AN: Waving a white flag don't shoot. I know that it has been forever since I last updated. Real life just kept coming this summer and fall. It seemed like every time I would get one thing in order with my life another thing decided that it was its turn to screw me over. The short version of things I took my 3 summer graduate level classes and got a 4.0 for the summer. In the middle of June my mother was diagnosed with cancer after having a preventive hysterectomy. She has being going through radiation treatment and is on the tail end of things. I sadly enough did not get a teaching job and I have been babysitting and have finally given in to substituting. Interspersed thought all of this, I have tried and failed many times to find my muse to write. Good news is I think I have found her the bad news is she is really all over the place. I have three other story ideas but don't want to start them until I at least finish something. I hope you like this chapter and I can say that I have finally finished a story. For those of you reading my other writings I plain to work on So Much More Than a Dream next. I hope you like the ending to this one I am contemplating a sequel or an epilog. I will leave it up to you all to tell me what you want. Thanks to everyone who has been a part of this wither you just read, favortied or reviewed. As always read and enjoy.

Chapter 18 Season of Surprises

I spent the summer trying to juggle planning a wedding and getting ready to start teaching in the fall. Eric and I had settled on getting married over winter break, so I was rushing to get things together. I got a tone of help from Pam and Amelia who were both beyond excited to see Eric and I get hitch. Our color were royal blue and a silvery ice blue. Pam, Ames and Tara were set to be my bride's maids along with Lafayette. He all but demanded to be standing on my side for the wedding. Jess was going to be my maid of honor. Eric's brothers, Jason and two of his friends from work would be his groom's men. Between the girls and Lala I had everything planned, reserved and ordered by August first.

I also had inherited a ton of stuff from the retiring teacher I was replacing. She had told me that I could keep whatever I wanted. While originally I thought this to be a kind gesture I soon figured out that it was more of a way for her to get around cleaning out her junk. On top of both of those I also had Hunter. Daddy's company got contracted to build new luxury condos down in New Orleans so he would be gone during the week for the summer. Unfortunately for all of us Gran had slipped in the tub in early June breaking her hip, making it almost impossible for her to take Hunter. So with very little persuasion Eric and I took him. We converted one of the guest rooms into his bedroom. Hunter loved it. Especially when he got to pick out the paint color. While I have never been a fan of lime green Hunter sure was. Several times over the summer I had to take him with me to work. Eric and I were still looking for the right preschool to enroll him in. He colored while I cleaned or sat through meetings.

On one of these days I promised Hunter if he could make it through the meeting I would take him to anywhere he wanted for lunch. It was my last meeting for new teachers till school started the next week. Hunter was a dream and just quietly played. He held my hand as we walked to the car. I finally broke down and let Eric by me a new car with the condition that I could buy him something just as ridiculous once I had the money. I helped Hunter into his car seat when he asked. "Sookie can we have Fruky Chicken?"

"Sure honey whatever you want." I smile as I buckle him in. I am sure Gran would have made him wash his mouth out for the almost swear but I had gotten used to knowing what he meant. I put my bag on the seat next to him and get into the front seat. I dove out of the parking lot and onto the road. Soon we were pulling into the drive through lane. I order Hunter a kid's meal bucket. I thought it was kind of cute that they had a tiny bucket with a variety of choices for him. Sadly his favorite part of the whole thing was the packet of apple sauce, not the chicken bites or the mac and cheese. I drove us to a park that was not far from the house. We ate at the bench next to the swing set. Once we were done I let Hunter play for a while. My stomach started churning and I was thinking maybe the fast food had been a bad idea. I was still feeling sick when we pulled into the drive. "Hunter it's time for you to take a nap. Do you want me to read you a book?" I asked him helping him to unbuckle.

"I want Russell the sheep." This had become one of his favorite books to hear before he went to sleep. He especially liked when Eric would read it to him in an over the top dramatic way.

"Ok you go find it and I will put my stuff away." I said when we walked in the door. Hunter took off to his room as fast as his legs would carry him. I placed my bags in the office and turned to go back when my stomach made it explicitly clear in needed to be in the bathroom like yesterday. I just made it into the bathroom when the bile rising up in my throat exploded from my mouth. To say I erupted would be a gross understatement, I covered the entire bathroom with lunch. I draped myself over the toilet just in case anything else came up.

