CHAPTER EIGHT: The Family Photo

Kirsten had decided that with both her boys in town, for Chrismukkah, she wanted an updated family photo. Everyone knew better than to argue with her. When she decided to do something she set her mind out to make sure that it got done, the way she wanted it. She called the local photo shop and set up an appointment for two days from now. She walked into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee when she noticed Sandy sitting at the island reading the paper.

"Hey hunny!" Kirsten exclaimed as she filled her glass.

"Hey." Sandy replied without looking up from his paper.

"So our photo appointment is for two days from now."

"Hunny, come on, why do we have to do this? The boys don't want to, and frankly neither do I."

"We are going to get our family picture taken because I said so. And besides we don't have a formal family photo with Sophie. You all will be there with the outfits that I say. We all need to match without really matching." With that said Kirsten walked out of the room leaving Sandy dumbfounded in her departure.

"We have to all match?" Sandy asked to the air. This was going to be more torture than he had originally thought.

Sophie woke up the next morning fussier than usual. They had been waiting for her first tooth to pop from some time now. They had bought her countless teething rings so they always had a cold one on hand for her to chew on. Kirsten couldn't wait to add another big accomplishment into the little girls baby book.

"Sandy, can you grab her teething ring out of the refrigerator?" Kirsten shouted to her husband.

Sandy walked in the living room, teething ring in hand, to see his wife curled up in the chair with his daughter.

"Here you are little one." Sandy handed the ring to Sophie, who had a firm grip on the ring as she chewed, he kissed his wife.

"Are you going surfing?" She noticed his swim trunks and a towel draped around his neck.

"No, I was going to take Sophie into the pool, wanted to know if you would like to join us."

"No, but I'll go out there. The garden needs some weeding."

"Sounds like fun." Sandy replied sarcastically. He never understood why they didn't hire someone to make their garden look pretty, as Kirsten would say.

"Great. I'll go put her in her swim suit." Kirsten got up.

Sandy took his daughter out of his wife's arms and gently placed her in the baby floaty that they had bought recently. Kirsten spent her time in the garden planting some new flowers that she had bought but hadn't gotten put into the ground yet, while pulling the weeds that had overgrown.

The Cohen's had an infinity pool put in a few months after they moved in. Seth insisted that his little sister have a pool to splash around in. Both parents knew it was for the child in Seth that never seemed to grow up, no matter how old he got. He had even tried to talk them into getting a waterslide and a diving board. They axed that quickly, not even giving it time to become an idea. Both knew that no good could come of that.

Kirsten looked over at Sandy in the pool with their daughter. He was splashing her and she was giggling up a storm, kicking her feet and slamming her tiny hands onto the surface of the water. He was so good with her. Kirsten really wished in moments like this that they hadn't waited so long to have another child.

Later that night the boys came over with their girlfriends to have a nice dinner.

"So, I scheduled the appointment for our family pictures. They are the day after tomorrow. We're all going to meet there at 11:00 a.m."

"Mom." Seth whined.

"Don't mom me, we're doing this. So suck it up."

"Don't argue son. I've already tried, it doesn't work " Sandy answered after swallowing his food. Kirsten glared at him.

"Boys, I want you in a black suit with a white shit. Girls, I want you in a light pink spring dress. No arguing." Kirsten said in a tone that told everyone that it was the end of discussion.

Everyone quietly ate their dinner.

The day before the pictures Kirsten still didn't have her perfect dress. She reached her arm across the bed and felt Sandy's silhouette. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, his ear, and his neck. Trailing kisses over to his lips. Once she reached her location Sandy began to squirm.

"This is the way to wake up. I wish I could wake up like this every morning."

Kirsten just laughed, kissed him again, and curled her body up against his.

"I'm taking Sophie shopping today. I need to find her a dress, and I should probably find one too."

"You and here both need new dresses, yeah right."

"Sandy." Kirsten warned.

"Sorry, but really. You can't find one that you already own to wear?"

"I don't have a light pink dress that I haven't worn before."

Sandy rubbed his hand up and down her back, "Why can't you wear an old dress?"

"Because I'm a girl, and I want a new dress."

"I can't change your mind can I?"

"Nope," Kirsten replied as she got up, "I need to get ready. Do you mind getting Sophie dressed?"

"Yeah, I suppose I can do that."

Kirsten and Sophie spent hours on end trying to find Kirsten a dress. They found Sophie an adorable pink dress right away, in the second store they went into.

