Kiriakis Mansion
The 4th Of July was in a few days; Ben and Ciara had just put Bo to bed and were sitting on the couch watching tv. Ben looked at Ciara and said, " What should we do for the 4th of July?"
" Maybe we can go to the lake."
" You know that's where I was when you showed up at the garage apartment."
" Really, why were you there?"
" Claire dragged me there with Allie and Tripp."
" Really?"
" Yeah, she said she wasn't letting me sit and mope around the apartment."
" I'm glad they were there for you when I couldn't be."
" They tried to cheer me up, but I wound up sitting and drinking beer and having a nice talk with Tripp."
" What did you talk about?"
" You and how I wasn't giving up on you or us."
" I'm so glad you never gave up because if you did, we wouldn't be here now; we wouldn't have Bo or another baby on the way."
" You never gave up on me when I was in prison, and I wasn't giving up on you because you lost your memory."
Ciara climbed into Ben's lap and kissed him.
Ben pulled away and said, "We should continue this upstairs." Ciara squealed when Ben lifted her and carried her upstairs. Once they were in their room, Ben placed Ciara on the bed before locking the door.
He walked back over to the bed, and Ciara grabbed his shirt to pull him; on top of her. They continued kissing and taking each other's clothes off. They made love and cuddled together.
" Should we finish our conversation about the lake?" Ciara said as she put her head on Ben's chest.
" Sure."
" We could pack the cooler and a picnic basket and spend the day at the lake."
" Just the three of us?"
" We could ask Belle and Shawn to come?"
" That's a great idea."
" I'll call Shawn in the morning and see what they have planned."
" Sounds good."
Ciara started to yawn, and Ben noticed.
" Are you tired?"
" I am; it's been a long day."
" Then we should get some sleep."
Ciara kissed Ben and snuggled closer; he reached over and turned out the light.
Next Morning
Ciara rolled over and saw Ben still asleep. She kissed his back and worked her way up his neck before whispering; in his ear.
"Good morning, husband."
Ben rolled onto his back and said, "Mmm. Good morning." Ben leaned in to kiss Ciara.
" Bo is still sleeping; would you like to join me in the shower?"
" I would love to." Ciara grabbed the monitor off the nightstand and pulled Ben into the bathroom.
Ciara; was letting the hot water run over her body when Ben wrapped his arms around her and started kissing her collarbone and neck. Ciara closed her eyes and leaned back against him.
He continued kissing her neck until she spun around and crashed her lips on his. Ben gently pushed Ciara against the wall; he was; just about to kiss down her neck when they heard Bo babbling on the monitor.
Ben; groaned, and Ciara laughed as Ben said, "I'll go." Ben was; just about to get out when they heard Maggie talking to Bo.
They heard Bo laughing as Maggie continued to talk to him.
" She is so good with him," Ben said as he looked at Ciara.
" Bo loves her just as much," Ciara said.
They quickly showered, got; dressed, and met Maggie and Bo in the kitchen.
After breakfast, Ciara called Shawn to see if they had plans for the 4th of July.
Ciara walked into the living room, where Ben and Bo were playing.
" Shawn and Belle have no plans and would love to join us at the lake tomorrow."
Bo saw Ciara and crawled toward her; he put his arms up; and said, "Mama."
Ciara looked down, surprised that Bo had just said his first word. She picked him up and kissed him.
" Good job Bo your first word."
Ben stood up and joined them.
"Good job, Little Man."
Bo grabbed Ciara's face and said, "Mama."
" That's right, Bo Mama."
" I thought, for sure, he would say Dada first; most kids do."
" Babe, that boy is a Mama's boy. I knew he would say Mama first."
Ciara placed Bo down, and he went back to playing with his toys.
Ciara sat; next to Ben on the couch and grabbed the notepad off the table.
" What are you doing?"
" Making a list for tomorrow; do you know how much stuff we; have to pack?"
" Swimsuits, a couple of towels, and a cooler."
