Book 3- Chapter 8 Wish Upon A Star

One month later:

Charlotte comes out of the bathroom and hands Cooper the test strip. "Mission accomplished she tells him as she lies back down on the bed. "Ugh! I feel sick."

"We'll know in a few minutes why." He smiles big.

"You want me to be pregnant again?" Charlotte says with a sour face holding her hand over her belly. "I need to toss my cookies." She gets up and runs back into the bathroom. While she's in the bathroom Cooper watches as the test turns positive. Charlotte comes out of the bathroom wiping her mouth and lies back down on the bed. "So what's the answer?"

"What do you think?" Cooper teases her hiding the test.

"Come on Cooper. I'm too sick for games right now." She tries to grab the test from behind his back.

"Kiss me first." Cooper teases.

"Ya sure ya wanna kiss me right now?" She quirks an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah, never mind." He wrinkles his nose up.

She swats him. "I don't have barf breath. I brushed after, but I'm likely to vomit again if you kiss me." She scowls.

"I don't care momma, give daddy a kiss." He kisses her and then hands her the test.

"I thought so." She says as she looks at the test. "I think this is the sickest I've been with any of them."

"That's a good sign Char, means the hormones are doing what they're supposed to be doing." Cooper smiles and lectures.

"I know, I know." She lies down on her pillow and closes her eyes.

"Are you happy Cricket?" Cooper asks as he rubs her back.

"Ask me later when I'm not nauseous." She tells him with her eyes closed.

"Besides the morning sickness, are you happy to be pregnant again?"

She rolls over and looks at him. "Yeah, four will make it an even number and we do make cute babies." She smiles at him and plays with his shirt. "How bout you?"

Cooper grins from ear to ear. "Can't you tell? I'm a pediatrician Char the more babies you pop out the merrier." He rubs her belly.

"Well this is the last baby I intend to spit out of this body, so you better savor it." She rolls back over. "We already got a mess of babies."

"I'm okay with that." Cooper tells her rubbing her head again. "I'm good with four."

"Good then I'll set up an appointment for you to get yourself fixed. Do you want me to do it in my office or would you prefer another urologist to do it?" Charlotte asks.

"Huh? Cooper's surprised. "That doesn't seem right having my wife castrate me."

"I'm not going to castrate you Coop." She looks at him. "I do these procedures all the time if you want I can draw you a diagram of what I do."

"I was kidding." Cooper responds. "I know how a vasectomy works."

"I'll set up an appointment with another urologist if you don't want me to do it." She answers. "Addison and Sam might not be too happy about you giving some other office your business though."

"I'm not letting you near me with a knife." Cooper holds his hands protectively over his privates. "I'm not comfortable with anyone snipping me down there."

"Would you prefer to wear condoms for the rest of your life?" She furrows her forehead at him.

"No." He answers.

"Then, what? You expect me to get snipped?" Charlotte asks.

"Well if you don't want more kids." Cooper answers.

"Let me get this straight. " Charlotte continues " You'd be okay with us havin' babies every year if neither one got snipped?"

"No. I'm not saying that." Cooper answers "Can't you just go back on the pill or something?" He lays his head on his pillow now.

"Why should I have to take a pill everyday when you can get a vasectomy? It's a simple procedure Coop. Then we don't have to worry."

Cooper sighs heavy. "I'll think about it. We have the next eight months to not worry since I already got you pregnant."

"Fine." Charlotte sighs "At least we don't have to worry about who got me pregnant this time."

"I second that thought." Cooper answers. "Not to change the subject but are you still up for camping with Violet and Pete this weekend? I have to let her know by tomorrow."

"Yeah. I'll go. If I have to barf at least we'll be outside." Charlotte rubs her belly.

"Vi's going to be happy to hear that" Cooper says sarcastically.

Camping out.

Charlotte, Cooper, Violet and Pete are all sitting around the campfire. "So, baby number four?" Pete's surprised. "Do you guys have a limit? Are you ever going to stop having kids?" Pete asks Cooper.

Cooper slaps Pete on the back. "You and Violet should have more. The fun part is making the baby."

