Chapter 9

"Wow this place is starting to look great!" Madi exclaimed as she looked around at the fresh cut lawn and trimmed trees.

"I know. Nick, Dalton and their dad have really out done themselves around here."

"I can see. How's the inside coming along?"

"Great. We're almost done cleaning. Nick has already started painting Charlie's room."

"Charlie? So, you've already picked a name?"

Kylie smiled. "We decided on Charles Nicholas."

The two girls continued their walk across the front yard towards the front porch. As they approached the front steps Nick walked up to join them.

"What do you think Madi?" He asked.

"Place is returning to its former glory." She said with a smile. "I'm really happy for y'all."

"Madi, come on I want to show you Charlie's room!" Kylie said excitedly as she grabbed Madi's hand, pulling her up the steps and into the house.

"Slow down!" Madi exclaimed with a laugh. "Should you even be rushing around so fast in your condition?"

"Oh hush, I'm fine. Besides, dragging you along isn't really rushing around."

Madi gave Kylie a questioning look before she followed her up the stairs to the nursery.

"Nick did such a good job in here." Kylie said beaming with pride.

Madi walked into the room turning in a small circle. The walls were painted a light blue with all of the trim work in white. The crib was settled against the wall to the left of the door. A rocking chair sat in the corner of the room down from the crib with a changing table positioned against the wall in between the crib and rocking chair. A small chest of drawers sat on the opposite wall near a closet door. Straight in front of the room door was a window over looking the backyard. Stuff animals were set on the floor under the window in a small group.

"Looks amazing." Madi commented. "How much longer until you guys officially move in?"

"Nick graduates in two more weeks. We'll be fully moved in then." Kylie explained. "He wanted me to keep staying at his parents until then, he was worried about me staying here alone."

"I could have came and stayed with you." Madi suggested.

"I know but he still wasn't comfortable with the idea."

Madi rolled her eyes, "Men!"

Both girls laughed as they descended down the stairway and headed towards the kitchen.

"Ok so you're moving in in two weeks, the baby is due in a little over a month and Spring classes just started up first of January. Girl, this is a busy two months!"

"You're telling me!" Kylie exclaimed as she sat down at the kitchen table. "We've been back in class for all of two weeks and I feel like I'm already so behind. I have no idea how I'm gonna keep up once the baby is born."

"I think you're nuts for trying. I would have taken a semester off."

"I'm trying to get through paramedic classes as quick as I can, I don't want Nick trying to pay all the bills by himself. Plus, he still has his degree to finish up. He's not going to be a street cop forever."

Madi shifted her focus out the window glancing at Nick before turning her attention back to Kylie. "How do you feel about him being a cop? Be honest."

"It scares me." Kylie replied with a sigh as she picked at her finger nails. "I'm so scared something is going to happen to him and then it's gonna leave me alone with the baby. I don't think I could handle it."

"I'm sure everything will work out alright." Madi tried to reassure her.

"Well we got all the yard work done." Nick said as he walked in through the back door in the laundry room off the side of the kitchen.

"Great." Kylie smiled.

Nick glanced between the two girls sitting at the kitchen table, knowing something was off. "Everything alright?"

"Fine." Kylie replied as she struggled to stand up.

Nick helped her to her feet keeping his arm around her lower back after she stood.

"This has really gotten hard lately." She remarked slightly frustrated.

"Not much longer." Nick said as he kissed her forehead.

The next two weeks went by quickly as they continued getting the house ready to move into. Before they knew it, the day had finally come for Nick to graduate from the academy. The graduation ceremony went by quickly. After it was finished, Nick meet Kylie and his parents out front of the building.

"I'm so proud of you." Kylie said as she tightly wrapped her arms around him.

"So are we." His dad said as he patted him on the back.

"Congratulations sweetheart." His mom smiled.

"Thanks." Nick smiled.

"Have you gotten your shift assignment yet?" His dad questioned.

"I'll be starting on A shift Monday morning."

"Is that day shift?" Kylie asked.

"Mmhmm." Nick replied as he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head.

"Well, tomorrow is the big day." Jillian smiled as they walked towards the parking lot.

"You guys excited about moving in?" Bill asked.

"We are." Nick replied.

"Babe let me get that." Nick said as he took a box from Kylie and carried it outside to his truck.

"I could have gotten it. It wasn't heavy."

"I know but you really shouldn't be doing much right now." Nick said as he gave her a light kiss on the cheek.

Kylie sighed frustrated that she couldn't help. It didn't seem fair to her that everyone was working except for her.

"No worries, we got this." Dalton said with a smile as he walked past her and out onto the porch carrying a larger box.

"That's not the point." Kylie said.

"Sure, it is. You just hang out and look pretty, us guys will do all the heavy lifting."

She couldn't help but laugh at Dalton. He always seemed to say the goofiest things when she was in a bad mood and it got her laughing almost every time.

"Well, looks like that's everything." Nick said as he walked towards the door carrying the last box.

Kylie followed him outside to the truck. She watched him place the box in the back and secure everything with a tie down strap before she climbed into the passenger side and buckled her seat belt. She glanced back at the place she had called home for the past year. She was going to miss being their around everyone but she was glad for the change and the privacy that she and Nick would have now.

"All set?" Nick asked as he sat behind the wheel and turned the ignition.

Kylie nodded her head and they drove off.

"Well that's the last of the boxes." Dalton commented as he brushed his hands together.

"Good." Kylie smiled. "Now all we have to do is unpack everything."

"That shouldn't take too long." Nick said as he came up behind her wrapping his arms around her.

"I surely hope not," Kylie said looking down and then back up to Nick. "We don't have long before this little one gets here."

"I'm glad we finally have everything unpacked." Kylie said as she leaned back on the couch resting her head on Nick's shoulder.

"Me too."

Nick flipped on the tv settling further into the couch. He flipped through channels before finally finding a movie to watch. Kylie shifted on the couch.

"You alright?"

"I can't get comfortable, my back hurts."

"Want me to give you a back rub?" Nick asked.

"Please." Kylie replied as she scooted forward on the couch.

Nick started rubbing small circles on Kylie's back. He started in the center and slowly worked his way out before going back and repeating the process over again.

"Helping?"

"A little. Maybe a warm bath will help more."