" Oh, no, babe, that's just the start. We need Swim diapers and wipes, snacks, an umbrella, sunscreen, a change of clothes for Bo, a blanket to sit on, towels, swimsuits, a sun hat, sunglasses, drinks, toys, swim shoes, flip-flops, and a first aid kit."
" Wow, way more than when I went with Claire, Allie, and Tripp."
" This is what happens when you have kids."
" I don't care how much stuff we have to bring. I can't wait to spend the day at the lake with you."
" You might; when you're carrying it." Ciara laughed and smacked his chest as Ben threw his head back and groaned.
" I have to go to the store and pick up a few things. I'll be back in a bit," Ciara said as she kissed Ben and stood up.
" I'll see if Maggie can watch Bo, and I'll come with you."
Maggie said she would; be happy to watch Bo while they ran to the store.
Afternoon
When they got back, Bo was down for his nap. They thanked Maggie before going upstairs to start packing for tomorrow.
Ciara laid everything out on the bed so she could see what she had and still needed to pack. Ben grabbed towels and swimsuits and handed them to Ciara; she put them in the bag along with the change of clothes for Bo. She put everything else in the bag and looked at Ben, "Okay, tomorrow we just have to pack the cooler with food and drinks."
" Should I put this stuff in the car?"
" Not yet. I'll want to double-check before we leave tomorrow."
" Okay, I'll just put them on the floor for now."
" Bo is sleeping; maybe we can continue what we started in the shower this morning," Ciara said as she ran her hands over his T-shirt-covered chest.
Ben; just smiled and removed his shirt before kissing Ciara and guiding her to the bed. He laid her down and hovered over her before leaning down and kissing her.
She ran her hands down his back as he moved to her neck. They continued kissing and removing clothes before making love. They lay in bed cuddling until they heard Bo saying Mama on the monitor.
" Your son is calling for you."
Ciara just smiled at Ben before getting up. She went across the hall and saw Bo standing in his crib. Bo smiled when he saw Ciara; he put his arms out and said, "Mama."
" Hi, sweetheart; did you have a good nap?"
Ciara picked Bo up and brought him to the changing table; she changed his diaper and then went to their bedroom.
" Hey, little man, are you ready for a snack?"
Bo looked at Ben and then rested his head on Ciara's shoulder. Ciara kissed his forehead and rubbed his back as they went downstairs to get him a snack.
Ciara placed Bo in his high chair, and Ben put his new favorite snack, Cheerios, on his tray.
" Hey, babe, will you; go grab us a couple of burgers for lunch?"
" Of course."
" Anything you don't want on it besides pickles?"
" Onions."
" Alright, one burger with no onions or pickles coming up."
" Thank you, baby."
Ben grabbed his keys and wallet, kissed; Ciara and; Bo then headed out the door.
Ciara watched as Bo held up a Cheerio to feed to her, "Mama," she took it and smiled at him, which made him laugh.
After his snack, Ciara took Bo into the living room so he could play with his toys.
Bo; was playing in his ball pit that Uncle Shawn and Auntie Belle gave him when Ben walked into the living room with lunch.
Ciara pulled out the burgers, fries, and two bottles of water. Ciara wasted no time eating her burger and fries. She; was finished before Ben was.
"Were you hungry, babe?"
"Starving."
Bo started to cry when one of the balls fell out of the ball pit and rolled away.
" It's okay. Bo, Mommy will get it."
Ciara grabbed the ball for Bo and gave it back to him. Bo continued to play while Ben cleaned up their lunch.
" I was thinking maybe we could take Bo to the park."
" That sounds fun; I'll grab the diaper bag."
Park
When they got to the park, Ben placed Bo in the swing; he pushed him gently to see Bo's reaction.
Bo smiled the whole time he was in the swing.
" I think he likes it, babe."
Ben continued to push him, and Bo just giggled as Ben pushed him higher.
" Let's try the slide."
Ben picked Bo up and brought; him to the slide.
Ben went with Bo on the slide; Bo loved it; he laughed the whole time.
They played at the park a little longer, taking turns pushing Bo in the swing and going down the slide.
Later That Night
"Okay, I just talked to Shawn; we are going to meet them at the lake at 11:30 tomorrow, " Ciara said as she walked into the living room.
