AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, we're only a couple chapters away from the conclusion of this story...as a matter of fact, this is the penultimate chapter of the entire story. Melissa's desire to have a child of her own has come true as after months of trying, she finally managed to get pregnant, but along the way, she's discovered that the pregnancy experience was MUCH more difficult than she imagined. Last chapter, she openly told Ralph she feared he might not find her attractive anymore as she realized her body would not be in the same shape as before after she gave birth. But Ralph reassured her that no matter what shape or size she ended up in, she would still always be the same woman who captured his heart so many years before. They also discovered that their baby is evidently a girl, who they decided to name Victoria. Meanwhile, Bert found a new girlfriend in the form of Maxie Ringtail, as the two realized despite their differences in personality they were not so different from each other after all. In this chapter, we'll see Melissa in the last few months of her pregnancy as she and Ralph are preparing for the birth of their first child. You'll see Melissa getting herself into a very "sticky" situation in Endless Echo Caverns and Ralph panicking that their baby may be hurt, Ralph and Melissa's baby shower and the gifts their friends give them, and Ralph has a horrible nightmare in which everything goes wrong and he and Melissa feel anxious about the impending arrival of their baby.
Let's take a dive head-first into...
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: The Final Stretch
It's a sunny Sunday afternoon in the Evergreen Forest, in mid-June. Summer has arrived and the temperatures are climbing their way up the charts. It's a perfect day to spend outdoors. Many of the Forest's residents who have the day off are enjoying their Sunday, including one pair of female raccoons...
Melissa Raccoon was taking a walk through the Forest on this particular lovely afternoon. Since she had gotten pregnant nearly seven months ago, she had found her opportunities to get out and about becoming fewer and fewer as it was a little harder to get around, so she appreciated any chance of exercise that she got. Today, she was accompanied by her friend Maxie Ringtail. Melissa had thought her husband needed a rest every now and then from having to take care of her, so she decided to let him have a day to himself. Ralph was over at Evergreen Lake fishing with Bert. "I wonder what my Ralphie is up to with Bert..." Melissa thought to herself.
As the two raccoons walked along through the woodlands, they presently struck up a conversation with each other. "So Maxie," Melissa began, "I was surprised you decided to go for a walk with me today. You're usually house-bound most of the time!"
"Well, it's better than sitting around doing nothing all day," Maxie smiled at her friend. "And much better than cooking or cleaning the whole day through!"
"You've really started to change, Maxie," Melissa replied, "a few months ago, you wouldn't leave your house for much of anything. Looks like that psychiatrist has been helping you out quite a bit, huh?"
"Oh yes," Maxie emphatically remarked. "That medication is working wonders for me; I don't hate myself anymore!"
"I'm glad to hear that," Melissa nodded. "You see, you're not so bad after all!"
"I know," Maxie grinned. "I don't think I've felt this at ease with myself since I was a teenager."
"How does it feel dating the goofiest man in the Forest?" Melissa smiled as she nudged her friend.
"How does it feel, huh? It feels...well, I couldn't really put it into words. It feels...great," Maxie fondly smiled. "I never thought he would like me, but I think he's really starting to grow to like me. He's shown me how to have fun again; I haven't had this much fun in ages! I must admit, I actually feel...younger," she could not help but grin.
"I know you two have been going out a lot lately; bowling, fishing, swimming, hiking...I see he's definitely getting you out more often!"
"Oh, I know," Maxie responded. "I still may not be much of a 'people person', but I feel a lot more comfortable going out in public with him."
"It's nice seeing you come out of your shell, Maxie," Melissa smiled. 'No need to be so shy and kept to yourself."
"You're right," Maxie smiled. "So, how's the pregnancy experience been for you, Mel? Has it been has rough as I told you it would be?" she winked at her friend.
"Well, it's been...an adventure, to say the least," Melissa had to admit as she quickly placed a paw on her now rather large tummy. "You were definitely right when you said I'd gain a newfound appreciation for a football; the little one's been constantly kicking me for the past few months. It's been pretty uncomfortable, to say the least!"
"I told you it wouldn't be fun, Mel," Maxie knowingly nodded at her close friend. "I remember how excited you were when you first announced to us that you were having a baby. Not so excited now, are we?"
"As uncomfortable as it's been, I'm still excited that I'm going to have a baby," Melissa managed to crack a smile. "It's mine and Ralph's very own child. No one can take it away from us. I'm happy we're finally going to be parents in just a couple more months."
"It is definitely worth the wait," Maxie nodded in reply. "How's Ralph taking it?"
"He's been taking it very well. Matter of fact, I think he might be even more excited about becoming a parent than I am! He's always talking to my belly," Melissa chuckled.
"I had a feeling Ralph would be a big help to you," Maxie replied. "You're having a much better experience than I did when I was pregnant for sure..."
"Well, I know, but I still can't help but feel bad for making Ralph work so hard to help me out. That's why I let him have a day to himself today. He does need a few of those every now and then!" Melissa laughed.
"I'm sure he appreciates it. I heard from Bert you two were having a girl?" Maxie asked.
"That's what the ultrasound said we would be having, yes," Melissa smiled. "We wanted a little boy personally, but I'm just as happy having a girl. It's still my baby."
"Bert also told me you gave your daughter a name already, but you wouldn't tell him what you decided to name it," Maxie responded. "Tell me, Mel. What'd you name your child? You can count on me not to tell anyone else..."
"That's a secret between me and Ralph," Melissa quickly replied. "You'll find out when she's born. We want to keep it a secret until then."
"I understand," Maxie nodded. She took notice of some caverns off to their left. "Hey, is that the Endless Echo Caverns over there?"
"Why, yes, it is," Melissa replied to her friend's question. "I've been there a few times before...I remember when Bert and me discovered some of Henri de la Possum's paintings in there," she remarked as she remembered some of her past adventures. "That was...wow, that was almost a decade ago! Time really has been flying by in the Forest..."
"Bert told me about that not too long ago," Maxie responded. "I heard you two actually met him?"
"We sure did," Melissa nodded. "He disappeared from the public limelight for years to paint the walls in secret."
"Huh, that must have been interesting," Maxie remarked.
"It was. Say, I think the paintings are still there. Maybe we could check those out?"
"I guess it would be alright..." Maxie shrugged. She hadn't been in the Caverns before, so this would be something new for her.
With that, the two friends entered the caverns together. It was a little dark, but with the mid-day sun it was bright enough to see throughout most of the cave.
Presently the two came to a hole in the cave's wall. "This leads to a deeper part of the cave," Melissa informed her friend. "If we go through here, we'll get to the paintings soon enough."
Maxie looked at Melissa, then glanced at the hole. It didn't look it was big enough to accommodate her friend's pregnant body. "Are you sure, Mel? I mean with your belly and all...I don't know if you'll be able to fit through there."
Melissa, on the other hand, was fairly certain she could fit through the hole. "I used to be able to fit through there no problem. I maybe a little...larger, but I think I can fit through there." Melissa promptly stooped down as she prepared to enter the hole. "Just follow me, Maxie."
