A/N Again, I thank you all so much - I'm glad you all like the idea of twins for Rick and Beth. Shall we check in?
Oh yeah, he could always tell the minute he walked in the door, he knew when that pretty wife of his was cooking up plans. And this time, like every time, he'd just wait until she told him what those plans were. He loved it when she started talking a mile a minute without, it seemed, even stopping to breathe, telling him about whatever it was that she was sure was the best idea ever. Of course, there was always a, "I hope you won't be mad," as is he ever got mad at her. In fact, he couldn't even recall they'd ever had a disagreement. He supposed that was because she had him, she had him so completely, he'd do anything she wanted. He knew that, he was whooped, and he was perfectly content with that.
He just took her in his arms, gave her a tender kiss and said, "Hi Sweetheart, I missed you today, how are you and my babies doing?" And he smiled that smile that melted her every time, because the truth was, she knew he had her, she'd do anything to make him happy. She knew that, she knew she was whooped, and she was perfectly content with that.
She smiled at him, "I did miss you, I always do. The girls and I are doing just fine, although it seems they're especially hungry today, I haven't been able to quit nibbling all day long." He just held her a little tighter, laughed softly and said, "Well I guess we'd better get you a big dinner, I don't want any of my girls going hungry. And what about our son, where's Carl?"
She smiled, "I cooked a very big dinner, and I hope there's enough to share with you boys," She'd sort of caught on to teasing, and even when she wasn't very funny, she got a big kick out of herself.
"As for our son, he has a study date, and Rick, I do think it's a date. He's studying with a girl. He said they'd be at the library. I didn't say anything about it, or ask questions, I just told him to be home for dinner by six. I definitely got the strong sense he was excited and that he has feelings for this girl."
"Really, huh, well I guess he is at that age, but I don't know how ready his Dad is to think about him dating. I guess we'll play this one by ear, see how serious it gets." She thought he looked a little concerned. She knew it was tough for Rick to think of Carl growing up, in his heart Carl was still a little boy.
xxxx
After dinner, while they did the dishes, and Carl was in the office on the phone those words he'd been waiting for came, "When we're done, could we go out on the deck Rick? I have some things I want to talk to you about."
"Of course Sweetheart, anything you want." He could hardly wait to hear because he could swear she was vibrating; there were either lots of small things or one big thing on her mind.
She brought him a bourbon on the rocks and she was having her cherry juice spritzer. "So what is it Sweetheart, what do you want to talk about?" He smiled that smile, looked at her with those eyes, and she relaxed a bit.
She smiled back at him, and he saw her cheeks turn pink, that always got him going a little, she looked so damn sweet. "The first thing I was thinking about is the house. I think we need more room with two babies coming but I don't ever want to leave this house, I love it too much. I could give up the office, but it's such a great place to keep our paperwork and for Carl to do his schoolwork, and to keep the computers. I was hoping you'd be agreeable to having Daryl and Merle add a small office onto the back then we could turn the office into a nursery. It's such a big space and I don't need that much room." She finally took a breath.
He cocked that head, but he wasn't smiling that smile, "Sweetheart I never say 'no' and I don't want to say 'no' now, but I just don't have the money to swing it. I can start working on it myself, Carl could help me on the weekends, but I don't think I can get it all completed before the babies come. They'll be in our room for a while won't they? Will that help at all?"
She looked at him now and he could tell she was anxious, worried, like she was about to say the wrong thing, "Rick, I don't want you spending all of your free time working on the house, that's just not fair. Your job is stressful, it's enough. What if I pay? I have a lot of money Rick, it doesn't seem right that it's just sitting in a bank. Not when we could use some of it to enhance our lives a little."
He knew he was old fashion and he didn't want to be stubborn, and he damn sure didn't want to tell her 'no' but dammit, he wanted to be the one to take care of her. "Can I think about it Beth? Could you give me a few days? I just need time on this." And fuck, he could see those tears glistening in her eyes. He hugged her to him, "Please don't cry Sweetheart, please don't feel bad, let me try to work this out in my head, just be patient with me for a few days, alright?"
"Of course Rick, I do understand, I really do. It's just that I get an idea and before I know it, my heart is set on it. I can be patient though, I can. There is something else."
"Thank you Beth, I'll try to come up with a solution, I promise. What else is on your mind Sweetheart? Maybe I won't disappoint you on it."
"Rick you don't disappoint me, please don't say that. The next thing is something I've been thinking about ever since I knew I was pregnant. Well, maybe even before that." She seemed embarrassed, like she had some terrible truth about herself she needed to expose, and now she had him worried. He could swear she was trembling.
He instinctively held her tighter, "What is it Sweetheart? Tell me, we'll work it out."
