Chapter Eight:
One Big Day
Finally, the day had come. They postponed it for a week after the original date because of what Norah and Greg said to be "back-up at the chapel." Which, loosely translated, meant "I was too lazy and stubborn to do anything or to check with the other if they had done anything either."
The wedding was short and to the point. The guest list was short compared to Nick and Lydia's wedding: Nick, Lydia, Abby, Catherine, Lindsey, Libby, Norah's sister Mandy, Greg's parents, Norah's grandmother, Grissom, Warrick, Sara, and Brass.
Afterward, everyone was invited after for a "reception" at Norah's wedding, although some of the guests didn't come. Greg's parents couldn't stay because the only flight back to California was right after the wedding. Brass left, too. He didn't give a reason and they didn't ask. Warrick had to leave, saying he had to meet up with a friend and some bar. And Norah's family, minus Mandy, left because they didn't want to be with Norah. Especially her grandmother, who was still mad that basically no one in their family was invited to the party and departed with the last words of "your cousin Gina and Aunt Isabel wanted to come to the wedding."
"Grandma, Gina's my, like, fifteenth cousin four-times removed. I've met her ONCE." Norah shook her head.
Libby smiled. "Nice wedding, seriously. I'm glad you had a small wedding. No Aunt Paula pinching cheeks."
Norah knew she said that just because she wanted to make up for their "wedding planning" fight, but she forgave her. "Bye, mom." She waved as they left in a cab in the direction of the airport. She went back inside to her apartment.
"Happy Birthday, Henry?" Grissom looked at Greg in confusion.
Greg shrugged at the cake. "It's the only one we could get on such short notice. It's a nice cake and Henry never picked it up."
"His loss," Abby nodded and stuck her finger in the cake and then licked it.
Lydia shouted at Abby, "Abigail, leave the cake alone."
Abby jumped off the stool to join Lindsey, the official photographer, snapping candid photos of everyone.
"Sara!"
Sara turned and Lindsey took a picture and then skipped away, leaving Sara with spots in her eyes complaining about how bad she was going to look in the picture.
Abby giggled. "Can I try, Lindsey?"
She thought about it for a second. "Okay."
Lindsey handed Abby the camera and Abby crawled under the coffee table. She clicked a picture of Nick eating some pizza, grease dripping down his chin.
"Hey! Abby, I'm eating," Nick whined.
"Sorry, daddy." Abby smiled and rolled out from under the table.
Lindsey grinned. "That was a good one!"
The two girls ran off together as the adults started to talk in the living room.
"Norah was always the odd one," Mandy exposed. "At a family reunion once, she boycotted horseshoes because she was afraid the horses would be mad. And she just laid under the tables at any family gathering. People would rest their feet on her. She hated interacting with her family."
Norah shook her head. "That was Samantha, Uncle John's daughter!"
Nick laughed. "No way. That was you!"
"Do we have to talk about this?" Norah rolled her eyes.
Just then a stream of giggles came from the kitchen, then a loud "Shh!"
Lydia and Catherine got up when they discovered their daughters were missing. Norah followed them into the kitchen. The two girls were covered in frosting and knelt next to a half-frosted cake.
Norah laughed and Catherine was surprised that two girls as little as them could eat that much frosting and prayed Lindsey wouldn't get sick.
But Lydia, on the other hand, freaked out. She was embarrassed and mad at Abby. How could she do this? "Abigail Hope Stokes, I told you once to leave the cake be and now you've ruined it."
"Lydia, it's fine. Really." Norah helped Lindsey off the counter and led her to the bathroom, carrying Abby.
Lydia walked back into the living room.
"What happened?" Sara asked from the couch.
Catherine shrugged and returned to her chair. "The girls ate all the frosting off the cake."
Greg pouted. "That's the best part of the cake!"
"I can't believe Abby did that!" Lydia shouted.
Catherine tried to calm Lydia down. "She's only five."
"Chill out, super-spaz! It's only a cake." Nick shook his head.
