CHAPTER 59
A/N: Wow, sorry I haven't updated lately. I've been busy with school and my other stories as well, but finally here's a much-needed update. I know it's a little short, but right now we are getting very close to jumping back to where this story had first started (the present), thus getting closer to the end of this story.
There are still a handful of more chapters to go, but I just wanted to let you all know where we all stand.
Enjoy and don't forget to review!
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4th of July weekend, 1999
"So this is good news, right?"
Jackie blew out a smoke ring and nodded. She continued walking down Broadway with Mimi. "Yeah. It's not bad news or anything. Just a little unexpected."
Mimi smiled and took a drag of Jackie's cigarette before passing it back to her. "What are you thinking?"
They descended the subway stairs and headed through the turnstiles and onto the platform. Jackie tossed her light blonde hair over her shoulder. "Me and Mark will be married one month tomorrow. July 5th."
"I'm excited for you!" Mimi practically squealed as they boarded the train and took seats. "I can't believe it!"
"About me and Mark being married for a month?" Jackie laughed. "Sorry Meems, maybe you better get your head examined after all."
"That's not what I meant and you know it. Come on, you're excited, right?"
Jackie nodded and crushed out her cigarette right below the 'No Smoking' sign. "Of course I'm excited. How many people do you know that get pregnant on their honeymoon, or right when they get back?"
"My sister Carmen, for one. She and her husband went to Hawaii, and five weeks later she realized she was pregnant. So you're really not alone in that category." Mimi brushed a stray curl out of her face. "You guys are still technically newlyweds."
"With a baby on board. Plus a toddler."
"Right." Mimi noticed the look on Jackie's face. "What's wrong sweetie?"
"Nothing. I just-I don't know. I thought that I would have been able to enjoy a few years of married life before I ever thought about getting pregnant. I love Luke. He's wonderful and all, but I think things just happened in reverse. Now with another one on the way, I just don't think Mark and I will have much 'us' time anymore. Luke's into everything nowadays, and with a new baby, I don't know. I'll be exhausted. I just hope I have a nice, smooth pregnancy with a normal birth. Unlike last time."
Mimi briefly thought back about that day, a year and a half ago, when Jackie had gone into labor four weeks early on Thanksgiving morning. Needless to say, the only turkey they had that night was on sandwiches Roger had grabbed from the local deli after the emergency c-section.
"It'll be a late Valentine's Day present. You can't get anything better than that. I practically have to drag Roger out to get him to want to do anything that day."
Jackie smiled. "I just don't know how to tell Mark."
"You guys could go out to dinner? Get a few drinks in him, and then tell him. Open bar," Mimi laughed.
Jackie stood up and held onto the bar as the train pulled into their station. "I guess this means no more smoking for nine months."
"Yeah."
She pulled out a cigarette from the package and lit in. "I'm quitting after this one."
Mimi laughed as Jackie savored that cigarette. "Isn't that what you said right after Luke was born? That you were going to quit for good?"
"Yeah, but then your husband got me back into the habit," Jackie laughed.
"When in doubt, blame it on Roger," Mimi responded.
"Exactly."
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Roger sat up on the bed when he heard Mimi walk into their bedroom.
"Hey."
Mimi tossed her slid off her shoes and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Hi baby."
"How'd your appointment go? And Jackie's?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "It went okay."
"Just okay?"
Mimi sat down on the edge of the bed and ran her fingers through Jaylynn's hair. The toddler was asleep on the bed, thumb tucked protectively in her mouth. "Yeah. Just okay. My doctor gave me something for my allergies."
"And?"
She sighed and tucked her feet underneath her slender legs. "My T cell count dropped a little bit."
"How much is a little bit?"
"430."
"Christ. Did she up your dosage?" Roger asked.
Mimi nodded and rested her head against Roger's shoulder. "Yeah. She changed it. So I take a few more pills a day and I stay alive for a few more years. Small price to pay, I guess."
Roger wrapped his arm around her stomach and kissed her. "I'm sorry baby. I love you."
"Yeah," Mimi mumbled. "I hate those damn pills."
"I know. You think I don't?"
She curled up against him. "You don't have to take as much as I do now."
"But eventually someday I'll have to," Roger pointed out. He was getting the hint that Mimi wanted to desperately change the subject. "So did Jackie find out anything good?"
Mimi laughed and got up off his lap. "You could say that."
"Why?" Roger grinned at his wife. "What happened?"
"Ask Mark."
"Why can't you just tell me?" Roger pretended to pout and stuck out his bottom lip, which only got him a kiss on his forehead from Mimi.
"Because I think Mark should be the one to tell you this time, not me." Mimi picked up a sleeping Jaylynn and walked into the baby's bedroom. She laid her in her crib and tucked the small blanket around her.
Puzzled, Roger walked in and leaned against the doorframe. "What do you mean this time?"
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Jackie had just finished washing the dishes in the sink when Mark walked in the kitchen, yawning.
"Hey."
She looked up and smiled. "Hi. Luke still asleep?"
"Yeah. He took a power nap today. He's tired."
Jackie nodded and tossed the dishtowel on the counter. "He's still getting over that cold."
Mark yawned again and shrugged. "So how was the doctor's? Everything okay? Did you get that stomach thing checked out?"
She almost laughed at Mark's innocence. After already having one child, she figured that Mark would have easily picked up on the signs of early pregnancy. The headaches, the tiredness, the mood swings. Apparently not. Technically, she hadn't even gotten pregnant on her honeymoon, but it might as well have been. She was just over seven weeks now. Just when she had almost forgotten what it was like to be pregnant, here she was again. Except this time, she had not only herself to take care of, but also a toddler that had just steadily mastered the art of walking.
"Uh, yeah."
"And?" Mark walked over and placed his arm around her waist. "What?"
She slid out from underneath his arms and shrugged. "You know how we sort of talked about having another baby?"
"Yeah?" Mark laughed. "I'm lost."
"Well, I am."
"Are what?"
Jackie groaned and lit up a cigarette. "Having another baby."
Mark stared at her for a second. "A what-really?"
"Yeah really. That's why I went to the doctor."
Mark grinned and kissed her softly. "That's great."
"You think so?"
"Of course I do." He practically picked Jackie up and spun her around. "You know I wanted another baby. Did this happen on our honeymoon or something?"
She laughed. "I don't think so. Probably a few weeks before."
"How far along are you? This is wow, this is really good news." He couldn't stop smiling at her.
Jackie took another drag of her cigarette and blew the smoke out into the air. "Seven weeks."
Mark kissed her again, this time taking the cigarette out of her fingers. "You know I'm really happy about this, right? But no more smoking as of right now."
"I know. That's what Mimi told me on the subway," she laughed. "Everyone's a smoker in Sydney."
"Yeah, here too. But no more cigarettes until you pop the kid out, okay?"
"Pop?" Jackie laughed again and shoved him. "That's a nice way to put it."
"Boy or girl?"
"We won't know for awhile."
He shrugged and crushed out the cigarette. "Well what do you want?"
"I don't care-"
"As long as it's healthy," Mark pointed out.
"Right. But I guess a little girl would be nice. Not that I'd mind another boy. Luke and him would be closer in age and they'd probably get along better."
"Yeah probably. I guess we'll just have to wait and see, huh?" Mark grinned. He sat down on the couch and pulled her into his lap.
"I guess we will."
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I know it's been a while, but please review!! =]