It's just after 5 when I wake up feeling like my bladder is going to burst. I'm happy to discover I'm wearing pajamas. I have no memory of going to bed last night.

When I come back from the bathroom, Josh is awake and smiling at me. His internal clock wakes him up at 5am unless he's had less than 4 hours sleep, sometimes even then. On weekends he sometimes manages to go back to sleep for an hour or so, then he wakes me up in very pleasurable ways. I really like our weekends. I wish we weren't at my parents house.

I crawl back into bed and snuggle up to him. He immediately wraps his arms around me.

"Hey- how are you feeling?"

"For the moment, pretty good." I almost hate to say it outloud. I'm afraid to jinx it.

"I'm glad to hear that." One of his hands slips under my shirt and starts lightly tracing patterns up and down my side, while he uses the other to trace along the side of my face. It's very relaxing and I feel my eyes getting heavy again.

"Josh. . ."

"mmmhmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you too. Go back to sleep."

"Okay."

At 8 oclock, the noise from the house wakes me up. I can't believe I slept another three hours! That's crazy. I'm not surprised that Josh isn't in bed with me. I am surprised when he brings up a tray with tea and toast.

"Did my Mother see you?"

"Yes. This is Lottie approved. She suggested that you wait to come downstairs until she's done cooking breakfast for everyone else. She said to eat slowly, then stay in bed for at least fifteen minutes and see how you feel."

"But the Easter Egg hunt. . ."

"It's not until 10. We should be okay."

Josh moves the desk chair over by the bed and sits down next to me. Give him a smile. I'm glad he's staying up here with me.

"I'm not dying, right?" Josh's eyes get kind of wide for a minute. "I'm kidding Josh! Growing up, I'd have to be just about dying to get to eat in here."

"Oh, right." He relaxes. I'm starting to think that this pregnancy really is as stressful for him as it is for me.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't joke like that. We're fine. You know what, I haven't really asked you. . . . How're YOU feeling?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. I've been kind of self-centered lately and you've been amazing. How are you feeling about this?"

"Oh god Donna, right now, when you are sitting up and smiling and eating, I'm thrilled. Seeing you holding Kate last night, knowing in a few months it'll be our baby, I'm on top of the world. But seeing you inchoherent from exhaustion at 9:30, and watching you lose weight because you vomit every time you move, I'm completely terrified. I already love the little Bean. I can't wait to be a family. But if I'd know what this was going to be like for you, . . . ." He pauses and I'm glad he does, I don't really want him to say what I think he was going to say outloud. It looks like he doesn't want to say it either. "Anyway, maybe just one baby is enough, you know?"

I take his hand a give it a squeeze. "Let's table that discussion for about 10 months okay? People keep telling me that every pregnancy is different. The next one could be a breeze. Besides we aren't even a third of the way done with this one yet. Maybe it'll get better."

I nibble on the toast, deciding not to tell him that my Mom threw up for all of her pregnancies. Just because she did, doesn't mean I will. I need to talk to Bella today and find out what her's were like. Even if I do keep getting sick, my Mom has already given me some tips on how to cope better.

"Did you eat breakfast already?"

"Yes, your Mom made scrambled eggs, and hashbrowns and hash. It was really good."

"That does sound good."

"Do you want me to go get you some?" He looks hopeful. "Your Mom did say that scrambled eggs are a good thing to try when you feel like it."

"Not right now." The tea and toast thing has been working pretty good ever since Josh's Mom suggested it. For the last week, I've managed not to throw up until after the drive into work. I've actually been keeping the soup down at lunch too. My stomach gives a little clench. Maybe I'd better stop thinking about this too much.

"So what did you do after I went to bed last night?"

"Watched some sports with your Dad and Finn."
"Really? How'd that go?"

"It was okay. Did you know he has beer in there after your Mom goes to bed?" Josh chuckles as my eyes get big. "Your Mom might not be as tough as she leads us to believe." He whispers.

"Don't let her hear you say that."

"Anyway, we talked a little bit about Fatherhood. It was actually kind of nice."

"I'm glad." I feel tears prick the back of my eyes. "I really wish I could have met your Dad. He was always really nice on the phone."

"Yeah, my Dad was something. He used to work a lot, but on the weekends he was home, he'd play catch, and take me to ball games or we'd watch baseball on tv. I think at first he was hoping I'd join the firm, but he encouraged me to follow my dreams, and he told me he was proud of me. I wish you had met him too. He wanted me to bring you for a visit."

"Really?"

"Yes. He was a bit of a match-maker. He didn't like Mandy at all. Tell me more about Donna . . . when do I get to meet her? You should bring her for a visit. . . . I was going to ask you to go with me the next time I went home."

"Noah's a really nice name. If it's a boy do you want to name him after your Dad?"

"I don't know, it might be a lot of pressure, to be named after the grandfather you never met. I'll have to think about it, maybe see what my Mom thinks too."

That kind of surpises me, I didn't really think of that.

"So then, if it's a girl . . ." I almost don't want to bring it up, but I guess I'd rather do this all at once. He swallows hard.

