India hoisted herself up off the couch and walked over to the stereo, flipping it on, “What station?” she hollered back, not realizing Nick was right beside her.
He changed it over to the pop station, and they both heard, “The winner again tonight is Nick Carter! And here it is- the song you chose- the first single off his new album…”
Nick picked India up and swung her around, kissing her. “That’s the fourth night in a row that it’s won up against another song!”
India giggled at his excitement, “I’m proud of you!”
He pulled her down onto the couch with him, kissing her again. “Thank you very much.” he said, his hands automatically sliding around her stomach, where he could feel the changes in her body- the new roundness, the slight expansion of her tummy to make room for their child.
She leaned back, resting her head on his shoulder, “You get everything done today?”
“Yeah- the cd booklets are done, done… they turned out perfect…”
India cut him off, “So when do I get to see it???” She’d been curious since he mentioned he’d decided to use several of the pictures the photographer had taken of the two of them in a collage on the middle pages of the book.
“Soon… I tried to swipe one today, but they wouldn’t let me get ahold of it to take it out of the building,” he told her.
India pouted at him, “Uh-huh… you just don’t want me to see it.”
“You’re right… everyone else in the world will see it before you. You want to get a look at it, you’ll have to buy the album just like everyone else.” Nick joked.
She rolled her eyes, “And I thought there were supposed to be perks to being a rock star’s girlfriend…”
“The mind-blowing sex isn’t enough?” Nick asked, smirking.
“I thought that was just your natural talent…”
“It is… do I need to remind you?”
India jumped up off the couch, starting to slip the t-shirt of Nick’s she’d borrowed up over her head, she threw it at him and motioned for him to join her in the kitchen, “Yeah, maybe you do…”
~~~
“Do we want to find out today?” India asked again, beginning the conversation yet again.
“I don’t know… I mean, I do, but I don’t…” Nick said, yet again, the same response he’d given her every other time she’d asked him.
She sighed, “Fine.. I’m deciding. We’re not finding out.”
“We’re not?”
“AARGH!” India turned in her seat as Nick slowed down at a yellow light. “We are ¾ of the way to the doctor’s office, Nick, we have to decide if we want to know or not.”
“You don’t wanna know?”
“I think it’d be kind of cool to be surprised.” India said.
Nick thought for a moment, “Okay… so we’ll just pick out names for boys and girls and decide when he or she is born.”
“Actually, I don’t want to decide on names until after the baby is born… I don’t think you can pick a name for someone without seeing them.” She said.
“Okay…” Nick was silent again, considering what she’d said. “Wait… how am I going to know what to paint in the nursery?”
“Didn’t we decide on a beachy/nautical theme? That can go either way.” India pointed out.
“True..” Nick pulled into the parking lot at the doctor’s office, “So we’re going to say we don’t want to know?”
“Right.”
“Okay… I like surprises.”
~~~
“You think I should go?”
Nick put down his paintbrush and turned to look at India, but instead of answering her right away, he just looked at her- the breezy black dress she was wearing clung to her just right- her impressive cleavage peeking over the top of the neckline, the fabric hugging her stomach and hips- showing the outline of her tummy- that he swore got a little bigger every day. “Yeah, I think you should go.” he said, finally.
“Do I look okay?” she asked, a little worried from his quiet inspection of her.
“You look amazing… beautiful… and adorably pregnant.” he said, crossing the room to wrap his arms around her.
India blushed, “Thank you.”
Nick kissed the top of her head, “You’re very welcome.”
“I’ll be back later, I guess.. this feels so weird to be going back there now…”
“You want me to go with you?” he asked.
“Nah, it’s okay… just weird…”
****
India walked into the auditorium, already packed with parents and relatives of the students. She slipped into a chair near the back and settled in, flipping through the announcement, smiling to herself each time she saw one of her former students names listed. There were a few she’d had her doubts about, and she was proud to see all of them had actually made it to graduation.
~~
Over two hours later, India got up as soon as the ceremony was over and rushed out, thankful commencement was finally over so she could go to the bathroom. As she was washing her hands afterwards, she wondered if she should stay around and try to congratulate some of the kids.
As soon as she walked out of the bathroom she heard, “Miss Evans!!”
India turned around to see a group of girls rushing towards her, squealing. “Hello!”
Suddenly, she was surrounded by just-graduated students- boys and girls- clamoring for her attention. Questions were coming from everywhere- How was she? What was she doing? Did she have a new job? Was she still with her boyfriend? Was she coming back to school?
Tosha, who’d managed to squeeze her way right up next to India asked, very loudly, “Are you pregnant???”
India laughed and nodded, “Yes, I am.”
“AAAHHH!!!” all the girls shrieked together. “That’s soooo cool!!”
