Part 9

PMDSXXX

The following morning, Della cooked breakfast while Perry made coffee. After breakfast, they planned an early morning fishing trip on the lake. Perry gathered up his fishing gear and spotted a figure at the bend of the road that of a child. He wasn't sure if it was the same boy that helped Della yesterday, but he waved at the boy and acknowledged him. Della was dressed in a pair of white capris with a navy and white striped long sleeve shirt. Perry wore navy blue pants with a white polo shirt.

Della joined Perry out on the lawn and walked down to the lake as the young child followed closely behind them. He was curious so he stayed at a distance since he didn't want to disturb the couple.

"Della, I think we have a little visitor following us." Perry mumbled to her.

"What are you talking about, Perry? Oh, I see what you mean, and we certainly do." Della looked over her shoulder and spotted the boy as he followed at a distance. Della turned around, and the boy finally approached them.

"Hello there. Did you tell your grandparents that you were out and about this earlier in the morning? I hope you did because I wouldn't want them to worry about you." Della asked the boy who had a mischievous look about him.

"Yes, they know where I am. I told them not to worry I was fine and would be back before dark. Since they know I get adventurous and stay out late, I always tell them where to find me. Where are you going?" He asked out of curiosity.

"We're going out on the boat this morning. You're more than welcome to join us unless you want to ask your grandparents if it's all right. I wouldn't want you to get into trouble with them." Perry knelt down and spoke to the young boy who kicked at a rock in front of him while he remained silent.

"Have you told them you knew someone that had a boat on the lake? You know you are welcome to join us if you like. I just don't want you to get into trouble if you hadn't asked." Della knelt down and spoke to the him and adjusted his overall strap that drooped down his arm.

"I told them all about you and what nice people you were. I even told them about your boat. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I spent few hours with you." The boy's eyes lit up when Della offered to bring him out on the lake.

"Perry, you think it'll be alright if we brought him along? It's only a few hours. What could it hurt?" Della spoke softly.

"I don't see why not since he'll be in the best care of a great babysitter." Perry smiled at her.

The three of them walked down the road together, and the boy was in shock at the size of the boat that was docked. He gasped with amazement before he ran ahead of the couple while they looked at each other smiling since they knew they placed a smile on the small boy's face. He was eagerly awaiting to board the boat, but he waited on Perry and Della who slowly walked toward him.

"That's the biggest boat I've ever seen!" He looked over the craft with excitement.

"It's not the biggest out there because there are bigger boats out on the ocean. This one is just right for my wife, myself, and a few guests if they wanted join us." Perry sat his fishing gear down while Della watched him untie the rope that secured the boat. He helped her climb aboard and carefully lifted the boy up to Della before he collected his gear and stepped onto the boat.

Perry started the engine as the boy eagerly watched him with awe. Perry explained everything that he was doing such as how to operate the boat as the boy listened intently as Della watched him. She observed how patient Perry was, and he offered the boy a turn at the steering wheel under his supervision. Seeing him with a child made her proud since she knew he was gentle, patient, and kind towards the boy. She knew he would make an excellent father figure, once she conceived a child. She thought to her herself 'if it was meant to be, they would be graced with one of their own.'

Perry was happy that he could put a smile on the boy's face. 'He's probably never been on boat as he asked all the kinds of questions.' Perry answered them all. Although Della was a pro at dealing with children, he was getting all the attention instead of her since the boy was not afraid of Perry like he was yesterday. Perry pointed in the direction to steer the vessel, and the boy smiled as he steered the wheel as instructed.

"Great, we'll set out the anchor here since it looks like a good spot." Perry pulled the gear down and cut the engine, and dropped the anchor before he looked over at Della who was seated in her chair.

"Perry, this is a wonderful spot. I hope you catch a lot of fish." She teased him with a smile.

"You're my good luck charm, Della. Every time you join me out here, we catch more fish." Perry chided at her comment and reached for his tacklebox.

"You can use my fishing pole and I'll help you bait the line but be very careful those hooks are really nasty and very sharp. You don't want to get that in your finger." Perry instructed the boy as he assisted him.

Della didn't fish that day but observed the interactions with Perry and the boy. 'How often does Perry get to be around children?' Hardly ever unless she is babysitting for a friend when she wasn't overloaded with office work. Della got up and went down below deck and grabbed the suntan lotion before she returned back on deck. She applied the lotion to her skin as Perry secured his fishing pole and joined her. Della applied the lotion to his exposed skin and noticed that the young boy could use some.

