-1"Peeyew! What are they feedin' you around here, stinky boy?" Lauren said playfully, gazing down at her son as he lay in his bassinette. The baby gurgled happily and Lauren felt her heart swell with warmth when a smile spread across his tiny rosebud lips.
"Are you smiling for mommy?" Lauren cooed, bending down to nuzzle the baby's downy cheek. "Nope." She chuckled in realization as she caught another whiff of her son's dirty diaper. "Just gas."
She reached down and scooped the tiny infant up in her arms. He was getting so big. Gazing down at his chubby frame, Lauren could hardly believe that less than two months ago he was in an incubator, fighting for his life.
"Come on, sweetie. Let's get you cleaned up." Lauren said softly, not wanting to dwell on the painful memory. Cradling the baby against her chest, she started walking towards the nursery. Just then, the front door swung open.
"Lucy, I'm home!" Michael bellowed out in the cheesiest Ricky Ricardo impression that Lauren had ever heard. She rolled her eyes at him in amusement as he entered the apartment and closed the door behind him.
"Your daddy thinks he's so funny, doesn't he?" Lauren teased, grinning up at her husband as he placed his briefcase down on the couch and walked over to where she was standing.
"I am funny." He insisted playfully. Smiling down at the baby, Michael stuck out his tongue and crossed his eyes. Fenmore smiled in response and Michael nodded his head in triumph. "See? What did I tell ya?"
"I hate to burst your bubble, but he's not smiling at you." Lauren said confidently. "It's just gas."
"Woman, please." Michael said dismissively, reaching out to take the baby from her and holding the groggy infant in his arms. "I think I know my son well enough to know when he's smiling and when he's...dear God, what is that smell?"
"Told ya so." Lauren chuckled, the familiar sound of her laughter momentarily distracting Michael from the putrid stench of his son's dirty diaper. He gazed at her lovingly.
"What?" She asked softly, running a hand through her unkempt hair self consciously.
"I missed you." He said simply and Lauren nodded in understanding. Today had been his first day back at work and even though he was only gone for half a day, it had felt like an eternity.
"I missed you too." Lauren admitted, glancing down at their son. "We both did."
Michael smiled down at the fidgety baby in his arms before turning his attention back to Lauren. She looked exhausted. But even dressed in sweats with baby spit up on her sleeve, she was still the most gorgeous woman he had ever laid eyes on. Unable to resist himself, Michael leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. She sighed in contentment, deepening the kiss. Michael felt his body reacting to the feel of her and was quickly reminded that it had been precisely 65 days, 8 hours and 21 minutes since they'd last made love. And so reluctantly, he broke the kiss.
"No." Lauren protested, already reaching up to try and pull him down for another kiss. "Don't stop."
"I have to." Michael said pleadingly and a look of lustful desperation passed between them. He wanted her. Badly. But Michael was a man with a plan, and he refused to get sidetracked by temptation.
"Fen needs a new diaper." He reasoned, trying to change the subject. "And a bath." He added, wrinkling his nose in disgust as he caught another whiff of baby poo.
"Alright." Lauren sighed defeatedly and Michael felt a pang of guilt when he saw the hurt look on her face. Without meeting his gaze, she reached out to take the baby from him.
"I don't think so, baby hog." Michael teased, holding the baby out of her reach. "You were with him all day, it's my turn to be on poop patrol. Why don't you go lie down for a bit and I'll wake you up in a few?"
"Thanks, but I'm too exhausted to sleep." She declared resolutely.
"Alright, suit yourself. But I would seriously consider taking a nap if I were you." Michael advised her, already starting to unsnap Fenmore's onesie as he started heading down the hall towards the nursery.
"Oh, and why is that?" Lauren asked curiously. Michael stopped what he was doing and turned around to face her.
"Because I plan on ravaging you this evening and I think it would be immensely more enjoyable for both of us if you were conscious while I did so."
And with that, he left the room to go take care of their baby boy. Lauren smiled to herself as she curled up on the couch and covered herself with the afghan. Maybe a nap wasn't such a bad idea afterall.
