Michigan, Elizabeth and Lucas' new house

Lucas was at work as it was Monday and she was at the new house with Rosie and Julian, trying to nail down exactly what furniture and decor to get for each room when the doorbell rang.

"Can I help you?" Elizabeth asked after opening the door.

"Are you Elizabeth Bouchard?"

"I am."

"I am Lila Granger from Design Me."

"I'm not sure what Design Me is," she admitted.

"I am an interior designer."

"I'm still not understanding why you are here, I'm sorry."

"Your husband arranged for me to come decorate your beautiful home."

"Lucas? Okay. Well, come in. If you don't mind, I'm just going to call my husband."

"Absolutely."

"Hi, love," he greeted.

"Babe, is there something you need to tell me?"

"I'm guessing Lila is there."

"Yes. Babe, an interior designer is expensive. We are trying to save money."

"Its costing us nothing, Beth. Your parents wanted to do this for you. They know you are getting more and more pregnant and wanted to do this as a Christmas gift."

"Oh wow. Really?"

"Yes. Now, I know that you want to decorate yourself so you get to call the shots and pick everything out. She's just doing the work for you."

"Thanks, Lucas."

"Its not my gift though I wish I would have thought of it first."

"I love you."

"I love you more."

Elizabeth turned and looked at Lila who was smiling big. "Let's do this."

"Yes, lets. My friend Rosie is going to help also. She has great taste."

"Sounds good, Mrs. Bouchard."

"Beth. Just Beth."

The next afternoon, after Lucas came back to their tiny house in Ann Arbor, they decided to go pick out a Christmas Tree for the new place and eat dinner at the new house and decorate it afterward. Then they were going to camp there overnight as well.

They didn't buy a huge tree, just one small enough for Lucas to carry inside by himself and it filled the corner of the living room perfectly.

"Its perfect," she whispered. She walked over to Lucas, reached up to cup both sides of his face and pressed a kiss to those tantalizing lips of his. "You make me so happy, husband."

He was happy too. He could hardly believe this was his life. Gorgeous wife who he met only a year ago, baby on the way. They had a brand new house, he was starting to actually like his job. He had a great best friend in Lee and she in Rosie. He still had moments of uncertainty about all of it, but he was trying his best to rely on Beth, remembering they were a team.

"I got us something," she said. "When Lila and Rosie and I went shopping for house stuff, I got us a little something that I thought would be a fun tradition to start."

"That sounds fun."

She went into the nursery where there were countless bags that she and Lila needed to distribute and found what she was looking for.

"Santa hats and reindeer socks?" he laughed.

"Yep and we need to take a selfie of us. If we do this every year, I will get Boo a hat and socks too and we can take a picture of the three of us and when we have more babies, we can have all of us match."

"I can't wait. I'm so impatient to meet her."

"I know. Me too but I'm also enjoying getting to know her or him from here. Feeling the kicks and punches. Feeling her move and stretch. I feel needed, you know? She needs me right now to keep her safe and warm and fed. When she comes out, it won't just be me, and that's wonderful, but I'm really trying to remember to cherish everything."

Lucas smiled, helped her put on her socks over her sexy toes and then put her santa hat on her head and his on his. "Alright, love. Picture time!"

……

Two weeks later, Christmas Eve

Elizabeth smiled and sat down on their couch in their brand new, now finished house. The fire was crackling, the tree was lit up, stockings hung. Lucas turned on Elf, their mutual favorite Christmas movie and they ate popcorn and drank hot chocolate.

Someone knocked on the door but they knew who it was. They had invited Lee, Rosie and Julian and Andrea, Nathan and Frankie over to watch the movie with them. They decided that Christmas Eve would be for family and friends, but Christmas Day would always be just their own immediate family.

"Welcome!" Lucas said, opening the door with a smile, wearing his santa hat and reindeer socks, not to mention his ugliest ugly Christmas sweater.

"Nice sweater, bro," Lee laughed, taking him in. His sweater had rudolph and a light-up nose with a bright green and red background.

"Thanks! I won with this one last year."

"I bet."

"Hi, Uncle Wook," Julian said, waving.

"Juju! Its good to see you. Merry Christmas!"

"Yeah. Movie?"

"Yep, go see Auntie Beth in the living room. She has popcorn."

"Auntie Beth!"

"In here, Juju!"

Lucas took Lee and Rosie's coats and then looked up and their other guests had arrived.

"Come in, come in. The fire is warm and we have snacks!"

Andrea gave him a big hug. "Its good to see you, brother."

"You too, Andie." He shook Nathan's hand and Andrea helped Frankie remove her coat and boots.

"How are you, Nathan?"

"Good. Thank you for the invite."

"You're more than welcome."

Nathan followed Lucas into the kitchen. "Can I help you carry anything?" he offered.

"Sure. I figure we will need another bowl of popcorn and Beth made sugar cookies and we have some milk to go with them."

"Okay."

Nathan watched Andrea snuggling with Frankie, making her giggle. "Your sister," Nathan said. "It scares me but I'm falling for her."