"Okay..." Maxie said, still feeling unsure whether this was a good idea.
Melissa slowly began to climb through the hole, only to find...
...that she was wrong. It wasn't big enough to accommodate her belly. Melissa quickly found herself stuck.
"Mel, are you...?" Maxie worried. All she could see was her friend's backside sticking out from the hole, her tail waggling.
"Maxie...I...I'm stuck!" Melissa shouted, her voice echoing. She felt quite embarrassed. "I thought I could fit through this hole...I guess I was wrong..."
"I see that," Maxie said in a concerned voice. She knew her friend was in a bit of a serious situation here; she couldn't stay stuck for long. The longer she stayed trapped in the hole, the more likely it was that Melissa's baby could be hurt. Seeing how much Melissa had wanted a child prior to getting pregnant, Maxie didn't want anything like that to happen to her friend.
"Can you help me...?" Melissa lowly said, still feeling pretty embarrassed.
"I can try," Maxie said as she grabbed Melissa's feet and tried to pull her out of the hole.
Melissa felt a pain going through her as her friend tried to pull her out. "OWWW! Stop it, Maxie! You're hurting me!"
"Sorry..." Maxie said. "I don't think I'm going to be able to get you out of there on my own. I should go get help, shouldn't I?"
"I think that would be a good idea..." Melissa replied, feeling depressed.
"Don't worry, Mel. I'll go get help. You'll be out of here soon. I'll be right back!" With that, Maxie turned around and dashed out of the cave. "Maybe Bert and Ralph can help her out...they're over at Evergreen Lake..."
Melissa sighed as she awaited rescue from her predicament. "Why did I think I could fit through this hole...I feel so stupid..." she sighed. She swore she could hear a small voice speaking to her in the back of her mind: "Mommy, please don't let me get hurt. I want to be born and see the world..."
"Don't worry, Victoria," Melissa spoke to her trapped belly. "We'll be out of here soon, I hope..."
Time passed and Melissa began to wonder if she was ever going to be freed from the Caverns. "Maxie, please come back soon...I don't want to stay here much longer..." Melissa sighed.
Presently, much to her relief, she heard voices coming from behind her. Help had arrived. She knew she would soon be out of this dreadfully embarrassing and somewhat frightening predicament.
"Hey, hey!" Melissa called out to the voices as she frantically kicked her feet about. "I'm right here!"
"Melissa! Melissa! Are you alright?" It was a very familiar voice...the voice of her husband. Knowing he was here to help comforted her.
"Ralph! Boy, am I glad to know you're here! Help me!" Melissa shouted to him.
"Boy, Melissa, you really got yourself in a jam there, didn't you?" another familiar voice chuckled. Melissa recognized it as the voice of Bert. Evidently, he found some amusement in her stressful situation.
Ralph slapped Bert. "Bert, this isn't funny! My wife is stuck in that hole! My baby might be hurt..." Ralph couldn't help but panic. It was a pretty frightening sight seeing his beloved wife's rear end sticking out of a small hole in the cave wall, her feet pawing at the air as she was trying to free herself. Ralph was afraid his wife might have hurt herself, and he was even more terrified that their unborn child could be injured from the pressure of being trapped in such a small space. "I can't let anything happen to them...they mean the world to me..."
Maxie scowled at Bert. "Bert, you know better than to laugh at other's misfortunes, don't you?"
Bert felt bad to be reprimanded by his girlfriend. "Sorry, Max..." Bert sheepishly replied. "This is just a bit of an odd dilemma here."
"Melissa," Ralph asked his trapped wife, "how did you get stuck in here? I know Maxie told us you two were exploring the caves and you got stuck, but how the hell did you get trapped?"
Melissa felt ashamed. "I wanted to show Maxie Henri de la Possum's cave paintings. I tried to climb through this hole because I thought it was big enough for me to fit through. Turned out it wasn't..." Melissa sighed heavily. She felt dreadfully embarrassed for her husband to see her like this, in such a helpless state. "You must be mad at me..."
Ralph knew Melissa had not made a very smart decision, but he couldn't bring himself to be mad at her for what she had done. All he wanted to do was get her out of there safely and hopefully she and their baby would be okay. "I'm not bad, honey," Ralph said in a more comforting voice. "I just want to help you get out of here. Bert, come here."
"What do you want me to do, Ralphie boy?" Bert asked his old friend.
"Grab her other leg, Bert. Let's see if we can pull her out," Ralph replied as he grabbed one of his wife's legs.
"Well, alright," Bert obliged as he grabbed Melissa's other leg. Maxie shook her head. She knew they wouldn't be able to extricate Melissa that way.
"Okay, Bert, pull!" The duo tugged on Melissa's legs, hoping she could slip free.
Instead it brought pain to Melissa. She was wedged in the hole awfully tight and it felt painful to be pulled like that. "Ralph, stop, stop!" Melissa said.
"What's wrong?" Ralph was worried. "Are we hurting you?"
"A little..." Melissa admitted.
"I'm sorry, Melissa, I'm very sorry..." Ralph apologized.
"Well, we're not gonna get her out that way," Bert said. "She's jammed in there really tight. Now, what are we gonna do to get her out of there?"
"Beats me," Ralph shrugged. He didn't know what to do. "If we can't just pull her out, what are we going to do? I don't want to hurt her..."
Maxie was thinking. "There's got to be something we can do to get her out of there...hmmm..." Maxie thought as she placed a finger on her chin. "Hey, I know! If we had something a little slippery, maybe we could get Mel out of there."
"Hmm...sounds like a good idea to me," Ralph replied. He wondered why he hadn't thought of that himself, but then again he was panicking right now. He wasn't thinking very clearly. "But what are we going to use? I don't think we have anything on us we could use..."
"I know what we could use," Maxie smiled as she looked towards her goofy boyfriend. "Bert, you have some peanut butter on you, don't you?"
"Of course I do," Bert nodded as he produced a jar out of seemingly nowhere. "I never leave home without it!"
"I think it may help us here..."
Bert was appalled at what Maxie was suggesting. "Max, we are not gonna use my peanut butter to get Melissa outta there! Uh-uh! No way! Besides, this is my last jar of peanut butter!" Bert just didn't understand. First she had to develop cravings for peanut butter, now he needed to use his peanut butter to help get her out of a jam? "This...this is just too much..."
"Bert," Maxie sweetly looked at him, "do you want to free Melissa or not?"
"I do," Bert nodded as he continued to look more than a little uncomfortable with the idea. "But it's my last jar of peanut butter..."
"I can buy you more peanut butter," Ralph told him. "But I can't buy another Melissa. We have to help her, Bert."
Bert threw up his paws in defeat. "Oh, alright! Here, here, take my peanut butter, Ralphie boy," he grumbled as he handed Ralph the jar of peanut butter.