The smell of burning toast woke Lauren from her restless sleep. She rubbed her eyes tiredly as she struggled into wakefulness, peering over the back of the couch to try and see into the kitchen.
"Michael, what did I tell you about using the toaster unsupervised?" Lauren chided him playfully, shaking her head in amusement at her husband's inability to make toast. The man could whip up a four course meal in record time, but the simple act of toasting bread eluded him.
"What did you say, dear?" Bellowed a familiar voice that Lauren was surprised to realize did not belong to her husband.
"Gloria?" Lauren asked in confusion when her mother-in-law came sauntering out of the kitchen. "What are you doing here?"
"Michael called me and asked me to come over." She explained nonchalantly. "I was going to make you a snack, but something must be wrong with your toaster."
"Where's Michael?" Lauren questioned impatiently. She knew that Gloria meant well, but it had only been two weeks since her mother-in-law had finally moved out of their apartment and Lauren wasn't anxious to have her around any more than was absolutely necessary.
"He had some errands to run." Gloria replied evasively and Lauren could tell she was keeping something from her. "He should be back any minute now."
"Gloria," Lauren sighed in frustration. "If you and Michael are up to something, I want to know about it."
"Oh, it's nothing like that." Gloria assured her. Lauren raised her eyebrow skeptically. "I promise."
Their relationship had been strained ever since Lauren had discovered the lengths Michael was willing to go for his mother. Gloria's manipulation of her sons was something that Lauren was having trouble getting over. It dawned on her then that despite their previously close relationship, she no longer trusted her mothering-in-law.
"I'm gonna go check on the baby." Lauren announced, already starting to get up from the couch.
"You will do no such thing." Michael declared from the foyer. Lauren hadn't even heard him come in.
"Michael," Lauren sighed in relief, turning to face her husband. "Where did you go? I was…" Lauren's jaw dropped when she saw him. He was wearing a pristine white tuxedo that looked like it had been tailor made to fit his gorgeous frame. He was holding a garment bag in one hand and in the other was a fresh bouquet of at least a dozen white roses. The sight took her breath away.
"I had a few things I needed to pick up." He explained softly, grinning at her response to his appearance.
"Michael." She gasped, bringing a hand up to her lips to try and stop them from trembling. "What is this?"
"This," He started to explain, purposefully walking towards her and handing over the bouquet of roses. "Is just a small portion of what I have in store for you this evening, Mrs. Baldwin."
"They're beautiful." Lauren declared, inhaling the heavenly floral scent as she admired the flowers she now held in her hand. She looked up at him in confusion. "But what's the occasion?"
"You're lucky I'm so madly in love with you, or else I might be insulted." Michael playfully teased his wife for her forgetfulness. She looked at him questioningly and he sighed in mock frustration. "What were we doing a year ago today?"
"Oh my God!" Lauren gasped in realization as the significance of the date finally dawned on her. "Our anniversary. I completely forgot." Just then, a loud wail came from the nursery as Fenmore finally woke up from his nap. Michael chuckled at his son's timing.
"It's okay." Michael assured her, reaching out to brush a wayward strand of hair out of her face. "You've had a lot on your plate lately." He offered her a sad smile and Lauren could tell he wasn't only referring to the baby. She had forgiven him for lying to her. It was the forgetting part that was proving to be more difficult.
"I should go see what our son wants." Lauren reasoned, trying to change the subject.
"It's okay, dear. I'll look after Fenmore." Gloria interjected, breaking her silence for the first time since Michael had returned home. "You two need some time alone." And with that she left the room to go tend to her wailing grandson.
"You look great." Lauren declared, giving him a once over for the second time that evening. "Though that tuxedo looks awfully familiar."
"That's because you designed it." Michael said proudly. "Free clothes. Just one of the many perks I get for being Mr. Lauren Fenmore."
"Gold-digger." Lauren teased, playfully slapping him on the arm. She eyed the garment bag he still held in his hand. "So what else have you pilfered from my store?"
