Two Weeks ago

“Hey girl”, Lia said, her fatigue evident in her voice.

“Hey mama.  What’s wrong with you? You look like death warmed over”, Mimi said, eyeing her best friend.

“Nothing, just a little tired.  I feel like I may be getting some sort of stomach bug, I’ve been feeling nauseous and just...off”.

“Did you eat any questionable street food lately.  I know how you love your food trucks”.

“No, I haven’t had much of an appetite.  Sometimes just the smell of certain food makes me sick to my stomach”.

“I see”, Mimi said slyly.

“What’s that look for?  I don’t like that look”.

“Nothing.  I was just wondering if it’s possible that you’re pregnant”.

Lia opened her mouth to protest, but then realization dawned.  She and Dominic had made love a few weeks ago and forgot to use protection.  “Oh my God!”

She looked over at Mimi whose face had split into a huge grin.

“Stop looking at me with that goofy ass grin and help me!”

“TO THE PHARMACY!”  Mimi shouted.

Thirty minutes later Lia was looking down at the pregnancy test, two blue lines staring up at her from the results window.

“OH...shit”.

**********************************************

Dominic was staring at her with an indecipherable look on his face.  “What did you say?”

“I’m pregnant”.

“We’re having a baby?”  A silly, lopsided grin began to form on his face.

“You’re not mad?”  She was scared he’d be upset because of everything that had happened with his family.

“Am I mad?  Are you insane??”  Dominic placed his hand on her still flat abdomen, then bent over and kissed her there.

“Hey little bairn, it’s your da.  I love you, little girl”.

Lia laughed as more tears threatened to escape her eyes.  “You know she can’t hear you yet.  She doesn’t have ears.  And how do you know she’s a ‘she’?  There could be a big scottish brute in there”.

“You’re carrying my daughter, woman.  I know because I say so”.  The smile on his face was so sweet as he rubbed her tummy.  “I love my baby girl already”.

Lia pulled him in for a deep kiss.  She didn’t think she could love this man any more than she did at that moment.

*****************************************

“Well, you are pregnant.  I’d say about seven weeks based on my exam”, Lia’s obstetrician, Dr. Angela Riley said. “ We need to get you on prenatal vitamins as soon as possible.  Have you been experience any morning sickness”.

“Yes, it’s been pretty awful, actually”.  Lia responded.

“I don’t know why they call it ‘morning sickness’, she’s sick all day long”.  Dominic said while staring in horror at a plastic replica of a uterus on the exam room’s counter.

“Yes, that’s a common complaint”, Dr. Riley said, chuckling.  “Because morning sickness is often caused by low blood sugar, it’s important for Lia to eat small meals throughout the day.  Ginger is helpful for nausea, just use fresh ginger, and no store bought ginger-ale.  Normally, that either contains ginger flavoring or barely enough ginger to be any help, not to mention all the sugar.  Stretching and keeping active can also help minimize the nausea”.

“Doctor, when will we be able to learn the sex of the baby?”  Lia asked.

“I already told you, it’s a girl”, Dominic said, cockily.  Lia just rolled her eyes.

Dr. Riley laughed out loud.  “Well, we should be able to confirm that via ultrasound at around 12 weeks”.

“I don’t know why we need to waste money on an ultrasound, my baby girl is in there.  I can feel it in my bones”.

“Oh yeah, I forgot...you’re psycho”.

“You mean, PSYCHIC, dear heart”, said Dominic, correcting her like she was a child.

“I stand by my statement”.

“Okay, you two”, Dr. Riley laughed.  “Get out of my office.  Make sure to make your next appointment with Janice before you leave.  And congratulations!”

***************************************

“I don’t want to tell anyone about the baby until we’re past the first trimester”, Lia said while they were eating lunch in their temporary apartment.  Lunch for Lia consisted of a cup of rice, applesauce and some ginger tea.  “Well, I mean Mimi knows, but I think we should wait to tell the rest of the family”.

