Hyannis Bowl
"Strike!" Elizabeth cheered, wiggling her delicious hips in a victory dance. Lucas shook his head and got up to get his ball. "I'm ahead," she told him, as if he wasn't aware.
He was aware of everything about her, especially her hips, her lips, her soft curls that kept escaping her messy ponytail. He wanted to pull that elastic thingy out and run his fingers through her hair.
"By two points."
"Oh yeah. It only takes one."
Lucas got ready to throw his ball, renewed determination to beat her in this game but just as he was about to step forward, she smacked his butt. Needless to say, his ball slid easily into the gutter causing his girls to laugh.
"That's okay, Daddy. It doesn't matter if you win. We are just here to have fun, right?"
"Hm."
Noa got up and grabbed her pink and purple ball and rolled it down the lane next to theirs since it had bumpers.
Instead of watching Noa's ball, Lucas stole a kiss. "You know exactly what you're doing to me, don't you?"
"Who me?" she asked with fake innocence.
Lucas wrapped his arms around her waist and chuckled, his lips finding that soft place behind her ear that made her shiver.
"Hey! No one's watching me!" Noa told them, hands on her hips. "No fair!"
"Sorry, punkin," Elizabeth told her, turning in Lucas' arms. "We're watching, right, Daddy?"
"Hm? Uh absolutely," he said, pulling away slightly. "Go Noa!" he yelled, pumping his fist in the air, while his other hand stayed securely around Elizabeth.
She giggled and turned her head to kiss his cheek. "I love you, Lucas Bouchard."
"I love you back."
"Mommy, I'm starving. Can we get pizza please?"
"Daddy?" Elizabeth asked. "Pizza?"
"Sure. I will take my turn and go order it. Let's see, what do you want on it?"
"Lots of cheese and chicken please, Daddy."
Lucas scooped his adorable daughter up and kissed her cheeks. "I sure love you, Noa Bouchard."
"Noa Faith Thatcher, Daddy!" she giggled.
"Well, what if your name was Noa Faith Bouchard?" he asked her.
"But it isn't. That's your name."
"And Mommy's now. So what if we changed your last name to Bouchard? So you are just like Mommy and me?"
"Okay!"
Elizabeth watched the interaction. She and Lucas had discussed it and since he was already her dad, they could just do a name change with minimal work necessary.
"Mommy! My name is gonna match you and Daddy! That's so cool!"
"It is, punkin."
"Daddy?"
"Yes?"
"Can I have a baby sister? I really want one. We can share a room and she can help me take care of Janette and Bluey and I will help take care of her."
"Maybe. When we have a baby, it could be a boy or a girl."
"Oh. Well, I guess a boy would be okay too."
Lucas kissed Noa's cheek. "I'm glad. I'm going to go order your chicken and cheese pizza."
"Okay, Daddy. Thank you."
Lucas kissed Elizabeth's cheek and smiled. "Well, my gorgeous wife, what would you like on your pizza?"
"I'd like a burger and fries. Please."
"You got it."
…..
As the next week went by, Elizabeth tried to enjoy herself, tried to put having a baby on the back burner. They went to the beach and went to a lighthouse tour. Then they had a movie and jammies day where they all just stayed in the house and ordered food in.
Then, on their last day there, Elizabeth felt different. Lightheaded, nauseated and so exhausted. If she was in fact pregnant, it would be super early. So she wasn't getting her hopes up.
"Mommy!" Noa said, jumping on the bed next to her.
"Punkin, please don't jump. Mommy doesn't feel good."
"Oh, sorry."
"Who wants breakfast in bed?" Lucas asked, bringing a tray of food into the room. "I have bacon and eggs and coffee."
Elizabeth jumped up, covering her mouth as she ran to the bathroom.
"Mommy is sick," Noa told him.
"Uh oh. Let's take the food out into the other room, sweet pea."
"Okay."
Lucas hated seeing Elizabeth sick, well anyone. But he hoped it was a sign that they might be finally pregnant. He googled "morning sickness" and got some tips on what she could eat that might help.
Dry toast, crackers, watermelon, trail mix, rice…eating small meals every half hour to an hour. Drinking liquids. He would head to the grocery store in a while. Maybe take Noa with him so she could sleep.
"Morning," Elizabeth said quietly as she wandered into the kitchen.
"Hi, Mommy!" Noa mumbled around her eggs.
"Hi, punkin."
"Would you like some toast, babe?" Lucas asked, kissing her forehead.
"I don't know if anything will stay down right now."
"Flu?"
"I don't know."
He looked through the cupboards and found some tea. "Would you like some tea?"
"Sure. I can make it."
He put his hand on her back and smiled. "I'll make it. You have a seat."
"I…ok. Thank you, Luke."
"You don't have to thank me. I like taking care of you."
"Honey, I don't know if its anything but food not agreeing with me."
"But if it is the other thing…either way. I like taking care of you."
"And me?" Noa asked.
"Of course. You too."
"Kay. We get to go home today, right?"
"Yep. We are flying home this afternoon."
"I can't wait to see Bluey and Janette. I have missed them so much."
"I know you have. I'm sure they have missed you too."
He handed her the tea and she met his eyes. "Hon, its probably too early to know one way or the other."
"I know." He came over and whispered. "But, imagine if you are."
"That's a daily occurrence."
