Speechless:

She had struggled for over a week, wondering when and how to break the news to him. Her mind was so full with information, ideas, images, hopes, fears … all of them invading her waking thoughts and deepest sleep. It had taken all her willpower that first day, trying to keep all of her emotions in check. Never before had she needed and craved his warm arms, his soothing voice, his tender kisses. The moment she saw him, she nearly revealed her news, as if it was no more important than announcing that their tea was ready. But, the drive home had given her time enough to make at least one decision and to strengthen her resolve to wait … at least for now. She would try to hold off until the moment was just right before breaking the news to him. He deserved that much. They both did.

As they snuggled together on the sofa that night, his sweet lips caressed her neck, his nimble fingers slipped up and down her bare arms, and his arms encased her in his love until she had asked him to take her to bed. He happily obliged, always ready and willing to do anything she asked. She had given herself to him that night, as she had on so many other occasions, welcoming him into her arms, giving and receiving boundless love. But there was one little piece of her heart that remained hidden from him, one little secret that nestled between them and known only to her. Not for long, though.

Elsie turned onto her side and snuggled against him. Her fingertips traced his collarbones, his broad chest, his rounded belly. He sighed contentedly in his sleep, his face relaxed, and his mind utterly at peace. Hers, on the other hand, was a whirlwind of activity. Whenever she thought of her little secret, her heart would beat a little faster and the tiny swarm of butterflies that had invaded her stomach earlier that day would return in full force. Her secret would only keep so long, he deserved to know, and she longed to share it with him.

For the next few days, Elsie spent her free time making lists, exploring ideas, daydreaming, and nurturing her secret. And then, one afternoon while running an errand at their local shopping center, an idea came to her. It was so perfect, so completely precious, that she couldn't wait to get back to her office to make inquiries, formulate her plans, and set everything into motion.

Charles and Elsie had always enjoyed surprising each other, never letting the romance and adventure fade from their marriage. Unexpected weekends away, romantic dinners in a nearby city, small gifts for no reason at all, love notes tucked inside a pocket or left on a pillow, sometimes written in the steam of their bathroom mirror … countless ways they loved and cherished each other … these precious moments always brought joy and happiness into their lives and today was no different.

When Charles woke that morning, it was to find a little paper heart on Elsie's pillow, her beautiful handwriting relaying a simple message.

Good morning and happy birthday, my love. I'm working on a special surprise for you so no need to rush from bed. I'll be back before you know it.

All my love,

Elsie xoxo

As if on cue, as soon as Charles finished the note, the door to their bedroom began to open slowly and Elsie peeked inside the room. Carrying a breakfast tray, she gave him a broad smile and walked over to the bed. Patiently, she waited until Charles was settled, his back against the headboard and pillows, before she placed the tray over his lap. Pancakes, strawberries with cream, warm syrup, a pot of tea, and a birthday card were placed carefully on the tray.

"Good thing your birthday fell on a Saturday this year," Elsie teased, leaning forward to place a leisurely kiss to his lips. "Otherwise, it would have been tea and toast, maybe an egg if you were lucky," she said, her stomach giving a little lurch at the very thought of eggs this early in the morning.

He chuckled and patted the space next to him on the bed, a silent invitation for her to join him for the breakfast she had cooked. "And just so you know, I would have gladly given up breakfast for a few minutes to cuddle with you before the start of the day … any day, my beautiful lass."

She kissed his cheek and rested her head on his shoulder. "You are such a charmer, though you know that's not necessary. In case you don't remember, you've already wedded and bedded me. And if memory serves me correctly, we're bound until death us do part," she said, slipping her arm around his waist and giving him a tight squeeze.

"Oh, no! You're not getting rid of me that easily. Death may part us for a brief time but I will never, ever leave your side. I plan on spending all of this life and the next with you," he said softly, his voice growing a little rough at the very thought of some far off future when they would be forced to part ways. He reached up and cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing lightly over her lips before he captured them with his for a soft kiss.

"So, birthday boy, have you thought of what you'd like to do today? I haven't really made any plans so the day is yours."

He plucked a strawberry from the bowl and fed it to Elsie before taking one for himself and leaning back over for a strawberry kiss. "I'd like to spend the day right here with you. We can go out later for lunch or an early dinner, maybe catch a movie or a walk in the park."

"You're sure you don't want to phone a few friends and invite them out for a birthday dinner? I know it's short notice, but I'm sure they'd make an effort if we asked."

He shook his head. "Low key and with my beautiful wife by my side, that's how I want to spend this day." He took a bite of the fluffy pancakes and hummed in satisfaction before offering Elsie a taste, which she gratefully accepted. For several moments, they sat in silence, enjoying the birthday breakfast that Elsie had made for Charles. In truth, she was thankful that he had wanted to spend the day at home and doing very little.

"Does this mean I have to wait until tonight to give you your birthday present," she asked, licking a bit of cream from her lips, knowing full well how seductive it looked but unable to help herself.

"I was hoping you wouldn't make me wait," he said, placing the tray on the floor beside the bed and turning to scoop Elsie into his arms. "I can open the card later, but for now, would it be terribly rude of me to ask for my gift? I am, after all, the birthday boy and it is MY special day," he announced with an impressive waggle of his eyebrows.

Elsie laughed and shook her head at her adorable husband. "You are terrible, Mr. Carson, just terrible! Did it ever occur to you that, perhaps, that wasn't in my plans for today?" She bit her bottom lip in an effort to stifle a smirk as he looked down into her face with absolute surprise.

"Well, I suppose … we could always … I shouldn't have assumed … "

"You silly man! I'm teasing you, sweetheart, though I would like to give you your present before we get too carried away. I've waited so very long to give you this special surprise, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep this secret until today."

He raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Hmm, I'm intrigued. In that case, I'd like my present now, please, Mrs. Carson. There will be time for everything else later … assuming you are agreeable, of course," he added, in case she thought he was being demanding or presumptuous.

"Let's see what you think of your surprise, first," she said, suddenly feeling more nervous than she had in days. She kissed him sweetly on the lips before slipping from bed and going into her closet in search of the little box which contained his gift.

When she returned to the bed, she kneeled beside him, presenting him with a little brown box. There was a simple bow tied on the top, the box and the bow giving nothing away as to the contents within. Charles accepted the gift, the excitement clear in his eyes as he looked from the box to Elsie's face and back to the box that was gently cradled in his hands.

"This looks interesting," he said with a wink. "I can't imagine what might be inside. Any hints?"

She shook her head and grinned, the butterflies in her stomach fluttering madly. "You'll never guess. I can only hope you'll love it a fraction as much as I do already. I think it's the most wonderful gift, though I'm a bit biased in that respect. So, open it and then you can tell me what you think." She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and waited anxiously.

Slowly, much too slowly for her liking, Charles untied the little red and white striped ribbon. He had always taken his time opening presents, not one to rush into anything, but this time it was driving her nearly mad. She clasped her hands together in her lap and watched his face, wanting to memorize the exact moment realization dawned upon him.

Gently, he lifted the lid. White tissue paper shielded the present from his view. "Hmm, maybe I ought to wait until later," he suddenly said, sensing her excitement and wanting to tease her a little. "If this is my only gift of the day, it would be a shame to open it so early."

"Charles Edward Carson, if you don't open this package this instant, there will be no more gifts … for at least a week. It's been hard enough keeping this one from you this long. Please, don't torment me," she pleaded.

Elsie had never been this anxious over a gift or his teasing so he was very much intrigued by her reaction. "Only teasing, love. I had no intentions of waiting any longer. You know I don't need gifts today or any other day. Your love is my greatest gift." He reached out and took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a quick kiss before turning his attention back to the box in his lap. "Right then … let's see what's hidden beneath this wrapping tissue, shall we?"

For the rest of her life, Elsie would never forget the look on Charles's face as he peeled back the paper and peeked inside the little brown box. Instantly, she dissolved into tears as she watched the reality of the gift break across Charles's face, disbelief at first then an overwhelming excitement that rendered him speechless. When his gaze finally met hers, tears of happiness and sheer elation were pooling in his deep brown eyes, clouding everything else but the look on his wife's face.

"I bought them online," she said softly, her voice shaking just a little. "As soon as I knew, I thought it would be the best gift I could give you today. Or, at least I had hoped it would be. The booties … I don't know how to knit and there wasn't time to learn," she said almost apologetically.

With shaking hands, Charles reached into the box and removed a dainty pair of white baby booties and a little slip of paper that was attached to them. Silently, he read the words on the paper. Once he regained his ability to speak, he read them aloud for Elsie, knowing she already knew what was printed there but needing to say it all the same.

"Please hang onto my first pair of booties. I will need them in February," he said, reading the words on the paper, his voice soft and containing all the wonder he felt in his heart. "Truly, Elsie? I … I can't believe it," he said, both booties fitting easily into the palm of his hand as tears streamed freely down his cheeks.

She nodded her head and moved closer to him, taking his free hand and placing it on her stomach. "I found out last week. I've wanted to tell you so many times and was certain you'd work it out for yourself before today. No wine, definitely no eggs, incredibly tired during the day, and wanting you all the time … it was all there."

"We've waited so long, love. I still can't quite believe it," he said, gently pulling her into his arms and kissing her soundly on the lips then peppering her face with dozens of kisses as his laughter filled the room. Love and tears flowed freely between them as they reveled in the happiness of the news. Their little family was going to grow by one little heartbeat in a few months, something they had both longed and prayed for, though never quite believing it would happen.

As they curled up together in bed, his large hand firmly rested on her stomach, nice and warm, and his lips pressed tender kisses to her temple. "I know what I want to do today," he suddenly announced. She turned her head and looked up at him.

"What is that, sweetheart? The doctor assured me that I'm perfectly healthy. As long as you're not suggesting we go skydiving, to an amusement park, or drink ourselves silly, I'm game for anything."

He wrapped his arms around her a little tighter. "I want to spend the entire day planning for this little miracle. Baby names, nursery ideas, baby announcements for our friends … we're going to be parents, Elsie. A Da and a Mam! I want to spend the entire day in this bed with you, celebrating and planning for our little ones future. We can go out somewhere nice tonight for dinner, a double celebration."

"I'd love that very much, though I hope you know I have other gifts for you today, too," she said with a wink, though they're not nearly as special as this one." She covered his hand on her stomach with hers, her fingertips dancing across the back of it. "I bought them before I knew about this little surprise, though we'll have to enjoy one of them while it still fits me," she giggled.

"We'll make good use of it now, and after February," he assured her. "I plan on taking excellent care of you and this little one, sweetheart. This is going to be the start of the best years of my life." He leaned forward and captured her lips with his, rendering them both speechless for quite some time that day.

The following February, Charles and Elsie were graced with a beautiful baby girl. With eyes like her mother, dark hair like her father, the cutest wee nose, and pink little lips, she entered this life and brought with her an infinite amount of happiness to the Carson household. Once again, both parents were rendered speechless as tears of happiness freely flowed down their cheeks. Their little family was now complete and new adventures awaited.

A/N: A special thank you to several wonderful friends who believe in and encourage me when I often doubt myself. I owe heartfelt thanks to you wonderful ladies … and to everyone who has taken the time to read this little prompt. Your words of encouragement and support mean the world to me. HUGS! If you're interested in seeing what the baby booties look like, hope over to my tumblr (Chelsie Carson) for a peek.