Thank you so much for all of the reviews, comments and continued support.
I don't own these characters, they belong to the wonderfully talented Martha Wiliamson.
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Chapter 6:
Shane was almost halfway through her pregnancy and she couldn't believe how quickly time was passing by. Her morning sickness had decreased and she was finally starting to feel better. The last few weeks had been difficult on her, but she was lucky to have such a loving and supportive husband in Oliver. He was there to give her a massage when her body was aching. He stayed awake with her when she tossed and turned and couldn't get comfortable. He brought her breakfast in bed when she needed extra rest and had Saltine crackers readily available whenever she was feeling nauseous. He never missed a doctor's appointment and read every pregnancy book she read just to better understand what she was going through. He was already the epitome of the perfect father and hadn't even had a chance to hold their baby yet.
"Alright, Shane, let's take a look at your baby." Shane's thoughts were interrupted by Dr. Mills as she began the ultrasound. Oliver held her hand as they both lovingly gazed at the monitor displaying their baby. Silence filled the room as the doctor took measurements to track their child's development. Oliver was in absolute awe as he watched the heartbeat and witnessed the movements of their little miracle. After a few minutes, Dr. Mills paused and looked at the expectant parents. "Your baby is healthy and everything is right on track with his or her growth. Before I continue, do you want to know the sex?"
Shane and Oliver exchanged a look of agreement before Oliver responded to the doctor. "Actually, Dr. Mills, would you be able to write down the gender and place it in an envelope? I am planning something special for Shane and I want to be the one to tell her." Dr. Mills smiled and nodded in agreement at the request and continued the rest of the ultrasound in silence. Once she had completed her measurements and assured the O'Toole's that everything was progressing normally, she handed Oliver a sealed envelope before he and Shane made their way out of the office.
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Shane awoke to the feel of her husband's lips lingering on her cheek and his hand softly caressing her swollen belly. "It's time to wake up, my love." He whispered in her ear, gently trying to coerce her out of her slumber.
"No, Oliver, I'm not ready to get up yet." Her eyes remained closed as she replied sleepily and nuzzled into his chest. She wrapped her arm around him and pulled him closer to her to stop him from getting out of bed.
"I would love nothing more than to stay right here with you all day, however we have a barbecue to prepare for." He was finding it rather difficult to leave the comfort of his wife's arms, especially after she started to plant a trail of kisses from his neck to his jawline. "Uh, Shane…you know what that does to me." Her hands roamed his chest as she brought her lips to his in a heated kiss. When they parted, their breathing was labored and Oliver was working hard to exert self-control. "It's torturous to not continue what you've started, but we have a lot to do."
Shane had a look of disappointment in her eyes. "I know you're right. I hope you realize I intend to finish what I started when everyone leaves." She kissed him on the cheek and then threw the covers back before sitting up.
"Believe me, my beautiful wife, I'm counting on that." Oliver followed suit and they both got out of bed, scrambling to get ready for their busy day.
Two weeks had passed since the ultrasound and Oliver still had not revealed the gender of the baby to Shane. He had been incredibly secretive and Shane was going out of her mind with curiosity. Oliver kept reminding her to "trust the timing" but the anticipation was driving her insane. When he had suggested they have the Dorman's and his father over for a Saturday afternoon barbecue, she wondered if he was up to something more.
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Shane finished applying her makeup and looked at her reflection in the full length mirror. She wore a mint chiffon floral maternity dress that flowed just above her knees and had chosen to put her hair up at an attempt to escape the summer heat. She placed her hand on her womb and relished at the feel of life growing underneath her palms.
She was startled when she felt strong arms wrap around her waist but calmed when she caught site of her husband standing behind her. "You are so beautiful, my love. You take my breath away." He turned her to face him and cupped her face in his. He kept one hand on her belly and used the other one to gently draw her face to his, sealing the moment in a generous kiss. When they pulled back, Oliver kneeled before her so that he was facing her baby bump. He peppered her belly with soft kisses, causing her to giggle in response. He finished his sweet torture and enveloped her middle in his arms, the side of his face resting gently on her stomach. Shane was in complete bliss as she ran her hands through her husband's hair, loving every moment of his adoration. "I love you both so much, Shane. Our miracle amazes me every day." They stayed like that for what seemed like hours, lost in the feel of holding each other.
Oliver finally stood and Shane immediately missed the warmth of his embrace. "I have something to show you." He gave her a boyish grin and took her hand in his and led her down the hallway. They stopped just outside the closed door to the nursery and he took a deep breath before slowly opening the door for her.
Shane gasped and covered her mouth, tears instantly falling down her cheeks. The room had been painted a light blue-gray with pastel pink trim. The curtains matched the trim and the beautiful, pink rocking chair and ottoman that sat in the corner. She slowly turned around the room, mesmerized at how gorgeous it was. She stopped when her eyes reached the other end of the nursery. "Oh, Oliver!" She was sobbing when she saw that on the far wall, large pink wooden letters with yellow roses sketched on them were hanging from yellow ribbons, spelling out their daughter's name: Charlotte. "We're having a baby girl!" Shane squealed and threw her arms around Oliver. They were both laughing and crying as they held each other tight.
"I hope you aren't upset that I took the liberty of painting our daughter's room, but I wanted to surprise you. You put so much thought into telling me about our baby and I wanted to make this moment special for you and just for us to share." He held her hands and placed a kiss on each one of them while never taking his eyes off of hers.
"I love it, Oliver! It's perfect!" She leaned in and kissed him, amazed at what he did for her. "But how did you do all this without me knowing?"
