Photo Shoot

Ciara was on the phone when Ben walked through the door. She waved at him before continuing her conversation.

"Eric, that sounds amazing. Thank you so much!"

"We'll see you tomorrow. Bye."

Ciara hung up the phone and smiled at Ben.

"Eric said he would love to take our maternity photos."

"Really?" Ben asked, surprised.

"Yep! Basic Black will be empty, so we can go in tomorrow."

"That's great! Have you decided what we should wear?"

"I was thinking we could wear jeans, white button-up shirts, and go barefoot."

"Whatever you want, babe."

The next day, Ciara and Ben made sure they had everything they needed for the photo shoot.

"Babe, do you have the baby shoes?" Ben asked.

"I left them on his dresser," Ciara replied.

"I'll grab them," he said.

Ben picked up the shoes, and they left the apartment.

When they arrived at Basic Black, Eric was already setting up.

"Hey, guys, are you ready?" he asked.

"Just tell us where you want us."

"I thought we could start with a few shots with shirts on. Then I'll have Ben remove his shirt, and Ciara, you can undo the bottom buttons so we can see your belly."

"Are you comfortable with that?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, that sounds good," Ciara replied.

"Okay, Ben, stand behind Ciara and rest your hands on her belly."

Ben followed Eric's instructions.

"That's great! Ciara, can you look up at Ben?"

Ciara looked up at Ben and smiled.

"Perfect," Eric said as he took the shot.

Eric took a few more photos before moving on.

"Ben, please remove your shirt, and Ciara, can you undo the bottom buttons?"

"Sure," Ciara said.

Ben removed his shirt, and Ciara undid the buttons.

"Wonderful. Now, I want you to stand facing each other and get as close as you can." Ben stepped closer, only to have the baby kick him. They laughed and looked down at her belly as Eric captured the moment.

Eric took a few more shots as Ben rested his hands on her belly, both of them resting their foreheads together.

Then Eric had Ben sit on a stool while Ciara stood in front of him.

"Okay, Ben, kiss her belly," Eric instructed.

Ben kissed Ciara's belly, and she looked down with a smile as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"That looks great, guys," Eric said.

"Ciara, I'm going to take a few of you alone," he continued.

"Okay."

Eric had Ciara turn to the side, placing one hand on top of her belly and the other underneath it. He then had her face him and do the same thing.

"Perfect."

"Did you guys bring the ultrasound photo?" Eric asked.

"We did!"

"Stand facing each other; each of you will hold one side of the ultrasound while Ben kisses your forehead."

"That sounds great," Ciara said.

Eric positioned them so that Ben stood behind Ciara, wrapping his arms around her and holding the ultrasound in front of her belly. He kissed her neck, and she smiled happily.

"Okay, Ben, can you sit down? Ciara, can you lie down and rest your head in his lap? Ben, place your hand on her belly and look down at her. Ciara, place your hand on his and look up at him."

"Fantastic."

"These look great," Eric commented.

Next, they set up the board that read "Baby Weston." Eric placed the baby's shoes beside the board and the ultrasound picture in front of it before having them sit behind it.

He took a few shots, then moved on.

"Hey, Eric, what's with the paint?" Ciara asked.

"Some couples like to have fun and paint each other," Eric explained.

"Really?" Ben replied, intrigued.

Ciara dipped her finger in the blue paint and rubbed it on Ben's chest.

"Babe," he protested playfully.

Ben decided to retaliate. He dipped his finger in the paint and rubbed it on her cheek.

Eric watched them continue to paint each other while capturing the moments with his camera.

Ben drew a blue heart on her belly. Ciara pulled him closer and kissed him.

Ben turned away, and Ciara placed her hands on his back. When he turned around, he added a bit more paint to her belly. They continued to play, paint each other, laugh, and kiss.

"That was great! I got some amazing shots," Eric said.

"Thank you for doing this," Ciara said.

"No problem. If you want to look at the photos, you can pick your favorite. I'll enlarge it, print it out, and frame it for you."

"You don't have to do that," Ciara said modestly.

"I want to," Eric insisted.

Ben and Ciara looked at the photos but struggled to agree on a favorite.

"Eric, since you are the photographer, could you choose one for us?" Ben suggested.

"Absolutely. I'll choose one and drop it by your place later."

"That would be great. Thanks!" Ciara replied.

After they left, Eric reviewed all the photos he had taken, selecting the perfect one to enlarge and print.

Later, Ben and Ciara walked through the door laughing.

"I can't believe you got paint all over my chest!" Ben exclaimed.

"You put paint on my cheek! My belly is covered in paint, too," Ciara shot back.

"Let's go take a shower," he said.

When they entered the bathroom, Ben noticed Ciara's handprints on his back in the mirror.

Ciara began to laugh, while Ben just shook his head in disbelief.

Ben turned on the shower and removed his clothes, and Ciara followed suit.

Ciara stepped in first, and Ben joined her shortly after.

They took turns washing each other. Ben started kissing her neck as she ran her hands down his back. They continued kissing as Ben slowly pushed Ciara against the wall.

" Let's go to the bedroom."

Ben turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. He handed Ciara a towel and grabbed one for himself. They dried off, and Ben lifted Ciara.

" Babe, you're going to hurt your back."

" Don't worry. I'm not going to drop you."

" I know."

Ben slowly lowered her on the bed and hovered over her.

Ciara grabbed him by the neck and kissed him.

Things started heating up when Ben moved to her neck and down her chest.

" I love you, Ben."

" I love you."

They continued kissing and made love.

After making love, they lay cuddled up in bed together.

" Today has been a great day."

" It has."

( Knocking)

" That is probably Eric."

" I'll go."

Ben slipped on a pair of sweats and answered the door.

Ciara grabbed her robe and followed.

Ben opened the door, and Eric entered, carrying a large photograph.

Eric handed them the photo and watched as they opened it.

They tore the paper off and watched their faces.

They both smiled when they saw the photo Eric chose.

" Do you like it?"

Ben and Ciara smiled at each other before saying they loved it.

Eric chose the shot where Bo kicked, and they laughed.

" Eric, while you're here, could you help me hang this above our bed?"

" Of course."

Eric followed Ben to the bedroom.

Once the picture was hung, Ciara said it looked perfect.

What you could do is pick two more and hang them up so the wall looks fuller.

" Yeah?"

" With two more pictures, the wall will really stand out."

" Could you help us pick two more that will go with this one?"

"Sure, let me get my laptop from the car."

Eric came back and helped them pick two more photos.

Eric suggested the ones that would work.

Ciara chose the photo where Ben is kissing her belly, and Ben chose the photo where they have their foreheads resting against each other while holding her belly.

" These are going to look great on the wall."

" Thanks for doing this, Eric."

" No problem, I will bring them by tomorrow."

They thanked him again before Eric walked out the door.

The next day, Eric helped Ben hang the other two photos on the wall. He was right; the wall stood out more now that there were three photos instead of one.

Every time they looked at the wall, they smiled. It was a day they would never forget.