Ch 5
The next morning, Chris goes downstairs while Rita is still asleep and calls Frannie.
"Hello?"
"Hey Frannie. I heard thru the grapevine you need some baby time.."
"Christopher. Yes. Please."
"What night works for you? Rita isn't comfortable leaving her for long."
"She'll be fine with us."
"That's the only reason she agreed to go on a date night while you have her."
"How about tonight?"
"That works. What time?"
"How about six? Not too early but not too late."
"Perfect. We'll see you then."
"Ok. See you then. Bye Frannie."
Rita comes downstairs with an unhappy Sammy.
"Hey..what's wrong?"
"She wants her Daddy. She's been fed and changed."
"Rita…"
He takes Sammy and lays her in the bassinet. "Hang on baby."
Rita glares at him. "I woke up and.."
"Sam…" he opens his arms for her. "I will always be here when you wake up."
She goes to him. "I was scared.."
He hugs her tight. "You're ok. I love you."
She wraps her arms around him. "Why?"
"Why do I love you?"
"Yeah."
"So many reasons."
"Tell me."
"You're smart, beautiful, an amazing friend, the love of my life.." He kisses the top of her head.
"I'm sorry I'm so clingy.. I just.."
He nods. "I know honey. It's ok. I'm back for good. I'm not planning on going anywhere without you. Still up for a date night today?"
"Sure. What time?"
"Told Frannie we'd have Sam there by six. That'll give us til like seven thirty or eight to be Chris and Rita and not Mom and Dad."
She nods. "I'm sorry I am acting crazy."
"You're not. A lot has happened in a few weeks. Sammy, me..moving back.."
"Yeah."
He rubs her back. "You ok now?"
"Yeah. Just promise me you won't leave without telling me."
"Never. I know that hurt you me not saying goodbye when I .. but I promised you forever and I mean that. Now..what do you want to do today?"
"You need a car and I need pumps."
"Ok. I'll go get Sammy ready. And I'll get ready too. You just relax and get some breakfast. Toast is on the bar with butter, jelly and half the caff coffee."
"Ok. You're too good to me even after the way.."
"Hey, that's enough. You don't have to apologize. If I have to tell you twenty times a day that I'm not going anywhere I will."
She kisses him. "I love you."
"I love you too." He picks Sammy up and kisses her cheek. "Let's go get ready."
He grabs her bag and takes it upstairs with them. "Rita..I know what you're thinking and I'm just packing it for today. We aren't leaving you."
"I know. I'm not worried. Especially since you don't have the equipment to feed her."
He laughs. "True."
She goes to fix her coffee and grab some toast. "Hey Chris.."
"Yeah?"
"Make sure you grab a couple of sleepers for her just in case we're out til time to go to Cap and Frannie's."
"One step ahead of ya. Got them packed first thing."
She smiles. "Ok."
He comes back down a few minutes later with the baby dressed and a tiny bow headband on.
"Oh don't you look cute."
Chris smiles. "Why thank you."
Rita smacks his side. "The baby. You..look handsome as always."
He smiles. "Go get ready and we will go."
She nods. "Ok."
Chris lays Sammy in the bassinet and makes a list of things they need to get or at least look at. "Hey Rita…do we have a swing for Sammy?"
"No. And I want to get something we can put her in after we get her out of the car seat."
"Ok. Got them on the list."
She comes back down. "Ready to go?"
He nods. "Yeah." He checks the bag. "Oh..forgot her blanket. Hold on." He runs upstairs and grabs a couple. "Ok here we go. Let's roll."
She picks Sammy up and rubs her back. "You ready to go baby?"
He takes Rita's hand. "Ready?"
"Yeah."
She takes it and squeezes his hand. He takes Sammy and buckles her in. He opens the door for Rita and she gets in. "Where to first?"
"Let's go see what we can find for me and the baby."
"Ok. Where should we go first?"
"The mall I guess. Where are the baby stores?"
"I've never paid attention."