Ralph took some of the peanut butter and smeared it around his wife's bulging abdomen. Melissa found her husband's touch more than a little ticklish. "Haha, that tickles..."
"Don't worry, honey," Ralph said to Melissa. "We'll have you out of here in just a minute..." Ralph then grabbed Melissa's leg and turned to Bert. "Take her other leg, Bert."
"Alright," Bert said as he grabbed Melissa's other leg.
Ralph spoke to Melissa as calmly as he could, though he was still a little panicky. "Melissa, I know this is probably going to hurt a little bit, but just bear with it, honey. If you do, I think we'll have you out in just a moment."
"Okay..." Melissa said as Ralph and Bert tugged on her legs, trying to free her from the hole. It did feel a little painful, but Melissa did as her husband said. Soon, Melissa finally managed to slip free...
...and toppled backwards, landing right on top of her startled husband.
"Whew!" Melissa said, rubbing her belly a bit. "I'm glad to be out of there! Thanks for rescuing me, Ralph."
"Don't mention it..." Ralph said in a forced tone. Melissa had definitely started putting on the pounds lately; she had gained twenty-one pounds so far during the course of her pregnancy. Ralph found her quite...heavy. "You can get off of me, honey..."
"Sorry, sorry, Ralph," Melissa blushed as she got off her husband. Ralph dusted himself off and sat up as Melissa gave him a kiss. "I'll say it again: thanks for helping rescue me, sweetie."
"No problem, Melissa," Ralph smiled. But he still was worried about her and their baby. "Are you alright? I just want to make sure..."
"My belly does feel a little sore..." Melissa admitted.
Ralph immediately began to panic. "Oh no, our baby..." he said, feeling terribly worried, "she might be hurt. I...I...don't know what to do...she can't be hurt. She can't!"
Melissa slapped Ralph to get him to come to his senses. "Calm down, Ralph! I think the baby's going to be just fine. Matter of fact...I can feel her kicking right now," she smiled. Melissa did have to admit, it was relieving knowing their baby was evidently A-okay.
"That's...that's a relief," Ralph said.
"Good to know the little one's okay there, Melissa," Bert said. "That'd be pretty rough if you lost the baby."
"It would be pretty heartbreaking, wouldn't it?" Maxie asked.
"Yeah..." Melissa sighed. "Ralph...I'm such an idiot. I thought I could fit through that hole and I couldn't. I didn't even think at all. I'm so sorry for being stupid...maybe I shouldn't try to give you days all to yourself. Not if something like this is going to happen..."
"Aw, honey, we all make mistakes," Ralph said as he and Melissa got to their feet, Ralph putting an arm around her for support. "It's okay. You just need to be a little more careful, alright?"
"Okay," Melissa smiled. "Let's go home, Ralph. It's almost dark now."
"Alright, we'll go home," Ralph smiled as the quartet exited the cave. Ralph and Melissa had dodged a bullet today...their baby had emerged out of this situation okay. It wouldn't be much longer before their daughter would be born...
It's a July evening in the Evergreen Forest. Most of the Forest's residents are home with their families and loved ones. Some are out enjoying the night life, while others are merely enjoying some quiet time...
Melissa Raccoon was sitting on the Raccoondominium's couch. Ralph was in the kitchen, fetching her a snack since she was feeling a little hungry. Bert, on the other hand, was evidently out on a date with Maxie. Melissa was thinking about her pregnancy thus far. It had been an up-and-down experience for her, for sure. "I've had more downs than ups, probably," she had to admit. She had found herself slowly losing her independence. She had found herself depending on her husband more and more. Even if she didn't like that, at least Ralph had never complained. She found herself uncomfortable gaining so much weight, but she was hoping that she could drop the weight pretty quickly after Victoria was born. "Maybe I could turn out a little slimmer than before...I wouldn't mind looking a little...sexier for Ralph. I think he might like that..." she thought to herself. Melissa could not help but cheekily smile imagining herself being fairly slim and her husband eying her body as his jaw dropped in awe. "Oh, who am I kidding. I'm never going to look like that...besides, I'm sure to come out of this with stretch marks..."
But if nothing else, Melissa was still excited about the impending birth of their child. It was getting closer and closer...it would surely be just a couple months away. "Maybe even less," she thought. She knew childbirth would be a painful experience, but it would be worth it to finally be a mother. "It's a dream come true for me," she fondly smiled. "I'm ready to be a Mom."
As Ralph entered the living room, Melissa couldn't help but groan. She'd been having back pains occasionally over the past few months. Her abdomen's growth had put a lot of pressure on her spine and it was currently bothering her.
"Honey, what's wrong?" Ralph asked her as he set the jar of peanut butter down, feeling concerned for her.
"Ralph...my back hurts," she said as her face winced a bit. "It really hurts, dear..."
Ralph felt sure he knew how to help Melissa out, though. "Say, honey," Ralph smiled at her, "would you like it if I gave you a little massage? Maybe that might help out a little bit."
To Melissa, it sounded like a wonderful idea. "Ralph, a nice massage would be lovely," she smiled as she took off her shirt, leaving her in nothing but her pink bra.
Ralph was surprised by what his wife had done, but quickly smiled. He sat next to Melissa and gently massaged her back, starting out near her lower back. Melissa found it very soothing and relaxing. "Ohhhh, Ralph," she purred as Ralph massaged her, "that feels wonderful..."
"I've gotten pretty good at these, haven't I?" Ralph slyly grinned as he slowly moved up towards her shoulders.
"You certainly have," Melissa smiled as well. "Mmm...it's like you've got magic fingers, dear..."
"Magic fingers, huh? I like that," Ralph continued to grin as he reached her upper back.
Melissa's little massage was soon interrupted, however, by the ringing of the telephone. "Aww...I was really enjoying that..." Melissa sighed.
"Don't worry, I'll do that anytime you want me to," Ralph winked at her as he got up.
"Sure thing, my little magic man," Melissa giggled as Ralph answered the phone.
"Evergreen Standard, Ralph speak-uh, I mean, this is Ralph Raccoon. May I please ask who is calling?" Ralph had a pretty bad habit of answering the phone as if he was still at his job.
"Ah, hello, Ralph," a familiar voice answered him. "It's me, George."
"George? It's great to hear from you, big brother. So, how have you been lately?" Ralph did enjoy talking to his brother periodically, as different as they were.
"Nicole and I were just wondering if you and Melissa could come over to our place tonight. We've, uh...we've got a little surprise for you two. I think you know what it is..."
"Of course I do." George had already told Ralph that Nicole was planning to throw a baby shower for Melissa, and he had a feeling that most likely was the surprise. "We'll be right over."
"Alright, we'll see you two in a bit," George said as he hung up the phone.
Ralph turned back towards Melissa. "That was George, honey. Seems he and Nicole have a little surprise for us and they want us to come over to their place right now."
Melissa sighed. "Now...?"
Ralph nodded. "I think we should get there as soon as we possibly can..."