Lydia rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I thought I taught her better, but no! She's gotten into trouble way too much lately. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong!" She stormed out of the apartment to take a walk.
Nick groaned and rushed after her.
"Man, this is becoming more and more eventful by the second." Greg said. "Mom would have loved this!"
Mandy, Grissom, Catherine, and Sara shook their heads.
When Norah returned to the living room with the two girls, who were now frosting-free, she noticed two of her guests were missing. "Oh, boy."
Lydia threw herself onto the grass and cried. "Why am I a horrible mother, Nick? Why?"
Nick sat next to her. "Lydia, you're not a bad mother you just get mad too easily. If you get angry every time she takes a breath, she's never going to tell you anything when she's older." He ran his fingers through her hair. "That's what happened to Norah and her mother. They barely talk any-"
She pulled away from him.
"What's wrong with you?" Nick asked.
"Nick, sometimes I wonder if you really love me. I'm sick of coming second for everything. If it's not work it's Norah or Abby. What about your wife? Your WIFE, Nick." Lydia sat up.
Nick stared at her. "If I didn't love you do you think I'd be with you right now? If I didn't love you I would have been embarrassed by you yelling, but I do. Because you're the best wife - and mother - any family could ask for."
Lydia smiled faintly. "Umm, Nick? I have something to tell you."
Nick looked at her. "Yes?"
"I'm having another baby." She started again to cry. "Nick, I don't think I can handle another baby."
Nick looked at her and smiled. "Lydia, that's great! You're a great mother!"
She smiled. "I hope you're right."
"I am," Nick said. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I was scared about being a bad mother," Lydia said honestly.
Nick took her hands in his. "Just remember that I support you. And Abby does, too. Make sure you take her to the doctors with you. I think she'd love to see the sonogram happen."
"Hopefully she won't knock something over." Lydia smiled.
Nick laughed. "I promise this time, I won't miss a thing.
"Come on let's go back before something else happens," Nick said while pulling Lydia up with him. "Wouldn't want to miss anything else at THIS reception."
Her smile grew as they walked back into the apartment to find Greg, Abby, and Lindsey doing the Chicken Dance in the living room for their audience on the couch. When they were done, everyone clapped and they bowed.
Abby noticed that her parents had come into the room. She ran to her mom. "I'm sorry for making you mad, mommy."
The audience then joined in unison, "Aww."
Abby bowed again. "Thank you, thank you!" She hugged her mom.
"I want cake!" Greg said.
"Greg, there is no cake." Grissom explained.
Greg nodded. "I know. But that doesn't mean I don't still want it."
Grissom rose his eyebrows and said nothing more.
Norah watched Abby as she yawned. She, too, was extremely tired. The day had drained everyone. Norah's exhaustion was physical, while Lydia's was more emotional. She mentally hoped Lydia would feel better soon, mostly to keep her daughter in good health. How can you take care of a very energetic five-year-old when you aren't happy with yourself?
Within an hour everyone but Lydia, Nick, Mandy and Abby had left.
Greg whispered something into Norah's ear. She nodded and kissed him quickly. "Guys, we have an announcement to make." She took a deep breath and continued. "Greg and I are having a baby."
"Well, she's having it I just helped by giving some sperm and sharing 23 of my 46 chromosomes." Greg nodded.
Abby squealed. "I'm going to be a big second cousin!"
Nick and Lydia quickly congratulated them and then smiled at each other, silently acknowledging to themselves the fact that they, too, were expecting.
"And I'm going to be an aunt!" Mandy smiled, hugging Abby.
"Yay for us!" Abby shouted.
"Us?" Greg cocked an eyebrow. "You didn't help to make this baby."
Abby shook her head. "Greg, Greg, Greg, Greg, Greg."
"Yes, Abby, Abby, Abby, Abby, Abby?"
Abby rolled her eyes and continued, "Have you forgotten so quickly? I DID help. I'm the one who told you were babies come from! Duh!"
