2021

What was once a simple trip home to Albuquerque was simply no longer a simple trip home. In 2021, not only did they have the two year old Joshua, who was running around and hated being prevented from toddling around, but Gabriella was seven months pregnant with their second child. It had been a more difficult pregnancy than her first – the morning sickness was twice as difficult, and the little girl that was inside was destined for a career as a gymnast because her somersaulting was often very uncomfortable. Gabriella was experiencing far worse back pain, her feet and ankles were swollen, and she was overall quite miserable.

The airline crew had eyed Gabriella warily – with her slender frame, she felt like she looked far more pregnant than seven months, and they were clearly concerned she was about to pop. However she and Troy had been prepared with a letter from her doctor obtained just two days prior, to confirm her health and ability to fly.

"Joshua, no!" Gabriella scolded, seeing her little boy grabbing at the plastic knife that was on the empty middle seat tray table. She was sitting at the window seat, while Troy was on the aisle with little Joshua on his lap. Joshua loved to pick up objects, anything really, regardless of care for how small or sharp they might be.

"How many more minutes?" Troy asked warily.

They'd had a stop in St. Louis, and then had to change planes in Dallas, before the short final flight onto Albuquerque.

Gabriella picked up her cell phone from the seat pocket, and checked the time. "They'll probably come through to collect trash soon before starting descent."

Troy breathed a sigh of relief. He loved his wife, and he loved his son more than the world, but he was really looking forward to arriving back in Albuquerque. He was looking forward to doting grandparents to oversee Joshua, and for their mothers who would undoubtedly fluff around Gabriella and tend to her needs.

"Do you want to get up to use the bathroom?" Troy asked.

Gabriella considered this, and then nodded. "Yes please."

He stood up with Joshua to let her out, holding the toddler on one side him while offering his wife a hand to support her as she wriggled out into the aisle. He used the time to let Joshua toddle up the aisle, a few of the passengers cooing and offering their comments on how adorable he was. Troy simply smiled and said thank you.

The rest of the flight went by smoothly. Gabriella and Troy waited until everyone else had departed the plane before attempting to get up. They needed a little extra time to retrieve their bags from above, to hoist up Joshua, and to allow Gabriella to waddle without the hordes of people anxiously jostling down the aisle hurrying her. By the time they emerged from the aircraft they were able to collect their stroller which they gate checked and headed through the familiar Albuquerque airport to the arrivals area, where they were met by a very excited looking Maria Montez who was waving madly. She cut through a few people to greet them, firstly gasping at Gabriella.

"Mija!" she exclaimed, hands immediately going to Gabriella's stomach. "Are you sure you're only seven months?"

The last she'd seen Gabriella, she was showing but with a nice small and manageable belly.

"I feel like it's been three years," Gabriella joked, hugging her mother tightly.

"Grams!" Joshua cried, holding his arms up, his pronunciation sounding more like Gwam.

"Abuelita," Gabriella corrected him. She was doing her best to encourage her son to be bi-lingual, knowing it would be much easier from a younger age. However her own Spanish wasn't fluent, it was conversational at best.

Maria picked up Joshua from his pram to cuddle him, delighted at being recognised. She Skyped with them regularly, and Troy and Gabriella kept photographs of their family around in their apartment to encourage the recognition. Finally she turned to Troy, giving him a big hug.

There seemed to be twice as many bags as there would be on a usual flight, with people travelling for the holidays, it made sense, as many would possibly have whole extra suitcases filled with presents and treats. Troy and Gabriella were no different, having both presents for family, for Joshua and the piles of kid related supplies they needed to bring all packed up, as well as their own belongings. Finally Troy had hauled it all onto a cart, along with their carry-ons. Maria took control of thes stroller, leaving Gabriella empty handed. The chatter on the way back to Maria's house was pleasant. Troy and Gabriella had a car seat for Joshua in Albuquerque, which was shared between Maria, Lucille and Jack. Maria was hosting Christmas for their entire united clan. The relationship she'd forged with Carlos had been short lived, the pair having gone their separate ways six months earlier. Gabriella had spent a week in Albuquerque with her mother who was quite upset, although the split had been mutual and amicable.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained," Maria had said, shrugging her shoulders.

She was happier now, and had moved into a three bedroom townhouse – big enough for Troy and Gabriella to have their own room, plus for Joshua to have a room, the one time they'd all visited.

Pretty much as soon as they arrived back, Troy did an assessment of the kitchen, borrowed Maria's keys and popped out to the grocery store. When he arrived back at Maria's, his father's car was parked outside the townhouse and he arrived back to see they'd arrived and were playing with Joshua.

"Look, it's daddy!" Lucille exclaimed to Joshua, pointing at the grocery bag laden Troy who was passing through the doorway on the way to the kitchen.

"Daddy!" Joshua repeated, getting up to run toward Troy. "Want up!"

"Just a minute, little man," Troy said, grinning at his son. Lucille rose to her feet and picked up Josh, causing him to squeal gleefully. She walked over to her son, following him into Maria's kitchen to give him a hug and a kiss.

"What's all this?" she asked, pointing to the groceries.

"Cravings," Troy said simply.

She made a sympathetic sound, asking quietly. "She still having a tough time?"

Troy nodded. "Very." Lucille quickly helped to put the things away, and Troy quickly prepared a small bowl with low fat vanilla ice-cream and half a sliced banana. Gabriella had experienced more salty cravings in her second trimester, but over the last two weeks this had evolved into a series of sweeter cravings.

"Nana," Josh said, pointing to the banana.