That is where Eric found me a few minutes later still retching. He had come home for his lunch break. "Sookie where are you I have some good news." He stepped into the bathroom "Oh Sookie are you ok?" He asked while wetting and handing me a washcloth.

"No I think I have food poising. Will you go check on Hunter? I was going to read to him before his nap when this happen." I gestured to the mess around me.

"Don't worry about it honey. I will get him to bed and come back to help you get cleaned up." He left me as another wave of vomit hit. Not too long after he came back and helped me to my feet. "You know this was not how I wanted to undress you today." He joked as he helped me strip down and get into the shower. I just nodded my head trying to smile. While I got cleaned up he took care of everything else. If I had not been sure that this man loved me I would have known then. He even helped me dry off and lay down. He was cuddling me while he called into work saying he had a family emergency and would not be back for the rest of the day. I fell asleep in his arms. I was still feeling queasy the next morning but had not gotten sick again. I had that feeling for the next week with intermittent spewing and a low grade temp, I was starting to wonder what was going on. I knew that food poising should not last that long so I made an appointment to see the doctor on Friday afternoon. It was not how I wanted to end my first week of teaching. The doctor gave me an antibiotic and told me to come back in a couple of days if I was still not feeling well. It seemed to do the trick and I was feeling fine in no time. Right before Thanksgiving I thought I had caught another bug. I was supper tired and little things were making me nauseous. I would puke my brains out first thing in the morning and late in the afternoon. After about a week Eric convinced me to go to the doctor to figure out what was going on. I made another late Friday afternoon appointment.

I was playing on my phone waiting to be called back when I got a text from Eric.

I picked up Hunter and we are heading over to Gran's for a visit. We are going to stop on the way home to pick something up for dinner. Is there anything you want?

I replied Honey could you get me some ginger ale? My stomach is still feeling queasy. I love you I will see you two at home. XOXO

I put my phone back in my purse when a nurse called my name. I followed her back and she took my vitals. "So Sookie what are you here to see the doctor about?"

"I have been sick to my stomach for the last week and throwing up periodically mostly in the morning or late afternoon. I have been real tired and achy to. Could it be the flu? I know it has been going around at the school."

"It could be. I will let Dr. Jones know you are ready for her she should be back shortly and we will see if we can get you fixed up ok." She smiled leaving the room. A few minutes later the doctor came in and introduced herself.

"Sookie I am Dr. Jones. So Sookie is sounds like you have been sick to your stomach for a week. Have you been throwing up or having lose stools?" She took notes and continued "When was your last period?" That question made me stop. I had to think when it was. I had missed it.

"I should have had it two weeks ago. I think with everything that has been going on I didn't even realize I missed it. I am on birth control so I shouldn't be pregnant." I tried to reassure myself.

"You could have missed because of stress but we will need to check just to be sure. Sometimes birth control is not completely effective." After several more questions and her feeling around on my stomach she decided to have me pee in a cup and have some blood drawn. The smiley nurse came back drew some blood and then lead me to the bathroom. "Well Sookie it looks like you are pregnant." She told me cautiously.

"Ok." I answered somewhat dazed.

"I want you to start taking some vitamins and quit your birth control. I want to try and eat even when you don't feel like it. If you are having a real hard time keeping anything down try mild things like ginger ale and crackers. I also want you to schedule an appointment with your gynecologist as soon as you can." I soon left the doctor's office and headed home. It had not crossed my mind that I could be pregnant. It was really starting to sink in. Eric and I were going to have a baby. My face broke out into a huge smile. You know that smile you get when you really like someone. I mean the one that you just can't stop no matter what and really you don't care. Well that is the smile I get on my face every time I look at Eric. It was the same smile I had now. I walked into the house to find Eric and Hunter camped out in the living room.

"So what did the doctor say?" Eric asked when I sat down next to him.

"I am not sick but I will continue to feel this way for a while."

"Oh, why?" He questions concerned.

"Well that is what usually happens with morning sickness." I watch as it dawns on him just what I said.

"Sookie is there something you want to tell me?"

"We are going to have a baby."

AN# 2: So what do you think? Do you want an sequel or an epilog?