"I definitely don't want to name my daughter Joanie. It would be too hard on my Mom . . . and me."

"Okay. Have you thought about names at all?"

"Not much. Maybe Leo? What do you think?" I'm not sure why he thinks Leo would be less pressure than Noah, but I'm not going to argue.

"Leo is a nice name. I think we should put it on the boys list."

"You have a list? What am I saying. . . of course you have a list."

"Actually, it really is just a mental list right now, but I was thinking we should get a baby name book and start a real list unless you already had strong feelings toward something."

"Let's get a book."

"Okay. Can you take the tray?"

"Where are you going?"

"I have to pee."

When I come back into the room Josh is getting our clothes out of the suitcase, which reminds me that he packed for us. I stop and look at him for a few minutes. It's like he's this completely different guy in some ways. But he's not- it's just that he's stepping up, doing more because I need him to. It makes me feel like having a family and a career might just be possible.

He catches me watching him from the doorway.

"What?"

"I'm just feeling like the luckiest woman alive right now."

"Really?"

"Yes." I walk over to him and he automatic wraps his arms around me. This is my happy place. "You're just . . . perfect." I sniffle.

"Are you crying?"

"No." Stupid hormones.

I feel him trying not to laugh. Then he kisses my hair.

"Come on, let's take a shower. And you can explain the point of an Easter Egg hunt to me."

As we are pulling up to Winnequah Park, I'm sort of wishing we'd bailed on the Easter Egg Hunt. My stomach is rolling and I'm pretty sure I'm going to lose breakfast. I feel like the morning sickness is almost under control except that I can't go anywhere or smell anything cooking. It's really frustrating. I actually felt good getting into this car 10 minutes ago!

"Are you okay?" I don't know why he even asks that anymore. I would think the answer is pretty obvious.

"Can you hand me a bag?" I'm really grateful for the Airline Attendant- she gave me a bunch of air sickness bags on the flight up here. At least this way I can be sick in the car and no one will see me except Josh and the agents.

If I had to get sick outside, it's pretty much a guarantee that I'd see someone I know. The whole town pretty much turns out for this, and we're not really inconspicuous arriving with a secret service escort.

I've finished vomiting and I'm chewing an Altoid when Phil opens the door. "We're ready for you."

I have two reasons for not bailing on this. First, it's a major family tradition. This is Carly's last egg hunt and the first I'll get to see Marco, I don't want to miss it. Second, I had to push a little in the planning to make it happen. This isn't an easy one for the Secret Service. They can't screen everyone here and they can only partially isolate us.

We follow Phil over to the 8-10 year old area. Carly waves at us from behind the starting rope. She's got a good spot. When the whistle blows and the rope is dropped she runs to the middle of the field and starts picking up eggs. In less than a minute that area is completely clear.

"Come on," I say to Josh and the agents. "Carly will find us in a few minutes."

We hustle over to the 3-4 year old area. Things are moving a little more slowly over there so we are able to see Marco pick up and put down several eggs before deciding he likes the blue ones the best. My family is yelling "It doesn't matter what color! Just put it in the basket!" Marco bends down for another blue egg but a bigger girl sweeps in a grabs it.

"Hey!" Josh yells "that was Marco's egg!" He starts toward the kids, and suddenly I can see him here in two years with our little Bean, standing guard to make sure no one steals her eggs. It makes me smile, but I lay a hand on Josh's sleeve.

"It's the way of the egg hunt. You snooze, you lose."

"But it's not fair!"

"Life isn't fair Josh."

Finn walks back over to us with Marco. He's smiling. He has 6 blue eggs in his basket.

"Okay. The moment of truth. Whatcha got?"

Carly opens all her eggs quickly. "No prize ticket here!" She says looking a little disappointed.

"I never won either." I tell her.

"Hey, at least you still get the candy." Aidan says. This was the first year he was too old to participate.

"How did Marco do?"

"He lost interest after opening the first egg. Julie let him have the candy so he's done." Finn laughs again.

"Just open them all while he's distracted!" Julie exclaims juggling the baby.

"Hey buddy! You got a prize!" Finn holds up a ticket.

"Really?" The other cousins are amazed.

"It's probably something small." Sean tells them. "Most of you won something when you were in the younger age groups. They have a lot more prizes in those eggs."

"Finn, can you take him to the prize tent? Kate's ready to eat, I'm going to the car. Carly, can you take Marco's eggs and drop them off with yours?" Julie's on a mission to get out of here.

Everyone disperses and Josh looks at me in amazement. "That was it?"

"Yes."

"But the whole thing lasted less than 10 minutes."

"Yep. Now you know why I said we couldn't be late."

"But. . . you acted like this was a really big deal."

"Josh. It is a big deal. It's a tradition."

He shakes his head like he doesn't understand but he wisely keeps his mouth shut.

"So can we go back to your parent's house now?"

"Yes, we'll find out what Marco won when they get home."

As we are headed back toward the SUV I hear-

"Donna!? Donna Moss?!"

I look to my right and stop. Really? What are the odds?

"Freddie Briggs! How nice to see you."

"You've GOT to be kidding me." Josh mumbles under his breath.