"Well, as gorgeous as you look in my sweatshirt, it doesn't quite go with tonight's theme…"
"There's a theme?" She interrupted him, trying not to smile at his growing enthusiasm.
"Of course there's a theme! When have I not come up with a theme?" He shook his head incredulously and Lauren couldn't help but giggle. God, she'd missed this. "Anyway," Michael continued, grinning at her in amusement. "As I was saying, I wanted you to be wearing something befitting of this evening's motif, so I picked up a little something." He explained, gallantly handing her the garment bag. "And it's not from Fenmore's.
"Forrester's then?" Lauren surmised, remembering the gorgeous black gown he had gotten for her to wear the night he proposed.
"Nope. As wonderful as Eric's designs are, I wanted to get you something a little more…special."
"Michael." Lauren sighed in exasperation, her curiosity getting the better of her as she unzipped the garment bag and peered inside to look at the label. "Oh my God!" She gasped. "Vera Wang?!"
"You like?" Michael asked anxiously.
"I love!" She assured him, her eyes glued to the gown. "But Michael, I can't accept this. It must have cost you a fortune."
"You're worth every penny." He declared sincerely. "Which is approximately how much I paid for the dress."
"What?" She gasped in disbelief. "You got a Vera Wang gown for free?"
"Hey! I was fully prepared to pay for the dress, but when Ms. Wang found out who it was for, she insisted on giving it to me free of charge." Lauren shook her head in amazement. "Apparently she's a fan of your work."
"Michael. I don't know what to say." Lauren said softly, touched by his thoughtfulness.
"Then don't say anything." He smiled warmly, pleased by her reaction to the dress. "Go put it on." He instructed. "Dinner's at eight, so chop chop." Grinning up at him in excitement, Lauren grabbed hold of his tie and pulled him down for an earth shattering kiss.
"You are so getting lucky tonight." She whispered seductively and he grinned in response.
"You're so easy." He teased.
"That's why you love me." She replied jokingly. And with that she left the room to go shower and change.
"Now, you're sure Gloria's going to be okay watching the baby?" Lauren asked worriedly for the umpteenth time as Michael lead her through the spacious hallway towards the Colonnade's private dining room.
"I know Gloria isn't exactly Mary Poppins, but she knows her way around a baby." Michael assured her, though he couldn't deny the feelings of anxiety he had about being away from their son. But for the past two months, all of their attention had been focused on Fenmore. It was time for mommy and daddy to get reacquainted.
"You're right." Lauren nodded. "I know you're right. It's just that this is the first time I've been away from him for more than an hour and I just…"
"I know you're worried, sweetheart, but Fenmore is fine now." Michael tried to ease her fears, as well as his own. "He's getting bigger and stronger everyday and the doctor gave him a clean bill of health." Despite his reassurances, Michael could see that Lauren was still apprehensive about being away from their baby. "We can go home if you want?"
"No." She said confidently, shaking her head in determination. "I can do this. I want to do this." She smiled up at him reassuringly. "Now, are you going to open the door for me like a gentleman or do I have wear the pants here as well?" She teased playfully, causing him to chuckle.
"Alright, Mrs. Baldwin." Michael declared anxiously, placing his hand at the small of her back as he opened the large oak door leading to their private room. "Prepare to be amazed."
Amazement didn't even begin to describe how Lauren felt when she saw what lay before her. The dining room had been transformed into a vision of pristine tranquility. Everything was an immaculate shade of white, from the overstuffed couches to the silk drapes hanging like angel wings from the ceiling. At one end of the lavish dining room sat a large table, elegantly set in preparation for their meal. In the far corner situated in an inviting L shape were two large couches, ideal for cuddling in if one so desired. Lauren gaped at Michael in disbelief.
