Chapter 4
The next few months flew by without much recognition. Shawn and I went about our normal lives, which was refreshing since the last year had been so crazy. We had started to try to have a baby. Now that was fun. Then, in November, all our hard 'work' paid off and I got pregnant! I was so excited, I could hardly wait for Shawn to get home from work. I had spent all day trying to figure out how to tell my husband our spectacular news. I cooked a nice candlelight dinner for us and set it up on the terrace. We ate dinner out under the stars. When we were finishing up I picked up Shawn's empty wine glass and declared, "Oh, the wine, I forgot to bring the wine out." I looked Shawn straight in the eye gave him a slight smile and continued, "it's just as well, I can't have it for the next nine months anyway." Shawn's mouth dropped open, and he stared at me for a few seconds. "You're, you're, we're, we're having a baby?" he managed finally. All I did was nod my head and the next thing I knew, Shawn had swept me up in his arms and was twirling me around the terrace. "That's so wonderful Belle! I can't believe it. I'm so thrilled! When are we going to tell the world?" I thought for a second and then it hit me. "I think we should tell everyone when we are decorating the Horton Christmas Tree next weekend. Everyone will be there and I think it will be nice to give everyone some good news the first year that we're decorating the tree without Great Gran." Shawn nodded, "Perfect."
The next Saturday night we were at the Horton homestead. Hope and Bo moved in after Alice died and Shawn and I moved into their old house when we got married. There, like always was a perfect tree in the living room. Everyone was there when Shawn and I arrived. Jenn, Abby, Jack Patrick, Hope, Bo, Zack, Julie, Mickey, Bonnie (much to Julie's frustration), Lucas, Will, Sami, and even my dad and Kate were there. This year we had a few new ornaments to add to the tree, Jack Patrick (JP), Sami (She and Lucas had just gotten married after Thanksgiving) and mine. We were all a part of the Horton clan now. There was however, a lot of sadness this year as we placed Jack's, Maggie's, Doug's and Alice's ornaments on the tree in their absence. My heart ached when Mickey placed his mother's ornament next to Tom's. Everyone was very silent. Shawn was the one who broke the silence. "I am glad that everyone is here together, not only to remember family members who are no longer with us, but to celebrate the new additions to the Horton clan, JP, Sami, Belle . . ." He stood behind me, put his hands on my belly and continued, "and Baby Brady." He said with a smile. The whole room erupted with cheers of congratulations. Hope, Bo and my Dad came over and hugged Shawn and me. I was smiling so much that I thought my cheeks would fall off.
After dinner, when everyone had left, Hope and I went into the kitchen to clean up while Bo and Shawn put Zack to bed. "Hope, can I ask you something?" She turned to me and replied, "Of course sweetie." I took a deep breath and continued. "I was thinking . . . I'm probably going to have a ton of questions about being pregnant and taking care of a newborn. Questions I would normally ask my mom. Hope, you've always been like a second mother to me and I was wondering if I could maybe, come to you with my questions?" She looked at me with tears in her eyes, "Belle, I would be honored if you came to me with any concerns you have. I want you to know that I'll always be there for you. I love you like a daughter." She came over and gave me a reassuring hug. The guys came into the kitchen, "What are you ladies up to?" Asked Bo. Hope answered, "Oh just talking and cleaning up. We're pretty much done." "Well, why don't you and I finish up Hope and the kids can head home." Bo suggested. "Yeah dad, we'd better get back to the house and get some sleep." "Well, have a good night; drive safely and congratulations again. Belle, why don't you call me in a day or two and we'll figure out a day to get together to do some Christmas shopping and maybe a little baby shopping too." Hope said with a big smile. "Absolutely. Love you guys. 'Night."
The next Friday night, Hope and I planned to go out shopping and the Brady boys were going to do . . . whatever it is that they do when they're free of female company. Hope came over to the house to pick me up. I was surprised when the doorbell rang. "Hi Hope, I would have met you out at the car. Lemme grab my purse and coat and we'll be on our way." She stopped me, "Wait a second. I was digging around in the garage and I found a couple of boxes of J.T. and Zack's baby things. I really don't remember what's in them. I haven't looked in them since before we moved into Gran's house, but I figured I would bring them over so you and Shawn could go through it, keep what you want, and then we can give everything else to the hospital thrift store. I do know that the cradle that I used for both Shawn and J.T. is in our attic. I will have Bo get it down and we'll bring it over another day." "This is so great Hope, thank you!" I was so happy; I was going to be able to have a real family again. My mother had ripped mine apart because of whatever caused her to kill so many people. Hope and I headed to Salem Place and I managed to finish my Christmas shopping. When we got home, the guys took all of the boxes out of the car and Hope, Bo and Zack headed home. Shawn and I immediately went though the boxes to see what Hope had brought over. There was a bunch of unisex newborn layette clothes, a Baby Bjorn carrier, a portable high chair that hangs onto the table, a brand new diaper bag and other odds and ends. "You know," Shawn started, "We're going to have to repaint my old room for the baby." I was going to ask Shawn why repaint his old room when Zack's old room had mint green walls perfect for a nursery, but I stopped myself. I realized that Shawn probably wanted his baby to grow up in his or her daddy's old room. I thought it was really sweet. "Yeah, we can go looking for paint colors after the holidays."
