The next day, Vanessa turned over in bed carefully and wrapped her arms around her husband's waist. Zac brought Vanessa's body as close as he could due to her growing bump. Vanessa opened and saw Zac's eyes looking back at her. Zac put a stray piece of hair behind his wife's ear.
"What time are you getting picked up?" Vanessa asked looking into her husband's eyes.
"The car is going to come at eleven" Zac said looking at the clock that was next to the bed which read ten.
"I should get Troy up. He will want to say goodbye to you" Vanessa said pulling herself up with the help of the bed.
Zac got out of bed and walked over to his wife and kissed her passionately.
"I love you so much. If anything happens, call me" Zac said rubbing Vanessa's stomach.
"I love you so much too. I will, or someone will" Vanessa said entwining their fingers together.
"Okay. Now, let's go find an adorable little three year old boy" Zac said walking toward his son's bedroom.
Zac walked into his son's bedroom and smiled. He saw Troy standing in his crib, waiting for someone to take him out.
"Hey bud" Zac said lifting his son out of his crib.
Zac lifted his son out of his crib and placed him on his hip.
"You are going to take care of your mom and help aunt Stella right?" Zac asked looking at Troy.
"Yeah" Troy said wrapping his arms around his father's shoulders.
"I am going to miss you Troy" Zac said rubbing Troy's back.
"I am going to miss you too daddy" Troy said putting his face in Zac's neck.
The doorbell rang and Vanessa, Zac, and Troy walked to the front door. Zac put Troy down and walked over to Vanessa.
"I love you babe. Call me if anything happens" Zac said.
"I will. I love you too" Vanessa said as tears fell down her cheeks.
Zac kissed Vanessa for the final time and wiped her tears away. He then got on his knees and opened his arms. Troy ran into them.
"Be good for mommy, Troy. I love you" Zac said to his son.
"I love you too daddy" Troy said as tears fell down his face.
Zac let go of his son and got up from the floor. He then turned to Vanessa and put his hand on her bump.
"I will call you when I get there" Zac said.
Vanessa opened the door and watched her husband walk out to the car and get in. This was going to be a long three months. She then closed the door and wiped her tears away. Vanessa walked to the family room and saw a sight that broke her heart. Troy had his blanket in his hand and was lying on the couch, crying. Vanessa went to the couch and bent down to Troy's level.
"He will be back soon, Troy" Vanessa said rubbing Troy's back.
Troy got up and hugged Vanessa tightly. Vanessa rubbed his back soothingly.
"I love you bud" Vanessa said kissing her son's head.
"I love you mommy" Troy said as he sniffled.
"How about we about we watch a movie?" Vanessa asked her son.
"Okay" Troy said.
Troy picked out the movie and put it into the DVD player. He then walked back to the couch and snuggled into his mother's body. After the movie ended, the doorbell rang.
"Mommy, can I answer it?" Troy asked.
"You can answer it if I come with you" Vanessa said walking to the door.
Troy stood in front of the door.
"Now?" Troy asked.
"Okay" Vanessa said.
Troy opened the door and saw Stella standing at the door. She then got on her knees and opened her arms.
"Come here" Stella said.
Troy ran into his aunt's arms. Stella picked the three year old up and walked into the house. Vanessa smiled.
"Did you miss me?" Stella asked.
Troy nodded.
"Are you going to help me take care of your mom?" Stella asked.
Troy nodded.
"Good, come on" Stella said carrying her nephew to the kitchen.
Vanessa was in the kitchen and smiled when she saw her sister and son interact.
"Hi, Van. How are you feeling?" Stella asked putting Troy down.
"Big and tired" Vanessa said rubbing her expanding stomach.
"Go take a nap, I will watch Troy. I know you are stressed" Stella said.
"Okay, thanks Stell" Vanessa said walking out of the kitchen.
Vanessa walked upstairs and got into bed. She cuddled into Zac's pillow, like she did every time he was gone. A couple hours later, the phone rang.
"Hello?" Stella answered.
"You are answering phones now?" Zac joked.
"Hi Zaccy. How was your flight?" Stella asked feeding Troy.
"It was fine. Turbulence was horrible. It's raining here. How's everything?" Zac asked.
"Everything is fine. Vanessa is sleeping upstairs and I am feeding Troy. Do you want to talk to him?" Stella asked.
"Yeah, put him on" Zac said.
Stella took the phone off her ear.
"Troy, daddy's on the phone" Stella said.
Troy looked at Stella and squealed in excitement. Stella handed the phone to Troy.
"Daddy!" Troy said happily.
"Hey Troy, how are you doing?" Zac asked his son.
"Good" Troy said.
"How's mommy?" Zac asked.
"She went night night" Troy said.
"Oh, Troy I have to go. I love you" Zac told his son.
"I love you too" Troy said.
Troy gave the phone to Stella and she hung up the phone. Stella looked at Troy and saw him upset. She went up to him and smiled.
"Troy, your dad is going to come home soon. I know you are sad, honey. You have mommy and I here though" Stella said.
"I want my daddy" Troy cried.
"Aw baby, I know" Stella said lifting her nephew into her arms.
Stella carried Troy around the room and rubbed his back as he cried.
"Hey daddy would be sad if you were sad wouldn't he?" Stella asked.
"Yeah" Troy said putting his head on Stella's shoulder.
"So let's have fun, okay? No more crying" Stella said wiping the last of Troy's tears away.
"Okay" Troy said leaning his head in Stella's shoulder.
"Do you want me to play cars with you?" Stella asked.
"Yeah" Troy said.
"Okay, go get them" Stella said putting him down on the ground again.
Troy walked to his bedroom and picked up his box of cars and brought them to the family room. The aunt and nephew duo played with Troy's cars on the ground. Vanessa came downstairs and heard laughing and talking in the family room. She stood in the doorway and leaned against the doorway and smiled.
"I see Troy convinced you to play cars with him" Vanessa said.
Stella turned around and smiled.
"Zac called and he got upset. So I told him that I would play cars with him" Stella said looking at her nephew playing with his cars.
"It's going to be a tough three months for him and I. Did Zac want to talk to me?" Vanessa asked.
"He told me that he got there. Call him" Stella said.
"Okay" Vanessa said.
Vanessa went to the kitchen and dialed her husband's number and waited for him to answer.
"Hey babe" Zac answered.
"Hey, how was your flight?" Vanessa asked.
"There was a lot of turbulence. It was a rough ride" Zac said.
"Aw I am sorry" Vanessa said rubbing her bump as the baby kicked.
"How are you?" Zac asked.
"I'm fine. I took a nap earlier when you called. Troy's upset" Vanessa said.
"I know, I heard it in his voice. It's going to be tough for him" Zac said.
"Stella told me after you called, he cried and said that he wanted you. I don't know what to do" Vanessa said getting hormonal.
"Sweetheart, you can't do anything. I will call everyday to see how everything is and I will call him at bedtime to say good night" Zac said.
"Okay" Vanessa said sighing and rubbing her stomach.
"Is he kicking?" Zac asked referring to his unborn son.
"Yes, and he won't stop" Vanessa said.
"I'm sorry Van. Hey, I have to go. I will call when Troy goes to bed so I can say good night" Zac said.
"Okay, I love you" Vanessa said.
"I love you too" Zac said.
The rest of the night, Vanessa, Stella, and Troy hung around the house. They fell asleep and hoped everything would be fine.