Melissa was a bit curious. "Did they say what kind of surprise it was?" she asked as she quickly put her shirt back on.
Ralph shook his head. He already knew (or at least felt he had a good idea) what it was, but didn't want to spoil the surprise for his wife. "I think it's a good idea to find out, don't you think?"
Melissa sighed as she got up from the couch. "Well, alright, Ralph..." Melissa said as she and Ralph headed out the front door.
Presently, the raccoon couple managed to reach George and Nicole's house, as it wasn't much of a walk to get there.
"I wonder what the surprise is? Will it be something I like?" Melissa wondered. "It must be important for George to call you over here..."
"I'm sure, honey," Ralph replied.
"How odd, their lights are out," Melissa remarked. It seemed a bit strange to her.
"Let's go in," Ralph said as he opened the door. Melissa quickly flicked on the light switch...
...and there before them, were all their friends, standing amidst balloons and streamers. Bert and Maxie were holding up a large banner that said "Congratulations, Ralph and Melissa!" A huge cake was sitting on the coffee table and there were lots and lots of presents.
"Surprise!" everyone shouted.
"Oh my..." Melissa was definitely surprised. "What's all this for?"
"Melizza," Nicole said as she stepped forward, "we would all like to congratulate you and Ralph on your firzt child. I know you two had zome difficultiez in trying, but we are all glad you two are finally going to be parentz. Zho," she continued, "thez iz your baby zhower!"
"My baby shower?" Melissa felt quite delighted her close friend had gone to so much effort just for her. "Why, Nicole...I'm touched! You didn't have to go through all this for me!"
"Well, we felt it would be best," George replied. "This is our future niece. We thought it would be a good way to honor you two and celebrate the little one's impending arrival."
Ralph feigned surprise. "Well, this is quite thoughtful of you all," he smiled. "You're the best friends we could ever ask for."
"We do our best!" Bert laughed.
The party moved along very quickly. Many of the guests were having fun playing baby shower games, among them "Pin the Pacifier on the Baby". Bert caused a few laughs by accidentally putting the pacifier on Bentley's nose. Some of the guests, Ralph and Melissa included, were sitting around eating the rather large cake.
"This was lovely, Ralph," Melissa smiled. "This was very thoughtful of Nicole and George. It's nice seeing our friends go to all this effort for us."
"I know," Ralph smiled as he swallowed a piece of cake. "I'll admit this wasn't much of a surprise to me, though..."
"And why was that?" Melissa wondered.
"Because George told me Nicole was planning to throw one for us a few months back..." Ralph admitted.
Melissa shook her head. "That brother of yours," she remarked. "Sometimes, I think Nicole really wound up with a handful when she married him!"
"He has his moments, sometimes," Ralph said. "Still, you're right. This was very thoughtful of them."
"Hi, Ralph, Melissa," Sophia said as she sat down next to the couple. "How've you two been holding up?"
"Oh, it's been rough," Melissa admitted. "I've had my ups and downs. But at least Ralph has been there to see me through the difficult times," she smiled, placing an arm around her grinning husband.
"Having someone to help you out definitely makes it easier for sure!" Sophia concurred.
"How are the twins doing, Sophia?" Ralph asked her. "We haven't seen them in a while."
"They're growing up so fast," Sophia fondly smiled. "Cecil has already taken his first steps. He's quite an active little thing! Sylvia, on the other hand, is still only crawling at the moment. I think it won't be long before she's up and walking too. She's a little more quiet than Cecil, but I love both of them just the same. They're mine and Cedric's pride and joys."
"I bet," Ralph nodded. "Just think, in another year or so our kids will be playing together."
"I think they'll make great friends," Sophia agreed.
"Alright, gather around, everyone!" George said as he banged on the table with his fist. "If I may have everyone's attention, I think it is now time to give our proud new parents-to-be their gifts!"
"Ooh," Sophia said as she got up and stood next to Cedric. "Cedric and I got you something really special. We went shopping for these the other day."
"Here you go, Ralph, Melissa," Cedric said as handed their gifts to them. "I don't really like shopping all that much, but I figured it was for my old friends."
"Thank you," Melissa said as she tore open the gift wrapping on their presents. "Oh my, look at these!" Cedric and Sophia had gotten the couple a few tiny dresses for their soon-to-be-born daughter. "Oh, these are cute! Thanks, you two!"
"No problem," Sophia said. "I bet your daughter is going to look adorable. You named her already, I heard?"
"Yeah, but we can't tell you that," Ralph said. "It's a secret between me and Melissa."
"We understand," Cedric nodded.
Ralph and Melissa made their way through their presents. Lisa had given them her favorite teddy bear from when she was a child. Bentley and Annie had given them a few of their old baby toys. Schaeffer had given them a security blanket.
Soon, it was Bert and Maxie's turn to give them their gifts.
"I bet you got us something really special, Bert," Ralph chuckled, "knowing you."
"Of course I got you something special," Bert grinned. "Well, actually, I didn't get you anything myself..."
"Bert..." Melissa frowned at her friend's apparent forgetfulness. "You could at least have gotten us something...you've been living with us the past decade...not to forget the baby is sharing a room with you..."
"No need to worry," Maxie said in an assuring tone of voice. "Bert had an idea and I helped him out with it. Here you two go," Maxie said as she handed the expectant couple a gift.
"Hmm, I wonder what it could be," Ralph said as he began unwrapping the gift. Much to his surprise, he found Bert's gift was a brand new scarf complete with the words "World's Greatest Father" neatly sewn on it. "Hey, would you look at this!" Ralph chuckled. He found it quite a nice present. "Hey, I really like this! Thanks, Bert. This is really something. I'm going to start wearing this real soon," he smiled at his house guest.
"Hey, I thought you would like it," Bert said as he gave his oldest friend a friendly hug. "You're gonna do great as a Dad, Ralph. I know it."
"Oh, I'm sure of it," Ralph smiled.
"Bert told me he thought you might like it, so I sewed it up for you. I finished it...just yesterday, actually," Maxie informed him.
"Hey, that's really thoughtful of you two," Ralph smiled.
"I got you a present too, Mel," she said, handing Melissa a gift, "here you are."
Melissa unwrapped the gift to find that Maxie had gotten her a children's book. "The Snoopy Little Kitten?" Melissa remarked. "Hey, I remember my father reading this book to me when I was a little girl!"
"That was my favorite book from when I was a little girl, too," Maxie remarked. "I thought your child might like it."
"I'm sure she will, Maxie," Melissa smiled.
"Hey, little brother," George said as he stepped forward. "I made sure to get you a really good present. I think you'll really appreciate this one," he smirked as he handed Ralph a gift.
"Hmm...judging by the shape of this, I'd guess it's a book," Ralph said as he unwrapped the present. Sure enough, that was exactly what it was. "Let's see..." Ralph remarked as he read the title of the book. "'How To Survive Fatherhood Without Losing Your Sanity In The Process', by Chris Blackhawk..." Ralph glared at his brother. "George, you bought me a book written by a stand-up comedian! Why on earth do you think I would want this?"