"I told you I had a theme." He winked, reaching out to help her remove her jacket. Now it was Michael's turn to be amazed. "Lauren," He gasped as he took in the sight of her. "You look incredible." And she did. The ivory colored gown fit her curves like a second skin, the silk fabric clung to her body in all the right places. The crystal shoes she wore would put Cinderella to shame, and the strapless gown flowed effortlessly with every step she took towards him.
"My husband has extraordinary taste." Lauren said coyly, smiling up at him in gratitude. He reached out and lightly ran his finger down the side of her face
"I most certainly do." He whispered suggestively and Lauren felt a blush creep across her cheeks. Over two years together and he still had the ability to give her butterflies. Someone cleared their throat behind them, effectively breaking the spell they were under.
"Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin." The concierge welcomed them. "Sorry to interrupt, but your table is ready."
"Thank you, William." Michael said, smiling warmly at the older gentleman before offering Lauren his arm. "Shall we?"
"We shall." Lauren declared, smiling up at him affectionately as he lead her to their table.
After dinner, they lay curled up together on one of the fluffy white couches. Michael was feeding Lauren strawberries. He dipped one in the fountain of decadent white chocolate before slowly bringing the ripened berry to her lips. She ate it slowly, sensuously, drawing Michael's finger into her mouth and licking it clean. She smiled when she felt him shudder.
"Are you cold?" Lauren asked coyly.
"You know full well the affect you're having on me, Mrs. Baldwin." He declared seductively, reaching out to run his fingers through her hair. He admirered the way her auburn locks stood out in contrast to the ivory decor of the room. Gazing down at her in adoration, he was struck by her impeccable beauty.
"What are you thinking?" Lauren asked softly, her voice like feathers against his skin.
"I'm wondering how in the hell I got so lucky." Michael answered, his voice cracking as he became overcome with emotion. "I don't deserve you." He acknowledged painfully. Lauren began to protest, but he continued. "You've given me so much, Lauren. You're the love of my life, the mother of my child, and the best dn thing that has ever happened to me." Michael declared passionately, blinking back tears. "I don't deserve you."
"Michael." She whispered fiercely, reaching up to hold his face in her hands. "I love you. I love everything about you, flaws and all." She assured him sincerely. Leaning forward, she placed her lips against his cheek, kissing away the tear that had escaped. "You are the only man for me and I thank God everyday that we found each other."
"So do I." Michael vowed, smiling at her warmly.
"Well, now that we've gotten that all straightened out." Lauren said teasingly, sniffling away her unshed tears. "I think it's time for you to make love to me."
"Twist my arm why dontcha?" Michael chuckled, pulling her closer as he began trailing kissing down her throat. Lauren ran her fingers through his hair and sighed in contentment. It had been so long…
Michael's cell phone started ringing in his pocket and they both jumped. The shrill noise shattered their peaceful oasis like a sledgehammer and a look of fear passed between them. Gloria had promised to only call if it was an emergency. Frantically, Michael dug through his suit pocket, pulling out his cell phone and quickly bringing it to his ear.
"What is it? What's wrong?" He spoke into the phone, the fear in his voice was almost palpable. Lauren was staring at him in terror, trying to make out what Gloria was saying by the expression on his face. All of a sudden he closed his eyes and sighed in relieved frustration. "What is it, Christine?" He asked impatiently. Lauren allowed herself to breathe again, trying to will her hands to stop shaking. Michael reached over and squeezed her knee reassuringly. Lauren smiled in gratitude and mouthed to him that she was going to the powder room to freshen up. Walking away from the couch, she reached into her purse and pulled out her own cell phone, hitting #1 on the speed dial.
"Hi, Gloria." Lauren said anxiously when her mother-in-law answered the phone. "How's my baby boy doing?"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I am so sorry about this." Michael apologized as he unlocked the door to his office and turned on the lights. "It'll only take a minute, I promise."
"It's fine, take your time." Lauren said reassuringly, closing the door behind her as she followed him into the stuffy office. When they first arrived at the office building, the security guard at the front desk had chuckled when he took in their appearance.
"I hope you were able to find a parking spot for your pumpkin carriage, Mr. Baldwin."
