Chapter 26

John and I both worked on the nursery together. We both went to the hardware store and grabbed some paint sample color sheets to decide on baby blue or a similar shade. We also found some cute wallpaper that was sports themed and perfect for a nursery.

We were able to get rid of the stuff that had been in the extra room of the apartment. John was able to get younger brothers to take most of his stuff. Melissa took most of mine, because it was clothes. What we did not get rid of was taken to Goodwill.

So the room was empty, except for cans of paint, paint brushes, a paint roller and a paint roller pan. John and I painted the nursery by ourselves. We were offered help from our friends, his brothers, and Melissa. We declined, because it gave us something to do together, plus it was for our baby.

The nursery was painted and wallpapered within a week.

After that, John and I went with his mom furniture shopping for the nursery. Amy and Melissa tagged a long for that one. We ended up getting more than baby furniture. I was so happy to finally be able to buy baby clothes.

I was so excited about having a baby. One of the things I really wanted out of life was to be a mom and I was getting it.

The nursery was completed by the end of June.

July flew by and August came. Sadly Melissa and Boog had to say good-bye to each other, because Melissa needed to get back to Atlanta for school. She ended up leaving the weekend before the last week she had left of summer break. Amy and I took her to the airport. Boog came with us.

It was sad to see them have to say good-bye. Boog cried a little.

"If you two tease me for crying because my girlfriend left, I'll hurt you," Boog said as we were headed out to the parking lot.

"It'll be our secret," Amy said.

"Yeah, your brothers would actually have a field day with it," I said. "It'll all be okay, though, Sean!"

Boog smiled. "Thank you, Trish."

"How about I call you or John will call you whenever we have news in regards to your nephew?"

"What else is there to tell about the little bugger? I've already felt him kicking."

I would enter my twenty-seventh week of pregnancy on Monday. The baby had already begun to kick and move around. It was freaky at first, but then very exciting after. When he first started kicking, I made sure everyone got to feel him.

"There is a lot more to tell about your unborn nephew," I said. "I have thirteen more weeks of pregnancy to go through."

"I can't wait until he is finally here," Amy said. "I am excited to be an aunt!"

"We're all excited to be aunts and uncles," Boog said. "I'm going to make sure I'm his favorite uncle, though."

"I'll fight whoever I have to, to be the favorite aunt."

I laughed.

I received a text message from Melissa a few hours later. She said she was safe and sound on the ground of the Atlanta airport. She said she'd call me later. I was glad she had made it home safely.

"Its anniversary week," Amy said to me the next day, Sunday. We were at her apartment.

"What the hell does that mean?" I asked.

"Well, it was one year ago today that you moved to Boston and in here with me. Then tomorrow is the one year anniversary of you meeting Phil, Torrie, Randy, and of course, John." I smiled. Amy continued, "Tuesday is the one year anniversary of you working at the firm with me. Then Friday is your one year anniversary of dating John!"

"Well, I know my one year anniversary is on Friday. I do think I need to make a big deal tomorrow about meeting John for the first time."

"Yeah, you do!"

"Maybe him and I should reminisce on the first time we both saw each other," I said.

"Yes, you were turned on by him doing his squats and bench pressing," Amy said.

"God, that was hot! It's still hot!"

Amy laughed. "John also wanted to drop you down to the floor the first time he saw you!"

"He still does!"

Amy laughed again. I just smiled.

I headed home in the evening, after spending the day with Amy. When I got home, John was getting home too. We met right outside the building and went up to our apartment together. He told me all about his day.

"Well, I'm so glad you're home now," I said.

"Me too," John said, unlocking the apartment door. He opened it up. "Ladies and babies first."

"Thank you," I said walking into the apartment.

John followed me inside. He closed and relocked the door. He threw his bag down by the door. I went and sat on the sofa in the living room. He came and sat next to me.

"You know it was one year ago today that I moved to Boston?" I asked

John smiled. "So that would make tomorrow the year anniversary of the first day we met?"

"Yes. Remember the first time we met?"

"How could I forget?! It was the day I met my soul mate!"

I grinned. "Remember how you were lifting weights and Randy was spotting you?"

"Yeah, I remember. And after I had done my set of lifting, I caught you watching me and then you looked away."

"Yes."

"I knew our anniversary was on Friday, but I didn't take a minute to rethink the first time we met," John said.

"Neither did I really," I said. "I was more so only thinking about the evening we went out with everyone, then when we had our first date, second date, and third date."

"Guess what, though?"

"What?!"

"I took next Saturday and Sunday off. We can spend our anniversary weekend together."

"Yay," I said. "What will we do?"

"I was hoping we could relive our first three dates. We'll go to Cenas' on Friday evening, then on Saturday we'll have spaghetti and meatballs and watch Dirty Dancing. Then on Sunday, we'll go to gym, come home, shower, and have Campbell's Chunky Soup," John said.

"I love the sound of that."

"So what do you want to do for dinner?"

"Well, Little Johnny wants some Chinese," I said.

"Excellent choice," John said. "Big Johnny will order it. The usual?"

"Yes, please."

"All right."

John pulled out his cell phone and called our regular Chinese food place.

Forty-five minutes later, we were sitting at the kitchen table eating our dinner.

"So what were you doing exactly one year ago this minute?" John asked.

I looked at the time and thought for a minute. "Well, I was having dinner with my parents and Amy. They ended up flying back home the next day."

"Then you and I met."

"Yes, we did. But I met Torrie first. Then I met Phil and Randy, and then I finally you."

"That trip to the gym was a lot of fun."

"Yes, it was," I said. "I was excited, because I got to meet Phil, finally. I had been hearing about him nonstop for a month."

"Yes, well, all of us had heard about you nonstop for a month too. We were all glad to finally meet you. It worked out well for me, though."

"It worked out well for the both of us. And it is still getting better and better."

"It sure is."