*THank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much!
"Are you okay?" I ask as Dean and I walk into the baby store hand in hand after everything that happened at the school. "If you don't want to do this today we don't have to do it. We can do this another day."
"No," he says. "I'm fine. I'll be all right. I'm not worried about that prick at school. I don't want it to ruin our afternoon," he says, "I promised we would do this so we're going to look at baby stuff."
"Okay," I say with a smile "as long as you're feeling up to it."
"I'm up to it," he says giving me a soft kiss on the lips as we make our way into the baby store. I love the way baby stores smell. I always did. They have this baby powder, baby fresh smell to them. Just like a brand new baby. They smell so heavenly. Dean keeps hold of my hand as we walk over to the registry. We're not sure who all would come to our baby shower but we want to have one so we are going to register for a few gifts.
"How can I help you?" asks the woman sitting behind the desk by a computer.
"Um we would like to start a baby registry," I say. "Is this where we would do that?"
"Of course," she says with a smile. "I can help you with that. I can take care of that right now. What name would you like the registry to be under?"
I look at Dean and he looks at me as he shrugs. "Um Bennett Ambrose," I say.
"Bennett Ambrose," she says typing that into the computer. "And what is your address?" I give her our address before she types it into the computer and then she asks for our phone number as well as our due date. I give her all the information she needs and she types it into the computer for us. "All right," she says with a smile. "I have everything entered into the computer. I just want to program the gun with your information and then you can be on your way."
"Okay," I say as Dean wraps his arm around my waist making me smile as he kisses my cheek softly. "What does the gun do?"
"You'll take it around the store and scan the items you would like to put onto your registry then when those buying for your baby shower or to buy gifts for the baby can look at your registry to find out what you want and purchase it. As the items are purchased they will be crossed off."
"Okay," I say. "Sort of like when we register for a wedding?"
"Exactly like that," she says with a smile as she programs the gun. "You can take this through the store and mark off the items that you'd like. You can scan an item as many times as you feel you may need that item like with baby bottles you can scan a 3 pack of bottles 4 times and that will make the quantity of bottles you would like. Then once you're done I will upload the items to your registry."
"Thank-you," I say with a smile as she hands me the gun.
"Have fun," she says with a smile. "I will see you when you come back. Enjoy yourselves."
"Thanks," I say with a smile as Dean and I walk off to look at items. "I really don't know what we actually really need for a baby, Dean," I say, "I've never done this before."
He lets out a small chuckle and says, "I never done this before either," he says, "it's my first time. Let's start with the basics," he says, "what are the things we need the most?"
"Bottles definitely, I don't plan to breast feed. Um we also need diapers lots and lots of diapers I think that we should just put that on our invitation that they should bring a pack of diapers with them no matter the size. Diapers are expensive."
"Tell me about it," he says, "but that's a good idea. Did you think of anyone you want to invite to our baby shower."
"I'm not sure how many people are really going to come. I was thinking that my aunts and some friends, some cousins could come to the baby shower and you can invite some of your family."
"You don't want my family at your baby shower," he says, "trust me."
"Not even your mom?"
"Maybe her if she can get herself together," he says. "If not then no I don't want her there."
"Okay," I say as we make our way to the baby bottles. I am overwhelmed by all the different kinds of bottles they have. "How do I know which bottle is best?" I ask looking at the bottles.
"I don't know," he says picking up a pack of bottles to look at them. "I don't know, Ana," he says. "Who would have thought that being a parent was going to be so difficult."
"If we can't even pick a bottle what are we going to do when the baby gets here?" I ask looking at the bottles. "I think the best are the kind that don't let air get into the nipple," I say, "like these Playtex bottles and Avent bottles. I like these better," I say, "I think this is what I want to go with but I guess the ultimate decision rests on the baby."
"Yeah," he says as we scan the Playtex bottles before we move on in the store.
We spend a while debating if the baby is going to take a pacifier or not so we left those off the registry and then focused on bath items. We found a nice bath tub that is shaped like an actual bathtub that can be used for a girl or a boy so we added that to our registry along with washcloths and towels before selecting a few bibs that we like. We decided to keep things gender neutral for the swings and bouncers. "This is cute!" I say with a smile as we come to a swing with a lamb on it. "I love it and look there's a bouncer. I want this. What do you think?"
"It's cute," he says with a smile before he scans the items with the gun. "What if no one buys us this stuff then what?"