The next few months flew by without much recognition. Shawn and I went about our normal lives, which was refreshing since the last year had been so crazy. We had started to try to have a baby. Now that was fun. Then, in November, all our hard 'work' paid off and I got pregnant! I was so excited, I could hardly wait for Shawn to get home from work. I had spent all day trying to figure out how to tell my husband our spectacular news. I cooked a nice candlelight dinner for us and set it up on the terrace. We ate dinner out under the stars. When we were finishing up I picked up Shawn's empty wine glass and declared, "Oh, the wine, I forgot to bring the wine out." I looked Shawn straight in the eye gave him a slight smile and continued, "it's just as well, I can't have it for the next nine months anyway." Shawn's mouth dropped open, and he stared at me for a few seconds. "You're, you're, we're, we're having a baby?" he managed finally. All I did was nod my head and the next thing I knew, Shawn had swept me up in his arms and was twirling me around the terrace. "That's so wonderful Belle! I can't believe it. I'm so thrilled! When are we going to tell the world?" I thought for a second and then it hit me. "I think we should tell everyone when we are decorating the Horton Christmas Tree next weekend. Everyone will be there and I think it will be nice to give everyone some good news the first year that we're decorating the tree without Great Gran." Shawn nodded, "Perfect."
The next Saturday night we were at the Horton homestead. Hope and Bo moved in after Alice died and Shawn and I moved into their old house when we got married. There, like always was a perfect tree in the living room. Everyone was there when Shawn and I arrived. Jenn, Abby, Jack Patrick, Hope, Bo, Zack, Julie, Mickey, Bonnie (much to Julie's frustration), Lucas, Will, Sami, and even my dad and Kate were there. This year we had a few new ornaments to add to the tree, Jack Patrick (JP), Sami (She and Lucas had just gotten married after Thanksgiving) and mine. We were all a part of the Horton clan now. There was however, a lot of sadness this year as we placed Jack's, Maggie's, Doug's and Alice's ornaments on the tree in their absence. My heart ached when Mickey placed his mother's ornament next to Tom's. Everyone was very silent. Shawn was the one who broke the silence. "I am glad that everyone is here together, not only to remember family members who are no longer with us, but to celebrate the new additions to the Horton clan, JP, Sami, Belle . . ." He stood behind me, put his hands on my belly and continued, "and Baby Brady." He said with a smile. The whole room erupted with cheers of congratulations. Hope, Bo and my Dad came over and hugged Shawn and me. I was smiling so much that I thought my cheeks would fall off.
After dinner, when everyone had left, Hope and I went into the kitchen to clean up while Bo and Shawn put Zack to bed. "Hope, can I ask you something?" She turned to me and replied, "Of course sweetie." I took a deep breath and continued. "I was thinking . . . I'm probably going to have a ton of questions about being pregnant and taking care of a newborn. Questions I would normally ask my mom. Hope, you've always been like a second mother to me and I was wondering if I could maybe, come to you with my questions?" She looked at me with tears in her eyes, "Belle, I would be honored if you came to me with any concerns you have. I want you to know that I'll always be there for you. I love you like a daughter." She came over and gave me a reassuring hug. The guys came into the kitchen, "What are you ladies up to?" Asked Bo. Hope answered, "Oh just talking and cleaning up. We're pretty much done." "Well, why don't you and I finish up Hope and the kids can head home." Bo suggested. "Yeah dad, we'd better get back to the house and get some sleep." "Well, have a good night; drive safely and congratulations again. Belle, why don't you call me in a day or two and we'll figure out a day to get together to do some Christmas shopping and maybe a little baby shopping too." Hope said with a big smile. "Absolutely. Love you guys. 'Night."
The next Friday night, Hope and I planned to go out shopping and the Brady boys were going to do . . . whatever it is that they do when they're free of female company. Hope came over to the house to pick me up. I was surprised when the doorbell rang. "Hi Hope, I would have met you out at the car. Lemme grab my purse and coat and we'll be on our way." She stopped me, "Wait a second. I was digging around in the garage and I found a couple of boxes of J.T. and Zack's baby things. I really don't remember what's in them. I haven't looked in them since before we moved into Gran's house, but I figured I would bring them over so you and Shawn could go through it, keep what you want, and then we can give everything else to the hospital thrift store. I do know that the cradle that I used for both Shawn and J.T. is in our attic. I will have Bo get it down and we'll bring it over another day." "This is so great Hope, thank you!" I was so happy; I was going to be able to have a real family again. My mother had ripped mine apart because of whatever caused her to kill so many people. Hope and I headed to Salem Place and I managed to finish my Christmas shopping. When we got home, the guys took all of the boxes out of the car and Hope, Bo and Zack headed home. Shawn and I immediately went though the boxes to see what Hope had brought over. There was a bunch of unisex newborn layette clothes, a Baby Bjorn carrier, a portable high chair that hangs onto the table, a brand new diaper bag and other odds and ends. "You know," Shawn started, "We're going to have to repaint my old room for the baby." I was going to ask Shawn why repaint his old room when Zack's old room had mint green walls perfect for a nursery, but I stopped myself. I realized that Shawn probably wanted his baby to grow up in his or her daddy's old room. I thought it was really sweet. "Yeah, we can go looking for paint colors after the holidays."