They drive to the mall and Chris parks the car. "Hopefully we can find what we need here."
"I bet we can." She gets out of the car and gets Sammy. "Hi baby. Let's go get us some stuff." She grabs a blanket and covers up Sammy's face and hands the bag to Chris.
He takes it and takes Rita's free hand. "Ok. Let's go look at the directory and see what we can find."
Rita looks at the directory and points to a store. "Let's just start here and go from there."
"Sounds good. Need me to take her?"
"She's fine." Rita lifts the blanket and smiles. "Sound asleep."
Chris smiles and drops a light kiss on her head. They start walking towards the first store and go to the baby department. "We have a stroller for her?"
"No. She might do good in that. But she'll be riding in it when she's older for sure."
Chris nods and gets one. "Ok. So now something we can hold her in while she's still this little.."
Rita looks around and smiles. "What about this? It adjusts so as she gets older. And I can move her down if she needs to nurse."
"Looks good to me." Chris gets one and puts it on top of the box of the stroller. "Ok. Now what else is on the list?"
"A swing and pumps for me."
"Oh yes." He looks around. "There's the swings." They walk over and look at all of them.
Rita looks at one. "Chris, check this one. It's got different speeds."
"Looks good to me." He adds the box to the pile.
"Now the pumps.." Rita heads over to them and finds one. She grabs two and adds them to the pile. "Anything else?"
"Might as well look at clothes for her. She's going to be growing out of these soon."
"No. She can't."
Rita laughs. "She has to eventually."
Chris starts looking for the next size up. He finds a cute romper that's blue and white check with sunflowers on it. "Whatcha think?"
"Oh that's adorable. Get one in each size. That's going to look so good on her."
Chris nods and gets them.
"Ok that should be good for now."
They check out and the cashier grabs a basket for them. Rita pulls out her credit card. "Take her for a minute?"
"Of course." He takes the baby and kisses her cheek. "Hi beautiful."
Sam wakes up and looks up at him. She grabs on to his shirt.
"It's ok honey."
Rita signs the receipt and puts it in her purse. "That's everything from here on the list."
"Oh wait. Bottles."
"I saw those at the store when we went last time."
"Ok. We'll just get them there."
They head back out to the car and Chris buckles Sammy back in the car seat.
Rita pops the trunk and Chris loads everything in.
"To the store. Do we need anything else besides the bottles?"
"Probably could use the next size up on diapers."
He nods. "Sammy, you need to quit growing up. Daddy's not ready for it."
Rita kisses him. "It'll be ok."
He opens the door for Rita and she gets in. He puts the basket up and climbs in the car. "Ok. Let's go."
Chris drives towards the store. "We need anything from the store?"
Rita shakes her head. "Just the bottles for now."
Chris parks the car. "No need for all of us to go in. What size bottles?"
"Get the six ounce ones and the twelve ounce ones."
"Sounds good. I'll be right back. I promise."
She nods. "Be careful." She hands him a couple of twenty dollar bills.
He takes them and kisses Rita. He heads inside and right for the baby department. He finds the bottles and grabs the ones Rita wanted. He goes to check out and heads back to the car. "Told ya."
"You're good."
Chris drives back to the loft. "She'll be hungry soon. And we still have time before we have to take her over to Cap and Frannie."
"Good idea."
As predicted, Sam starts crying as soon as they pull up.
"It's ok baby girl. Mama's right here." Rita gets her out of the car seat and they head inside.
Chris brings the pumps in and washes them. "No time like the present to start."
She nods. "I was just thinking that. After she eats I'll go upstairs and do it."
"Where do you want the swing?"
"Down here."
He nods and starts putting it together.
She burps Sammy and lays her in the bassinet. "I'll be back."
"Ok. Yell if you need me."
"I always need you."
He flashes his killer smile and he blows her a kiss. "Love you."
"Love you too."
She heads upstairs and starts to pump. A bit later she comes down and puts the milk in a bag. "Know how to thaw this?"
He shakes his head.
