Monday morning dawned bright, clear and unseasonably warm. After another bout of morning sickness, Bonnie sat at the kitchen table eating crackers and nursing a glass of ginger ale, her latest breakfast of choice. Coffee was out of the question. The smell of it alone made her sick.
She looked down at Binky, sprawled out in a patch of sun. "You know Cat, you’re lucky you’re a boy."
She cleaned up her mess, giving her cat a belly rub as she headed for the shower. She got undressed, staring at herself in the mirror. She ran her hand over her naked belly. Was that a bump? It couldn’t be. She pressed lightly, running her hand over it sideways. There was a small bump. Alrighty then. Maybe it was because she had already had a baby. They say you show sooner with your second. How did I miss it last night? Hmm. She ran her hand over it one last time for confirmation. Yep, a tiny belly bump. My God, Tony will be thrilled. She managed to shower before another round of nausea hit. Tony would be here soon. She wanted to look good for him!
Once she was done showering and dressed, she headed into her spare room. She used it for her office and storage. It was the perfect size for a nursery. Maybe I’ll surprise him and let him paint it the colors of Stewart-Haas. Bonnie giggled. I wonder if they made red cribs? All bets were off if it’s a girl. She’d do it pink and frilly. Make it totally girly girl. She still had a hunch that she was carrying a boy.
The doorbell rang returning her to reality. She ran downstairs, opening the front door. Tony stood there grinning, a pink bunny in one hand, a blue one in the other. She didn’t realize she had missed him so much until she saw him standing in front of her.
"Hi there!" he said, handing her the stuffed bunnies.
"Hi yourself! Get in here!" She pulled him inside, kicking the door shut with her foot. He picked her up off the floor in a bear hug, swinging her around. They stood there holding each other, enjoying the moment.
He ran his hand through her hair, kissing her deeply.
"My God, I’ve missed you." He mumbled into her hair. "There’s no way I can go a month without seeing you."
"I know. This is your first baby. I want you to be part of this pregnancy. We’ll figure something out." She said, smiling up at him.
"You’re having a baby. You’re having my baby." He said softly, looking in her eyes as he stroked her hair.
"I already have a bump. Wanna feel it?" She asked him shyly.
"You have a bump? Really?" he asked.
She took his hand, placing it just below her belly button. "Yep. Feel."
Tony rubbed his hand across her belly. His brown eyes grew wide. "Holy crap, you do have one!"
"Wait’ll he’s bigger. You’ll be able to feel him kicking and moving!" She said.
"You called it ‘he’. Do you already know we’re having a boy?" Tony asked confused.
"No silly. It’s too soon. We won’t be able to find out until I’m twenty weeks. It’s just a hunch. I never even got sick when I was pregnant with Lexie. This one is already kicking my ass!" she laughed.
He rubbed her belly one more time, fascinated. He mischievously put his hand further down her pants. Bonnie gasped.
"Down tiger! There will be time for that later!" she laughed, pushing his hand away.
"Damn! At least I can’t get you pregnant again!" He said. We can do it…can’t we?"
"Of course we can. You just can’t throw me around or hang me from the ceiling!" She teased, heading for the kitchen.
"Bummer. I was really looking forward to that!" He laughed.
"I’d offer you coffee, but the smell makes me sick. Got plenty of coke, would you like one?" She asked, opening the refrigerator.
"Sure, I’d love one." He replied, chin on his hand. He smiled as he watched her moving around the kitchen.
She turned to him, cocking her head. "What? Are my jeans ripped?"
"No. You haven’t changed a bit. You’re still as pretty as ever." He said warmly.
"Oh stop." She said, blushing.
She sat down across from him at the table. The morning sun came in the window, catching her blond hair. When Tony saw that, his heart skipped a beat. He was even more in love with her than he first thought. He gave her a lopsided grin.
"By the way Tony, I made my first appointment with my obstetrician on April fourth, the Wednesday before Easter. Will you be able to come with me? They’re doing an ultrasound to confirm it, so you’ll get to see the baby!" she said excitedly.
"I’ll make sure to clear my schedule. What time are you going?" he asked.
"It’s at 4:30, after I get out of work." She said.
"Perfect. I’ll call Mike and tell him nothing in the afternoon. I don’t want to miss this!" he said.
"I think Lexie is going to come too. She so excited about becoming a big sister!" Bonnie said happily.
"And have you given any thought to what kind of car you wanted?" He asked.
"Well, I’d love a Camaro SS convertible, but with Peanut on the way…" she said, trailing off.
"A mini van?" Tony teased.
"Never! An SUV will be fine. Nothing huge, just something that can carry a car seat and a stroller." She said.
"Does Lexie have her license?"
"She does. We share my car."
"Not anymore. We’ll get her something cute to take back and forth to school." He said.
"She’ll be thrilled. I don’t want her stuck there and I don’t trust my car at all. Thank you." She leaned over the table, kissing him. They broke the kiss, noses touching. Tony ran his hand through her hair.
"I don’t know what it is this time Bonnie, but I’m so in love with you." He said huskily, his voice breaking. "I will do anything to make you happy."
Bonnie was taken aback by the emotion in his voice. Just as he was about to kiss her again, his cell phone rang.
"Shit. Hold that thought." He said, answering his phone.
He walked into the living room. She stood up, carrying their glasses to the sink. She could hear him talking in monosyllables. He came back, wrapping her in a hug as she washed the morning dishes.
"Sorry about that. It’s amazing how my buddies can figure out when I’m home. He wanted to go racing tonight, I told him no. I have bigger plans." He said, kissing her neck.
Bonnie turned around, placing her hand on his forehead. "Do you feel OK? You never turn down a chance to race!"
Tony chuckled, holding her tight. He closed his eyes, breathing in her scent. Suddenly racing didn’t seem as important to him. And for the first time in his life, he didn’t care. He sighed. He needed to make some changes.