"Well, I may have misrepresented the time frame in which last week's Postal conference took place. I finished relatively early each day and then had plenty of time to come home and work on this before it was time to accompany you home from the office. I apologize for my dishonesty, however I deemed it necessary in order to get this completed." They walked hand in hand over to the wall that displayed their daughter's name and Shane delicately ran her fingers along the roses on the letters. When she had entered her second trimester, Oliver had bought her a book of baby names. They had spent many nights on their porch swing flipping through the pages trying to find the right name for their son or daughter. They had decided to take the traditional route and had chosen Joshua Henry for a boy and Charlotte Rose for a girl. Joshua meant "God is salvation" and Henry was Joe's middle name and they wanted to honor him. Charlotte was the name of Oliver's Grandma, the very women whose ring now rested on Shane's left hand. The middle name, Rose, seemed only fitting as a way to pay homage to the last rose of summer.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. I couldn't ask for a more precious way to find out we're having a baby girl." She put her arms around his neck and brought him close to her. "I thought that maybe you were planning on telling me today with everyone else during the barbecue. I'm so happy that it was just us." He smiled at her and sealed their embrace with a sweet kiss.
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After Oliver had showed her their daughter's nursery, he had confessed that the purpose of today was so that they could announce the gender of their child to their close friends and family. Oliver had attempted to get Shane's mother and sister there for their special day, however Alex was traveling abroad with her boyfriend and Margaret had taken ill and did not want to risk getting anyone sick. Oliver had suggested they postpone, however Margaret wouldn't hear of it and was insistent that he proceed as planned. Since she would not be there for the announcement, Shane and Oliver Skyped with her before the party and gave her the news, later showing her a virtual tour of the baby's room. The barbecue was now in full swing and Shane was glowing with happiness.
"Can I get you anything, Shane?" Norman asked as he walked up to her while holding a sleeping Francis. Since finding out she was pregnant, Norman had taken on a protective big brother role and always tried to make sure Shane was taken care of if Oliver wasn't around to do so. Shane watched as he held the sleeping toddler, in awe at how natural he looked holding his little boy.
"No thank you, Norman. I think I've eaten enough for a lot more than two people." She adjusted in her chair and noticed Francis stirring. "Do you want to lay him down inside so he can sleep more soundly?"
"I appreciate the offer, but Francis doesn't sleep well in strange places." His eyes bulged as he thought about how that may have sounded. "Not that your home is strange, it's just that—"
Shane gave him a reassuring smile before cutting him off. "It's okay, Norman. I know what you meant." Norman smiled back and then awkwardly wandered toward his wife when he noticed her walking his way. He carefully passed Francis to Rita before excusing himself to go inside. Rita had just finished assisting Oliver and Joe clean up in the kitchen so that Shane could stay off her feet. Shane had tried to help, however when the three of them ganged up on her, she knew she had lost. Rita came and sat down next to Shane and the two women engaged in a light discussion about maternity clothes. With the baby growing every day, Shane found that she didn't have enough clothes to fit her expanding belly and asked Rita if she would accompany her the following weekend to the maternity store. Rita was more than happy to oblige and the ladies had scheduled a girls only shopping day.
A few minutes later, Oliver, Joe and Norman walked outside and joined the ladies around the table. Joe and Norman took their seats, however Oliver walked over to his wife and placed his hands on her shoulders signaling to her that it was time to share their news. Shane reached back and lovingly squeezed his hand, sharing an understanding in their unspoken communication. As soon as Shane got up from her chair to stand beside Oliver, he draped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. "I'm hoping I may have everyone's attention." They all stopped talking and focused on Oliver. "Shane and I have some wonderful news to share." He looked at his wife and nodded his head to her. He was honored that he was the one to tell her they were expecting a daughter, so he thought it was only right that she make the announcement to their loved ones.
"Oliver and I are pleased to announce that we are having a baby girl!" Immediately after the words left her mouth, excitement ensued and Joe and the Dorman's stood up to offer their congratulations to the happy couple.
Joe got to Shane first and gave her a hug that a father gives a daughter. "I'm so happy for you and Oliver. I love you so much, Shane. Thank you for loving my son and giving me a precious granddaughter to spoil. I can't wait to meet her!" Both had tears in their eyes and more hugs and congratulations were shared among the guests. When the excitement of the news had calmed, Shane excitedly showed off the nursery and gushed about what Oliver had done for her.
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A couple of hours later, the guests were gone and Oliver and Shane lay curled up together on the couch. Shane shifted slightly and moved out of his embrace, causing Oliver to protest. "Shhhh. Turn around." She gave him a mischievous smile and he obliged her by turning his back towards her. She began to slowly massage his shoulders, eliciting a grateful moon from his lips. "You always take such good care of me and now it's my turn to take care of you." She continued to run her hands into his sore muscles along his back, neck and shoulders.
"Shane, that feels incredible. You always know just what I need." His head was slumped down in relaxation as she worked the tense muscles in the back of his neck.
A few minutes later, Oliver was completely relaxed and enjoying the feel of his wife's hands on him. He suddenly felt his body tingle as Shane began to place kisses on the side of his neck, lightly sucking on the pulse point there. "I believe I promised you that I would finish what I started when our guests were gone." She sensually whispered in his ear and he immediately moved his head to meet hers. He quickly yet carefully turned his body and pulled her on his lap, securing his mouth to hers in a mind blowing kiss.
They held each other close as their lips tangoed and Shane melted into her husband's secure arms. They pulled away to catch their breath and leaned their foreheads together. There were no words spoken as Shane stood and held her hand to Oliver, both intent on getting lost in each other's embrace for the rest of the night.
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