"Shut up, Harry." Was Michael's response to the older man's dry comment as he lead Lauren towards the elevator and ushered her inside.
The sound of drawers being opened and closed brought her back to the present. Grinning mischievously, Lauren allowed herself to admire Michael's well toned backside as he rummaged through the filing cabinet. She had always loved his ass.
"Ah ha!" Michael declared triumphantly when he found the file he was looking for. "Okay, now I just need to make one quick phone call and then we can be on our way."
"Sounds like a plan." Lauren replied distractedly. She was busy trying to decide if she loved his biceps even more than she loved his ass. She watched as Michael sat down in his chair and picked up the phone. Lauren seriously doubted that this business he had to take care of was really as urgent as Christine had made it out to be. Leave it to the Bug to interrupt the first night they'd had alone together in months. She was lucky Lauren was in such a forgiving mood lately.
"Yes, hi. Mr. Anderson? It's Michael Baldwin. Yes sir, I have the police report right here and it clearly states that my client…" The rest of the conversation faded into background noise as Lauren noticed the way Michael was sitting. His legs were casually spread open in the most inviting way, the loose fitting tuxedo pants he wore did little to hide the fact that he was as anxious to pick up where they left off as she was. Licking her lips in anticipation, Lauren finally decided which part of Michael's body she loved the most.
"I understand your concern, Mr. Anderson, but I can assure you that I plan on pleading your son's case to the best of my ability and if…" Michael was momentarily distracted from his conversation when he noticed that Lauren was slowly sauntering towards him. The predatory look on her face set his pulse racing and he eyed her suspiciously as she came to stand before him. Her eyes never leaving his, she hiked up the bottom of her designer gown in a decidedly unladylike fashion and straddled his lap. He gaped at her in astonishment before reluctantly continuing on with his phone call.
"Sorry about that sir, something fell in my lap." Michael explained, desperately trying to stay focused on their conversation. But Lauren seemed intent on driving him to distraction. She smiled at him lasciviously and began loosening his tie. Settling herself more comfortably in his lap, she leaned forward and ran her tongue down the length of his neck. She heard his breath catch in his throat as he struggled to keep his cool.
"Mr. Anderson, please. You have nothing to worry about. Sean has no prior convictions so the judge will most likely ru…" Michael gasped as Lauren began placing hot, open mouthed kisses along his collarbone. "Rule in our favor." He declared, mortified by the high pitched sound of his voice. He felt Lauren chuckle against him and vowed to get her back for this. After he was finished exploring every inch of her body with his tongue.
"No, I don't think calling Sean's sixth grade teacher as a character witness is necessary. How about you just let me…Oh God, yeah." Michael groaned in pleasure as Lauren purposely shifted in his lap, creating the most delightful friction that was slowly driving him insane. He placed his hand on the small of her back to try and still her restless hips, but that only spurred her on. Before he knew what was happening, Lauren grabbed the phone out of his hand and brought it to her ear.
"I'm sorry Mr. Anderson, but Mr. Baldwin needs to make love to his wife right now. I'll make sure that he calls you back first thing in the morning." And with a cheerful "Buh-bye now." She hung up the phone.
"Oooo, you're bad." Michael playfully admonished her, slowly running his hands along her curves as he gazed at her body in eager anticipation.
"That's why you love me." She said proudly, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"One of the many, many reasons why I love you." He corrected her, burying his face in the crook of her neck and placing an open mouthed kiss there. "Now come on, get up." He instructed, patting her butt for emphasis. "I've booked us a suite at the Athletic Club and I can't wait to…"
"No." Lauren interrupted him, shaking her head in disagreement.
"No?" Michael asked in confusion. "But I got champagne, and candles and poor Gina spent all day sprinkling rose pedals on the bed…"
"Do you remember the first time we made love, Michael?" Lauren questioned, interrupting his spiel. A goofy grin spread across his face as he recalled the pleasant memory.
"Like it was yesterday." He replied truthfully.
