CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE
- One Year Later -
Struggling to get comfortable enough to finally get some sleep, and hoping she was being quiet enough to not wake up the auburn-haired young woman sleeping beside her, twenty three year-old Lilly Truscott-Stewart found herself wondering once again why something as wonderful as being pregnant had to be so incredibly uncomfortable at the same time.
Finally, realizing she wasn't going to be getting to sleep anytime soon, Lilly turned to face her still-sleeping wife. Looking into Miley's face, even as she slept, was still enough to take Lilly's breath away. Smiling, Lilly reached out and carefully brushed a few stray strands of hair away from Miley's face, thanking God again for giving her the woman she loved more than anything.
At that moment, the baby still growing inside Lilly delivered another sharp kick against her ribs.
"Ow!" Lilly gasped. "Take it easy baby, mommy needs those!" She rubbed her swollen stomach gently, comfortingly, and after a few moments the baby began to calm down again. Taking a deep breath, Lilly looked at her still-sleeping wife again.
"She's got my legs, Miles," Lilly whispered with a smile. "I wonder if she'll get your lungs, too…"
Our little miracle… Lilly thought to herself. Getting you here wasn't easy either…
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Miley Truscott-Stewart asked her beloved wife as they sat in the waiting room of a prestigious fertility clinic in Richmond, Virginia. She could see the anxiety swirling in the depths of Lilly's deep blue eyes, despite the blonde tomboy's attempts to act calm and professional.
"Fine and dandy!" Lilly replied cheerfully. "You know, except for the fact I'm waiting to have something cold and uncomfortable stuck in a place I don't wanna think about…" Miley smiled and reached out to carefully take one of Lilly's hands in her own.
"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," she said gently. "We can get up and walk out of here right now."
"I'm not giving up on our baby!" Lilly shouted, far louder than she'd intended. Other people in the waiting room were already staring at them. She hung her head.
"I'm sorry," Lilly said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to shout… I'm just nervous. What if… what if this doesn't work, Miles?"
"Then we'll try again," Miley said softly. She gently squeezed Lilly's hand. "And I'm gonna be right here with you, Lilly Bear, holding your hand the whole time… I'll always be right here." Lilly looked up at her wife again, and Miley smiled radiantly at her, a warm and wonderful expression that never failed to take Lilly's breath away. Whenever Miley smiled at her like that, her breathtaking beauty shining from within, Lilly found herself falling in love with Miley all over again.
"I know," Lilly said softly. "And I love you, too…" She leaned over and captured Miley's lips in a gentle kiss. They snuggled together, and Lilly managed a small smile of her own.
"Are you sure it's not your turn to be in the stirrups today though?" she quipped.
"It will be," Miley said with a grin. She and Lilly had promised they would take turns giving birth to each other's children, assuming all the research they had been taking part in was successful.
"Mrs. Truscott-Stewart?" a feminine voice called out.
"Here!" Miley & Lilly shouted simultaneously. A young woman wearing glasses, with her long brown hair up in a ponytail, walked towards them.
"You two have got to be Miley & Lilly," the pretty young assistant said with a smile.
"Sounds like Dr. Lauren's been talkin' about us again," Miley said with a grin.
"She said you two are the cutest married couple she's ever met," the assistant replied, amusement evident in her voice. "I can see she was right."
"You oughta see us when we finish each other's sentences," Lilly said playfully. The assistant laughed.
"Well, if you'll please follow me, the doctor is ready for you," she said warmly. Taking a deep breath, Lilly slowly stood up. Miley stood as well and kissed her on the cheek, and hand-in-hand they followed the doctor's assistant to one of the sterile examination rooms in the clinic.
"The doctor will be with you shortly," the young assistant informed them. She gestured to the examination table, and the surgical gown lying on top of it. "You can go ahead and get undressed and lie down Mrs. Truscott; it should only be a few minutes." Lilly nodded and the doctor's assistant quietly excused herself. Miley turned to look at her wife again, a mischievous expression on her face.
"Okay you, strip…!" she commanded her wife playfully. Lilly stuck her tongue out.
"That only works in our bedroom," she muttered, but she nonetheless did as she was asked. Then, with Miley's help, she climbed carefully up onto the examination table and stretched out.
"Everything's gonna be fine," Miley reassured her.