Finally, the day had come. They postponed it for a week after the original date because of what Norah and Greg said to be "back-up at the chapel." Which, loosely translated, meant "I was too lazy and stubborn to do anything or to check with the other if they had done anything either."
The wedding was short and to the point. The guest list was short compared to Nick and Lydia's wedding: Nick, Lydia, Abby, Catherine, Lindsey, Libby, Norah's sister Mandy, Greg's parents, Norah's grandmother, Grissom, Warrick, Sara, and Brass.
Afterward, everyone was invited after for a "reception" at Norah's wedding, although some of the guests didn't come. Greg's parents couldn't stay because the only flight back to California was right after the wedding. Brass left, too. He didn't give a reason and they didn't ask. Warrick had to leave, saying he had to meet up with a friend and some bar. And Norah's family, minus Mandy, left because they didn't want to be with Norah. Especially her grandmother, who was still mad that basically no one in their family was invited to the party and departed with the last words of "your cousin Gina and Aunt Isabel wanted to come to the wedding."
"Grandma, Gina's my, like, fifteenth cousin four-times removed. I've met her ONCE." Norah shook her head.
Libby smiled. "Nice wedding, seriously. I'm glad you had a small wedding. No Aunt Paula pinching cheeks."
Norah knew she said that just because she wanted to make up for their "wedding planning" fight, but she forgave her. "Bye, mom." She waved as they left in a cab in the direction of the airport. She went back inside to her apartment.
"Happy Birthday, Henry?" Grissom looked at Greg in confusion.
Greg shrugged at the cake. "It's the only one we could get on such short notice. It's a nice cake and Henry never picked it up."
"His loss," Abby nodded and stuck her finger in the cake and then licked it.
Lydia shouted at Abby, "Abigail, leave the cake alone."
Abby jumped off the stool to join Lindsey, the official photographer, snapping candid photos of everyone.
"Sara!"
Sara turned and Lindsey took a picture and then skipped away, leaving Sara with spots in her eyes complaining about how bad she was going to look in the picture.
Abby giggled. "Can I try, Lindsey?"
She thought about it for a second. "Okay."
Lindsey handed Abby the camera and Abby crawled under the coffee table. She clicked a picture of Nick eating some pizza, grease dripping down his chin.
"Hey! Abby, I'm eating," Nick whined.
"Sorry, daddy." Abby smiled and rolled out from under the table.
Lindsey grinned. "That was a good one!"
The two girls ran off together as the adults started to talk in the living room.
"Norah was always the odd one," Mandy exposed. "At a family reunion once, she boycotted horseshoes because she was afraid the horses would be mad. And she just laid under the tables at any family gathering. People would rest their feet on her. She hated interacting with her family."
Norah shook her head. "That was Samantha, Uncle John's daughter!"
Nick laughed. "No way. That was you!"
"Do we have to talk about this?" Norah rolled her eyes.
Just then a stream of giggles came from the kitchen, then a loud "Shh!"
Lydia and Catherine got up when they discovered their daughters were missing. Norah followed them into the kitchen. The two girls were covered in frosting and knelt next to a half-frosted cake.
Norah laughed and Catherine was surprised that two girls as little as them could eat that much frosting and prayed Lindsey wouldn't get sick.
But Lydia, on the other hand, freaked out. She was embarrassed and mad at Abby. How could she do this? "Abigail Hope Stokes, I told you once to leave the cake be and now you've ruined it."
"Lydia, it's fine. Really." Norah helped Lindsey off the counter and led her to the bathroom, carrying Abby.
Lydia walked back into the living room.
"What happened?" Sara asked from the couch.
Catherine shrugged and returned to her chair. "The girls ate all the frosting off the cake."
Greg pouted. "That's the best part of the cake!"
"I can't believe Abby did that!" Lydia shouted.
Catherine tried to calm Lydia down. "She's only five."
"Chill out, super-spaz! It's only a cake." Nick shook his head.