"Well, Ralph, you took a course on the basics of fatherhood, didn't you?" George asked his sibling.
"I sure did," Ralph proudly stated. "Passed it with flying colors, too."
"Well, there are some things not even a fatherhood course can teach you. Fatherhood is serious business, for sure," George smiled, "but sometimes, well, I think we ought to take a look at the lighter side of being a dad. It doesn't always have to be serious, you know. Maybe this book will help you see the lighter side of fatherhood. At least, I think so."
Ralph shrugged. "Well...I suppose." He didn't really think he'd be interested in the book, but he figured he should be polite and thank his elder sibling for the present anyways. "Thanks, big brother."
"I have a prezent for you az well, Melizza," Nicole smiled. "I think thez one will be one you will really like."
Melissa took the present from her friend. "Something I'll really like, huh?" she remarked. "We'll see..." Melissa opened Nicole's gift to see that she had gotten her a leather-bound book. Nothing was written on the front cover. "Err...what's this, Nicole?" Melissa was a little confused.
"Thez iz a scrapbook," Nicole smiled. "It iz zomething you can uze to chronicle you and your child over the yearz as she growz up. You can place picturez in there to remind you of precious memoriez of you and your little one. You could alzo uze it to record baby milestonez, zuch as your baby'z firzt lozt tooth. I have one myzelf that I bought when I waz pregnant with Bentley." Nicole sighed. "He and I have been looking through it a lot lately, zeeing az he iz about to leave for college zoon..."
"Aw, don't worry, Mom," Bentley said as he stood next to his mother and smiled at her. "Sure, I'll be away at college, but I'll be going right here to Evergreen U. Plus, I'll always stop by for a visit if you like."
"I know, Bentley, it iz juzt going to be...different without you around the house..." Nicole sighed. Her face brightened up as she glanced towards Melissa. "Zho, what do you think?"
"What do I think?" Melissa immediately smiled. "It's a wonderful gift. Ralph and I already have a few photos of me pregnant that we could put in there. Plus the doctor let us keep a picture of all my ultrasounds. It's a great present, isn't it Ralph?"
"Sure is," Ralph nodded in reply. The happy couple felt delighted that their friends had gone to so much effort for them. They would cherish this evening and the gifts for a long time to come.
It's now early August in the Evergreen Forest. Summer is blowing by in a hurry. Soon, autumn will arrive and the temperatures in the Forest will start dropping. But everyone is enjoying the summer while it lasts...
Bentley Raccoon was walking through the Evergreen Forest with his girlfriend, Annie. The two of them had recently graduated Evergreen High and were heading off to Evergreen University in the fall. Bentley had been his class valedictorian, so it had been up to him to give a speech at their graduation. "I'm not much of a speaker," Bentley thought to himself. "But I think I gave a pretty good speech." Bentley and Annie were planning to take different career paths. Bentley was hoping to become a computer technician, while Annie was planning to study journalism in the hopes of having a full-time job at the Evergreen Standard. They had different college plans as well: Bentley was planning to move into the dorms, while Annie was planning to stay at home with her mother and travel back and forth. "I wonder what kind of roommate I'll get..." he idly thought. Bentley knew his parents were going to miss him as both their children would have left their home. He was already planning to leave and in the process of gathering his stuff. "I'll still come visit Mom and Dad anytime they want to see me, though."
Bentley's thoughts, however, were mainly focused on other things at the moment. He was thinking about his old pal, Bert. Things had changed a lot in the past few months for his older friend. Bert had finally managed to get a girlfriend after spending years alone. But who Bert's girlfriend was bothered Bentley. "Why did he have to end up with Annie's mom? I had a feeling it might happen...I was just hoping it wouldn't..." It seemed so...odd to Bentley that his friend would be dating, of all people, his own girlfriend's mother. Miss Ringtail was a nice woman, he had to admit, but she didn't seem like much of a match for Bert in his opinion. He had seen the two of them together and to his mind, they seemed way too much of an odd couple. Plus, Bentley was wondering what would happen if Bert and Maxie were to stay together and actually get married someday. Bentley had a good feeling he would likely one day marry Annie if he didn't screw up somewhere along the way, so in that situation, Bert would become his stepfather-in-law. "Stepfather-in-law is a weird title to call someone..." Bentley sighed.
Annie glanced at her boyfriend. "What's wrong with you Bentley? You've been awfully quiet..."
Bentley shrugged. "I've just been thinking about Bert and your mom. They make a pretty weird couple, don't they?"
"They make a pretty unusual couple, yes," Annie admitted, "but I don't see what's wrong with them dating."
"I can't really understand why you'd be comfortable with the two of them together. I mean, you've known Bert for such a long time and now he's dating your mother. How can you be comfortable with that?"
Annie frowned at her boyfriend. "Because my Mom is happy with him. She's been lonely for a long time; I've wanted to see her happy for the longest time. If she's happy with Bert, then I'm happy for her. Besides, I think Bert has been treating her well. She's been having a lot of fun lately and she's been missing out on that for years. It's done some good for her and I think it's doing some good for him, too."
Bentley wasn't really convinced. "It would just be so awkward to me. I wouldn't be comfortable with Bert dating my mother."
Annie rolled her eyes. "C'mon now, Bentley. Your mother has been married longer than you've been alive. You know that could never happen; there's no need to go into 'what-ifs'."
"I was only just saying..." Bentley said as the two of them passed by the old clubhouse. As they passed by the clubhouse's window, they could hear voices from inside the clubhouse.
"Huh...wonder who's in there?" Bentley said aloud. He could overhear something unusual going on in there.
"Wow, Max. That's really...something!" a familiar voice ecstatically said from inside. The window was dirty, so they couldn't see clearly inside the clubhouse.
"Sounds like Bert and my Mom are in there," Annie realized. "Huh, I wonder what they're up to?"
"That's not all, Bert," Maxie's voice came from within, "wait until I show you this..."
Bert and Maxie's conversation sounded more than a little...suggestive to Bentley. "Are they...? No, they couldn't be!"
"Are they what?" Annie wondered.
"Are they about to...well, you know..." Bentley replied.
"Oh." Annie knew her mother loved Bert dearly; it was certainly likely that she desired him...in that way. Annie knew her mother had not been with a man since before she had actually had been born...no doubt she had to have pent-up desires hidden away inside of her..."It's not our business if they are, Bentley."
"That's incredible, Maxie. You really are something, you know that?" Bert laughed from inside the clubhouse.
"Oh, I know. That's still not all, Bert...I'm going to show you something I think you will really like," Maxie said in a rather...flirtatious tone of voice.
"Oh God," Bentley groaned under his breath. "They really are..." He didn't need the mental image of his buddy and his girlfriend's mother in the mood for love...and that was apparently what was going on in the old clubhouse.
"We should leave them alone, Bentley," Annie whispered. "I don't think they would want to be bothered."
