Chapter 54
"I can not wait until the snow is gone so we can make love in the hot tub you have out on the patio.
"Cesca, by spring you'll be six months along! We'll have to wait until after the baby comes."
"No, we will not Thomas! I plan on going into labor while still making love to you."
Shocked and horrified Tom said, "Cesca, that is NOT going to happen."
"I will ask Miranda, and we will see," smiled Cesca and her tummy loudly growled, "I think you need to feed the baby and me Thomas."
"Very well," he said as he got up and put on his robe. He went into the kitchen and began to fix fried chicken.
After a few minutes Cesca came into the kitchen with her face washed and her robe on, "What, no coffee?"
"I am busy fixing you something to eat. Besides I heard that caffeine is not good for the baby."
"So that is good, the baby will not be drinking it," she told him.
"You know that is not what I meant, Cesca."
"I know, but I want my coffee and I want it now, just like I wanted you in Italy, and you know I got my way then."
"You got your way then because I was too weak to refuse you, but I won't stand by and let you do things that are bad for our child. Tomorrow I will get out and buy decaffeinated coffee. Today you'll drink milk, juice, or water!" he told her taking the coffee can she had just found, and putting it in a high cupboard.
Stomping her foot angrily she declared, "Then I will just have jelly beans for dinner," and stomped out of the room.
Knowing the healthy appetite Francesca'd had in Italy, Tom wasn't worried that she'd eat. When it was done and put it on the table with a tall glass of milk at her place, he called out, "Cesca dinner is ready, I'll eat without you, if I have too," he sat down at the table and waited to see what she would do.
Peering out the door, she sniffed the delicious aromas and as her mouth watered she decided that she wouldn't cut off her nose to spite her face. She crept into the dining room and sat down with a frown. Eating the food placed before her on the plate, she moved the glass of milk away from her and refused to drink anything.
He frowned that she wasn't drinking her milk, but didn't say anything since at least she was eating.
The rest of the week passed slowly because everyday they got more snow so it was almost impossible to get out. They firmed up the dates that she would be back in February. The plan was, she would be in town for a week around the fourteenth. Tom called Bethesda and made an appointment with an OB/GYN for Mrs. Thomas Boone, during that week. He reminded Francesca to bring her medical records from Italy when she returned. Francesca and Miranda spent many hours on the phone making plans and talking about the future. Tom had asked to speak to AJ once during the week, but as Miranda had suspected when she went to tell him, AJ refused to take the call.
The day before the wedding Tom tried again to talk to AJ. Miranda went into the study, picked up the phone and handed it to AJ saying, "You should take this call."
He took the phone from her and said, "Hello?"
Tom's voice came over the line saying, "AJ, I know you don't want to talk to me, but please hear what I have to say, before you hang up. After my wife died I never thought I would marry again, just as I'm sure that before Miranda came into your life you felt the same. If the thought ever did cross my mind, I just knew that it wouldn't be the same if you weren't my best man. So I was hoping that you might consider acting as my best man tomorrow."
AJ sat there for a moment and thought about all that he and Tom had been through over the years and if he could put his current feelings aside and do this for his friend. Then he thought about his daughter, and without saying a word dropped the receiver back on the phone.
To be continued…