"I guess we'll have to buy it for ourselves," I say with a shrug. "I have some money in my bank account that I can use. I was saving it for college or ballet. It is pretty expensive. $180 for the swing and $70 for the bouncer, babies aren't cheap."
"Tell me about it," he says. "We'll figure it out," he says as we go on through the store picking out a travel system of a stroller and a car seat along with picking out a high chair that I love and a pack and play for the baby to nap in as well as sleep in when it's in our room until it is a little older to sleep in its nursery.
We move on through the store and look at the baby clothes. I am stuck looking at little girl dresses and little girl outfits while Dean is looking at the little boy clothes. Little girl clothes are the cutest and there is a bigger selection. "Dean," I say as he joins me at my side.
"Yeah?"
"Look at all these cute dresses. They are adorable."
"Not for our son," he says.
"You don't know what we're having," I say with a smile, "it could be a girl too."
"As much as I would love a little girl that looks like you I don't know how well I would be with having a little girl. I think I would do much better with a boy."
"But don't you want a little girl that can be a daddy's girl and have you wrapped around her finger?" I ask.
"Hmm," he says wrapping his arms around my waist. "I think her mommy already has me wrapped around her finger. You don't want a little boy to make a Mama's boy?"
"I want a little girl," I say with a smile. "A little girl that looks like you with your beautiful blue eyes and has your little dimples, you would be a great father to a little girl. She would own you."
"You already own me," he says with a smile before he kisses my lips softly. "I don't care what we have as long as it is healthy. That's all that matters to me."
"Me too but I still hope for a healthy baby girl," I say with a smile. "I don't want to wait till it's born to find out its sex. I want to know at our anatomy scan in a couple weeks. I just want to know. I have to know. Do you want to know?"
"I want to do whatever you want," he says with a smile. "If you want to find out the sex we'll find out the sex. That's your decision. I am okay with it any way you choose."
"Okay," I say with a smile. "I want to find out. I think it's a girl though."
"I don't know," he says, "I think it's a boy."
"We'll see," I say with a smile before I kiss his lips softly. "It doesn't matter as long as it is healthy and it gets all the love that it can possibly get."
"I love it so much already," he says with a smile before he kisses my forehead. "Let's look at some more stuff," he says taking my hand as we find ourselves over with the cribs and bedding. We stop in front of a beautiful white crib with a changing table connected to it and three drawers on the front of the changing table. It is beautiful. "This is the crib I was talking about. Remember I told you that I wanted to get us a crib and saw a really nice crib?"
"Yes," I say as I look at it. "This is the crib you want?"
"What do you think?" he asks with a smile. "Isn't it pretty? I like the changing table. I like the whole thing but what do you think?"
"I think it's beautiful," I say with a smile. "I love it but it's $400, Dean. Isn't that a bit pricey for us?"
"Sure it's up there but I have the money. We can get it today if you want."
"Dean," I say. "$400 for a crib? You can afford that?"
"I have some money from work. What do you say? Do you want this crib?"
"Well, I am in love with it," I say. "I do like it and I want it but the price is a little out of our budget."
"Forget our budget just for this. Come on, Ana. It's beautiful."
"It is beautiful," I say as I look at it, "but it's too expensive for us."
"No it's not," he says pulling out a wad of cash from his pocket. "I have the money right here. Here's 2 grand, right here," he says showing it to me. "We can get this today and get a mattress maybe a dresser too. What do you say?"
"Dean," I say looking at his money. "How did you make 2 grand? That's a lot of money."
"I've been saving up," he says. "Look just let me do this for us."
"Dean, I don't know," I say. "I do love this crib. How about we just go with the crib and the mattress today? Then worry about the dresser later."
"That's fine with me," he says with a smile. "I knew you would love this crib."
I let out a breath and say, "I'm in love with it."
"I knew you would be," he says before he finds a salesperson to let them know we want to buy the crib while I hand our gun in to the woman at the registry.
"Are you all set, Honey?" she asks me as I watch Dean talk to the salesperson.
"Yes," I say with a smile as I hand her the gun. "Now what do we do?"
"Well, you can add to your registry any time you would like especially when you find out the sex if you haven't already," she says uploading our registry onto the computer. "When you send out your baby shower invitations mention that you're registered here and they can find your registry online or in-store. Then they will just tell the cashier that they are buying from the registry and they will mark it off."
"Okay," I say with a nod of my head. "So we can add more to the registry once we find out the sex?"
