*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much*
MADDEN:
Once Gatsby arrives home from school after the big announcement this afternoon that schools in PA will remain closed until two weeks from now meaning she will be home from school during this new virus that's slowly making its way to the states, and quickly spreading its way around like the cold and flu. "Hey, Gatsby, how was school today?" I ask her when she comes in the door.
"It was good," she says, "my teacher said she wouldn't see me for two weeks is that true?"
"Yes," I say, "apparently all schools are shut down until the end of March."
"Why?" she asks.
"Because there is a dangerous virus going around and they feel it's safer to close schools down for now and I have to agree with them," I say.
"Oh, okay," she says shrugging her shoulders. "So am I getting a baby brother or a baby sister?" she asks.
"Well, Joe and I have a surprise for you and Amari," I say with a smile, "do you want to go get Amari and tell her that we have a surprise for you both?"
"Yes!" she says with excitement dropping her bookbag and coat on the floor before running upstairs to get Amari.
While she's upstairs getting Amari, I get the wrapped gift with the results of the ultrasound today surprising them that they will have a baby brother. Joe comes into the room, "so she's home?" he asks.
"Yes, she's home," I say with a smile, "she went to get Mari so we can give them the present."
"I think they are both going to be very excited," he says.
"Me too even though Gatsby said she doesn't really care what it is I think she's going to be excited for a brother, I think she secretly wants a baby brother."
"I think so too," he says with a smile. "I am so excited to have a son. I would have been just as excited for a little girl but I'm really excited for a baby boy."
"Me too," I say, "I have two girls, I wanted a healthy baby and knowing that he's healthy I am excited for a boy."
"I know," he smiles, "I can't believe we created a life together. I wasn't even planning on it."
"Neither was I," I say, "but sometimes God gives us the most unexpected gifts at the most unexpected time. Even though we feel like we may not be ready God believes that we are ready," I say as Gatsby comes into the room. "Where's Mari?" I ask.
"She said she's too tired to come down here," she says, "and that she hurts."
"Oh," I say with disappointment and sadness knowing that Mari is going through so much pain. It's tough knowing that there's nothing we can do for her but keep her comfortable, chemotherapy wasn't working as her body got immune to it and was starting to reject it and then we tried radiation but that wasn't helping either so really there's nothing we can really do but let life happen and hope for a miracle from God.
"I'll go get her," says Joe before he heads upstairs to get Amari. "And here she is," he says with a smile a few minutes later carrying her into the room. "She just woke up from a nap." I smile looking at their interaction, he holds Amari in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder as she sucks her thumb; a habit I haven't been able to break. I just love their bond with one another.
"Are you tired?" I ask her and she nods her head holding on tightly to Joe. "Do you want to find out if you're getting a baby brother or a baby sister or do you want to wait?"
"I want to know," she says. "But daddy already told me that it's a boy."
"Well, you're going to need to find out if daddy is right or wrong," I say with a smile.
"Okay," she says as Joe puts her down so she can join Gatsby by the present.
"All right, Gatsby before you open it," says Joe, "what do you think a brother or a sister?"
"I think it's going to be a sister," she says.
"Okay, and Mari, what about you, what do you think? A brother or a sister?" he asks.
"Brother," she says with a smile. "I talked to Daddy and he said it's a brother and I prayed to God for a baby brother. I think it's a brother."
"All right," he says, "Are you ready to find out?" he asks.
"YES!" they scream together making me smile as I get ready to video them opening their gift.
Together the girls rip open the wrapping paper on the box and then rip open the box pulling out the ultrasound picture of the baby first, looking at it before pulling out the onesie/bodysuit that's blue and says "Best Baby Brother" on it. The living room fills with screams of joy as they read the news of having a baby brother. "It's a boy!" shouts Gatsby.
"We are getting a baby brother just like daddy said," says Mari with excitement. "I can't wait to see my brother he's going to be the cutest baby brother in the world!" she says.
"I know!" says Gatsby. "I can't wait for our brother to come!"
