Chapter 55

"I have a plan." Ryan announced as he came into the kitchen turning Alex so she could face him where she stood in front of the stove. "I'm listening." She replied skeptically not sure what to expect. "How about, we go out one night without Phoebe, we ask Shelby or someone to look after her for a few hours. So you can get an idea of how it'll be like when you're back at work." Ryan proposed looking at his wife waiting for her to respond. "Okay, it sounds fine. On one condition." Alex said pointing a finger up at him. "As long as we do it early in the day or straight after work so we won't disrupt her routine." She responded and Ryan nodded. "Oh and you're not allowed to call them and ask how she's doing." He answered smiling at her, knowing she'll have a hard time. They shook hands on it but Alex planned on asking Shelby to update her on what her baby is doing at least every hour. Ryan left for work and she decided to wait a while until she calls her friend and ask her about this proposition and if she's up for the challenge.

Alex sat on the couch with her feet on the coffee table watching Phoebe propped up on her legs as she admired her surroundings once again. "Why are you growing so quickly? Feels like yesterday that I found out you were in my stomach and today you're three weeks old already." Alex said holding a finger in Phoebe's reach so she could grab onto it with her hand. "You have to stop growing Phoebe Grace." She said looking in those two big sparkly blue eyes scanning the room. Her phone rang a while later, Sita checking up on them again. If it wasn't the one grandmother it was the other one, calling at least four times in one week.

"Hey ma." Alex greeted friendly. "How's my baby doing?" Sita asked from the other end. "I'm doing well thanks, every day better than the previous one." She answered but was cut off by her mother. "I was not referring to you I meant Phoebe." Sita laughed. "Last time I checked I was your baby. This hurts my feelings, ma." Alex pretended to be hurt. "She's growing way too quickly for my liking. I've been pumping my breast milk into her bottles so she could get used to having both, since I'm planning on going back to work soon." She said wondering what her mother would respond with. "That's sudden. But then again you and work were inseparable from the beginning. Have you found a day care for her yet?" Sita questioned. "No, we're still looking. Ryan suggested that we go out tonight and leave her with Shelby and Caleb so I can see what it'll be like once I'm back at the office." Alex answered. "Well that seems like a good idea. Do not call Shelby every five minutes to ask her what Phoebe's doing Alexandra. Go enjoy your time with your husband, you two need some time on alone. And Alex, don't have sex until you're comfortable with it, your body's been through a lot." Sita commented and Alex could hear the smile in her mother's voice. "Oh my word. Ma just go do something, I have to go I cannot talk to you about this, bye." Alex couldn't deal with this right now and she could hear Sita laughing on the other side before dropping the call. "That grandma of your my child." Alex laughed amused kissing Phoebe's soft hair, putting her down while switching the TV to some cartoon channel and pumping her breasts.

A knock on the door startled Alex. She was watching TV so intently she got a little fright when there was a knock. Phoebe was more amused by looking at the toys hanging down from her play mat than with the TV, as she laid on her back starring at them. Alex got up and walked over to get the door. "What time are you and Ryan leaving tonight?" Shelby asked walking past Alex towards the baby. "Well hello to you too Shelby Haas." Alex greeted closing the door behind her blond friend. "Yeah yeah." She waved Alex off picking Phoebe up kissing her on her little nose. "Hello pretty girl, mommy and daddy are going out tonight, and me you and Uncle Caleb are going to have some fun. How does that sound?" Shelby asked the baby and then turned to Alex. "You guys are still going, right?" Shelby asked just to make sure that she understood Ryan correct. "It seems like we still are, since you just told Phoebe about our night out." Alex said. "And tell mommy she's not allowed to call once they leave." Shelby said more to her friend that to Phoebe who was in her arm. "I've heard that one before, I'll give her a bath before we leave. Shelby promise me you're going to look after my daughter." Her brunette friend asked looking concerned. "You guys haven't even left yet and you're paranoid already. We're going to be fine. I have to get back to work now I snuck out. See you guys tonight." Shelby greeted kissing Phoebe once more, placing her back on the play mat, and as soon as she left Shelby's arms she started crying. "See, we're going to have fun, she doesn't even want me to leave." Shelby joked looking at Alex who was surprised by her daughter's behavior since she doesn't usually do that with her or Ryan. After Shelby left Alex was intent on spending as much time with Phoebe as possible until they go drop her off.

"Do we have to go. Can't we wait until she's like one month old?" Alex asked the moment her husband walked through the front door. "Do you want to go back to work?" He asked putting his briefcase down and talking a seat next to Alex. "Yea, you know I do." She said certain. "Well then yes we have to do this." He commented kissing her. "She'll probably be sleeping most of the time anyway." Ryan replied hoping that would ease her. Alex didn't say anything she just nodded head. "Shelby was here earlier today, Phoebe was on the play mat and she picked her up for a while. And when she put her back down she started crying." Alex explain and saw that Ryan was just as shocked as she was when it happened. "She never does that with us." He answered. "See, she's gonna enjoy herself you need to stop worrying. Where do you want to go?" He asked taking the remote from the table and switching the channel. "Surprise me." Alex answered laying her head back against the couch. "Come on Pheebs, our favorite show is on." He told his daughter as he picked her up from the couch, setting her on his lap as they watched Penguins of Madagascar. "More like Daddy's favorite show baby. He's using you as an excuse so it won't look weird." Alex laughed leaving the two of them downstairs so she could pack a bag for Phoebe and get her bathing stuff ready. "Mommy's just jealous because we didn't invite her to watch it with us." He whispered to Phoebe, switching his attention back to the TV screen.