"I can tell. That's not a bad thing but I do understand why it would be scary. Are you two officially dating?"

"Yeah, we have only really gone out on a date once but we see each other all the time. She watches Frankie and stays for dinner. We talk on the phone every day."

"Sounds like making the best of what your situation is. But, if you want to take Andrea out, just the two of you, we would love to watch Frankie."

"That would be great actually. I will talk to Andie and let you know. We can coordinate something."

"Sounds good."

They took the treats into the living room and Nathan sat down with Andie and Frankie, putting his arm around them.

"Hi, Dada," Frankie said, grinning.

"Hi, baby girl."

"Dee Dee," she said, patting Andie's chest.

"Yeah, you got Dee Dee."

Andie looked up at Nathan, searching his eyes. She had such strong feelings for him and Frankie. She knew he wasn't there yet but that didn't stop her from feeling what she was.

"Luke and Beth offered to watch Frankie so we can go out. What do you think?"

"Sure."

"We don't have to, I just thought we could use some time alone."

She did want that so much. She really hoped he would finally kiss her. She needed to know what those kissable lips felt like pressed against hers and not just her cheek or forehead.

"I'd like that."

"Great."

He wondered if her patience with him was running out. "I know that its been hard to wait for me to be ready…" he began but she shook her head.

"I'm a patient woman, Nathan. Plus, I know that you are worth the wait so I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

"Dee Dee? Cookie pease?" Frankie asked.

"Sure, bugs. If Daddy says okay."

"Yes, you can have a cookie."

Frankie climbed down and walked over to the cookies. Andie took Nathan's hand and intertwined their fingers.

"I'm ready, Andie. I really think I am."

She looked up at him and felt her eyes fill with tears. "Okay. Let's see what happens then." He still didn't sound sure so she didn't want to get her hopes up but she was certain she was in love with Nathan Grant.

"Tonight was perfect," Beth whispered as they snuggled on the couch after everyone had gone home. The tree and the fire lit the room and she was safe and warm in her husband's arms.

"It was. Merry Christmas, Elizabeth Bouchard. Thank you for marrying me and making me a Daddy."

"Merry Christmas, Luke."

…..

Christmas Day was wonderful. It was filled with making memories and traditions and dreaming of the day in February when they would finally get to meet Boo. The day after New Years Day, they went to their first of six childbirth classes. As they wandered into the classroom at the community building in Dexter, they stopped.

"Rosie?"

Rosemary and Lee sat cross legged on the floor on a cushion, smiles on their faces.

"Beth! Thank goodness!" Rosie said, patting the cushion next to hers.

"This will be fun," Lucas laughed, sitting behind Elizabeth on the floor.

"Welcome, Mom's and Dad's to Birthing 101. I am Faith Shepherd, nurse-midwife for University of Michigan Hospital. Let's go around the group and get to know each other."

Faith sat down in the circle that consisted of four couples and smiled. "She seems happy," Lee muttered.

"She's not the one giving birth," Lucas muttered back.

"Neither are you," Elizabeth said, nudging Lucas. "Shush."

"Or you," Rosie said, looking at Lee.

"Excuse me?" Faith said, looking at Rosie.

"I'm sorry?"

"Your names please and if this is your first pregnancy, etc."

"Right. We are Rosemary and Lee Coulter. We adopted a little boy, Julian, but this is our first pregnancy and we are having a boy and a girl."

"Congrats!"

"Thank you and we have been married for six years."

Next was Jillian and Max and then Hayden and Lucy and then Elizabeth and Lucas.

"We are Elizabeth and Lucas Bouchard. We have been married since October and this is Boo," Elizabeth said, a big smile on her face. "Boo is our first child."

Faith smiled. "Congratulations to everyone. This class will be full of information and some of you may even give birth before the six weeks are up. Don't worry though, the basics will be covered and you will understand what to expect for the most part by the time that happens."

She hit the power button for the television that hung on the wall. "This video will start with the different stages of pregnancy and what to expect as labor gets closer. After the video, we can chat and you can ask questions."

Ten minutes later, Lee was speechless, his mouth open in shock.

"Honey bunny? What is it?"

"How….how do women…I mean thank goodness women…whoa. How are you sane right now?"

Everyone laughed, including Faith. "That's nothing, Lee. Wait until we get to the childbirth video and you actually get to see a live birth."

"Oh I don't think so."

"Well, I'm not coming to this class all by myself, so I think you will absolutely be watching," Rosie told him.

"Yes, dear."

"How are you feeling, Lucas?" Faith asked.

"So much more in love and awe with my wife than just ten minutes ago."

"Show off," Lee muttered.

"How do you really feel?" Elizabeth asked as they drove home.

"About…."

"Babe…"

"I wasn't lying, Beth. I am in awe of you. The morning sickness, the muscle cramps, the exhaustion, the worry…how you or any woman make it through nine full months of so much uncomfortableness. Amazing."

"Thanks, babe. Honestly, I can't do it without you. And giving birth, I'm really scared but I know that no matter how hard it is, you'll be right next to me, holding my hand."

He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "Every moment. I wouldn't miss it."