"Eric, would you come here please? I would like to put some lotion on you so that you won't get a sunburn."

"Sure, I would like that."

Della worked the lotion into the boy's skin and made sure he was completely covered. Perry watched her do this motherly act and loved seeing her happy. He knew she was happy around children and loved being with them. Della looked at the boy as he reached for the fishing pole and casted out his line just as Perry had taught him. Perry and Della enjoyed the lake for a few hours as they promised to have the boy back on land. The young boy caught a least a bucket full of fish and was proud of his catch. He was anxious to get behind the wheel of the boat again to dock and secured the boat. Perry climbed out of the boat, grabbed the robe, and tied it to the post. He reached for the boy's hand and gently picked him up into his arms before he lowered him to the ground and turned towards Della, who gave her hand to him before he helped her down to the ground.

"Thanks for the taking me out on the boat today Mister and ma'am. This was a swell treat for me." The boy voiced his thanks at them and ran back in the direction of his grandparents' house.

"Perry, he wasn't bad at all." Della gave him with a smile as she watched the boy round the corner and disappear.

"No, he wasn't and I think the next time we come up here to the cabin, he can join us a little longer out on the lake. A few hours don't really get any quality time with the youngster." Perry said as he grabbed his equipment and walked with her down the road.

For the rest of the day, they enjoyed some quiet time in the cabin. Della fixed the remaining perishables so that the food wouldn't spoil. Meanwhile Perry moved the furniture in the den and carried the wooden crib up into the spare room just as Della requested. After they ate dinner, they relaxed together on the sofa. As evening approached, Della slipped out of Perry's arms, walked to the master bedroom, and changed into her nightgown.

She walked into the extra spare room that was across from their master bedroom, looked at the empty crib, and touched her stomach. She prayed a silent prayer that if this was a sign, please, show her in the next few months. With the accidental shipping mishap around the crib, what else could it be but pure coincidence? She thought about it, and how it would change Perry's relationship with her. Would he want her after she birthed a child? Would he be jealous of all the attention she got from the baby? She shook her head in dismay since the thoughts were just ridiculous.

Perry loved her more than life itself and bringing a baby into the world with him was all she ever wanted. Suddenly, Perry stirred on the sofa since Della wasn't in his arms and looked in the direction of the kitchen, the den, and saw no sign of her. He slowly got up, stretched his arms over his head, and walked to their bedroom, but she wasn't there. He knew if she wasn't in the shower there was only one place left, and sure enough that's where he found her in the spare room. She stood next to the crib with her hand on her belly as he crept up on her silently and slipped his arms around her lovingly. She leaned into his embrace and closed her eyes.

"Della, are you thinking about the little boy?" He whispered into her ear and placed his hands over hers that still rested on her abdomen.

"Yes, I am. He was like any other small child I've babysat. The only thing is that the child wasn't ours, Perry." Della softly spoke to him as he nuzzled her neck and understood what she was telling him.

"I know Della. I'm sorry. Maybe it will happen one day soon. I haven't lost hope, and I know you haven't either." He held her closely to his chest and heaved a long sigh. She turned in his arms, looked up at him, and pulled him down, and kissed him on the lips before she parted from him.

"I haven't lost hope, Perry." Della laid her head onto his chest, and he held her for a long time.

The next morning, Della packed their suitcases and checked the cabin before they departed for the city. Perry carried the suitcases out to the car and waited for Della to join him. They never saw the little boy again. As they left the cabin, Della observed the nearby cabins as they passed by, but there wasn't any sign of him. Perry observed his surroundings before he took the turn to the road headed back onto the highway. He pulled Della's hand into his and intertwined it with his since he felt the same way as she did about not seeing the young boy again. The trip back to the city went accordingly with no airport delays, and the traffic was moderate. Perry parked the car and carried the suitcases as Della opened the door as Perry followed her inside and locked the door.