Ben; was giving Bo his bottle and snuggling with him before they put him to bed.
Ben handed Bo to Ciara and started cleaning up the toys Bo was playing with earlier. When he finished, he turned around and saw Bo falling asleep in Ciara's lap.
" He is about to crash; we should take him upstairs."
Ciara looked down and saw Bo's eyes starting to close; she smiled and kissed his head before standing up with him.
Ben went to take him, but Ciara said she had him; they walked upstairs into Bo's room and put him down in his crib; they stood there and watched him for a while before leaving and going to their room.
" Tomorrow is going to be a long day."
" Yes, it is."
" I'm so glad we are going to the lake."
" Being out on the boat not enough?"
" It's just not the same."
" I know what you mean; I'm glad we decided to stay here for a while."
" Me too."
" Hey babe, do you think you could rub my neck? I think I kinked it."
Ben sat on the bed, and Ciara sat behind him; and rubbed his neck.
She could feel him relaxing under her hands.
" That feels so good."
" Yeah, how bout this," Ciara said as she kissed down his neck.
Ben let out a content sigh as Ciara continued to kiss his neck.
" You are really good at this."
Ciara stopped kissing him and turned to straddle his lap. She reached down; and removed his shirt, then ran her hands over his chest before kissing him.
Ciara pushed on his chest, and he fell against the bed. She removed his belt and kissed up his chest before reaching his lips.
Ben helped Ciara remove her shirt as they continued to kiss. They made love and then fell asleep.
4th of July
Ben was the first; one to wake up when he heard Bo babbling on the monitor. He looked; over at his wife and saw she was still sound asleep; she's always the first one awake when she hears Bo.
Ben picked Bo up from the crib and took; him downstairs to give him breakfast.
After breakfast, Maggie played with Bo while Ben went upstairs to wake Ciara up.
Ben sat on the side of the bed and ran his hand through his wife's hair.
" Hey, beautiful, time to wake up."
Ciara stretched and opened her eyes.
" Hey, baby."
" Hey," Ben said as he leaned down to kiss her good morning.
" What time is it?"
" It's 9:30."
" Sorry, I slept so late; I was up with Bo at 3; this morning."
" Why didn't you wake me up?"
" You were sound asleep."
" What was wrong?"
" He just wanted to cuddle with Mama."
" What time did you come back to bed?"
" Around 4:30."
" Go back to sleep; I'll wake you in a half hour."
" No, it's okay; I'll get up."
" Are you sure?"
" Yes."
" Okay."
" Where's Bo?"
" He is playing with Maggie; he's already had breakfast."
" Is he dressed?"
" Not yet, but he will be soon. Why don't you jump in the shower and get ready."
Ciara sat up in bed and rubbed her stomach.
" I think I should eat first the baby is hungry."
" I'll bring something up for you. What would you like?"
" Everything bagel."
" Same cravings as Bo."
" Yep."
" I'll be back in a bit. Go jump in the shower."
" I love you."
" I love you, too."
Ciara thanked Ben and kissed him before getting in the shower.
Once everyone was ready and Ciara triple-checked, she had everything they got in the car and headed to the lake.
When they got there, Belle and Shawn were already there, they had found a place for them to sit.
Shawn helped Ben unload the car, and Belle helped Ciara set everything up.
Once they had everything set up, Ben said he was joining Shawn in the lake. Shawn grabbed the football he packed and started throwing the ball.
Belle and Ciara watched as their husbands ran off.
" They are just like kids," Belle said as she watched them run off.
" Yep, big kids."
Bo looked at Ciara and handed her one of his toys, "Mama."
Belle was shocked when she heard what Bo had just said.
" He just said, Mama."
" He actually said it for the first time yesterday."
" That's why I was shocked, and you weren't."
" I was when he said it yesterday."
" I'll bet."
The day at the lake continued to be a success; everyone was having a great time. Bo; was loving; all the attention he was getting from Belle.
Shawn and Ben were having a great time throwing the ball around, and Ciara and Belle were having a nice; talk.
