An hour later, everyone has headed home and it's just Mom, Matt, Helen, Donna and I sitting in the private living room enjoying coffee. Miranda and Peter are off on their own reading. It's nice just to sit and relax. Before much longer we hear the sounds of Lulu starting to move around in her crib through the baby monitor. Donna immediately heads towards the stairs. An hour is plenty long enough for the second nap, we don't really want her to fall back asleep.
But before Donna can make it to the room, we hear a little whimper and Lulu's little voice calling out "Da-dee?" I bolt out of my seat, ready to head up there. Lulu is used to waking up in our room here but not on a Saturday, she must be kind of confused.
"Josh." Mom says softly, stopping me in my tracks. "Donna will be there in a few seconds. Lulu is fine."
Sure enough a few seconds later we hear Donna open the door.
"Mama!" Lulu gurgles happily and I settle down in my seat. Matt and Helen smirk at me but don't say anything. Over the last few years, they've gotten use to my overprotectiveness.
"I'm still finding it hard to believe you are going to leave Lulu overnight. So Donna still doesn't know what your plans are for her birthday?" Helen asks me with an amused look.
"I don't think she knows. I mean she knows that Mom is babysitting tomorrow so we can go out, but I haven't told her what we are doing. She'll be okay with it, don't you think?"
Helen's question makes me wonder if this is a good idea. It's taken a lot for me to feel comfortable with the concept of both of us being away from Lulu overnight, but I think Donna will be okay with it. She's much more relaxed at this parenting thing than I am.
"Yes, you silly man. I think she's going to love it. In fact, any time you want to make gift suggestions to my husband you go right ahead."
I feel myself blush a little. Helen doesn't praise me all that often so when she does, I know I've done something good. I'm glad I ran this idea by her before I booked it.
"I think she'll like it too. She really likes to be surprised, as long as it's a good surprise. We've had some good banter over the years when I've surprised her with a present. I remember one Christmas where it went on for weeks with me telling her I had gotten her things like gift certificates and socks. Every few days she'd ask what it was, trying to catch me off guard. I had to get pretty creative on the things I told her. I think I even told her I enrolled her in a hat of the month club."
"What did you really get her?" Helen asks curiously, while Mom looks at me adoringly. She loves it when I tell stories of Donna and I in the early years. She feels vindicated in her claim that it was obvious to everyone except us that we were crazy about each other.
"Earrings made of Abalone Shell. The colors match her eyes."
"Oh, that's really sweet!" Helen gushes as Mom smiles at me knowingly. Yeah, yeah, Mom, you were right. I was an idiot.
A few minutes later Donna and Lulu rejoin us. Lulu immediately reaches for me. It's the greatest feeling in the world the way she wraps her arms around me and hold me tight because she missed me while she was napping. Again, my resolve wavers for a moment. Do I really want to leave her alone overnight with just my Mom and one secret service agent guarding the door? But then I catch Donna's eye and I see the way she's looking at me and I can't hardly wait to have her alone. Lulu will be in great hands with Mom. Nobody could possibly love her more than Donna and me, but Bubbe comes close.
"Well, I think it's time for the Lymans to head home." I announce to the room.
Donna gives Helen a big hug. "Thank you so much for all you did to make this happen. I really appreciate it."
"My pleasure," Helen responds. "And since I won't see you tomorrow- Happy Birthday to you. We'll have lunch on Monday to celebrate, okay?"
"Yes, of course." Donna demurs as she puts Lulu's jacket on her. I slide the diaper bag over one shoulder, then pick Lulu up. With one arm wrapped around Lulu, I place my other hand on the small of Donna's back and guide her out the door. We head toward the portico where the town car waits for us.
When we get home, Donna gets Lulu and diaper bag. Bubbe takes the giant bear, rolling her eyes at me as she does.
"Your father was prone to these types of grand gestures too, you know." She says, half in rebuke, but her fond smile and words take any sting out of it. Truthfully, I feel my chest puff up. My father was a great man. Being told that I'm like him is the greatest compliment she can give me.
Lulu's gifts have been combined into one bag, plus the stroller and ride on toy. I'm sure I can manage it all in one trip. I'm a Dad now, and we have extraordinary abilities when it comes to carrying things. I slide the handles of the bag over one arm, while I grab the stroller in one hand and the ride-on toy with the other. As long as the agents open the doors for me I'll be fine.
By the time we get in the door it's almost 4. I think it's time to tell Donna about the surprise.
We all head into Lulu's room to put her presents away. Bubbe tucks the bear into the corner, then sits down on the yellow chair to watch. Donna sits down on the floor with Lulu and the gift bag, while I put the ride on toy and stroller in the closet. Then I join them on the yellow rug as Donna hands Lulu the toy phone.
"So I've got a surprise for you." I tell Donna with a grin. She looks at me knowingly and I immediately wonder how she found out. I've been very careful not to blow this. I narrow my eyes a bit at her- "Do you already know what it is?"
She leave me on the hook for a minute with one eyebrow raised and a smirk on her face before she finally confesses-
"No. I don't know what you have up your sleeve, but I knew you were planning something."
Huh. I wonder how many times I was the one to give something away because I told Donna about it because I thought she already knew. She a sneaky one, my Donna. God, I love her.
"I made hotel reservations for us for tonight and tomorrow. Bubbe is going to watch lulu and we are going to have a romantic weekend." I wiggle my eyebrows a bit and hope that Donna knows that I'm planning on Naked Sunday but I'm not going to say that in front of my mom.
"Really? Where?" Donna looks excited and I'm feeling pretty good about this idea. This the best part.
"The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown." It's a 5 star hotel and it's literally 5 minutes from here. We can go have some time away but not be too far in case Mom or Lulu needs us. "We can check in anytime now. So we can go whenever you're ready or we can wait until after after we put Lulu to bed tonight."
I have to admit, I'm really a little torn. I can't wait to have Donna alone. I crave her. But I don't really like the idea of missing two nights in a row of our bedtime routine with Lulu. We could put her to bed and still be in to the hotel by 8. I hope that's what Donna picks.
"Let's wait until after she goes to bed, okay? It'll be the first time we've both been gone overnight. Let's ease into it." Donna looks a little uncertain until I grin at her.
"Yes! That's what I was hoping you'd choose."
Mom rolls her eyes at both of us. She's called us helicopter parents more than once. but she's mostly just amused by us. Donna's Mom actually offered to take Lulu for a whole week so we could go on a "real" vacation. It took me a minute to realize she wasn't kidding and a lot less than that to turn her down flat.