"I wanted you so badly that night." Lauren confessed, running her hands down his chest seductively. "I didn't care that I was still seeing Paul, or that your brother had a crush on me. None of that mattered. One kiss from you and everything else just faded away." She smiled wistfully, gazing up at him in adoration. "You still do that to me, Michael." She admitted softly, cupping his face in her hands. "When you kiss me I…" Deciding that actions were better than words, Michael leaned forward and crushed his lips to hers in a searing kiss. She moaned in approval and frantically started unbuttoning his shirt.
"Michael, I just got off the phone with Mr. Anderson and he's very…" they heard Christine's sharp intake of breath as she opened the door and found them in a very compromising position. "Upset." She concluded, awkwardly averting her gaze away from the amorous couple.
"When is Mr. Anderson not upset?" Michael responded sarcastically, not even bothering to remove his hands from Lauren's backside. She languidly wrapped her arms around Michael's neck and laid her head down against his chest as she nestled further into his embrace.
"Hello, Christine." Lauren greeted her pleasantly, though the look she gave the other woman was anything but.
"Lauren." Christine replied bitterly. "I didn't realize you were here."
"Mr. Anderson didn't mention me?" Lauren asked coyly and Michael lightly slapped her ass in reprimand. She grinned up at him mischievously.
"No, he didn't." Christine said, oblivious to the inside joke. She sighed in frustration and rolled her eyes. "Look, Michael. Are you going t handle this or not?" Mr. Anderson is a very influential man in this town and we don't need him breathing down our necks every five minutes."
"Seymour Anderson is about as influential as a fruit fly." Lauren said in exasperation.
"I didn't realize you two were acquainted." Christine questioned, obviously annoyed. Lauren sighed impatiently and snuggled closer to Michael.
"His brother Stephan used to be my father's golf caddie." She explained nonchalantly. "The Anderson family is the definition of nouveau rich." Lauren declared snobbishly and Michael felt a familiar stirring in his pants. He loved it when she went all 'rich girl' on people.
"Michael." Christine whined in annoyance, ignoring Lauren's comment.
"Look, I don't know what else you want me to do, Christine." He replied distractedly, his eyes glued to Lauren's chest. He silently congratulated himself for suggesting to Vera that the gown be of the low-cut variety.
"Well, if you're not going to take this seriously then I guess I'll just have to deal with it myself." Christine announced, frustrated by Michael's inattentiveness towards her.
"Now there's an idea!" Lauren exclaimed sarcastically "Too bad you didn't think of that before taking it upon yourself to ruin our evening."
"Hey! The night's not over yet ya know." Michael pointed out suggestively. Lauren turned her attention away from Christine and grinned at him knowingly. Leaning forward, she captured his lips with her own in a passionate kiss. They became so immersed in each other that they didn't even notice when Christine finally left the room.
"Is she gone?" Lauren whispered, breaking their sensuous kiss when the need for oxygen became unbearable. Michael peered over her shoulder to check.
"Yep." He confirmed, already leaning forward to steal another kiss. Dodging his lips, Lauren braced herself on the arms of the chair and stood up abruptly.
"Now I know why you work at home so often." She sneered, walking over to the door and slamming it shut to prevent any further intrusion.
"I don't work at home because of Christine." Michael informed her and Lauren's breath caught in her throat when she turned around and saw the predatory look in his eyes.
"You don't?" She managed to choke out, licking her lips in nervous anticipation as he started walking towards her.
"Nope." He declared, his voice taking on a seductive quality usually reserved for the bedroom. He was standing directly in front of her now. With every breath that she took, her breasts rose to brush against his chest. Unconsciously, Lauren took a step back until she was pressed up against the office door. He placed his hands on either side of her head, caging her against the door with the weight of his body. Lauren shivered.
"I work at home so often because I just can't stand being away from you." He admitted truthfully. "You and Fen." Michael added, grinning at the mention of their son. Lauren blinked back tears, smiling up at him in adoration.
"We make beautiful babies together." She said teasingly causing him to chuckle.