"Not in the microwave. Put the bag in a bowl of hot water and let it thaw that way."
He nods. "Got it."
She puts the date on it and puts it in the freezer. "Oldest first."
"Got it. Oldest first, bag in bowl of hot water."
Sam starts whimpering.
Chris picks her up and kisses her cheek. "I'm sorry baby."
He rubs her back. "Daddy was putting together your swing. You wanna try it out?" He goes to lay her down in the swing and she starts fussing. "I know baby. Hang on. Daddy's gotta get you buckled in." He buckled her in and puts it on low. She calms down and goes back to sleep.
"Looks like she likes it."
"Yes she does. That will be good when we wash the sheet for the bassinet."
"Yes it will."
He gets the stroller out and unfolds it. "When she wakes up, we'll try this one out."
"Maybe take a walk?"
He nods. "We can do that." He walks over to Rita and kisses her.
She smiles and wraps her arms around his neck.
He wraps his arms around her waist. "You ok?"
She nods. "Think it finally clicked you're not leaving me again."
"Not for another thirty or forty years. How would you feel about a real wedding? Engagement ring and everything."
"Sammy can be our flower girl."
"Yes."
"I will marry you a hundred times."
He smiles. "Good. Want to pick it out with me or want to be surprised?"
"Surprise me."
He nods. "Ok. Sam and I can get it when you go back to work. When do you want to do it?"
"On our anniversary?"
He nods. "Parfait. So we have what about three months to get it all done?"
"Yeah about. We should do as much as we can while I'm off."
"And you already have your dress.."
"I do?"
"Yes. The one you wore that day at the beach."
"I was pregnant when I wore it. It won't fit right now."
"Oh."
"I'll find something. I promise."
He nods. "Ok."
Sam wakes up and looks around.
Rita smiles. "Hey baby girl. Did you sleep good?" She goes over to the swing and unbuckles her.
"Let's get you changed and ready to go for a walk. See how you like the stroller." She takes Sam to get her diaper changed.
He grabs the bag and puts it under the stroller. "You two ready?"
"Ready." Rita lays Sam in the stroller. "So far so good."
He smiles. "Ok. Let's go."
Rita links her arm with Chris' once they get on the sidewalk and she puts the sun shade up.
They start walking for a bit.
He kisses Rita's cheek. "Where should we go?"
"She's being good so let's just walk for a while. I need to get back into shape anyway."
"Sammy, you look beautiful. You don't have to for me."
"You're a charmer. I have to for work. But that's good to know."
They end up walking towards the beach and they find a bench.
Chris sits down next to Rita and puts his foot around the stroller.
Rita leans her head on his shoulder.
"You ok?"
"Yeah. I'm good."
He smiles and plays with her hair. Chris looks at his watch. "Oh we better go get ready and get Sammy over to Cap and Frannie's."
Rita nods. "Yeah. I want to feed her before we go."
They head back to the loft and Rita picks Sammy up. "Hungry baby girl?" She sits on the couch and feeds Sam
Chris goes to get ready. "Where do you wanna go eat?"
"Nothin fancy."
"Seafood?"
"Yeah that works."
She puts Sammy in the swing and goes to get ready.
Chris grabs the bag out of the stroller and goes to put it in the car.
"Chris?"
Rita walks downstairs and doesn't see him. "Christopher?!"
She flops on the couch and starts crying.
He comes back in the loft. "Hey..what's wrong?"
She looks up. "Where did you go?"
"I just put the bag in the car." He pulls her close to him. "I'm sorry. I told you I wouldn't leave you and I wasn't here when you came back downstairs."
She nods. "Thought you decided to leave."
"Never. Never ever again." He holds her close. "All good?"
She nods. "Yeah." She lays her head on his shoulder. "I love you."
"I love you too. Go fix your not necessary makeup and we'll head out. I'll take Sammy out to the car and we'll wait for you."
She nods. "Promise?"
"Promise." He kisses her.
She heads back upstairs to fix her make up and Chris gets Sam and they head out to the car.
