'Mansion.'
'Cottage.'
'Mansion.'
'Cottage.'
Alexis smiled as Shane parked their rented Ford hybrid in the driveway of the Hamptons house; with the windows rolled down she could hear and smell already their annual summer-season kick-off. The kids were whooping and hollering with some activitiy that was sending the beloved Tortuga into fits of canine delight while the fragrant scent of grilling meat on a barbecue and the saltiness of the ocean danced on the breeze. She felt the baby do a happy little loopy-loop in her belly and she rubbed it near her navel.
'I know baby, we got through the scary stuff now we get the fun stuff, and then later Mumum gets the fun stuff that's just for her and Papa.'
'Come on, my little mastriyoka doll, let's go get some of that barbecue before Espo hogs it all.'
Shane had barely opened the door of the car when he found himself surrounded by the underage crowd full of chatter and excitement.
'Hello Doctor Weaver and Doctor Weaver with a bumpy!' Tessi chirped with a wide smile as she gave them hugs. 'How was the doctor's office this morning, is everything good and on the up-and-up with the baby?'
'Absolutely,' Shane replied, then laughed when Dell held out his knuckels for a bro-dap while Tessi rounded the car to give Alexis a hug. 'Hey medium-sized bro, what's shaking?'
'Tortgua in the water,' he replied. 'How is Alexis, is the baby getting bigger like it should?'
'Yes it is.'
'Good, good, and you guys won't be...' Dell blushed red as Alexis' hair. 'Y'know, romantic while we're all here.'
'If we are, we'll be quiet.'
'Dell, that's not nice to talk about,' Rosie told him primly, sniffed. 'RJ and Max get in trouble already a lot for asking that question too much. Don't add to the noise.'
'Add to the noise?' Alexis repeated, coming over to hug her little sister.
'Oof, your baby girl is so big now! And yes.' Rosie nodded, 'I heard Tante Meredeth say that to the twins when they are being silly and Meredeth is already trying to sort out something else.'
'Ah, well, she is a mami to four children so I'm sure she knows what she's talking about then, right?'
'Right. Whatcha doing Shane?' Rosie asked when she saw her big-bro-in-law pop the trunk of the car.
'Getting mine and Alexis' luggage for the weekend out.'
'Okay, just wait a moment. Boys! We need your muscles here!'
Rosie turned around and hollered, and to Alexis and Shane's amazement, Carey, Leo, Finn and Nate all raced over and headed straight for the back of the car with Shane.
'Okay, what do we have here?' Carey looking in the trunk and rubbed his hands together. 'Okay, Leo and I, we will get Shane's luggage, Shane you get Alexis' stuff. Finn, you Rosie and Dell and Tessi grab those groceries there.'
'Wha' 'bout me, Cah-ree?' Nate asked, tugging on Carey's shirt hem.
'You have the most important job of all, Nate, you have to keep the bumpy company with Alexis,' Carey told him and Nate lit up like a Christmas tree.
'I do that! I shitter-bocks!'
'You're a what?' Alexis inquired, eyebrows winging up.
'Shitter-bocks! Mama say mean talk lossa.'
'Oh a chatterbox,' she giggled. 'Nate, we better work on that pronunciation.'
Shane smiled as he listened to his wife trying to work on Nate's saying of the word so it didn't sound like a two year old cussing; when he turned back he cracked up once more when he saw the grocery bearers around the corner of the porch where Shane knew everyone was enjoying cold drinks just off of the kitchen while Carey and Leo each took a handle of his duffel and hauled it towards the porch where he could see Lanie, Dave and Adam watching, the two men each with cameras in their hands. Not wanting to ruin the boys fun, he tugged Alexis' rolling suitcase along to the stairs, grinning the whole time.
'Carefully, Leo, can't break anything inside,' Carey told him.
'I know, Carey, I got it!'
'Mama, where is Shane and Alexis' room?' Carey asked Lanie, and Lanie pointed him towards the house.
'Go ask Mister Castle, baby. He's in the kitchen.'
'Okay.'
The young men took off and Dave couldn't help ribbing Shane. 'See you've got some slave labour happening.'
'They swarmed us.'
'Oh, we know,' Adam laughed, shutting off the video mode on his camera. 'And we'll be laughing about it all weekend. Where did your bride get swept off to?'
'That way.' Shane pointed to the side-corner of the porch. 'How's yours doing?'
'Getting to the fussy stage, but she has less than a month to go.' Adam stuffed his hands in his pockets. 'Can't believe a month from now I'll be a daddy. That's a weird feeling.'
'You'll be great,' Dave told him, knowing how nervous the young man was; it was all over his face. 'Tell me more about the nursery?'
'We decided on a Muppet Babies theme, so we have a whole bunch of wall hangings in bright colours, and the crib sheets all have sleeping baby Muppets on little clouds. Oh and we got the baby a totally adorable stuffed Gonzo the Great, and...what?' Adam trailed off when Dave, Lanie and Shane all grinned at him. 'It's my first child about to be born, you seriously think I'd be anything less than over the moon gushing when you ask me baby related questions?'
Lanie opened her mouth to reply when she heard Tessi's voice loud and clear from around the side of the house.
'Tortuga, down! Down! No jumping up right now, we are giving the mamas to be a manicure!'
Intrigued, she left the men to discuss manly baby things and giggled the moment she saw the tableau - Alexis and Lindsay, both sporting burgeoning baby bumps, had their feet propped up on the wicker table, with Jojo being a masseuse while Kelley attended to Lindsay's nails and Tessi to Alexis' fingers.
'There we are! Now you are muy linda for the special weekend this weekend,' Tessi told her, gently stroking the candy-pink lacquer over Alexis' nails. 'Even though we're not doing the Olympics this weekend.'
'We're not?' Lindsay looked saddened. 'I was so looking forward to that.'
'No, Daddy and Mami said that they are being pushed back this year because you are so close to having your baby, Lindsay,' Tessi explained. 'So we'll do them on a special just-for-Olympics weekend in July when the baby is already here and Alexis still has a little bit to go.'
'Alexis, does that feel good?' Jojo asked, prodded her sister's swollen feet.
'Actually, it does Jojo.'
'Good, because we have so much fun in store this weekend, you need to be ready to go!' Jojo kissed the belly. 'You too bumpy girl.'
'You know it's a girl?' Tessi squeaked.
'No, Jojo just thinks it is,' Alexis laughed.
'Nuh-uh.' Jojo shook her head. 'I know it is.'
