Chapter Fourteen

Claudia Alister dropped to the Alister-Lincoln household for a short visit. She wasn't sure why Drew and Rick were surprised that she shared this experience with them.

The baby girl she carried was theirs after all.

She saw both their eyes moisten when she placed each of their hands on her growing belly. The baby was kicking—a lot.

"Don't start!" She told the two with a smile.

Neither father-to-be told Claudia that even though the nursery wasn't completed yet and they hadn't started shopping for the little one yet, a name had picked out for the baby.

Maddy Grace Lincoln-Alister.

Not Madison, Madelynn or Madeline but Maddy.

"Grace" was from the name of the hiking trial where the two got married.

Grace Mountain Trail.

After they met with the artist they had found from Lynn Topher next week and the nursery was painted, the plan was to start shopping for their daughter.

That was the perfect start to the day after yesterday and the last few weeks. The couple went fishing as planned. Drew was relieved to see the man he loved back to his humorous self.

"Here," he said, handing Drew his fishing rod. "I put your worm on the hook for ya. So you don't have to take those ridiculous gloves from your back pocket to do it."

"Haha. Thank you," Drew smiled.

"You know–" Rick said.

"Yes, I know!" Drew interrupted his husband, laughing. "That worm is probably cleaner most of the stuff I deal with at work. Or so you say."

"Well it is! Does HR know you stole gloves from the ER to go fishing?"

Drew smirked.

"'Cause I didn't. The gloves we use at the ER are blue. I took these from the first aid kit at home. I won't be so bad I'll have to use 'em to change our baby's diapers."

"Good to know. 'Cause I'd be breaking ya of that habit really quick," Rick teased.

Fishing was a stress reliever for Rick Lincoln, strictly "catch and release." Almost every Texan and Texas transplant loved their catfish and shrimp. But these two could take it or leave it, mostly it was leave it.

The feelings was getting to feel their daughter kick and move stayed with them all day. First seeing it was the small circle that was her on the confirmation ultrasound and hearing her heartbeat, the couple thought they could get any more excited.

Then came the 4-D ultrasound.

Now this experience.

Both Rick and Drew accepted the fact they were going to be puddles of tears on the floor when their baby was born. Claudia had already informed her doctor that the two would be there when the baby was born, which would likely be by a planned c-section because of past history, and that she wanted Drew and Rick to see and hold the newborn first. The two would have their own room on the labor recovery floor. It had been encouraged and the dads were excited about having skin-to-skin with their daughter once they were alone with her. Once Claudia was no longer groggy from the operation she would see her niece. She knew till she woke up and after, both men would be checking on her.

Her health and well-being was important, they loved her, too.

"What's the best one-stop shop place for shopping for stuff for babies?" Drew asked Topher just before shift.

He knew Topher was the one to ask since his twins weren't two years old yet.

"Babies R Us is the best. You can get everything there from the nursery furniture to clothes and diapers. You can get carseats, swings and strollers there too. I'd offer you some stuff from the twins but carseats and cribs have expiry dates for guidelines and the stuff is past it."

Drew told Topher about Claudia's brief visit the previous day.

"That's always an incredible experience. But I bet it cheered you and Rick up after the other night," Topher said.

It had.

It made Rick temporarily forget that his mother had told him that if "this was the life" that made him happy, she would "rather him be miserable." Drew told Topher what Heather had said to her son, his husband.

Topher shook his head.

"That's just cruel, man. My parents had their expectations for me but even I didn't meet a lot of the big ones they didn't say stuff like that to me. And don't read this the wrong way but I'm sure many parents would be proud to have Rick as a son."

Drew smiled.

"I know what you mean."