Several months went by without a thought in her mind about children since everything was back to normal. The office had been nonstop since they got back. Perry was always busy with a client, but he always surprised Della with gifts on her desk and at home. One of the weeks near the end of the month, Della noticed she had started craving ice cream among other things that she wouldn't normally do. Also, she noticed she hadn't started her menstrual cycle yet and thought it was the stress of the office instead of being pregnant. Little did she know though, Perry had taken notice of her craving for more sex which always surprised him because she wanted it in the oddest of hours and places- in the office, in the law library, or at home. It didn't matter where they engaged in their rendezvous, and late one night he questioned her about all her recent behaviors as he settled behind her in bed and placed his hand over her belly before he moved it to her hip.

"Della, are you alright? Over these past few weeks, you've been craving foods that I hardly knew you ate. Also, what's with the spur of the moment sex? I don't mind that at all. What's going on? You know you can tell me." He whispered against her ear and nuzzled her there as his nose drifted into the curls at the base of her neck and kissed her there.

"Perry, I haven't mentioned anything to you because I wasn't sure but I have missed my regular cycle for the past two months, and this will be the third month next week. I know I've been hungry for different foods, and my hormones are out of control. I'm going to call my regular physician to get to the bottom of this." Della softly said before she nestled into the pillow of his arm while he held her tightly.

"Okay, please do make that appointment. I worry about your health, Della." Perry whispered against her neck and pulled her into his embrace.

The following morning Perry was in the office as he worked on paperwork for his court hearing in the afternoon. Della made the appointment for that afternoon to see her regular physician. Della informed Perry that she got a last-minute appointment and would be leaving the office for a short while. Meanwhile, Gertie manned the office phone, and Perry collected his briefcase before he went down to the main hall and talked with his client as they prepared for his hearing. Della nervously waited for the test results and answered all the questions that the nurse asked her. The young nurse scribbled on her file all the things that Della mentioned to her. Della didn't want to leave anything out in her health report.

The nurse excused herself from the room to discuss Della's results with the doctor before she gave him the paperwork since the blood work was still being tested, and the results hadn't been determined yet. The wait was killing Della as she wondered what was going on with the tests. She thought about Perry's case this afternoon and wanted to be there with him because it was an important case. He insisted that he would be fine without her. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and the doctor appeared along with his nurse behind him. Both of them were smiling at Della whom was confused at first.

"Della, it's good to see you again. I haven't seen you in some time, and this comes to a surprise." He stood in front of her with her chart in his hand.

"Is it good news or bad news?" Della bit her bottom lip, clutched her purse, and clasped her hand.

"Della, we've ran your bloodwork along with other tests to rule out anything that might be harmful to your health. We found nothing but you're going to need to take supplements because you're expecting a child. You are about three months along now. Your hunger cravings and your missed cycle showed me this in your chart. I'm going to prescribe prenatal vitamins for you, and there might be some certain foods that you used to like will probably turn your stomach and make you ill. My nurse will give you some pamphlets about what to expect since you are a first-time mother." The doctor smiled and told his nurse that she needed a follow up exam scheduled.

"A baby…" Della whispered to herself. She was speechless and stared blankly at the doctor as he told her the news. Della remained quiet for a moment before the doctor took her hand in his while she shook her head of a haze, and gave him her complete attention.

"Yes, Della. You are expecting your first child. I know Perry will be elated with the news. I'm happy for the both of you; however, I must be going now and if there is anything I can do, don't hesitate to call me, or the nurse." He exited the room while the nurse gave her the vitamins she needed along with the pamphlets.

Della thought of how she was going to tell Perry. Should she tell him at home or tell him in the office? There was no way she could keep this from him with all the possibilities of the news coming out in the office. Many thoughts ran through her mind, but she knew Perry would make sure that she wasn't going anywhere and would remain in the office. Della made the appointment for her check up in the follow up exam before she left the medical building. She drove the car back to the office and parked it, but she refrained in there for a moment as she closed her eyes, and sighed silently to herself. She massaged her belly with the growing baby inside her and spoke softly, "Well, your father is going to be in for a surprise. I just hope he takes this news well." Della smiled as she exited the car.

Perry was not in the office when Della returned and found Gertie at her desk on the phone and setting up an appointment with a respective client. Della shrugged off her light jacket, smiled at her, and placed her jacket on the hanger in the law library. She heard Gertie finish her call and placed the receiver on the cradle.

"Ms. Street, sorry to bother you. Mr. Mason said to give you this message. He should be done by this afternoon with his client and would return to the office. Is there anything wrong? He seemed a little worried when you left early." Gertie asked her but didn't pry.

