I'm sorry this one is shorter, but it had to be written to transition through time. The next one should be longer! Hope you guys enjoy!
Also, shout out to my (Not so little anymore) baby girl Alexa, who's name I put in here for fun! :)
Pleasantly full and relaxed, Lila gazed up at the moon and stars in the sky above them wistfully.
"Most people like cloud gazing, but I definitely prefer moon and star gazing," she murmured.
"You're pretty much overall a night gal," Allen spoke up, "Nothin' wrong with that."
She turned her head and looked over at him, a soft smile coming to her face as she took him in. In just basketball shorts, he was laid out on the sun bathing chair with his hands under his head, staring up at the sky while his tongue played with his bottom lip. Finally she thought to respond to his words.
"I guess you're right. I've always felt as if I have some sort of connection with the moon. When I had really bad days, I'd just go through the motions until it was dark enough to sneak out and lay on the porch to look at the moon. It was always there for me, even if it went away for a few nights it always came back."
He looked over and smirked.
"I don't think I've ever heard someone romanticize the moon so well," he murmured.
Lila shrugged and rolled onto her side, reaching out to rub his arm with the tips of her fingers. Warmth filled her chest when he flipped his arm over and took her hand in his.
"Are you ready for bed?" he offered.
"Probably," she replied.
He helped her up carefully and she linked her arms around him before he could walk away, nuzzling his chest gently.
"Li?" he asked with a worried tone.
She shook her head and simply held him close. In moments like this, it was hard to remember there was ever bad in her life. He was like a barrier between her and the rest of the world. His arms came around her to squeeze her gently. She took a deep breath to hopefully take control of her emotions and tilted her head back, looking up at him.
"I'm just still marveling at how lucky I am," she murmured.
Her hand glided over his chest to the nape of his neck and she pulled him down slowly, rubbing her nose against his.
"You're still not as lucky as me," he replied, "I'm the one who gets to spend the rest of my life with the most beautiful lady in the world."
Lila couldn't stop a grin at that despite biting her lip and teasingly pinched his cheek.
"Flattery gets you everywhere baby," she joked.
"I'm hoping it gets me in bed cuddling with you right about now. I wanna hold you and our baby."
She swooned and pecked his lips lightly before pulling him into the room. She crawled up into the bed and waited for Allen to get in before molding into a spooning position. His hand took up rubbing her belly softly. Within seconds it lulled her into a light sleep.
…
It seemed like their mini vacation flew by too fast. By Monday the nineteenth she was back in their home while he was driving with Chris to their Raw destination. He wouldn't be home until late Wednesday or early Thursday which left her with a lot of time to herself. Climbing off the couch, she headed upstairs into the mostly finished nursery.
"I can't believe we've only got sixteen weeks til you're here baby girl," Lila murmured as she rubbed her belly.
The dark cherry wood furniture contrasted wonderfully with the light purple walls and dark burgundy carpet, and she couldn't help but be proud of her color decisions. Hopefully the baby would like it. As she sat in the rocking chair in the corner she let her mind wander to names. They hadn't picked a name yet, having been to busy with the wedding, and now she was curious. She definitely wanted to continue the A.J. Initials that the rest of his kids had. She pulled out her phone and pulled up google, searching baby names starting with A.
"Jeez, who knew so many names started with A?" she muttered to herself.
The name Alexa stood out, as did Alyssa, but then she found a name that jumped at her. Aliyah. She contemplated it, rolling the name around, thinking of middle names to go with it.
"Aliyah Jones. Aliyah Marie Jones? Nah. That's not it."
She thought hard about the people she loved in her life, wondering if it'd be worth honoring someone with their name, until she remembered the one female in her life that treated her better than anyone else. The only problem was she'd died when Lila was eight. Her grandmother Lillian, the one she'd been named after. The only one who had been there to comfort her and read her stories when her mother shoved her into her room with a book alone to fall asleep. Her grandfather Joseph probably would have but he'd died before she was born. How had she not thought of using her grandmother's name before?
"Aliyah Lillian? Hm... Aliyah Lilith?"
She had to gasp when the baby moved more forcefully than she ever had. Lila shook her head and scoffed at the thought maybe she was approving the name.
"No way. It's not possible."
She paused then said it again.
"Aliyah Lilith Jones."
The baby moved again and she laughed in disbelief, tears flooding her eyes. Her daughter kept moving around, becoming the most active Lila had noticed to the day.
"I can't believe this."
She immediately scrolled through her contacts and called Allen. After three rings he picked up.
"Hey darlin'. You're on speaker cause I'm driving so you'll have to talk loud."
"Okay, so hey, listen to this!" she said excitedly, "I was thinking about baby names and talking to myself, trying to sound them out and everything, and the baby started moving when I found my favorite one so far."
"Really? She might just be reactin' to your voice. What is the name anyway?"
"Aliyah Lilith Jones. I know it's not as traditional as Anney but-"
"Where'd Lilith come from?" he asked.
"My grandma, she died when I was like eight but she was the one to practically raise me until then," Lila admitted, a small smile coming to her face, "My mother chose my name based off her name too."
"You really like it?" he asked.
"Yeah, I do."
"Then that'll be her name. I like the name Aliyah and I'm all for giving her a name after your grandma," Allen replied, "As long as you're happy with it, I am too."
Her grin split across her face as she let out a happy squeal.
"Thank you! I'm so glad you like it! You have no idea how happy I am!"
He laughed through the phone and said, "I can tell by your voice baby."
Letting out a soft sigh, she pushed lightly on her belly and started rubbing the bump as Aliyah moved.
"I miss you already," she murmured.
"Ah, ya can't mean that," he teased.
Giggling, she argued, "You know I do. I've gotten too used to having you around all the time."
"I'll be back soon enough Li," he said, his voice going softer.
"I know. I know that. I'm just being emotional."
"I'm gonna miss you too darlin'," he replied, "I'm about at the hotel so I gotta get off'a here."
"Alright, be safe tonight. Love you."
"Love you too, and Aliyah too," he said before hanging up.
To the best of her ability, she lifted her feet into the chair and drew her legs against her belly, holding herself tight. It was going to be a long couple days. She could do it. She was strong.
"Better figure out something for dinner," she muttered to herself.
It felt like her feet were made of lead as she trudged down the stairs to the kitchen. Realizing she'd be eating alone, she felt another jolt of something uncomfortable in her gut. For years she'd had Chris at least, and now with Allen she always had someone around. Being home alone made her feel nervous and down.
"I'm such a loser. At least I have you Aliyah," she sighed as she rubbed her belly, grabbing a yogurt and deciding to watch some Netflix until she passed out.
Her sleep was fitful and full of uncomfortable dreams. Something about being chased by a purple banana and marionettes hanging above her bed, mocking her for being sad. When she woke, she felt more exhausted than when she went to bed. With a frustrated sigh, she got out of bed and went through the motions of showering, brushing her teeth, and putting her hair in a ponytail. She passed time by dragging out the basket of baby clothes, deciding to wash them and put them in the drawers so they'd be more prepared for Aliyah's arrival.
"I can't wait until you're here baby," Lila murmured to her stomach.
She felt the motions in her belly again and a smile cracked across her face. She was definitely going to be a mama's girl.