"Wow-ee!" Bert whistled. "Now that is amazing, Max."
"I thought you would like it," Maxie replied.
"I think that's a very good idea!" Bentley shouted as he and Annie dashed off. They felt pretty embarrassed to have heard Bert and Maxie evidently about to make love in the clubhouse.
Had they stayed a little longer, however, they would have found out the duo's conversation was much more innocent. "Say, Max, did you hear someone?"
Maxie shrugged. "No, did you?"
"I think I heard Bentley out there," Bert replied.
"Oh," Maxie said, flipping through her sketchbook. She had actually been showing Bert the sketches she had made of characters from his no-longer in progress novel. "You really like my sketches, huh?"
"They really are something, Maxie. You are quite the natural," Bert grinned. "I think you're good enough to be a professional."
"Like I said, Bert, when I was a teenager I wanted to write and illustrate children's books for a career." Maxie sighed. "Unfortunately, Annie coming along put paid to that idea..."
"Well, you really are good," Bert complimented his girlfriend. "When I asked if you would draw the characters from my novel, well, I only thought you'd draw a few characters. Didn't think ya'd actually draw every character I told you about! I really am impressed, Max."
"Oh, thank you," Maxie humbly said. "What I don't understand is why you gave up writing your novel. You were so excited to write a fantasy book of your own and you and Bentley were really working hard on it. Why exactly did you quit?"
"Ah," Bert sighed, "well, I'm not that good of a writer, really. I tried my best, but it didn't seem like it was coming out quite right to me. I'm not sure anyone would want to read it anyways. Who wants to read something that...ya know...out there?"
"I sure would," Maxie smiled as she placed her paw on her boyfriend's shoulder. "I would love to read the whole thing someday."
"I know you would, but who else?"
"I'm sure there's a market out there for your kind of work," Maxie said. "Never know, do you?"
"Well...you're right. I really don't know, do I?" Bert replied.
"No," Maxie said. "If anything, I'd love to help you co-write your book..."
"You would?" Bert was a little surprised.
"Of course I would," Maxie said as she gave her goofy boyfriend a kiss. "I'd definitely love to. You may have guessed from my sketches I have a bit of an imagination myself..."
"I guess we're not so different after all, huh?" Bert said.
"When we look at it, no, we're not," Maxie nodded.
"I guess I could give it a shot. I'll see if Bentley's up for giving it another go...although I'm not sure he'd want to work with us now," Bert shrugged.
"I know he's been a little uncomfortable with you and me dating," Maxie replied. "Well, he'll just have to get used to it. I'm not going to leave you anytime soon," she emphatically stated. "Maybe someday I could be Mrs. Bert Raccoon...oh no, stop getting ahead of yourself there, Maxie..." Maxie quickly thought to herself. In her mind, she thought Bert would make good husband material...someday. First, she wanted to see if they could maintain their relationship long enough for that to happen...
"I'm sure he'll get used to us being together eventually," Bert replied. "I can kinda understand his position though. I think it would be a little weird if my best friend was dating my girlfriend's mother as well. But I'm not gonna break up with ya because of that. And Bentley's still my little buddy. I'm proud of the little guy."
"He was the class valedictorian, wasn't he?" Maxie asked.
"Yeah, he was. I think he's really gonna go far in this world. Annie couldn't have found a better boyfriend if she tried."
"I'd rather she be dating him than someone who would make her follow the same path in life I did," Maxie smiled. "I want Annie to have a better life than I did. Before I started taking medication and before I started dating you, I was unhappy and miserable for years. I don't want to go back to that, and I don't want my daughter living like that."
"I understand," Bert nodded.
"Anyways, Bert, how's it feel knowing you're about to be an uncle? Mel's do...what, in another month or so?" Maxie asked as she changed the subject.
"I think so," Bert replied. "She and Ralph are really excited about the baby."
"I can't blame them at all," Maxie said. "This is probably one of the biggest moments in all their lives, after all. Having a child is a pretty big deal. But how do you feel knowing you're about to be sharing a house with a new little bundle of joy?"
"Ah, I'm pretty excited, myself," Bert smiled. "I can't wait to play with the little one when it gets bigger. I do kinda wish they were having a little boy, though. I wanted Bentley and me to have a new little buddy to play with when he got bigger. I don't mind that they're having a girl, but...I think I woulda liked a little boy more. I guess Annie is going to be the one getting a new little buddy."
"I know she's pretty excited; she's looking forward to helping babysit their daughter. I think she'll do a good job," Maxie smiled. "But, well, that's how it goes sometimes, Bert. You can't choose what gender a child is. It doesn't work like that. At least, I don't think it should."
"I agree," Bert nodded.
"How did Ralph like his present you gave him at the baby shower, anyways?" Maxie wondered. "I worked pretty hard making that scarf for him...for that much effort I put into it, I really hope he did like it."
"Oh, he loves it," Bert smiled. "He's stopped wearing his old scarf altogether. He loves this new scarf. Ralphie boy is really proud that he's gonna be a Daddy. It's kinda funny he was once scared of having kids, isn't it?"
"I can understand his fear," Maxie remarked. "But raising a child has its own rewards. It is a very rewarding experience in the long run."
"I can see that," Bert nodded. "Look at how happy Cedric and Sophia are raising the twins. They're practically naturals when it comes to parenting!"
"So I heard," Maxie replied. "Bert...I'm bored sitting here in the clubhouse..." she sighed.
"Hmmm..." Bert quickly thought of an activity that might captivate his girlfriend's interest. "Hey, I think they might have some good movies down at Evergreen Theater tonight. You are off tonight, right?"
"I have the night off tonight, yes," Maxie nodded.
"Why don't we go see a movie tonight then? Sounds like a good idea to me, whaddya think?" Bert asked, nudging Maxie.
"A movie? I think it sounds like a nice idea," Maxie grinned at her boyfriend's suggestion. "Hey, Bert," she winked at him, "maybe if I get scared, you can hold me and protect me from the big scary monsters..."
"Ooh, sounds like a nice idea there," Bert grinned. "I'll make sure the swamp monsters and the fire zombies don't get ya, Max."
"I feel so safe with you," Maxie giggled.
"You could never be more safe than with me!" Bert laughed. He was really enjoying the time he was spending with his new girlfriend; he was definitely starting to grow to love her. Bert had a feeling they would be together for years to come...
It's a mid-September evening in the Evergreen Forest, and summer is nearly at its end. The leaves are starting to turn brown and soon cold weather will come to the Forest. For one couple, however, today is a huge moment of excitement...
Ralph Raccoon was pacing back and forth in the waiting room of Evergreen Hospital. Earlier today, Melissa had surprised him by going into labor. Somehow, someway, Ralph had gotten her to the hospital. He didn't remember exactly how he got her here, but the important thing was that she was here, safely in the delivery room, ready to give birth to their daughter. Ralph couldn't wait for the good news. He was eagerly awaiting a chance to hold little Victoria. "I'm ready to be a Dad, more than ever," Ralph cheerfully thought to himself.