"Everything is fine, Gertie. Thank you for letting me know about Mr. Mason." Della smiled at her but she didn't want to tell her about the baby just yet. While Della filtered the mail of the office, she got an idea to put the doctor's appointment card in with the mail to surprise Perry before she told him. She scribbled on a note card with the inscription of: "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Mason you're expecting!"

Perry left the courtroom with another victory under his belt after he shook his client's hand and saw the disappointed District Attorney Hamilton Burger. But the D.A. didn't expect anything less especially when going head-to-head with Perry since it was usually a win-win for Perry hands down. Perry collected his briefcase, made his way up to the office and wondered what Della found out at her appointment. After he rode the elevator up to his floor and walked to his door, he noticed Gertie was not at her desk. He walked into his office and noticed the sorted mail placed on his desk. Della was in the law library where she was straightening up the bookshelf when she heard the door open and close.

Perry let out a heavy sigh as Della heard him shuffle through the mail. Gertie had momentarily left the office which left the two of them alone. Perry sat down in his chair and noticed some movement in the law library. While he browsed through his mail on his desk, Della stood in the doorway of the law library.

In the mix of his mail, he saw that Della had an invite to a class lecture at her secretarial school. Della silently observed his reaction when he found the appointment card and the handwritten note that she had wrote to him. He didn't acknowledge her at first because he was so engrossed on what he just read. He was speechless at the news and looked in her direction of where she stood.

"Della, I hope that this is not a joke. Is this really happening?" Perry anxiously asked while he walked toward her with seriousness in his baritone voice.

"Yes, Perry it's true. I'm expecting our child, and I'll be three months come next week. That's what the doctor said, and I wasn't sure how you'd handle the news. I've always wanted this for us, Perry." Della's eyes teared up as Perry took her into his arms. He held her for a long while before he kissed her head and pulled back to swipe tears from her eyes. He also placed a chaste kiss on her lips with a smile on his lips.

"I've always wanted a child with you, Della. I'm happy for us, and I'll be there for you when you need me. You can take time off, and there will be ways to get you in and out of the office undetected. No one has to know about your condition, unless there are certain people you want notified. You did see the invite to the lecture back at our alma mater?" Perry asked her in a low whisper and held her in his arms. She looked up into his soulful eyes and touched his cheek tenderly before she returned his sweet kiss to his lips.

"Yes, Perry. I saw the invite, and I plan to attend the lecture. Also, I only want a few people to know about the baby. Gertie, Paul, and D.A. Burger because I know they can keep a secret since they have been close to us for a very long time, and I trust them." Della whispered into his chest while he soothed her lower back with his hand and stroked her hip with his other.

"Whatever you say, Della. Nothing will change between us, and my love for you will be stronger than it has ever been. The baby will undoubtingly have your full attention, but I will also be there too. How will you handle being overwhelmed with love and stress, my dear?" Perry quietly said to her and looked down into her loving eyes.

"Perry, I know it will be stressful, and that I can always count on you. How will our parents handle the unexpected news?" Della massaged his chest and took his tie in her hand, pulled him closer to her lips, and kissed him passionately.

"Without a doubt, they're going to be ecstatic over 'our' news of bringing a new addition to the family. When we need time away, we will make arrangements for a babysitter." Perry replied and suddenly heard the office door open and close. He nodded his head in agreement, and she tilted her head at him before he dropped his hands from her sides and cleared his throat.

"Are you going to be the spokesperson since you're the one that's expecting or did you want to announce it together, Della?" Perry asked her.

"Let's have a meeting, Perry. That way we're not repeating ourselves. How about a dinner tonight at our favorite Italian restaurant?" Della asked him as she turned to walk away, but Perry stopped her.

"Sure, that sounds like a great way to announce it. I will tell Paul and the D.A. to meet us this evening, and I assume you're going to tell Gertie." He said to her and went to his desk to sit down.

"Yes, I will do that personally." Della told him with a smile on her lips and walked out of his office.

Della informed Gertie to join them at the Italian Restaurant for a formal announcement. Meanwhile Perry stepped into Paul's office, but Paul wasn't there. Perry reached him on his car phone and informed him that he was making a special announcement later this evening. Perry instructed him that their favorite Italian Restaurant was the place of choice, and Paul agreed he would be there. Perry wanted to leave the office early and informed Della that they would go to their parents' homes to give them the news.