"He's still got a little bit of time to go before he arrives," I say, "but I think you two are going to be the best big sisters there ever were."
"I am going to love him SO much!" says Mari, "I am going to feed him, change his diapers, hold him and play with him. I'm going to be the best big sister ever!"
"Me too!" says Gatsby, "even if he cries a lot I am going to help make him laugh."
"I know you two will be awesome big sisters," says Joe.
"What are we going to name him?" asks Gatsby. "Does he have a name yet?"
"Well, Joe and I decided to name him Joseph Wyatt Anoa'i," I say.
"Wyatt was Daddy's name," says Gatsby.
"I know and in honor of your dad we agreed to give him the middle name Wyatt. Your dad died a hero defending our country and your father was an amazing man," I say, "I thought you two would love that we chose to honor your father by giving him his name as a middle name and of course we are naming him after Joe."
"Daddy was a hero," says Gatsby, "but so is Joe."
"I am not a hero," says Joe.
"Yes you are," says Mari. "You donated your bone marrow to me so that I could live longer. You are a hero," she says making my eyes fill up with tears. "I have a question," she says.
"What's your question?" I ask her.
"No, not for you," she says, "for Joe."
"Sure, you can ask me anything," says Joe. "You know this."
Gatsby and Amari look at each other, Gatsby gives Amari a nod and I know they have planned something. "Well, Gatsby and I love you a lot just like our mommy loves you. You love us too. We love to spend time with you and love you around us. We wanted to know if we were allowed to call you Daddy? We know you aren't our real dad but you do everything that our daddy did for us when he was alive and that makes you a dad to us so can we call you daddy?" she asks as I realize I am still recording this special moment. Tears fill my eyes as I look at Joe to see he has his own tears in his eyes.
"Of course," he says with a small choke in his voice holding back from crying. He clears his throat and says, "I would be honored."
"YAY!" the girls scream together before they hug him so tightly. I continue to video the special moment to keep this special memory forever. Tears falling from my eyes at the beautiful moment.
"I love you, Daddy," says Mari.
"I love you, Dad," says Gatsby.
"I love you both so much," he says hugging them back.
The next day my sister Kenzie, Gatsby, Mari and me head out to the bridal shop so that I can pick out dresses for the girls to wear for the wedding and so that I can pick out my wedding dress. I know the time crunch is hard with the wedding only being a couple weeks away but I want to wear a dress so I need to buy today and hope for it to fit me perfectly on my wedding day which could be hard with my pregnancy belly popping out and starting to show. "So what do you two think about having a baby brother?" asks Kenzie.
"I'm excited!" says Gatsby. "I can't wait to have a baby brother."
"I can't wait either," says Amari. "And he is going to have Daddy's name."
"You're naming the baby Wyatt?" asks Kenzie.
"No," says Amari, "my other daddy's name."
"Your other daddy's name?" Kenzie asks with confusion.
"Yes, Joe," says Gatsby, "he is our other daddy."
"I see now," says Kenzie looking at me, "so it's a junior?"
"Not exactly," I say, "I wasn't going to announce his name until he was born but his name will be Joseph Wyatt," I say.
"I see, is Joe okay with giving him the middle name Wyatt?" she asks.
"Yes," I say looking through the little girl dresses. "In fact, he supports the idea."
"That's good," she says, "so when did they start calling him Daddy?"
"They asked him last night and he said he would be honored to have them call him Dad. He is so good with them," I say. "They love him and he loves them."
"I'm happy for you, Madden. I'm so happy that you found someone to love you and your girls. Joe is a good guy."
"I'm happy too," I say with a smile as I pull two dresses off the rack for the girls to try on. It's not exactly a dress but a white lace romper with a sheer overskirt with halter type straps. "What do you girls think of this outfit?"
"That's so pretty!" says Amari.
"I love it," says Gatsby.
"Awesome," I say with a smile, "Let's go try it on and see if it fits."
They go into the dressing room together and I go in to help them get their rompers on. I let them look at themselves in the mirror and spin around. "Kenz," I say, "what do you think?"