The questions began again- when is it due? Boy or girl? Do you have names picked out?
“Due in October, we’re not finding out if it’s a boy or girl and we’re picking names after he or she is born.” India replied to all of the question-askers.
“Are you happy?” she heard a boy’s voice near the back of the group ask.
She looked over the heads of the students to answer, “Yes, I am, Trevor.”
He smiled at her and was the first to give her the first of many hugs she received before leaving the school grounds- most likely for the last time.
She was a little sad as she left- she was still upset about the way things had turned out… she’d wanted to be there for those kids… She was glad she’d decided to go see them and have a chance to wish them well, all with hopes that they would be as happy as she was where she was now with Nick, in their life.
****
Nick’s eyes flew open at the feeling of India nibbling on his neck, “Whoa… hey… good morning to you, too!”
India moved to straddle his waist, “Happy father’s day.”
Nick smiled, “I will get to celebrate next year, won’t I?”
“Why wait ‘til next year? You’re a dad already… your baby just isn’t here yet…” India said, handing him an envelope.
Nick opened the envelope and pulled out the paper – stationary with baby handprints on the borders- and began reading the letter that India had written to him.
Nick-
Happy Father’s Day! I’m writing this on Mother’s Day… my intention was to write this as a thank you for the awesome day you gave me and to thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a mother, but really, what I want to do is to thank you for the father I know you’ll be. I look at you a thousand times a day and I’m so thankful that you’re the one that I’m starting a family with… that it’s your child that I can feel growing and moving inside of me. I love you more than I ever thought it would be possible for me to love anyone- you’ve taken over my heart, wrapped yourself around my soul, and become the air that I breathe.
Everyday I think about how things will be once the baby is here- how we’ll have to work to steal little moments to be together, that we may get too tired to make love- every time I look at our baby and I see parts of you and parts of me… evidence that our love was powerful enough to create another person… I know that will be worth any missed hours of sleep (and I know that we’ll always somehow manage to find time to be together!).
I dream about first steps, first words, first days of school, birthday parties, learning how to swim and ride bikes, family vacations… and you know what I like most about all those dreams? That you’re there in every single one of them. I know there will be times that you’ll be gone when I wish you could be home with us, but I also know that your heart will always be wherever we are, if we can’t be with you.
Thank you, Nick, for your love, for the life that we’re building together… and thank you for YOU… for the man that you are and the father that I know you’ll be… for all the lessons our child will learn from you and all the memories that you’ll make that he/she will carry forever and look back on with a smile and know that above all, they were loved.
I love you!!!
India
Nick let out a long breath, not even attempting to stop the tears sliding down his face. He wrapped his arms around India, pulling her down onto his chest and holding her tightly, silently praising whatever instinct he’d had to do whatever it was he’d done to be lucky enough to have her.
****
India could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at the pictures- happy, proud, excited and a million other awesome feelings she couldn’t quite name- that Nick wanted to share what they had with the world. Inside the cd booklet he’d included the picture of the two of them, arms wrapped around each other, his hands very firmly grabbing her ass… and another of them kissing… his choices surprised her…and delighted her. She’d expected he’d pick less… affectionate ones… the ones of them laughing or joking around, if he included her at all.
Nick watched as she looked through the booklet, taking time to read the lyrics to songs she hadn’t heard yet and intently studying the pictures. He was waiting anxiously for her to get to the thank-yous to let her read what he was ready to tell the world about her and their soon-to-be family.
She skimmed through the rest of the liner notes, the information on who’d produced each song and where they were recorded, and began reading the thank-yous to his parents, brother and sisters, his friends, the musicians he’d worked with, all the people who’d helped him along the way. Her heart skipped a beat as she reached the last paragraph, “I saved the best for last… India, you know this album is all about you, right? Every word I wrote, every note I sang… was all about you. You’re my inspiration, my muse, my heart, my soul… the love of my life… there will never be anyone but you. I wonder a million times a day why you chose me, why I got to be the luckiest man in the world… to be able to have you love me. And I’m so thankful for all the little ways you show me… I hope I can do just as well with you and make sure everyday you know that you’re the one who holds my heart. Thank you for everything. And thank you for our future… the one we’re waiting on, the one we love already, the beginning of our family…baby, I promise now.. to be the best father I can…to support you and encourage your dreams… to catch you when you fall, to protect you from all the hurt and pain that I can… and remind you every day that daddy loves you.”
India turned to look at Nick, who looked a little teary himself, just from watching her. “You’re going to let the whole world read that?” she asked, her voice a wavery whisper.
He nodded. “Yes… because I want everyone to know that… I’m totally, completely devoted to being everything both of you need.” he said, quietly, kissing away the tears slipping down her cheeks.