Lydia rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I thought I taught her better, but no! She's gotten into trouble way too much lately. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong!" She stormed out of the apartment to take a walk.
Nick groaned and rushed after her.
"Man, this is becoming more and more eventful by the second." Greg said. "Mom would have loved this!"
Mandy, Grissom, Catherine, and Sara shook their heads.
When Norah returned to the living room with the two girls, who were now frosting-free, she noticed two of her guests were missing. "Oh, boy."
Lydia threw herself onto the grass and cried. "Why am I a horrible mother, Nick? Why?"
Nick sat next to her. "Lydia, you're not a bad mother you just get mad too easily. If you get angry every time she takes a breath, she's never going to tell you anything when she's older." He ran his fingers through her hair. "That's what happened to Norah and her mother. They barely talk any-"
She pulled away from him.
"What's wrong with you?" Nick asked.
"Nick, sometimes I wonder if you really love me. I'm sick of coming second for everything. If it's not work it's Norah or Abby. What about your wife? Your WIFE, Nick." Lydia sat up.
Nick stared at her. "If I didn't love you do you think I'd be with you right now? If I didn't love you I would have been embarrassed by you yelling, but I do. Because you're the best wife - and mother - any family could ask for."
Lydia smiled faintly. "Umm, Nick? I have something to tell you."
Nick looked at her. "Yes?"
"I'm having another baby." She started again to cry. "Nick, I don't think I can handle another baby."
Nick looked at her and smiled. "Lydia, that's great! You're a great mother!"
She smiled. "I hope you're right."
"I am," Nick said. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I was scared about being a bad mother," Lydia said honestly.
Nick took her hands in his. "Just remember that I support you. And Abby does, too. Make sure you take her to the doctors with you. I think she'd love to see the sonogram happen."
"Hopefully she won't knock something over." Lydia smiled.
Nick laughed. "I promise this time, I won't miss a thing.
"Come on let's go back before something else happens," Nick said while pulling Lydia up with him. "Wouldn't want to miss anything else at THIS reception."
Her smile grew as they walked back into the apartment to find Greg, Abby, and Lindsey doing the Chicken Dance in the living room for their audience on the couch. When they were done, everyone clapped and they bowed.
Abby noticed that her parents had come into the room. She ran to her mom. "I'm sorry for making you mad, mommy."
The audience then joined in unison, "Aww."
Abby bowed again. "Thank you, thank you!" She hugged her mom.
"I want cake!" Greg said.
"Greg, there is no cake." Grissom explained.
Greg nodded. "I know. But that doesn't mean I don't still want it."
Grissom rose his eyebrows and said nothing more.
Norah watched Abby as she yawned. She, too, was extremely tired. The day had drained everyone. Norah's exhaustion was physical, while Lydia's was more emotional. She mentally hoped Lydia would feel better soon, mostly to keep her daughter in good health. How can you take care of a very energetic five-year-old when you aren't happy with yourself?
Within an hour everyone but Lydia, Nick, Mandy and Abby had left.
Greg whispered something into Norah's ear. She nodded and kissed him quickly. "Guys, we have an announcement to make." She took a deep breath and continued. "Greg and I are having a baby."
"Well, she's having it I just helped by giving some sperm and sharing 23 of my 46 chromosomes." Greg nodded.
Abby squealed. "I'm going to be a big second cousin!"
Nick and Lydia quickly congratulated them and then smiled at each other, silently acknowledging to themselves the fact that they, too, were expecting.
"And I'm going to be an aunt!" Mandy smiled, hugging Abby.
"Yay for us!" Abby shouted.
"Us?" Greg cocked an eyebrow. "You didn't help to make this baby."
Abby shook her head. "Greg, Greg, Greg, Greg, Greg."
"Yes, Abby, Abby, Abby, Abby, Abby?"
Abby rolled her eyes and continued, "Have you forgotten so quickly? I DID help. I'm the one who told you were babies come from! Duh!"