And she started talking a mile a minute, "I don't want you to think I'm lazy; or that I'm not doing my share, but Rick, I don't want to work anymore. Glenn and I almost have the program complete for the State of Georgia, we'll wrap it up this week and present it next week. That will be the last of the current contracts. I want to quit, and Glenn doesn't care because he's sick of it too, what he really wants to do is design video games. We'd have to still help with maintenance on the programs, but that's just a couple of days a month. Glenn said he'd handle that, and of course I'd let him have all the financial compensation. I don't know, what do you think? You're not mad are you?"
And for all the many times she'd gone on like this, and all the times he'd wanted to laugh when she finally told him whatever it was that was on her mind, this time he couldn't help himself, he laughed, and he laughed heartily. "Sweetheart, it has never even crossed my mind that you could be the least bit lazy. And as far as you working, my God, you make more selling one program than I could hope to make in two lifetimes. And didn't we just finish talking about you wanting to spend some of that money, and me being such a stubborn ass I won't let you? So no, I don't mind a bit. I think it's a real good idea, I want you to have the time to spend with our babies, it's going to be more than a full time job. And Beth, even when we have a small disagreement, like over the room addition, I'm never mad at you, never. Do you think you'll ever believe me?"
She just smiled up at him, leaned in and started to kiss him, about that time Carl walked out on the deck, "Geez, you two, do you ever come up for air?"
xxxx
He'd felt bad all night, shit he wanted her to have whatever she wanted. And she had the damn money to have whatever she wanted, and he felt like, no he knew for sure, he was being an asshole.
He gave her an extra-long hug goodbye, a gentle kiss, and said, "I'm going to figure this out Beth, I promise."
When he got to office he called Daryl and asked if he could meet him for lunch at the diner. Daryl was his go to guy, when Rick was baffled by something he could count on Daryl to chew on that thumb for a minute or two and come up with the solution.
Jessie gave him the stink eye when she showed them to the booth but he'd become immune to that nonsense. Daryl ordered what Daryl always ordered, a double cheeseburger, fries and coke. Rick went with the Club sandwich and iced tea.
"Daryl I have a problem, I need your advice, whatever ideas you can come up with."
Daryl gave him that Daryl stare and said, "Yeah, okay whaddya need?"
And Rick told him about Beth's idea for a room addition, how he didn't really have the money. Daryl just looked at him while he spoke, he never did interrupt people, mostly he just watched 'em while they talked, and you could never tell by his expression what the hell he was thinking.
When Rick was done, Daryl went right to chewing on the side of that thumb, thinking. He nodded slightly and said, "Well ya know, ya got that mud room that's fuckin' huge, ya don't need all that space ta take off yer shoes n coat, hell we live in Georgia not Montana. We could rethink the way it's laid out, be plenty a room for the mud area, a nice office space, and yer laundry area. Ya know, I got a strong vibe Beth don't wanna work no more, so she ain't gonna need as much space and all the equipment like she's got now. I'd wanna put in a locking cabinet for the laundry stuff n the other cleanin' products, on account a the babies n all." And then he gave Rick the Daryl shoulder shrug.
How the hell did Daryl know Beth was going to want to quit working, those two were scary the way they could read each other. "That sounds great and all Daryl, how much do you think we're talking?"
"Well I got some real nice materials off a salvage job I just done, I'll talk ta Merle but I know he'll agree, we'll give ya those for what the labor cost it was about $750.00. I'll help ya out Friday evenin's and two weekends. Between you, me and Carl, I think we can knock it out, no problem. Oh, n yer gonna need a small baseboard heater, and maybe a window A/C unit. I can draw it all out for ya on the computer, Beth taught me how."
"That sounds terrific, a really good solution, but I feel like I need to pay you for your time that's too much to ask." And now Rick looked at him hard.
"Oh I got sumthin' in mind for ya, in fact we're gonna do it first, this comin' weekend while Kathleen's outta town. She's got some medical conference ta go to and it'll be a real nice surprise when she gets back. Anyway, ya know what my backyard looks like, looks like some crabby ass bachelor lives in that house, just some grass and shrubs is all. I know Kathleen she wants a garden real bad, n she don't never ask for nuthin', so I aim ta get it done for her. You, me, Carl, and hell, I'll see if I can't get Merle ta throw in too. Ya tell me what ta get, I'll have it all there so we can start first thing Saturday mornin'. Sound fair?"
"Sounds perfect. Thanks Daryl, I think we're both going to have happy women." Rick was grateful and relieved, but Daryl wasn't done.
