen on the couch. "Did she sleep out here?" He asked Kimberly. "Yeah. She was having some trouble sleeping last night. I guess she finally fell asleep out here". Phillip woke up next. He didn't really notice Karen. They all made breakfast for the kids and themselves, while they let Karen continue to sleep. Jimi walked over, pulled a blanket over her and kissed her cheek.
They set a blanket on the ground, right outside of the bus, and let the kids sit on it. Phillip and Karen were outside. "Karen told me what you two talked about yesterday." Kimberly said to Jimi. "What?" Jimi said. "Babiesss." She said in a playful voice. "Oh. Yeah. I don't know why she's asking me about that all of a sudden." Jimi answered. Kimberly said, "What makes you think it would be a handful now and not later?" "I don't know. I just think that since Daisy and Penelopi are still both really young, another little one would be a little much. I definitely want to have children with Karen. Just maybe when Daisy and Penelopi are a little bit older." Jimi answered.
It was about 10:30 when Karen finally woke up. Jimi was cleaning up toys from the floor of the bus. "Good morning." He said. "What time is it?" Karen asked. "It's 10:30. Kimberly said you had some trouble sleeping last night. Why didn't you come wake me up?" Jimi asked, as he sat down beside her. "I didn't want to bother you." She said. She leaned onto his shoulder. He put his arm around her and ran his fingers through her hair. When she laid her head on him, he asked, "Are you running a fever? Your head feels warm." "I don't know. I've just been feeling sick recently." She replied.
"She got up and went to the back of the bus to get dressed. Kimberly walked in and asked her, "Do you want to walk to the drug store down the road?" "Yeah. I guess I better find out the truth sooner rather than later." Karen said. Kimberly went back to the front of the bus. Soon after that, she saw Karen run into the bathroom, she was sick. Kimberly went in and pulled back Karen's hair. She put her hand on her back. Kimberly then knew, that she was almost sure of what Karen's pregnancy test would show.
They walked to the drug store just down the street. Karen bought the test. They walked back to the bus and she took the test. She had to wait 5 minutes for the results. "It's going to be okay." Kimberly told her. "Negative or positive, you will make it. You and Jimi will make incredible parents. And when it gets a little rough, Phillip, Rebecca, Steven, and I will all be right here to help you." Kimberly said. "I know. And I could never thank you enough." Karen said. "We've been with each other through a lot. You're like my sister." Kimberly said.
Five minutes was up. Karen picked up the test. "It's negative." Karen said. "What?" Kimberly said. "Oh my God it's negative." Karen said, sounding extremely excited. Kimberly was almost certain her test was going to be positive. But she didn't second guess the test. Karen hugged her. She was ecstatic. Tears were coming from her eyes. They were happy tears, though. She took a deep breath. "I guess I really lucked out. I'm not saying that I didn't, in my heart, want this to be positive. But I think that it's better for US right now." Karen said.
That night, the band played their show in Birmingham. Jimi's home state, and the home for Karen and Kimberly when they were at Samford. They always enjoyed being back in Alabama. "Boondocks" always got the whole crowd on their feet and singing along. They finished the show, and loaded up on the bus. They had a show the next night in Houston, Texas. They had a long way to go, and all needed to get some sleep.
After the kids were asleep, they all got in their bunks and were all asleep before eleven o'clock. At about 4 in the morning, Phillip woke up. He went to the bathroom, and happened to notice something that caught his eye in the trash. It was Karen's pregnancy test. He did notice it said 'negative', but he couldn't help but wonder, who it was that even had the suspicion they were pregnant. So he said nothing. He knew he couldn't bring it up until he was positive of who it belonged to. He covered it up, and went back to bed.
The next day, they all got up, and were almost to Houston. Phillip observed both Karen and Kimberly closely. He knew the chance of him seeing anything unusual was slim, considering it was negative. Karen and Kimberly went to the back and got ready. They figured, they would do some shopping before the show.
The girls were about to leave when Karen started to feel sick. She felt nauseous. "You okay?" Kimberly asked her. "Uh. No, I don't think so." Karen said. She rushed to the bathroom. She was sick again. "I don't understand. I must just be sick." Karen said. Kimberly said nothing. "Right? I don't have a fever, but just because you're sick, you don't always have a fever." Karen said. Kimberly still said nothing. "What?" Karen asked. "Karen. Have you, maybe, considered that the test could've been a false negative?" Kimberly asked. "What? No. Of course not." Karen said. "Sweetie. Have you started your period this month yet?" Kimberly asked. "Well, no. But like you said, sometimes you're just late." Karen said, sounding like she was now trying to talk herself into believing that the test was right.
"Exactly how late are you?" Kimberly asked. Karen said nothing. "Karen?" Kimberly said. "Two weeks." Karen said. "Two weeks?!" Kimberly said, shocked. "Karen. Now even you know that isn't just an off cycle. If you are two weeks late, that means you are closer to six weeks along." Kimberly said. "What are you talking about six weeks? You were there Kim. The test was negative." Karen said. "Karen! You can't still believe that test was right." Kimberly exclaimed. "I'll tell you what. We go shopping and you get another test. If that one is negative too, I'll stop hounding you about it. Deal?" Kimberly asked. "Deal." Karen agreed.
So, the girls went shopping. Karen did as she said, and bought another test. There was only a single bathroom, so Karen went in, and took the second test. Again, there was a five minute wait. Kimberly went in, and they waited for the results. "Kimberly, I thought I was done with this." Karen said. "I know you did. Just remember I'm right her for you. Anything you need, don't hesitate to ask." Kimberly said. "Okay. If I am, will you tell Jimi?" Karen requested. "Karen! Okay, now you know that is something you have to do. But if you want, I will come with you." Kimberly said.