"Yes, banana," Troy said, pointedly sounding out the three syllables. "You can have some later."

Lucille went with him back into the living room where he delivered the bowl and a spoon to Gabriella, who was sitting a little awkwardly on the end of the couch.

"You're amazing," she said with a blissful smile.

"Look at you, Gabriella must have you well trained, you never fetched groceries or fixed snacks for other people when you lived with us," Jack commented with a grin. He rose to his feet, the father and son exchanging a hug and a handshake.

"I like to think I trained myself, thanks," Troy responded. "Be right back."

He darted up the stairs of the townhouse, digging through one of their suitcases, and produced Gabriella's lumbar pillow which she used for sitting on a couch, darting back down the stairs to nestle it in behind Gabriella's back.

"Sit down, Troy," Maria ordered. "Let us fluff."

Less than a couple of hours earlier on the plane, Troy had been thinking about how he wanted to let them all fluff around – but it occurred to him that it came quite naturally to him, like second nature.

He shrugged. "It's habit."

"Sit, please," Gabriella requested, tugging at his arm. "You do too much."

Troy relented, and sat down next to his wife. "Only because you said please."

"I wish you weren't having such a tough time, Gabriella," Lucille said, having settled on the arm chair with Joshua squirming around on her lap. She settled him onto the floor with some toy cars that Maria had located in the large travel bag which they'd left downstairs.

"I hate December," Gabriella said with a pout.

"You love December!" Jack exclaimed. Gabriella's love of the holidays were well known by all.

"This year I hate it. We had some holiday parties where I had to be careful about every single thing that was being served – I couldn't eat the pate, I was worried about cheese, desserts with raw eggs. December rolled around and that was when I started really having problems sleeping, when she started demonstrating her gymnastics talents... or according to Troy, she's doing a figure 8 basketball drill and practising her jump shot." They all laughed and Troy smiled, squeezing Gabriella's leg. "I'm not going to be very fun to be around these holidays, I'm afraid."

"Mommy, shoe!" Joshua squealed. He had been wearing little crocs, however the green shoe had slipped off. They all laughed at him.

"In two months you'll have another one of those and it'll all be worth it. Focus on that, sweetheart," Maria said sympathetically.

Troy squeezed Gabriella's hand, the two exchanging a glance.

"We can't wait."

Christmas Eve was kept small, it was just the six of them. Troy was pleased. With immediate family, Gabriella felt comfortable enough to be honest about when she just needed to go lie down, and she was willing to accept help. Christmas morning was exciting for everyone – the year before Joshua had been a baby, but he was now old enough to understand the concept of opening presents, to immediately play with his toys. All the focus was on him, and then the adults began to exchange their presents.

Gabriella was delighted to receive from Troy a delicate silver chain. Just the week before, she'd regretfully taken off her engagement and wedding ring after starting to experience some swelling in her hands. During her first pregnancy they'd remained sitting in a little jewellery box on the dresser. She knew as soon as she opened the gift that it was to allow her to wear them. He also bought her a gift certificate to a spa that specialised in prenatal massage.

Troy was pretty certain that the present Gabriella had gotten him was a book – it was definitely book shaped. When he tore off the wrapping paper, this was confirmed, and he read the title.

"The everything Blackjack Strategy Book," he read aloud, a little confused.

He looked up to see Gabriella smiling like a Cheshire cat. He then noticed an envelope that was slightly longer than the book poking out, and so he flipped open the book, and opened the envelope. There were a few pieces of paper printed inside, which he pulled out and began to scan. It all came together. The first was an airline reservation for the very next day, from Albuquerque to Las Vegas, returning on the 28th. The next was a hotel booking at Circus Circus.

"What the..." Troy said, bewildered.

"Surprise!" Gabriella chirped.

"I don't understand. You want to go to Las Vegas?" Troy was dubious – Las Vegas seemed like the last place that Gabriella would want to be.

"Oh, God no. I'm not going to Las Vegas. You are going to Las Vegas. With Chad."

"I... what? I am?"

"Yes. It's all booked and planned. Chad is super pumped."

"I seriously don't understand." Troy was flabbergasted.

"Troy, you are the most amazing husband and father ever. You cook, you clean, you look after me and Josh. In a couple of months, you and I are going to be parents to two babies under three years old. I want you to go, have a boys weekend, have some fun, relax, focus on you. Drink beer without guilt."

"It's like the opposite of your spa voucher," Jack pointed out with a laugh.

"I seriously don't know what to say to this. This is happening tomorrow?"

"Not only have you trained my son but you've worked out how to make him speechless. You have a real gift, sweetheart," Lucille said with a chuckle.

The parents had already given many gifts, ranging from a foot massager for Gabriella, to a new shaving kit for Troy. There was one final present, in the form of an envelope, handed over to them as a couple, from all three parents.

"A booking at Embassy Suites Hotel & Spa for December 31st," Gabriella read aloud on the piece of paper inside.

"We will take Josh. You guys should take some time for yourselves. Like you just said Gabriella – soon there will be two babies under two! Take the serenity while you can," Maria advised.

On the night of December 31st, Gabriella lay contently on her side in the luxurious king bed of the suite they had received an upgrade to. She had a small pillow for her belly underneath her. In that moment, her entire body felt satiated, the baby was moving a little but no gymnastics, and her aches and pains were minimal. Her husbands nude form was pressed up behind her, also satiated after their slow and tender love making.

Gabriella reached behind him, finding his hand and looping her fingers through his, and murmured softly.

"Maybe December isn't so bad."