"This Time Around"
By: gb
Chapter 49
Gillian was already brushing her teeth when Ryan strolled in and wrapped his arms around her middle. He did it more gently than usual.
He looked around the room and saw that her paraphanalia was already completly covering the counters and towels littered the floor.
Ryan laughed.
"What?" Gillian asked him.
He thought a moment.
"I just can't believe you're really mine." he whispered in awe.
Gillian wiped her face with a towel and then turned in his arms.
"I'm gonna get too fat for you to do that soon." She warned warned him good-naturedly.
"I'll find a way," Ryan assured her. "No way am I gonna give up the chance to hug my two angels!"
Her hair was put up in big velcro rollers
He touched them and smiled.
"The return of Frankenstein!" she joked, pronoucing the name slowly.
"Sure they won't cause a power surge and blackout?" he asked.
"I think we're safe!" she smiled.
Ryan leaned against the counter and held her in his arms.
"Listen, " he told her. "I just can't help noticing how gorgeous you are, Princess, really. You gotta see that in my lfe, well...I just can't believe I'd be lucky enough to even have the chance to see someone so beautiful! But let me explain.
"I gotta say that I'd love you anyway no matter how you want to look. All I can remember now is you trusted me when practically this whole town thought I was a rapist. You stood up to your family for me in front of everyone in Pine Valley!"
"Even later, when I treated you so bad, and told you I wanted nothing more to do with you, you never stopped trying to show me your heart!
"Later, when I confessed to cover up for Braden, you never believed me- Princess, when you stood in that courtroom and told me you'd always love me and would wait forever until I got out of jail...I know that you can love somone without giving up so much of yourself,but...I just never had anyone love me as unconditionally as you do- as you always do."
"I don't think love even starts to explain it." she told him, looking up into his eyes.
"Our eyes," Ryan marvelled. "Our eyes could never lie, even when we did."
Gillian shook her her head in agreement.
"Baby, however you look, big rollers, couture outfits, or even with dirt on your face from the garden outside and in men's clothes...you'll always be beautiful, but that doesn't mean I think that's all there is to you- not anymore."...
Ryan and Gillian joined everyone else at the table later for breakfast.
They had already decided to tell everyone at Wildwind about their child.
Gillian wanted Ryan to do the honors, so he cleared his throat and said," Excuse me, everyone, if I could just have your attention for just a minute."
Alex, Eugenia, Edmund, little Sam and Maddie all stopped chatting and looked at him.
"Well, everyone, Gillian and I have some news to share with you."
He paused nervously and Edmund asked, "You're not moving out already, are you?"
"No, we aren't-at least not now." Ryan smiled.
"Oh, Edmund," Eugenia scolded him. "That would hardly merit all this happy ceremony."
Looking at them, she smiled and said,"No, it's so obvious. You both are going to renew your vows. I'm delighed!"
Ryan smiled at Gillian who spoke kindly to her grandmother and said, "No, Grandmama. Actually, we havent' discussed that yet."
"Oh," she said in disappointment. "Then what's going on?"
Only Alex remained silent, though she made all the appropriate smiles and gestures.
Ryan and Gillian suggested Peggy be around to hear the news as well.
When Peggy arrived, Ryan began again.
"Everyone...Gillian and I are happy to tell you...that we're going to have a baby in a few months!"
The excitement was evident in Ryan's voice and Gillian's face, but their new was met with stunned silence for a moment.
Ryan and Gillian looked at each other in confusion and then back at the others.
Ryan cleared his throat.
Suddenly, Edmund found his voice.
"You're gonna what?!" he asked.
"What did you say?" asked Eugenia.
"It's true! We're gonna have a baby!" Gillian beamed in assurance.
Edmund, Alex, and Eugenia all talked excitedly at once and even Sam and Maddie joined the fuss.
The little ones were thrilled at the prospect of a new playmate! Both asked Ryan and Gillian exactly when the new baby was coming over so that they could get their toys ready!
Edmund got up and walked over to Gillian and kissed her on the cheek.
Eugenia joined him as she exclaimed," My Darling!"
Alex was more subtle, but she exclaimed that she was sure Dimitri would be over the moon!
When the attention was turned to Ryan, he shifted sort of nervously.
Edmund broke the ice quietly shaking his hand.
Gillian watched Eugenia kiss Ryan's cheek as he smiled.
"Congratulations!" Alex said to both of them.
Ryan sensed that Gillian's family still had some reservations about him, but for Gillian's sake, they were happy.
Everyone began plying the couple with question, Peggy began to making plans for a special dinner and Alex made a mental note to call Sean and tell him her suspisions were right...
end of part 49
(to be continued...)
Edmund has some words with Ryan on a few things ....