"I know," Lilly replied. "It's just weird… I'm not used to anyone but you looking at me… you know, down there…"
"Don't worry, I'm sure the doctor won't enjoy a single moment of it," Miley said teasingly. Lilly laughed out loud. At that moment, the door opened, and the doctor walked inside. Dr. Lauren Chen was only slightly older than her two patients, but she felt as protective of them as though they were her children. She smiled at the familiar sight of Miley and Lilly laughing together.
"I see you two haven't changed," she said playfully.
"Hey Dr. Lauren," Miley greeted her. "It's good to see you again."
"It's good to see you too, Miley… and you too, Lilly," Dr. Lauren responded. "You ready for today?"
"As ready as I'm gonna be," Lilly replied, with as much enthusiasm as she could manage.
"Trust me, in the end it'll be worth it," Dr. Lauren replied, smiling as she slipped on a pair of latex gloves. She then walked over to a small counter nearby, and a small rack holding half a dozen transparent test tubes.
"You'll be glad to know the reverse engineering we talked about worked well," she continued, "so we have more than enough for multiple tries, if need be."
"I have a feeling everything's gonna work just fine," Miley said sweetly. Dr. Lauren smiled again.
"Well, let's get started then," she said warmly. She spent a few minutes getting everything ready, and then she helped Lilly assume the proper position.
"All right Lilly, now this is probably going to feel a little cold," she warned the already nervous young woman.
"I'm ready," Lilly told her, gripping her wife's hand firmly. Nodding, Dr. Lauren carefully slid the end of the delivery system into place. Lilly almost jumped off of the table.
"Jesus, Joseph, Mary, John, Paul & Ringo!" she cried out. "You said cold, that thing's made of ice!" Struggling to hide her grin, Miley reached out and gently brushed the hair away from Lilly's face, pausing to gently kiss her on her forehead.
"It's gonna be okay, Lilly Bear," she whispered to the young woman she loved more than life itself. "I'm right here…"
"You are so gonna get it for this," Lilly managed, but she sounded more teasing than threatening. She was eventually able to calm down enough to lie still as Dr. Lauren finished her work, but the sensation was still far from comfortable.
"All right," Dr. Lauren said, looking up again. "Everything's ready… here you go, Miley." She handed Miley the plunger that would activate the delivery system currently residing inside her wife's body.
"Whenever you're ready," the doctor added. Miley looked down at Lilly and smiled.
"Are you ready, Lilly Bear?" she asked her wife sweetly.
"For your sake, this had better work on the first try," Lilly said playfully.
"I have a really good feeling," Miley replied. The she leaned down to capture Lilly's lips in a loving kiss, and pushed down on the plunger.
Unfortunately, the first attempt was not successful, but Miley and Lilly refused to give up on having a family together. Then the second attempt failed as well. Finally, after crying more tears than Lilly thought possible, they decided to try one last time. They made a special prayer at the church where they were married, and made love the night before - 'for good luck', as Miley put it – and went to see Dr. Lauren for the last time.
After the final procedure was done, they returned home to wait... and hope…
The two anxious young women had to wait a while before they could take a test to see if the procedure had worked, but finally they were able to do so. Lilly paced anxiously outside the bathroom, while Miley did her best to try and calm her down.
"Just a few more minutes, Lilly Bear," Miley soothed her.
"I hate waiting," Lilly grumbled. "I just wanna know if we're pregnant or not! I can't take this anymore!"
"I know sweetheart," Miley said softly. "I want to know too, but we've gotta try to be patient." Lilly sighed and rested her head on her wife's shoulder.
"W-what if this doesn't work?" she whispered. "What if…?" Miley hugged her tightly.
"Then we'll deal with it," Miley replied. "Together we can handle anything, remember?" Lilly took a deep breath.
"I know," she said after a moment.
"Just try, okay?" Miley said softly. "For me?"
"All right," Lilly managed. "For you, Miles."
"But you know I'd do almost anything for you, don't you?" she asked with a smirk.
"Anything?" Miley repeated. Lilly grinned.
"Well, almost anything," she quipped. Miley laughed out loud.
"Brat," she laughed, kissing Lilly gently on her forehead.
"What do you want to name her?" Lilly asked suddenly. "You know, just we're ready when the time comes."