Shawn and Belle offered to watch Bo so Ciara and Ben could go into the lake together. When they got out, they walked to the blanket and saw Bo trying to feed Shawn his Cheerios.
" Those are for you; you eat them."
" Shawn, just take it from him," Belle said.
Shawn smiled and let Bo feed him.
Ben grabbed two towels; he wrapped one around Ciara and one around himself.
" Belle, you should go in; it's so nice."
Shawn stood up and held out; his hand for Belle; she smiled and took it before walking off hand in hand.
Ben sat next to Ciara on the blanket and watched Bo play.
" Should we take him in, the lake?"
" I don't know; it might be a little cold."
" We could try."
"Okay."
Ben stood up; and picked up Bo from the blanket, then placed him on the ground and held his hands while he walked on wobbly legs toward the water.
It didn't last long; Ben brought a screaming Bo back to Ciara, who was waiting with a towel ready.
" Didn't go well?"
" Nope, he freaked out the second the water hit him; I think you were right too cold for him."
" It's okay, Bo; Shhh, It's okay, sweetheart," Ciara said as she held him, rubbed his back, and kissed his head.
Ben reached into the diaper bag, grabbed Bo's pacifier, and gave it to him. It took ten minutes for Ciara to calm Bo down after the shock of being in the cold water.
After Bo stopped crying, he went back to playing with his toys.
When Shawn and Belle returned, Shawn said, " I guess Bo didn't like the water?"
Ciara shook her head and said, " He did not."
Belle looked at Bo and said, "Poor little guy."
" He's okay now. It took me ten minutes to calm him down."
Belle helped Ciara unpack the cooler for lunch Sandwiches, fruit, chips, and drinks. Shawn and Ben both had a beer, Ben offered one to Belle, but she stuck with water.
Ciara rocked Bo in her arms until he fell asleep; she put him down in the shaded area they set up. Shawn and Ben hung back so the girls could go for a swim.
Ben reached into the cooler and pulled out two more beers for him and Shawn.
" So, how long are you guys; planning to stay in Salem?"
" We are not sure yet."
" I hope you stay for a while, it's great having you here, plus I get to spend time with my nephew.
" We like being back as well."
" But you also love being out on the boat."
" We do; the family time has been great."
" I felt the same way when it was just us and Claire."
" We are just taking it one day at a time."
" Sounds good," Shawn said as; he clinked his bottle against Ben's.
When the girls returned, Bo was awake and; being changed by Ben.
" Look who just woke up and was asking for Mama."
Ciara smiled and sat next to Bo.
He put his hand over her mouth, and she blew a raspberry into it, and Bo started laughing.
" Mama."
" Yes, baby?"
Bo just smiled and said; her name again.
Around 4:00, Ben and Ciara decided it was time to head home, it had been a long day at the lake, and they wanted to get Bo home.
Shawn helped Ben pack up, and Belle helped Ciara pack; up Bo's diaper bag and bring it to the car. Ciara put Bo in his car seat and waited for Ben and Shawn.
Once the car was; packed, they said goodbye to Shawn and Belle; Ben handed the keys to Ciara so she could drive because he had been drinking with Shawn.
When they got home, they gave Bo a warm bath to; get the lake water and sunscreen off him. Ben grabbed a towel to wrap him in and brought him to the bedroom where Ciara was waiting with a diaper and pj's for him.
They had a simple dinner and let Bo play in the living room. Around 7:30, Maggie walked into the living room.
" Hey, are you guys going to watch the fireworks?"
" I don't think so; Bo might be scared of them."
" I can stay here with Bo; you guys should go."
Ben looked at Ciara and said, " What do you think, babe?"
" I would love to watch the fireworks with you."
" Maggie, we will take you up on your offer."
" Great, have fun."
They said goodbye and goodnight to Bo before heading out to watch the fireworks.
Ben stood behind Ciara and wrapped his arms around her as they watched the fireworks go off, Ciara leaned against his chest, and he bent his head down to kiss her. Ciara put her hands over his on her stomach and smiled.
" I love you."
" I love you more," Ciara said.