"Yes," she says, "you can add to it any time you would like."
"Okay," I say. "Thank-you so much."
"You're welcome," she says. "Would you like to receive coupons and catalogues in the mail?"
"That would be great," I say with a smile.
"All right," she says, "let me just put that down for you."
"Thanks," I say with a smile.
"And this is for you," she says with a smile as she hands me a bag. "There are coupons for diapers and formula in there to get you started. There is also a catalogue in there as well as well as some samples. That's for opening a registry today."
"Thank-you," I say with a smile. "Anything else you need from me?"
"No, Dear, that will be fine. If you want to sign up for a card you're more than welcome to do so."
"What does the card do?"
"The card can give you discounts on certain baby items, it keeps you on our mailing and other things."
"Okay," I say with a smile. "Please."
"I just need your driver's license and I can get you squared away."
"Thanks," I say with a smile as I pull out my driver's license for her as I hand it to her Dean walks up to me. "Hey," I say, "did you tell them we want the crib?"
"Yes," he says, "I'm just going to go pay for it now and then they are going to load it into the car. Do you want anything? And is everything okay?"
"Yeah," I say with a smile. "I'm just signing up for a card and finishing up registry stuff. Here are the keys," I say with a smile.
"Thanks," he says with a smile before he gives me a kiss before he walks off to the register to pay as the lady hands me my card and tells me how it works. I thank her and when there's nothing else to do I meet Dean outside as he pulls the car up to the front of the building so they can load the crib into the car.
Later that evening after we finish our homework, put the crib into the nursery I cook us dinner. We are sitting at the table eating the chicken fajitas that I made us. "Can you believe it? We're actually going to have a baby. We're going to be parents."
"I know," he says with a smile. "It's starting to feel so real. It's crazy that in a few months there's going to be this little thing just waiting for us and depending on us for everything."
"I know," I say. "It's kind of scary. Are you scared?"
"Shitless," he says before taking a bite of his food, "but I think we can do this. I know we can do this. It's just going to take some time for us to get used to it but I think you're going to be an amazing mom. You keep my ass in line," he says with a smile.
I let out a laugh and say, "well, sometimes your ass needs to be put in check. And I think you're right it's going to take some time to get used to everything. I don't think it would be too bad of an idea to take some parenting classes either because in all honesty I have no idea how to be a mom. I never really took care of a baby before. I don't know how to change a diaper."
"Me either," he says, "maybe we should take some of those parenting classes and Lamaze classes the free clinic offers. I mean it can't hurt right?"
"Right," I say, "Dean, are you ever going to tell me what your under the table job is?"
"I'm just working for a friend is all, Ana, it's not a big deal. I'm making money. That's all that matters."
"But it is how you are making money that matters," I say. "I hope you're not dealing drugs that was a no go for me remember and if my dad ever finds out you're selling drugs he's going to make you leave this apartment."
"Relax, I'm just making money. I'm not dealing drugs," he says, "I'm over that."
"Dean, just tell me the truth."
"I am," he says.
"Then how did you just have 2 grand in cash today? Where did all that money come from?"
"It was back pay. My friend didn't pay me for a job and owed me some money. That's all."
"I hope you're not lying to me, Dean, because if I find out you're still caught up with the drug business we're through and I will make sure you have no part in this baby's life. I can't have that type of toxicity around me or the baby."
"I'm not lying," he says. "Okay?"
"Okay," I say. "I believe you."
"Thank-you," he says, "so you keep talking about writing," he says, "and being a writer. What do you want to write about?"
I smile and say, "anything, I want to travel the world and write about my adventures. I guess I can't do that now but I think it would have been cool to travel the world and write about my adventures. I just want to write about life experiences. I want to write stories. I want to write news. I want to write scripts. I want to write whatever I can."
He smiles at me and says, "when I make it to WWE you can travel the world with me and we can see it all together. We can write about our experiences and our adventures," he says with a smile.
"I'm going to hold you to that promise you know?"
"I hope that you would," he says with a smile.
*A/N: Why do you think Dean doesn't want his family at their baby shower? Do you think anyone will come to their baby shower? What did you think of Dean pulling out the wad of cash to pay for the crib? Do you think Ana knows but is giving him the benefit of the doubt? What do you think will happen when Ana finds out about Dean still dealing drugs and what do you think her father will do? Do you think they need to take parenting classes? And what do you think they're going to have a boy or a girl? Please review and thank-you for reading.