Violet lectures. "Keep it clean over there. Little ears are listening." Violet helps six year old Lucas roast a marshmallow.

"He won't let me snip him!" Charlotte tells Pete as she helps Bryce roast his marshmallow.

Pete chuckles. "I wouldn't want my wife snipping me there either." Pete drinks his beer.

"Watch it Pete or maybe when you're sleeping tonight I'll surprise you." Violet kids around with her husband.

"Cooper doesn't want anyone to snip him." Charlotte answers.

"Can't blame him." Pete says.

"So, I should have to take responsibility for it?" Charlotte questions him.

"Let's not do this now. Little ears are listening." Violet reminds.

"Fine." Charlotte answers. "Here's your marshmallow Bryce" Charlotte pulls the toasted marshmallow off of the stick.

"No momma. You eat it first." Bryce tells her.

"Momma can't eat it Bryce. Momma's tummy is feeling yucky."

"Why, momma?" Bryce questions.

"The new baby in momma's tummy makes her feel yucky sometimes." She answers him.

"It's a bad baby. I don't like it." Bryce pokes at Charlotte's belly.

Violet tells Bryce "The baby doesn't make your momma sick on purpose Bryce. I'm sure it's a nice baby." Violet smiles at Bryce.

"I don't like it. It's bad." Bryce answers. "It's my momma." Bryce grabs on to Charlotte and hugs her tight.

"You share momma with Savannah and Akron." Cooper tells him. "You'll share with this baby too."

"Stupid baby!" Bryce throws the marshmallow and the stick in the fire and stomps his feet.

"What are you throwin' a hissy fit about?" Charlotte looks at her three year old.

"I don't want another baby, momma!" He cries to Charlotte.

Cooper jumps in "You don't have a choice Bryce Walter. If you throw a fit like that again, it's the time out chair for you. You hear me, boy?"

Bryce hugs Charlotte and she cuddles him.

"It's his age Coop." Violet tells him. "Three year olds don't like to share."

"He's tired." Charlotte says. "It's past his bedtime. He goes to bed with the chickens." She picks him up. "Say goodnight to everyone Bryce."

"G'nite" He waves. "Will you stay with me in the tent momma?"

"I will." She taps him on the nose.

Violet and Pete get up to kiss Bryce goodnight. Cooper gives his son a kiss and tells Charlotte. "I'll be in as soon as I finish this beer." Charlotte rolls her eyes and brings Bryce into the family sized tent.

A half hour later Cooper comes in, the kids are all asleep in their sleeping bags. Charlotte's gazing up at the stars through the window in the tent. She turns to see Cooper enter the tent. "Well, ain't you a site for sore eyes! I was wondering when you were going to show up. "

"I was talking to Violet and Pete."

"Telling ghost stories?" She smirks.

He wrinkles his forhead. "No, we were talking about you. How are you feeling?" He asks.

Charlotte answers. "The fresh air is doing me good. It's peaceful watching the stars."

Cooper lies next to her in the sleeping bag. "It is" He looks up at the stars. "I'll do it Crickett. I'll have the procedure. You can schedule it whenever you want."

"Really?" She turns and looks at him.

"Yes. I want to do it for you." He kisses her.

She looks back up at the stars. "I love our life"

"Me too. It's not exactly a fairytale...but..." He looks up at the stars.

She turns to look at him."It's our fairytale, it may not be perfect but it's us." She looks back up at the sky. "Look Coop! A shooting star." Charlotte points up at the sky. "Make a wish."

Cooper closes his eyes tight a moment and thinks. "Okay done." He tells her. "What did you wish for?"

"I already got my wish." She turns and looks at him again. "Don't need anything else." She grabs for his hand and holds it tight.

"Okay." He rolls on top of her. "But can I tell you what I wished for?"

"It's bad luck? If you tell me it might not come true, but okay tell me what'd you wish for." She rubs his back as he lays on top of her.

He looks into her hazel eyes. "I wished that I would stay happily married to Charlotte King for the rest of my life."

"I could make that wish happen for you." She pulls him close and kisses him on the lips.

..TBC.. IN Book Four- The Circle Of Life