“Awww, c’mon.  Can’t we just tell one person?  I’m too excited, I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep it to myself”.

“Tell Seamus. He won’t blab”.

“Hey, that’s not a bad idea.  Come here Seamus, come here boy!”  Seamus trotted over to Dominic and sat at his feet.  Dominic crouched down to the dog’s level. “Hey Shame, guess what?  You’re gonna be a big brother.  Mommy has a little baby in her tummy.  Just don’t tell Lolli, she’s a blabbermouth”.

“Oh My GOD, you’re PREGNANT?!”  Dominic and Lia looked towards the front door to see Nessa standing there with a huge grin on her face.

“Nessa! Haud yer wheesht! (Be quiet) and close the door!”

Nessa walked into the apartment and closed the door. “Oh my God, you’re having a baby?”  She said quietly.

“Oh, NOW she whispers!” Dom said, rolling his eyes.

Lia laughed at the two of them. “Yes, there’s a baby cookin’ in here”, she said patting her tummy.  “You can’t say anything, though.  We’re going to wait until we’re in the second trimester to tell everyone”.

“My lips are sealed”,  Nessa said with a goofy grin on her face.  After a moment her eyes suddenly lit up.  “You know what that means, right?  I can be your nanny!”

“That’s right!”, Lia said excitedly.  “I hadn’t planned on using one, but this is perfect!  I’ll have help with the baby, which means I’ll still be able to work and more importantly, get some sleep”.

“The bairn can call ya “Auntie Nanny”,  Dom said, chuckling at his cleverness.

“No dunderhead, she’ll call me Auntie Nessie and I’ll put her in pretty dresses and put dainty ribbons in her hair.  Oh this is BRILLIANT!”

“See Lia, Nessa says it’s a girl, too”, Dom said feeling vindicated.

“Well, I hope you’re not too disappointed if we find out “baby girl” MacCleod is “baby boy” MacCleod”.

“I’ll love him just the same.  But we’re having a girl”.

“If you say so”.

“Exactly”, Dominic said with a wink.

*************************************************

6 Weeks Later

About 4 weeks after Lia’s first prenatal visit, she, Dominic and Nessa were moving into their new home.  Their house hunt wasn’t really a hunt because they found what they were looking for almost immediately. Their realtor took them to the property in Briarcliff Manor and it was love at first sight.  The house was located on a tree lined street in a great school district. It had 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, a gourmet kitchen and plenty of room to spare. There was a kid’s playroom in the basement just waiting for baby MacCleod, and a huge fenced in yard for Seamus to run and play.  The house was a little over an hour outside of the city, and although it was going to be an adjustment being farther away from the family, it was an adjustment they’d gladly made because the house was so perfect.  Two weeks later and they were still getting settled in.  Nessa’s former roommate had shipped the final bit of her belongings and Dominic had started the process of getting her an employment green card.  They finally felt like their lives were out of limbo.

Lia was in the kitchen putting away the pots, pans and dishes.  She also took the time run her hand over all of the bells and whistles in her favorite room of the house.  She had a subzero refrigerator, double oven, a huge kitchen island/breakfast bar and a walk in pantry.  She was in kitchen heaven.

Dominic walked into the kitchen for a bottle of water only to find Lia hugging the subzero.  He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

“Ummm, what are you doing?”

“Trying to make love to my dream refrigerator”,  Lia said, her voice muffled because she was kissing the refrigerator door.

“Should I be jealous?”

“No.  Well, maybe a little bit”.

Dominic walked over to her, peeled her off of the shiny appliance and carried her into the living room.  He sat back down on the lounge chair with her in his lap.

Lia sat comfortably on her future husband’s lap and took in the scene around her.  Nessa was at the patio doors laughing at Seamus as he ran and jumped around the backyard happily.  Lolli was sunning herself in the kitchen's bay window.  Everything was well appointed due to Tira’s good counsel and fashion sense.  She snuggled deeper into Dominic’s arms contentedly.  They were home. They were finally home.