"We sure do." He smiled in agreement, bending to nuzzle his face in her hair. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, gasping when she felt his arousal press against her stomach. He buried his hands in her hair, kissing her long and hard as she desperately tried to remove his shirt. Growling in frustration when she couldn't get it off, Lauren tore her lips away from his.
"I want you, Michael." She declared softly, gazing up at him expectantly. "Please don't make me wait any longer." Her pleading words undid him. Michael roughly grabbed a hold of her ass and lifted her up, pinning her against the door. She wrapped her legs around his waist and moaned in pleasure when she felt him against her.
"Are you sure you don't want to do this somewhere more comfortable?" Michael asked breathlessly, reaching down to hike the bottom of her gown up past her waist. She shook her head in response, her mouth was too busy suckling his earlobe to form words. "I wanted tonight to be perfect."
"It is perfect." She insisted, grabbing hold of his pants and shoving them down until they fell into a pool of white fabric at his feet.
"But I had a theme…"
"Fk the theme, Michael." Lauren hissed, throwing her head back against the door and moaning in ecstasy as he entered her.
Michael prayed to God that the walls were soundproof.
Two Weeks Later…
"Deck the halls with bows of holly, fa la la la la, la la la laaaaa…" Michael sang along off key to the Christmas carols playing over the radio. Smiling to himself, he placed the last of Fenmore's presents underneath the Christmas tree before stepping back to admire his handiwork. The luscious pine stood prominently beside the fireplace, towering over the rest of the apartment. Its top branches nearly touched the ceiling! Michael reached out and cradled one of the ornaments in his palm. It was a crystal globe with the words 'Baby's First Christmas' engraved on the front in gold lettering. He sighed in contentment.
"Honey, have you seen my silver brooch?" Lauren asked distracted, holding Fenmore in her arms as she walked into the living room. "I could have sworn I put it back in my jewelry box…"
"Lauren! What are you doing?" Michael exclaimed frantically. "He can't be in here!"
"Why not?" She asked in bewilderment, glancing down at the baby. He was staring up at his daddy in fascination.
"I already put his presents from S-A-N-T-A under the tree. What if he sees them?" Michael explained worriedly, blocking the baby's view of the tree. Lauren chuckled.
"You goof." She chided him affectionately. "Fenmore isn't even three months old yet, he has no idea what's going on."
"Do not underestimate our son's superior intelligence, Lauren." Michael said teasingly, taking the baby from her and cradling the infant in his arms. He was wearing the tiniest pair of khaki pants that Michael had ever seen and a red cashmere sweater with Santa's face embroidered on the front. The silky wisps of chestnut brown hair on his head were neatly combed over to one side. Michael couldn't resist placing a gentle kiss on his son's downy soft forehead.
"The place looks amazing, Michael." Lauren praised, glancing around the room in approval. Everything was perfect. From the lavishly decorated tree to the Christmas stockings hanging side by side on the fireplace mantel. "I know Christmas isn't exactly your favorite holiday, so I really…"
"What are you talking about? I love Christmas!" He declared enthusiastically. Fenmore started fussing and Michael cradled the restless baby against his chest, stroking his back in a soothing gesture.
"Since when?" Lauren said incredulously, remembering how angry he had been when Kevin and Gloria decorated the apartment in an effort to get him into the holiday spirit.
"Since I found the right person…the right people," he corrected himself, smiling down at their son who was busy burrowing his face into the crook of Michael's neck. "To celebrate it with."
"That reminds me," Lauren said softly, moving closer to Michael and gently running her finger along the bottom of Fenmore's tiny foot. "Do you realize that this will be the first Christmas we've ever spent together?"
"Yeah." Michael said quietly, averting her gaze. He didn't want to think about last year's Christmas; back when she was "dead" and he wished he were too.
"Michael." Lauren sighed regretfully. She hadn't meant to bring back the painful memories. He shook his head, and blinking back tears, offered her a reassuring smile.