Five minutes was up. "I can't." Karen said. So, Kimberly walked over to the sink, and picked up the test. Karen could see it in Kimberly's eyes. "It's positive." Kimberly said. Karen took a deep breath. She put her hands over her face. Kimberly could see tears rolling out from under her hands. Kimberly put her arms around Karen in comfort. "It will be okay." They went back to the bus. Karen went to lie down. Kimberly stood next to her bunk. "Look, I know this is the last thing you want to think about, but you do need to tell Jimi." Kimberly said. Just as Kimberly spoke Phillip walked onto the bus.
"Karen?" Phillip said. Kimberly and Karen both looked at him. Phillip looked at Karen, and could see she'd been crying. "What's wrong?" He asked her. "Not now Phillip." Kimberly said. "It was your test wasn't it?" He asked. "What do you mean?" Karen said. "I knew it was one of you. I just didn't know which one." Phillip said. "I found a negative pregnancy test in the trash." He added. "It was yours Karen, wasn't it?" Phillip asked. Karen hesitated. "Yeah." "Hey, why didn't you and Jimi say yall were trying to get pregnant?" Phillip asked. Karen rolled over in her bunk and began crying again. "What did I say?" He asked Kimberly. "Phillip. They didn't say anything, because they weren't trying, okay?"
"Wait a minute. If this was unplanned, then why is she upset? The test was negative." Phillip said, confused. "Because—because the test was wrong. It was a false negative. She took another one today, and it was positive." Kimberly said. "Listen to me Phillip. You don't say not one word to Jimi, or anyone else about this. Okay?" Kimberly exclaimed. "Yeah. I got it." Phillip said.
Karen finally pulled herself together. "Kim. Will you, please, go get Jimi for me?" Karen asked. "Of course." She said. Kimberly got off the bus and found Jimi, Phillip, and the rest of their band and crew playing football on a field to the side of where the bus was parked. "Jimi. Come here for a minute, please." She yelled. Jimi came jogging over. "Whatcha need?" He asked. "Karen wants you. She's in her bunk." Kimberly said. "In her bunk? She sure has been sleeping a lot lately" He said. Then he got on the bus without waiting for a comment from Kimberly. He got to Karen's bunk and said, "Hey. Whatcha need?"
Karen rolled over and Jimi saw how red her eyes were, and that she'd been crying. "Hey. What's wrong?" He asked with a gentle voice. "Come sit down with me." He requested. She got up and they went and sat down. He sat down and she sat down, across his lap. Kimberly sat on the other end of the couch. "Hey. What's the matter?" He asked. Karen just started crying more. Jimi looked at Kimberly. "What is wrong with her?" He mouthed to Kimberly. "Karen, has something she needs to tell you, but she's worried about the way you may react." Kimberly said.
"Jimi. I'm so sorry. I don't know how this happened." Karen said. "What happened?" Jimi asked, once again. Karen looked at Kimberly, and gave her a look. Kimberly knew that this look meant 'please just say it.' "She's pregnant Jimi." Kimberly said. Jimi was shocked. "What?" Jimi said. "I'm sorry." Karen said again. "We're having a baby?" Jimi said. "Karen, sweetie, why are you sorry? This is amazing. We're going to be parents!" Jimi said with joy. "What? But you said you didn't want kids right now." Karen said. "This was before I knew that you were pregnant! You are making me a father. And you're going to be a mother." Jimi said.
Jimi put his hand on her stomach, then he kissed it. Then he kissed Karen. "See. I told you he would be happy." Kimberly said. "We are going to be parents. We are starting a family." Jimi said. "Yeah. We are. Our family." Karen said. They both smiled, then kissed each other. Phillip walked in. "Whoa. What did I miss?" Phillip asked. "I'M GONNA BE A DAD!" Jimi shouted. Jimi looked up and said, "Also, I want to say. To my beautiful wife… There is no one in the world that I would rather be with. And no one in the world that I love so much. And I'm so grateful to be able to say you are the mother of my child. I love you!" "I love you, too!" Karen said.
It was getting closer to show time. Karen got up and she and Kimberly went to the back to get ready. "I told you he would be happy." Kimberly said. "Yeah. He really was, wasn't he?" Karen said. "I don't know why I ever thought a guy like him would ever be mad that he got me pregnant." Karen said. "Karen, you've got a long road ahead, but I'll be here every step of the way. I promise." "Thank you." Karen said. "At least you've had practice with Daisy and Penelopi." Kimberly said. They both laughed. "Yeah. I guess that's a good point." Karen said.
The band followed the usual setlist. They played "Boondocks" last, just like they always did. But after the lights went off, Jimi hollered to turn them back on. Karen, Kimberly, and Phillip were very confused. Jimi said, "Turn my mic back on." No one else knew what was going on. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen. Boys and girls of all ages. Do you want to know why I am SOOOO glad we are in my home state of Alabama tonight?" Jimi asked. The crowd cheered and his band mates just watched him. "Well, not only am I home, but every time we play in Alabama my family comes out. And that is perfect. Would you like to know why?" He asked.
The fans screamed some more. "Well, it's good because about 3 hours ago I got some fantastic news, and all of you are the first to know!" He smiled. "Now I would like to ask my beautiful wife to come up her and join me at the front of the stage." He said, and motioned for Karen to come forward. "Now, I don't know what I would do without this gal. She's the love of my life, and earlier today she informed me…. That we are having a baby!" He yelled. The fans screamed. He could see the absolutely shocked expressions on all of his family member's faces. "Yep. You heard me. We are starting a family, and I couldn't be happier." He turned to kiss Karen. The fans screamed, and cheered, and clapped. After a long 3 seconds of full view…. the lights… went off.