"What would you want? B or G?"
"Doesn't matter. Just healthy."
"I want another G. If she looks just like you."
"Mm."
"What?"
"I just am glad you'll be here for the whole pregnancy. It was hard with her. I felt so alone."
He knew she wasn't blaming him but he still wished he had been there. "I wish I had known. No one could keep me away, Elizabeth."
"I know."
……
That night, home
"Bluey, Janette! Mommy's home!" Noa yelled, running into her room.
"That's okay, sweetie," Lucas said sarcastically. "I'll grab your suitcase too."
Elizabeth giggled, grabbing a bag from Lucas and shutting the front door behind them. "Let's just leave these here and get us all ready for bed. Its late."
They had done laundry before leaving the house in Cape Cod so there wasn't any reason why they couldn't unpack the next day.
"Okay sounds great."
When they woke up the next morning, she felt the familiar pang of cramps and couldn't help the tears. She had hoped that the nausea from the day before had been morning sickness.
"Babe?" Lucas whispered, turning her face to his. "What?"
"I have cramps."
"Oh, I'm so sorry."
"I'll be fine," she said, getting up and heading to the bathroom.
He knew she would be but he also knew how badly she wanted to be pregnant again.
"Sweetheart?" he said through the bathroom door. "After breakfast, I'm going to take Noa and go to the store for some things."
"Thank you," she sniffled. "I love you."
"I love you too."
He may have gone a bit overboard but he got things she loved and usually craved during this time. In addition he bought her flowers.
"Mommy!" Noa yelled, running in the house. "We got lots of stuff!"
"You did?" Elizabeth asked, picking her up.
"Yeah!"
Lucas walked in the door with about six bags of groceries and a bouquet of flowers.
"Lucas Bouchard, did you go over budget?" she teased.
"Nope! I had coupons."
He put down the bags and handed her the bouquet of wildflowers. "These are for you."
"Thank you."
"Babe, you deserve a whole field of wildflowers but since I don't have one, these will have to do."
"They are perfect." She put the flowers down and hugged him hard. "You are perfect."
He could feel her shaking and knew she was crying. "It will be okay. We will have a baby. I know we will."
"I just wanted it so badly. I'm going to go to the doctor to make sure everything is fine in a week or so."
"Let me know when and I'll go with you."
"Alright."
He kissed her twice and then pulled her over to the counter. "Look at the stuff I got."
"Noa said you got lots of stuff."
"Eh." He shrugged and she opened the bags.
"Chocolate brownie ice cream, tampons, spaghetti and garlic bread, popcorn with extra butter."
"Then I got a bottle of wine for one of these nights and some fruit and whipped cream for dessert."
"You got Golden Grahams and Lucky Charms? Lucas, she should not be eating that much sugar in the mornings."
"The Lucky Charms are mine."
"Mhm. I'm guessing Noa twisted your big sexy arm."
"I'm not a pushover, my dear."
"Uh huh."
He smacked her bum playfully and started putting away the groceries. "Spaghetti and meatballs for dinner?"
"You cooking?"
"That is the plan. You are going to just chill and watch a movie."
"I'd rather hang out in here with you and watch you cook, maybe with a glass of wine."
"Mommy! Can we go to the Book Spot?"
Elizabeth checked her watch. It was around lunchtime. Why not?
"Sure. Go grab your shoes and we will go."
…..
Faith and Carson's home
"Next weekend? I have some big cases at work, Faith. I can't just take off with no notice."
"But we need to do this, Carson. We need to talk about this whole adoption thing and this baby."
She could feel that he wasn't talking about his concerns or wants. He was holding back.
"Maybe in a few weeks."
"Carson, what is happening? You aren't telling me something. We used to be able to talk about anything and everything."
He sighed and looked away. "We've been through a lot, Faith. More than anyone should have to go through."
"Yes, and we are stronger for it, don't you think?"
"I thought so."
"But you don't anymore?"
"Faith, I know you don't want to adopt but you did the application anyway."
"You didn't give me a choice. You told me we had to."
"But you don't want it."
"No, I don't. I want this baby." She rubbed her tiny baby bump with so much love. It was hard to say the next words, but she wanted him to open up.
"But what if this baby doesn't make it? Like the others. Then where would we be? I can't lose another one, Faith."
"So you aren't letting yourself get attached because the baby might not make it? He or she still needs love. I need love, Carson."
"So many kids out there need homes and love too, Faith. We can give that to them. I can give you and any kids we have love. Whether we have them biologically or adopt them."
"Do you want this baby, Carson? The one I'm carrying? Do you truly want it?"
"Of course I do, but I also want somewhat of a guarantee that we will have our family. Adoption is that guarantee."
"I can see what you're saying. I guess it just felt like you were giving up on us having our own and then when I found out I was pregnant, it still felt that way."
He sat down on the bed and hung his head for a moment. "My heart has been broken so many times over the years, Faith. I guess I was trying to protect my heart from going through that again."
"I understand. Thank you for talking to me."
"Can we do both, Faith? I really think that we should."
"You promise that whatever happens, we are still going to be a team? If we lose this baby, I can't do it alone. I need my own guarantee that you aren't going to leave me."
"I won't ever leave you, Faith. Our vows are forever for me."
"Alright then."
"Thank you, love. Thank you so much."