"I think they're different and I like different. I think they are gorgeous," she says. "I like them a lot."
"I think it's beautiful," I say. "Do you girls like them?" I ask.
"Yes," says Gatsby. "I'm not always into wearing dresses and I like that this isn't really a dress."
"Me too," says Amari. "But I can't wear the clip bow in my hair," she says. "I don't have any hair."
"We can make you a special headband to wear," I say with a smile. "How does that sound?"
"Good," she says, "will I ever get my hair back?"
"Some day," I say. "Some day you will get your hair back."
"I can't wait, I can't wait for you to braid my hair and as soon as I get my hair back I am going to wear pigtails in my hair," she says. "Or put it in a ballerina bun." Amari is so hopeful for a future I don't even know she's going to have, she's so optimistic that it hurts me because I am not as positive or as optimistic as she is. I just hope she has the future she's hoping for but after talking to Dr. Anderson at the beginning of the week I don't know. It's all in God's hands now.
"Perfect," I say, "We'll get these rompers and some beautiful silver sparkle shoes," I say.
"I like sparkle shoes," says Mari making me smile. "What about you, Mommy? You need a dress."
"I know," I say. "I am about to look for one," I say.
"Okay," she says, "you have to look like a princess because Daddy is your prince," says Mari.
"I'll do my best," I smile.
I look for the girls' shoes in their sizes as Kenzie helps them out of their rompers. Once I have their shoes I start to look for a dress of my own. I have no idea what I am looking for but if it's like when I married Wyatt I will know the moment I see it. I go through the racks looking at all kinds of dresses and then I finally spot one. I take it off the rack and look it over. I know it's the one, I just hope it fits. I take it to the fitting room to try it on. I smile as I look at myself in the mirror wearing the strapless, high-low tea length corded lace dress. It's the perfect fit and it does hide my baby bump perfectly. I love it. I step out of the fitting room and say, "what do you think?"
"Oh my gosh, Mom, you look beautiful," says Gatsby.
"You look like a princess," says Amari.
"Madden, you look beautiful," says Kenz. "We just need to get you a nice silver head piece and it will be perfect. What color will your bouquet be?" she asks.
"Yellow and white," I say.
"Beautiful," she says, "And only you could pull off such a beautiful dress at nearly 5 months pregnant. You look so beautiful."
"Thank-you," I say, "This is definitely the dress."
"I think it's definitely the dress," she agrees.
"Me too," says Gatsby.
"Me too," says Amari, "Will we be able to drop flowers at the wedding?"
"I don't know," I say, "Maybe, I have to think about it. Do you think Dad will like this dress?"
"I think he is going to love it," says Amari.
"He is definitely going to love it," says Gatsby.
"I hope so," I say with a smile.
I change out of the dress and then begin my search for the silver head piece and I decide on a pair of silver heeled sandal shoes to wear and then a pair of silver flats to wear to the restaurant to celebrate because I don't want to be uncomfortable. We make our way to the cash register and I pay for everything before we leave, giving it all to Kenzie to keep at her house since we will be getting ready at her house before the wedding. I don't want Joe to see my dress before I meet him at the courthouse. I honestly can't wait to marry him. I never thought I would be able to marry someone after Wyatt but God had other plans for me and my life. He blessed me with Joe and gifted me with his love.
When we arrive home we walk into the house and Joe meets me in the living room. "What's wrong?" I ask looking at his face.
"Well, apparently this virus is getting so bad," he says, "that we are now under a stay at home order until April 1st."
"What does that mean?" I ask.
"It means that everything that's not essential is closing down so this puts our wedding in jeopardy."
"But everything is opening up by April 1st so we should be okay," I say.
"Hopefully," he says. "That's just to see how many cases come to PA and how much it increases. It could go beyond April 1st," he says.
"So our wedding may not happen?" I ask.
"It's possible that it may not happen," he says.
"We'll figure something out," I say, "We're getting married whether we are shut down or not."
*A/N: What did you think of this chapter? Please review and thank-you for reading.