"How come you're so much easier to shop for?" Kirsten looked down at her little girl as she walked along trying to find a store she hadn't gone into yet.

"Yeah, you're right. Just wait a couple years. You'll run me ragged. Won't ya." Sophie giggled.

After a couple more hours Sophie and Kirsten returned home both with a dress. Kirsten began to make dinner. She dropped her spoon into the spaghetti sauce when a thought just popped into her head.

'Ooh My God."

Kirsten called Ryan.

"Hey sweetie, I know it's short notice, but are you free this evening?"

"Yeah I am. Taylor and I were just going to hang low and watch a movie. Why, what do you need?"

"I was wondering if you would be willing to watch Sophie. I was going to make a romantic dinner for Sandy and I."

"Of course. I can come pick her up in 15 minutes."

"You sure you don't mind. Don't feel obligated if you don't want to or if you wanted to spend some time alone with Taylor."

"No, Kirsten don't worry. I'm coming now to pick her up."

"Thank you so much honey."

After Kirsten hung up the phone she went and got Sophie's stuff together for Ryan. Twenty minutes later Ryan was driving back to his apartment with Sophie in tow. Meanwhile, Kirsten was getting everything set up for dinner that evening.

Sandy walked into the house, "Kirsten," he shouted. He set his briefcase down by the door and threw his jacket on the back of the couch. He noticed candles set out on the kitchen table. "Kirsten," he tried again.

"I'm in here." She was finishing placing all of the food on the plates.

"What's going on in here?"

"We're having a romantic dinner for two." Kirsten said as she kissed him.

"Where's Sophie?" he asked confused as to why his daughter would still be napping at 7:30 p.m.

"Ryan and Taylor took her for tonight."

"That's great. Why don't we sit down and eat this before it gets cold. Plus, the sooner we eat the sooner we can do it."

Kirsten laughed, "That was romantic." She said sarcastically.

While they were eating Kirsten decided to finally bring up what popped into her head earlier while she was making the dinner.

"I might be pregnant." Kirsten blurted out suddenly.

"I'm sorry, what?" Sandy quickly responded clearly shocked as to what she had just said.

"It came to me earlier while I was making dinner. I'm two days late and I'm never late."

"Have you taken a test?"

"Not yet." Kirsten replied while picking at her chicken.

"It could just be stress you know, or something else." Sandy tried.

"Maybe, but.. (pause).. I don't know."

"Well let's look at it like this. If you are would you be happy?"

"I don't know honestly. I mean don't get me wrong, I love Sophie with everything inside of me, but, I never thought we would have another child. Then when we did I realized that she was what we needed. Everything feels so complete with three children."

"I completely agree. Actually, I couldn't put it into words better myself."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I guess all we can do is make an appointment for the doctor and find out."

"I can make one tomorrow before the pictures."

"That's a great idea."

The rest of the night continued from there.

Sandy, Kirsten, and Sophie stopped by the doctor's office on the way to take their family pictures.

"I'll call you with the results later tonight." The doctor said as he shook Kirsten's hand and followed her out of the room.

The Cohen's took a picture of the boys, a picture of the girls. Then they took a couple pictures of Sandy, Kirsten, Seth, Ryan, and Sophie. Followed by everyone including Summer and Taylor.

After the pictures everyone went back to the Cohen's for dinner. Summer and Seth said that they had to go back to Ryan's to pack. Their plane left early the next morning. Ryan, Taylor, Seth, and Summer left after all the tearful goodbyes and promises to call.

Sandy was putting Sophie to bed when the telephone rang. Kirsten met him in their bedroom.

"That was the doctor."

"What did he say?" Sandy walked up and placed his hands on her arms.

"It's a false alarm. I'm not pregnant." Kirsten exclaimed.

"That's great baby." Sandy said as he embraced her in a hug.

"Can you sit down?"

"Why? What else do you have to tell me?"

"When I was at the doctor, we got to talking and well I got an idea. What about if we could do something to make sure this doesn't happen again?"

"A vasectomy." Sandy finished for her.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I thought about it after Sophie was born. I've been looking into it a little bit."

"Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I wanted to make sure that this is what we both wanted. That you didn't want anymore children either."

"So are you going to do it?"

"I think so, what do you think?"

"If you're willing, that's great."

"I have an appointment next month. The doctor is going to give me the rest of the facts and all of that. We can decide then."

"I love you." Kirsten said as she leaned over and kissed her husband.

"I love you too."