"Well," Miley said thoughtfully. "If it's all right with you, I think I'd like to name her after my mom." Lilly looked up at her wife, and their eyes met. Lilly knew, more than anyone else, how deep the wounds caused by her mother's tragic death ran through Miley's being. Though the years had eased some of the pain, nothing could ever truly take it away.
"I think she'd really like that, Miles," Lilly said gently. "So would I."
'It's settled then," Miley whispered, smiling through tears she refused to show. "Susan Lillian Truscott-Stewart." Lilly winced.
"Well, we can talk about her middle name later," she joked.
"Speaking of which… I think it's time to check the test," Miley reminded her. Lilly's eyes went wide. She quickly freed herself from Miley's embrace and rushed into the bathroom, grabbing the home pregnancy test from where it rested beside the bathtub. She only needed a moment to check the little window in the center of it, where the answer – good or bad – waited.
"What is it, Lilly Bear?" Miley called out as she walked up behind her beloved wife. "What's it say?" Lilly slowly turned to look at her, her eyes wide, her face frozen in an expression of shock. She held out the pregnancy test with shaking hands so Miley could see it too. The secret pop star looked down at the small plastic tube and gasped: a small blue plus sign stared out from within the tiny window in the center of it.
"Oh, my God!" Miley gasped. "Lilly, it's…! We're…!"
"We're gonna have a baby!" Lilly squealed, and she threw herself into Miley's arms, hugging her fiercely. Miley pulled Lilly to her and kissed her passionately, tears of joy streaming down her face.
"I love you so, so much…" Miley whispered over and over, kissing Lilly's neck. "It's a miracle… oh Lilly, it's a miracle!"
"Our miracle," Lilly insisted, smiling through tears of her own. "Miley… we're gonna have a baby. We're finally gonna have a family of our own!"
Lilly managed a small smile as she remembered the moment they'd discovered they were finally going to have a baby together. Naturally, Miley had insisted on telling her father first, so they drove to his home to give him the good news a few minutes later…
"Hey bud," Robbie Ray called out as his daughter walked into the kitchen behind him. He was standing at the stove, stirring something in a frying pan.
"You're here awfully early," he continued teasingly. "I thought you two didn't get out of bed 'til noon at least!"
"We need to tell you something daddy!" Miley said excitedly. Something in her tone made Robbie Ray turn to look at his daughter, and his eyes widened slightly when he noticed the way Miley's arm was wrapped protectively around Lilly's stomach.
"Somethin' tells me I should be sittin' down for this," Robbie Ray quipped. He turned off the stove, set the frying pan aside, and sat down at the kitchen table facing Miley & Lilly.
"All right bud, what's your big news?" he asked his little girl. Miley squeezed her wife protectively.
"Daddy… Lilly's pregnant," Miley whispered. "You're gonna be a grandpa!" Robbie Ray's mouth dropped open. As much as he wanted to congratulate his two daughters, he couldn't seem to make himself speak. Finally, he decided to let his actions speak for him; he stood and pulled Miley & Lilly into a huge hug.
"I'm so happy for you two, I don't even know what to say," Robbie Ray finally managed.
"Thank you, daddy!" Miley replied, fighting back still more joyful tears.
"I know you're both gonna make wonderful parents," Robbie Ray continued, fighting back tears of his own. "And I finally get a grandchild to spoil!" he added with a grin.
"Maybe you could teach her how to make those famous blueberry pancakes of yours," Lilly suggested playfully. Robbie Ray laughed out loud.
"No promises," he said. At that moment, Jackson walked into the kitchen. He looked like had had slept in his clothes, and his hair was a mess. Half asleep and focused only on finding some much-needed food, he almost walked right into his father and sister, but he managed to stop himself just in time.
"Whoa, what the…?" he gasped. "What's goin' on, somebody die?"
"Nice, Jackson," Miley muttered. "No, we actually have some really good news for a change."
"Like what?" Jackson asked.
"Like you're gonna be an uncle, goofball," Lilly retorted. She grinned at her brother-in-law, and Jackson's eyes went wide.
"W-wait…" he managed. "You mean you're p – p – p…" Jackson tried, but somehow he couldn't quite make himself say 'pregnant'.
"Knocked up?" Lilly said teasingly. "Got one in the oven?"