They arrived at Caleb and Shelby's apartment. Alex carrying Phoebe's bag and Ryan carrying the car seat with the wide awake baby, who was sleeping while they drove but as soon as the car stopped she woke up. Alex knocked and the door swung open. "Hey little miss." Shelby greeted taking the car seat by Ryan walking into the lounge and taking Phoebe out. "You do know we're standing right here." Ryan said when he felt left out since neither Caleb nor Shelby were as excited to see the two of them as they were to see the baby. "Yeah, you two can leave now go have fun." Caleb said taking her from Shelby and kissing her forehead. Alex and Ryan stood there looking at each other. "I guess we'll leave then." Alex said not wanting to go over to kiss Phoebe, because she might just change her mind about going out. "Call us when you need us to come back earlier." Alex said over her shoulder. "That won't be necessary, go enjoy yourselves now." Shelby answered walking them to the door. As they stood in the hallway, Ryan put his arm around his wife's shoulder and brought her closer kissing the side of her head. "She's gonna be okay, and so are we." He assured her as they walked hand in hand back to the car to go the restaurant.

They walked up to the counter and the waiter showed them to the table they've booked earlier in the day. Tucked away in the corner almost separate from the rest of the guests in front of a big window overlooking a fountain that sprayed three spurts of water into the air while the cars passed in the busy street, halting only to obey a red traffic light.

A waiter came up to their table and took their orders for what they want to drink, he shared a look with Ryan and Ryan nodded then he disappeared. He came back a few minutes later with a bunch of pink and white roses and handed it over to Alex with a card in it. "What on earth?" Alex smiled looking between Ryan and the waiter as he walked away and opened the card to read it. Thank you for being you. You have no idea how much I love and appreciate you, sweetheart. Ryan. She read the scribbly handwriting of her husband wondering how and when he did all this. "Ryaann, I'm not even gonna ask how you did all this. Thank you. And I love you too." She leaning over the table to kiss him. They ordered dinner and talked about everything except work, since that is still a rule they have whenever they have date nights. After dessert Ryan settled the bill and they went out towards the car. Ryan was about to open her door when she stopped him.

"No, I don't want to go home just yet, let's take a walk." She suggested extending her hand and he took it interlocking their fingers together. "We need to do this more often." Alex said as they walked slowly to nowhere in particular on the pavement. "I agree. I love Phoebe to death but I don't always like sharing you with her, since she always gets her way." He smiled at her and Alex laughed nodding her head. After they felt like they walked far enough they stopped and bought popsicles before turning around walking back towards the car. "What was the first thing you thought when you saw me?" She asked Ryan. "And be honest." Alex said looking at him. "Honestly, I thought you had the most beautiful eyes, like seriously. They were so big and sparkly. That night at his parents' dinner, I tried coming up to talk to you but Caleb told me I'll be wasting my time." Ryan said looking at her. "You were sitting at a table with squad four and I assumed someone was telling a joke, then you smiled and your eyes sparkled even more, and at that moment all I wanted to do was come up and talk to you, but to be honest I had no idea how I was going to do that or what I was going to say. So I stood there looking like a moron, you got up from the table and walked to get your coat because you were about to leave, and you looked up at me and smiled and told me to have a good night. After that I told myself to man up and talk to you whenever we're at an event together again, and look where that brought us today." He said thinking back to the first time he saw her. "What about you?" He asked switching the question back to her. "We were at the beach, Caleb and Shelby had a thing going on and the two of you were always together. Natalie, Nimah and I were sitting under the umbrellas and you walked out of the water." She continued thinking back to the beach party where they actually first started talking to each other. "And I couldn't take my eyes of how amazing your body was. You looked like a Baywatch babe, toned and sculpted." She answered seeing the smile grow on his face. "And now I'm going to stop boosting your ego." She laughed punching him in the side with her elbow. "I thought you were just getting started I'm waiting for the rest." He said. "No seriously, yes I loved your body and I still do, but you got a phone call and someone was crying on the other end, and all I remember was how you told them to calm down and that you'll be there soon. You told the guys you have to go a family emergency came up, they tried to get you to stay but you wouldn't. And honestly that was the moment I looked past your body and tried to get to know as you as a person. And I don't regret any of it today." She said turning towards him as they threw their Popsicle sticks away.

Ryan took a step closer, leaned into her face and kissed her. Lips numb and cold from their popsicles. In this moment it was just the two of them on the sidewalk, the cars and the by passers didn't matter right now. Once they broke apart only their foreheads touching, their hands interlocking, he looked deep into her eyes and he didn't have to say a word. Because she felt it too, this love and connection they could share by not saying anything, because sometimes you don't need words when moments like these are so perfect.

Hey guys, thanks for reading and for follows. I appreciate it and hope you guys enjoy the story.

Lovies-S