Something seemed really odd, though. Ralph was all alone in the waiting room. Not a single one of his friends was here with him. Ralph had remembered that most of his friends said they would be here with him and help ease his nerves while he waited for his daughter to be born. He would have thought George and Nicole would be here to overhear the news of the arrival of their niece. Cedric and Sophia should have been here because he and Melissa had been there when their twins had been born and they had promised to return the favor. Lisa and Bentley ought to have been here since this was their new cousin. Bert should have been here since he was going to be sharing a bedroom with their baby daughter. "And Mom should be here, too," Ralph thought to himself. "She told me she wanted to be here to see the birth of her third grandchild." It was so...strange that none of them were here, especially seeing how supportive they had been of the couple throughout Melissa's entire pregnancy. But it was only a minor nuisance to him. He was still filled with excitement, anticipation, and anxiety.
What felt like hours seemed to go by in a haze to Ralph. "I hope they have news soon..." Ralph whispered to himself.
At last, Ralph saw what he waiting to see. Nurse Peck entered the waiting room and came towards Ralph. For some reason, she had a rather...grim look on her face. Ralph wondered why. But he didn't really care. "Surely, Victoria's just been born," Ralph eagerly smiled.
He approached Nurse Peck. "Nurse Peck," Ralph asked the feline nurse, "first of all, tell me how my wife's doing. Did she make it through labor okay?"
The look on Nurse Peck's face turned even more grim. "I know you are excited to hear news about the birth of your daughter, but...Mr. Raccoon, I have some really bad news..." she somberly said.
Ralph was alarmed by that. Bad news? What could have possibly gone wrong? How could something have gone wrong? Ralph wanted to know. "Just tell me, is my wife okay? Is she recovering alright?"
Nurse Peck sighed. "Mr. Raccoon, this is the hardest part of my job...Mr. Raccoon...I'm afraid...I'm afraid your wife is...Your wife has died, Mr. Raccoon."
Ralph almost fainted upon hearing those words. Melissa...was dead? She didn't survive giving birth to their daughter? How could this have happened? "Nurse..." Ralph said, tears starting to form in his eyes. "You...you have to be kidding me! My wife can't be dead! No, no, no, no! She has to be alright! She has to!"
Nurse Peck continued to look somber. "I'm sorry, Mr. Raccoon. It was just too much for her. She lost so much blood. We tried our best to save her, but...there was nothing we could do to help her. She's gone."
Melissa couldn't be dead. Now Ralph would have to raise their daughter...alone. It was a horrifying moment for him. "No...Melissa...no..." Ralph said as he broke down and started sobbing. "Melissa...why...why...I...I didn't tell her I loved her before she died...no...no...this can't be happening to me..."
"That's not all the bad news I have, Mr. Raccoon," Nurse Peck said, her tone of voice still very somber.
"What could be worse than my wife dying giving birth to my child? I'm a widower now! I have nothing more to live for...I lost the love of my life today!" Ralph sobbed.
"Mr. Raccoon, I'm afraid...your daughter has died as well. She was stillborn. She was strangled by her own umbilical cord. The last thing your wife ever saw before she died was her own stillborn daughter." Nurse Peck sighed. "I'm very sorry this happened, Mr. Raccoon."
Ralph let out the most despaired sobbing in the world. This was the worst thing that could ever happen to him in his life. Not only he had lost his beloved Melissa, their only child never got a chance at life either. "Why...why...why...WHY!"
"Ralph, wake up..." a familiar voice said. Ralph was confused. "Huh, what...?" Ralph weakly said.
"Ralph, wake up, wake up! Are you alright?" the concerned voice said.
Ralph found himself snug in his bed in the Raccoondominium. He found Melissa's soft blue eyes gazing at him, filled with worry. Ralph was immediately relieved. He had only been having a horrible nightmare. Today was the last day of August.
Ralph immediately gave his by now heavily pregnant wife a hug. "Oh, Melissa, thank goodness. You're alright! I was so...scared."
Melissa smiled softly at him. "Were you having a nightmare, sweetie? You kept shouting out my name and saying 'why, why, why?' over and over again..."
Ralph nodded. "Only the worst kind of nightmare I could ever have." Ralph was still pretty terrified by that dream he had.
"What happened, dear?" Melissa asked him.
"Melissa...I dreamed...that you died," Ralph said, quickly kissing her. "I'm so glad you're okay."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Ralph," Melissa said, a look of sympathy in her eyes. She had terrible nightmares like that before, too, so she knew what her husband was going through. "Ralph, if you can, tell me what happened."
"I was in Evergreen Hospital's waiting room and you were in the delivery room giving birth," Ralph said as he tried to calm himself down. "Nurse Peck came out and told me you died giving birth to our daughter. Then, to make matters worse, she told me Victoria was stillborn as she'd been strangled to death by her own umbilical cord. It was...so frightening..." Ralph said as a few tears came to his eyes.
Melissa gently embraced her scared husband. "Awww, Ralph, don't worry. I'm right here," she said.
"I'm just scared, Melissa..." Ralph nervously said. "When you first told me you wanted to have children, part of the reason I wasn't so keen on the idea was because I was afraid something like that could happen..."
"But your mother helped convince you to not worry about that," Melissa replied.
"Yes, but...we're so close to the baby arriving now," Ralph said. "It's not a matter of months anymore."
"I know," Melissa said as she placed her paws on her enormous tummy. "I just entered my ninth month of pregnancy. It's a matter of weeks now...could be days. On our last visit to the hospital a couple days ago, Dr. Hensley told us the baby could be born any day." Melissa knew it, too. She glanced over at the calender hanging on the wall. She had already changed the month to September...and she saw what she had marked on the calendar: "Baby!" It was almost here. "I can't believe I'm really going to be a mother very, very soon..."
"I know, but Melissa...I just wonder...what will I do if you don't survive childbirth?" Ralph worried. "I can't bear that thought. I don't want that to happen."
"Well, Ralph," Melissa warmly replied, as she still had an arm around her husband to comfort him. "I knew when I first decided I wanted to have children, that having them at my age could be potentially hazardous."
"It's what I'm worried about," Ralph quietly said.
"I'm more than a little anxious about giving birth myself," Melissa calmly replied, "and I know at the very least it will hurt...a lot. I know the medicine will make it hurt less, but it will still hurt. But you know what? I was told early on that my pregnancy could potentially be risky. But guess what? I've made it through all nine months so far without any health complications. Me and the baby are both healthy. My baby even survived getting stuck in the Endless Echo Caverns for more than an hour. I think I am going to be able to have a live birth instead of a C-section. If I've made it this far through pregnancy without any problems, I think I can survive childbirth."
"But what if you don't...?" Ralph worried.
"Well..." Melissa said. "Then there's not really much you can do, Ralph. I've thought about it recently, and I've realized, whatever happens, happens. We're already too far into this to turn back, Ralph. I have to go through with this. As much stress as this baby has put on me as it's been wreaking havoc on my body, I want the baby. I want to be a mother. I want our little Victoria to be born."