"Okay, okay, I get it!" Jackson cringed, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Thanks for the visual I didn't need!"
"Son, just this once, how about you just be nice and tell your sisters you're happy for them?" Robbie Ray suggested.
"Sorry, guess that just caught me by surprise," Jackson apologized. "I am happy for you, both of you… really." Then, to everyone's astonishment, he walked over and pulled both of his sisters into another hug.
"Just wait right there while I get my camera!" Robbie Ray called out. "Somethin' tell me I'm not gonna see this again for a long, long time!"
"Somethin' tells me Jackson needs a shower," Miley replied, wrinkling her nose in disgust.
"Comes on Miles, he's actually trying to be nice for once," Lilly reminded her. Miley managed a smile.
"I know," she said warmly. "And since I'm in such a good mood… I love you too, Jerkson!"
"Right back atcha, sis," Jackson replied with a genuine smile of his own. "And I promise, I'll teach the little tyke everything she needs to know to be cool just like her Uncle Jackson!"
"Oh, joy…" Miley muttered, and Lilly laughed out loud.
It wasn't long before everyone was calling Miley & Lilly to offer their congratulations, and there were more than a few offers to babysit once they needed it. When they called to tell their old friend Felicia however, she insisted on throwing them a baby shower, and wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. And in the end, the baby shower turned out to be one of Lilly's favorite memories…
After lunch, and a few funny games, Miley & Lilly sat down to open the presents for their baby. There were diapers, bottles, a baby bath with baby shampoo and other essentials, a cute little kit with tiny nail clippers and a thermometer, a stroller and even a car seat. There were some baby clothes too, and one present in particular was especially adorable…
"Aww, look Miles!" Lilly exclaimed, holding up an adorable pink onesie with the familiar 'Hannah Montana' logo on it. "Our baby gets to be your #1 fan!" Miley laughed.
"Who is that from?" she asked with a smile.
"Aunt Dolly," Lilly replied, gesturing to the older woman. Aunt Dolly was sitting nearby with the other guests – Mamaw, Grandma Ruby, Luanne, Felicia, Heather Truscott and Lilly's maternal grandmother Kathleen Truscott – watching Miley and Lilly open their gifts. The two guests of honor were seated in the middle of the living room, on two kitchen chairs, while everyone else gathered around them.
"Nothin' wrong with her bein' proud of her mama," Aunt Dolly said with a grin.
"I didn't even know they made these," Miley replied, holding up the onesie again. "Maybe I need to have daddy arrange another meeting with Mr. Lebeck!"
"I think they're cute," Lilly insisted with a smile of her own. Miley's grin widened.
"So are you," she whispered to her wife. Lilly rewarded her with a gentle kiss.
"All right you two," Felicia teased them. "Try to remember there's other people in the room!"
"Felicia!" Lilly gasped, her cheeks turning pink. "My grandma's sitting right over there!" Lilly's grandmother had flown in from Arizona especially for the shower.
"That's all right dear," Kathleen Truscott called out. The red-headed older woman smiled, her eyes twinkling behind her glasses.
"I was young once, too," she added. Lilly's blush deepened.
"Can we please open another present now, before someone else tries to embarrass me?" she managed. She grinned sheepishly, and everyone laughed.
"All right, everyone leave my wife alone now," Miley said playfully. "The only one who gets to make her blush is me!"
'Gee, thanks Miles," Lilly whispered sarcastically.
"You know I love you," Miley whispered back, and she kissed Lilly on the cheek.
"I love you too,' Lilly responded with a radiant smile. Slowly but surely, her embarrassment began to fade.
"Here," Felicia offered, still smiling. She set a large gift bag in front of Lilly. "Maybe this'll help… it's the last one."
Miley wondered who the gift could be from; they had already opened presents from all the guests at the party, even Felicia. She hoped none of them had gone overboard and bought them something else.
Curious, Miley reached inside the large gift bag and pulled out a small white envelope. The writing on it seemed very familiar, and with trembling fingers she carefully opened the envelope and read the hand-written note inside:
Miley & Lilly,
I want you to know I love you both very much, and that there's no one who deserves the wonderful gift God has given you more than you two. Enjoy your day… and I hope you like the little gift I picked out…
Love, Dad
"I swear, if he makes me cry again…!" Miley muttered. Lilly grinned and reached into the gift bag herself. Pulling away the plain white tissue paper covering the present, she revealed what appeared to be a large pink blanket with a big blue butterfly on it. Miley's jaw dropped open.
