A/N: Writing a side we didn't get to see, I hope you like it!
- Henry's Point of View
It wasn't necessarily supposed to be a boys weekend, but that's what it quickly turned into. Stevie was supposed to be home studying this weekend but like everything lately, nothing goes as planned.
Jason and I will be fine, he's spending Saturday with Max so we're really only getting Friday night and part of the day on Sunday for boys weekend but I'm sure it'll all go smoothly… at least, that's what I tell myself. I have it easy, in comparison.
Elizabeth is going to have a much more stressful time. She did her best to make sure that Ali would have as normal of a college visit as she can, this is her first trip with Stevie, and on top of all of that, we still haven't decided when we'll tell the kids about the baby.
Her cravings started a couple of days ago. It started with orange juice and Oreos, not together but coming in individual waves. Last night she ate a lemon… just a lemon. She woke up this morning craving lemon blueberry muffins. She texted me after the tour to tell me the tortilla chips with lime that she was eating was the most delicious thing she's ever had. It was a welcomed break from reality.
She's not the only one who has to hide something this weekend… but at least Jason knows my job has a level of secrecy to it and will take no for an answer when he tries to dig deeper about it. This assignment is weighing on me lately. It's hard to watch people face dire consequences because of your actions and continue to go on like nothing happened.
I'm forcing myself to turn off for a little bit this weekend. I sometimes forget how much having time to myself can actually help me. The time with Jason will be great, but the day by myself has the potential to be extremely helpful.
It took me a bit to figure out what to do with Jason on Friday… but eventually I figured it out! We could have just stayed in and played video games but I figured it would be nice to go and play video games instead.
A new bar with a ton of arcade games opened in Georgetown a couple of weeks ago. We walked to a sushi place for dinner and then went to the arcade before it became adults only. I didn't think he'd find it as cool as he did… but it looks like we're going to have to deal with some sort of full size arcade game on his Christmas list!
Max dropped a bombshell on me when he picked Jason up… he's moving to DC. I know it will make things easier on Ali and Jason but it was surprising that it's actually happening. He had talked about it for a while but I thought we had worked it out. I'm not opposed to it, just surprised.
I had to get a little work done on Saturday but after talking to Layla about kids and family, I couldn't just go back to the house and sit alone.
I was walking around downtown Georgetown when I came across the little boutique full of baby items. I can't believe I didn't see it the night before because Jason and I walked right by it.
It feels a little early to start buying this and it probably is but I didn't need it for the baby… I needed this moment for me.
The sales associate probably thought I was crazy, I made up some story that a coworker was expecting and somehow I got put in charge of getting her something. I was looking through a basket of baby blankets when I saw it, a beautiful muslin swaddle with watercolor lemons all over it. It was perfect.
It gave me just enough motivation to work for a few more hours and served as a great reminder to grab the tortilla chips and a handful of lemons, limes, and oranges on my way home.
I stared at that little blanket for hours. We were able to FaceTime for a little bit and I wasn't sure if I could make it through our call without showing her, but I somehow did.
Our FaceTime was cut short but she called me before she fell asleep and told me all about sledding down the hill at Rafferty on cafeteria trays… and she told me about how it was all Stevie's idea. I don't want to brag, but my daughter is pretty awesome.
She made it home early Sunday afternoon and things remained quiet enough that she actually got to sneak in a nap as Jason and I watched football. When we finally decided to go to bed, it hit me that I finally would get to show her the blanket.
As she climbed into bed, I pulled it out from behind my pillow. Her eyes were closed but I knew she wasn't asleep yet.
"Hey babe, one last thing before you fall asleep." I whispered to her, causing her to open her eyes. I put the blanket in between us and watched as she realized what it was.
"Oh baby, it's so cute!" She replied softly. The pregnancy hormones are already hitting her and I watched tears fill her eyes.
"I found it at this little place in Georgetown. It helped me remember those tortilla chips you wanted." I told her with a smile.
"Thank you." She said with a giggle.
"I love you." I whispered back. "Now, it'll still be this cute tomorrow, you should go to sleep."
"I love you too." The four sweetest words I have ever heard.