"You're right," Ralph said. "Whatever happens, happens, I guess. But in my dream, I never told you how much I loved you before you died..."
"Oh, Ralph, don't worry," Melissa giggled. "I already know you love me very much."
"But if you do die, I want those to be the last words you ever hear me say," Ralph said. "I don't think I can handle seeing a child come out of you, so I don't think I'll be in there with you."
"Like I've already said, sweetie, I understand," Melissa smiled.
"I'm just saying...those are the last words I want you to hear. If you do die, I want the last thought going through your mind to be how much I love you."
"You're so sweet, Ralph," Melissa said as she softly kissed her husband. "I know you would want me to think of that."
"Of course," Ralph smiled. "I mean, I'm so lucky to have someone like you. When I was a teenager, I never thought I would meet a woman like you. You're everything I was ever looking for in a woman: smart, pretty, funny, and kind. I really didn't think I would ever find a woman like that."
"I really am something special, aren't I?" Melissa smiled.
"Absolutely," Ralph beamed. "You really are one in a million."
"I remember the little speech you gave when you won the Small-Town Editor of the Year Award back in July...for the fifth time," she chuckled. "You said you felt half the credit for winning the award went to me."
"I remember, too," Ralph smiled. "I mean that, too. You really are like an inspiration to me. Without you, I don't think I'd have the motivation to run the Standard week in, week out. If I had never met you, I don't think I'd ever have ended up running a successful newspaper. I'm not sure what I would have done, but I probably would have just given up on my dream and done something else..."
"Ralph, that speech was one of the most touching things I ever heard you say," she fondly smiled. "You got a really big applause out of the audience for that one too. You always seem to say the sweetest things about me."
"Because they come from my heart," Ralph said. "My heart always belongs to you."
"I know," Melissa nodded. "I think I'm pretty lucky to have you, too. With you, I've gotten to live a great life. Can you imagine if I had married, say, Troy? It was nice seeing him again after all those years, but I don't think I could have married him. I think my life would have probably been pretty awful if I had chose to stay with him even after moving here," she chuckled.
"I don't think Troy ever really loved you at all," Ralph replied, "at least, not like I do. If he had, he would have stopped me from trying to take him on to impress you."
"I can only imagine if this child was his," Melissa said. Troy had been the first man she had ever slept with...and a part of her felt pretty bad for having done that. She wished she would have saved herself for Ralph...it would have made the experience of losing her virginity that much more special. Troy hadn't even bothered to protect himself, so she felt pretty lucky and glad she didn't get pregnant back then. Had that happened, Melissa felt it was possible her life could have taken a similar path to the one Maxie's had ended up taking up until recently. Troy would have likely abandoned her just like Maxie had been abandoned by her boyfriend, although she was sure her father wouldn't kick her out...Melissa was glad that had not ended up happening. "Needless to say, I don't believe he would have been as big a help as you have."
"Like I said, I've been trying to make this as comfortable an experience for you as possible."
"You have done a great job of that," Melissa smiled at him. "We've had some rough times, but we're almost there. You've done such a great job taking care of me...you know what? I don't care what anyone says; I stand by what I wrote in that birthday card I made you a couple years ago. In my book, you are the world's greatest husband. And I think you are going to be the world's greatest father, just like your new scarf says you are."
"I love that scarf," Ralph smirked. "I really am ready to be a Dad. I can't believe we're really almost parents, honey."
"I know," Melissa smiled, rubbing her huge stomach. "She's really almost here."
"Anyways, Melissa...I'm sorry I woke you up. I know you need your rest," he said, feeling embarrassed. "I'm just worried, you know...I don't want anything bad to happen to you or Victoria," he smiled, glancing at her belly. "I want us to grow old together. I want our child to grow up and have a good life."
"I know, I'm not mad at all, Ralph," Melissa smiled.
"I want you to live because, well, our daughter needs a good female role model growing up. She needs a good Mommy to teach her about the world and help guide her through life. I couldn't think of a better role model for her than you, honey. I hope Victoria will grow up to be a lot like you," Ralph beamed.
"I hope I will be a good Mommy," Melissa grinned as well. "Who knows, maybe she could grow up to be like me?"
"I hope so," Ralph replied. "I wonder which of us she'll look more like? Do you think she'll look more like you or more like me?"
"Well, personally, Ralph," Melissa remarked, "I think she'll look a lot like you."
"Do you think so?"
"I have a good feeling," Melissa smiled.
Ralph yawned. He figured it was time to get some more sleep. Ralph leaned in and gave his heavily pregnant wife a huge kiss. "Goodnight, Melissa. Hope you have pleasant dreams...you need some rest."
"Goodnight, Ralph," Melissa smiled as well as she laid her head back down. "Hope you have better dreams than the one you just had."
Ralph lifted up the quilts, proceeded to lift up Melissa's nightgown, and gave her enormous bump a big kiss as well. "Goodnight, my precious little Victoria," he smiled. "Hope you sleep well in there. You need rest too, for the big day that's coming very soon..."
The couple quickly went back to sleep. It would only be a matter of days before their baby was finally ready to enter the world...
END CHAPTER FOURTEEN
AUTHOR'S NOTE: So there it is, Chapter Fourteen. The penultimate chapter of this story is complete. That means there's only one chapter left in this whole story. We're really almost at the end, folks...Just a few notes this time, not that I usually have many, anyways...
Melissa getting stuck in Endless Echo Caverns was an idea a reader gave to me (you know who you are :D). I liked this idea since I was a bit short on ideas for this chapter, so it helped me fill out this chapter nicely...It's unusual to see Melissa being careless, but everyone has momentary lapses, so it makes her feel more realistic in my book. Bert having to give up his peanut butter to help rescue her...Heheh, poor Bert. He really is going to be glad when this is all over and the baby arrives!
Ralph and Melissa's baby shower...I admit I've never actually been to a baby shower. Nobody really close to my family has had a baby recently, so I admit I don't know a whole lot about them. I used one of raccoonqueen/JENNY-87's stories for things such as gift ideas. I thought all the gifts were pretty nice ones myself. George's is a little silly, but Ralph could stand to see the lighter side of fatherhood, as well.
Bentley and Annie thinking they are overhearing Bert and Maxie in the mood for love...Haha, I thought that was a funny mental picture, so I thought it would be fun to write that. Taken out of context, what they say in this chapter definitely sounds suggestive. I figure it's about time Bert got started on his novel again. You'll see more of it in the next story I write...
Ralph's nightmare...don't worry, I won't do anything twisted like that. Melissa will be okay...but there'll still be a surprise in store (I won't spoil it).
Next chapter...is the last chapter of this entire story. In the final chapter, Bert and Maxie end up getting themselves into a real jam after having a few too many, Bert draws the wrath of Ralph, Melissa goes into labor, and Ralph and Melissa's child is finally born!