"And this year, not only do we have each other," Michael declared happily, gazing down at the baby. "We get to celebrate the holidays with our son." He said in amazement, bending his head to kiss the baby's downy cheek. Fenmore gurgled happily in response, reaching out to grab his daddy's nose. Michael chuckled. "I still can't believe he's real."
"You really love being a father, don't you?" Lauren asked, smiling warmly as she watched Michael making funny faces at their son.
"It's the most amazing feeling in the world." Michael replied sincerely, never taking his off the baby. "Everyday with our son is like a new adventure. I can't wait until he gets a bit older so I can spoil him rotten."
"Looks like you've already started." Lauren teased, motioning to the beautifully wrapped presents overflowing from underneath the tree.
"I couldn't help myself." Michael shrugged, remembering the astonished look on the cashier's face when he'd purchased practically every toy in FAO Schwarz. "Whatever Fenmore wants, Fenmore gets."
"You know, it probably isn't such a good idea to spoil him, Michael." Lauren reasoned. "If we give him everything he wants and buy him every toy in the store, he'll have a hard time learning to share with his siblings."
"Lauren." Michael chuckled at her reasoning. "Don't you think Scotty is a little too old to want to play with Fenmore's toys?"
"I wasn't talking about Scotty." Lauren said quietly and Michael detected a slight tremble in her voice. Finally tearing his attention away from the baby, he looked up at her quizzically. Without saying another word, she reached into her back pocket and pulled out a gift box. It was wrapped in ivory colored paper and a lily white ribbon on top. She handed it to him.
"What is this?" Michael asked in confusion, holding the gift box in one hand and the baby in the other. Fenmore grabbed hold of the ribbon and started to pull.
"Hey, you. That's daddy's Christmas present, not yours." Lauren playfully chided the baby and Michael chuckled at his son's antics. She grew serious again, nervously biting her lower lip. "Open it, Michael."
"If you insist." Michael said, feigning disinterest when really he was just as anxious to unwrap the gift as their son had been. Allowing Fenmore to yank off the pretty white ribbon, Michael quickly unwrapped the box and lifted the lid. Lauren closed her eyes when she heard his sharp intake of breath. "Lauren, is this…" He had to take a moment to remember breathe. "Is this what I think it is?" She nodded in affirmation, slowly opening one eye to try and guage his reaction.
"I know it's really soon and we should have been more careful, but…"
"Another baby." Michael whispered, grinning at her in excitement. "Lauren, we're gonna have another baby?!"
"It looks that way." Lauren confirmed, smiling at her husband's enthusiasm. Moving towards her, he cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand and leaned down to kiss her passionately.
"Thank you." He whispered fiercely once they parted. Tears were streaming down his face and Lauren reached up to brush them away. "I love you so much." He professed sincerely.
"I love you too, Michael." She replied, feeling her own eyes begin to well up with tears. "And I can't wait to have another baby with you."
"Do you hear that, buddy?" Michael cooed to Fenmore, smiling down at the baby in excitement. "You're going to have a little brother or sister!" No sooner were the words out of his mouth when the baby decided to spit up his dinner, all over Michael's festive sweater. They both laughed at their son's response to the good news.
"Two babies, Michael." She sighed wearily. "We're gonna have our hands full, that's for sure. But I know we can handle it" Lauren declared confidently.
"Of course we can handle it. Fenmore's been a breeze so far. Adding one more baby Baldwin to the mix should be a piece of cake."Michael said, smiling at her reassuringly. "Now come on, let's call everyone and tell them the good news!"
"Not yet. I want us to keep the news to ourselves for a little while longer." Lauren said pleadingly. "A Baldwin family secret if you will."
"Okay. I guess I can live with that." Michael agreed.
"Good. Now when do I get to open my Christmas Eve gift?" She asked impatiently. Michael chuckled as he imagined what Christmases were going to be like in the Baldwin family household, all four of them fighting over presents like cats and dogs. Placing his hand on Lauren's tummy, he smiled at his wife and son in adoration.
"Merry Christmas, baby."
The End.