"Ya know Rick, you can be kinda a stubborn asshole sometimes, n ya just don't seem ta have an inch ta give, so I'ma give ya some brotherly advise here. Thing is, I'm pretty sure these little babies ya got comin', they're the only babies Beth will ever have. This here, it's gonna be an emotional thing for her like we ain't never seen, ya know, when them babies get born. Ya gotta give yer blessing for her ta have some fun gettin' ready for this, let her spend her money ta fix up that office into the nursery she wants, let her buy them babies whatever stuff she wants ta buy 'em, don't deny yer wife that pleasure Rick. She'll go along with whatever ya say, if ya say no she can't spend her money, she won't argue, but you'll be stealin' some happiness from her. Ya might wanna think on that."
Rick looked at Daryl, and Daryl didn't look down, as much as Rick was his brother, Beth was his sister. Rick nodded that head slightly and said, "You're right Daryl, thanks brother."
xxxx
Rick, Carl, Daryl and Merle had gotten that garden put in and Kathleen was thrilled. Making her happy made Daryl happy. He'd never had a woman to do things for, and he found he liked doing for Kathleen.
The wedding was just a week away, followed by a two week honeymoon, a motorcycle trip down to the Keys and over to New Orleans, and then he, Rick and Carl would get that Mud Room remodeled. Merle wanted to help too, truth was, Merle and Daryl would do anything for Beth, hell, they would have built that room addition for nothing, but they also understood about a man's pride.
Beth and Rick had wanted to host a party for the Flanagan's, but there was no way they could fit them all in their house, even just the immediate family. Between Kathleen's parents, the brothers and sisters in law, and their children there were 38 of them. Then of course, there was Merle and Carol, Aaron and Eric, Hershel and Annette, Shawn, Maggie and Glenn, and Rick, Carl and herself. All people Daryl considered his family.
The party would have to be at the farm. Beth had a plan in place, if she got too overwhelmed, she could go up to her old room and lay down a while, Rick, Mama and Maggie would handle the party. They all knew this was a very big deal to Daryl. Kathleen had a huge family, there were dozens of Aunts, Uncles and cousins who would be at the wedding. Daryl had them, and they all planned to be there for him.
Everyone had a great afternoon, and Beth managed to make it through almost the whole day, she just took one fifteen minute break in her room, she was feeling more and more confident about getting through the wedding.
The wedding ceremony was to be held in a Catholic church in Atlanta; that was the only place Kathleen could locate a church big enough to hold their guests. The wedding reception was being held at a huge private "Plantation," just outside the city. They specialized in large weddings and corporate meetings.
All Daryl knew was he was damn glad her Daddy had said, in no uncertain terms, Kathleen was his baby girl and he was paying for this wedding for her.
The Greenes and the Grimes' were going down early on Saturday morning and they'd all spend the night at a local hotel. Rick had rented a large commuter van so they could all travel together, and they'd be trailering Daryl's bike so he and Kathleen could leave Sunday morning on their honeymoon.
The ceremony itself was very traditional, Beth was impressed not only with how beautiful Kathleen looked in her great grandmother's antique Irish Lace wedding dress, and very simple lace veil, but Daryl and Merle were so handsome in their tuxedos.
When Kathleen came walking down that aisle on her Daddy's arm, Beth knew she'd never seen Daryl smile that big.
The reception was over the top. Rick was thinking just the liquor bill would bankrupt most people, and the food, he'd never seen anything like it.
It was hard to tell which was the highlight of the party, when Daryl and Kathleen had their first dance to "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," or when Kathleen, her sisters in law and cousins did some serious clogging to traditional Irish music.
The major success for Beth, she'd made it through the ceremony and the party, with just one small break when she and Rick went for a short walk. He'd wrapped his arms around her, "Beth, you accomplished your goal Sweetheart. You've done so great. I'm so proud."
When Daryl and Kathleen returned from their honeymoon, the guys all got busy redoing that Mud Room. Beth couldn't believe the transformation. It was functional, sure, but it also looked so great. She wasn't going to miss having that big office at all, especially not now that she was no longer working.
As she admired the new room, he put his arms around her, "Beth, Sweetheart, I know I can be way too stubborn, way too prideful. I know I'm not fair sometimes. I wish you'd speak up and tell me when I'm not, tell me when I'm being a selfish jerk. I should have let you have your room if that was what you wanted. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. If this doesn't work out, if you're not happy, we'll do anything you want."
She looked up at him, and her eyes were moist and she said, "I love it Rick, I think it's going to be just perfect."
He smiled down at her and said, "Well now you pick out everything you want for that nursery, for our babies. I'll help with it, I'll get the room cleaned out, painted, curtains hung up, whatever you need, you just tell me. And Sweetheart, you feel free to get into that money and really get what you want. It's yours and if you want to spend it, I'm not going to stand in your way." He leaned down and began to kiss her tenderly.
That was when Carl walked in the room, "You know, you two are ridiculous. This isn't high school."
A/N Carl's timing is impeccable! I hope you enjoyed. We are getting very close to the end of our story, another chapter or two, but there will be more Rick and Beth stories to be told. Thank you for reading, please review xo