"What is it, Miles?" Lilly asked her, suddenly concerned.
"Lilly, this… this was my baby blanket!" Miley gasped. "B-but... I thought…!"
"I've had it in my hope chest all this time," Mamaw Ruthie said as she walked over to where Miley & Lilly were sitting.
"Your father asked if he could have it, to give to your little one," she continued, smiling warmly. "How could I say no? Besides, I know you'll take good care of it… you always have."
"Is that what I think it is?" Luanne asked in a stunned voice. Ruthie looked up to see her other granddaughter standing beside her, staring at the faded pink blanket with wide eyes.
"Miley's baby blanket," Ruthie said softly. "Your cousin wouldn't go anywhere without it when she was little."
"I remember…" Luanne replied distantly, the fading memories of their childhood suddenly filling her mind.
"Do you remember the time you splashed mud on it?" Ruthie asked her carefully. Luanne nodded slowly.
"Miley threw a fit," she replied. "She wouldn't stop crying until you washed it for her!"
"And after you apologized to her, you two fell asleep on that blanket together," Ruthie continued, smiling warmly. "I still have the picture I took of the two of you."
"On your fridge!" Luanne gasped. "No wonder I recognized it!"
"Wow…" was all Lilly could think of to say.
"Well, w-what do you think Lils?" Miley asked her, carefully unfolding the old pink blanket that had once meant so much to her. As Lilly watched, Miley wrapped her arms around it and pulled it against her, smiling a little… a smile, she suspected, the secret pop star's younger self had shown often.
"I think it's adorable," Lilly said sweetly, returning her lover's smile. "Just like you."
"Oh, Mamaw!" Miley jumped to her feet and hugged her grandmother fiercely. "Thank you so much! I don't know what to say!"
"I'm glad you like it sweetheart, but I'm not the one you should be thanking," Ruthie whispered.
"Daddy wouldn't get anywhere near a baby shower and you know it," Miley chuckled.
"But I might make an exception just once, for my baby girl," Robbie Ray's unexpected voice called out. Everyone turned to see him walking slowly into the living room. Miley practically jumped into his arms.
"Thank you so much, daddy!" Miley gushed, crying freely. "I love you!"
"So am I forgiven for making you cry again?" Robbie Ray asked her, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Miley playfully slapped his chest.
"You're horrible," she teased him.
"I just wanted to give you something special for your little one," Robbie Ray said with a smile. "And I thought you'd like to pass your old 'blankie' on to your own children…"
"Blankie?" Lilly asked with a smirk. Miley blushed politely.
"I'll tell you later," she managed. "Now get over here and give me a hug!" Grinning, Lilly happily did so, and Robbie Ray wrapped his arms around his two daughters in a warm hug.
"Now," he said gently, "I want you two to give that blanket to your own little girl, so she'll know she's loved as much as your momma and I loved you, baby girl…"
Lilly smiled again as she remembered the baby shower, warmth and contentment washing over her. She snuggled against Miley again and kissed her gently on the cheek, all the love and devotion she felt for her wife rising up within her. All the wonderful things in her life, she owed to the angelic auburn-haired pop star sleeping peacefully beside her; Lilly had no doubt she and Miley were meant for each other, and were meant to be the parents of the little girl still growing inside her… and, someday soon, everyone would see it.
She was actually already in the ninth month of her pregnancy, and as far as she was concerned, as big as a house. The excitement she felt as they grew closer and closer to finally getting to meet their little girl was almost enough to make her forget about her throbbing back… almost.
Sighing, Lilly let her eyes close as sleep at last began to overtake her. She gently took one of Miley's hands in her own and yawned tiredly… and then, just before she was finally about to fall asleep, something made her jolt awake again. Pulling back the covers, she saw something dark and damp on the sheets beneath her. Lilly's eyes went wide.
"Oh, shit…!" she hissed. Turning, she shook Miley in a desperate attempt to wake her
"Miley, wake up!" she called out. "Come on, Miles, please!"
"Lilly?" Miley replied sleepily. "What is it, baby?"
"We need to get to the hospital!" Lilly said quickly. "I think my water just broke!"