Mending the Soul (27 page)

"Diane, it would mean a lot to both of us if you would accept this pregnancy and your future grandchild."
 
Jenna added.

"Well, you two sure have a way of surprising this old lady, huh?"
 
Diane said after a few minutes of silence.
 
"You definitely have a knack for shocking me into saying some pretty stupid things!"
 
She smiled and dropped her eyes to the ground.
 
"I'm sorry for being a grumpy old bag.
 
Of course I'll love and accept my grandchild, as long as you guys promise to stop dropping these damn bombshells on me like this.
 
My heart can't take much more!"
 
She teased.

"I don't think mine can either.
 
Imagine hearing the doctor tell you that you're pregnant…I had no idea!
 
I laughed in her face and thought she was joking!"
 
Jenna said as Diane came over and hugged her.

Diane turned to her son.
 
"I'm sorry Nicholas.
 
Thank you for putting me in my place.
 
I just want what's best for you."

"I know mom, Jenna and I want what's best for me too."
 
He said smiling as the two women both smacked his arms.

Diane smiled.
 
It had been so long since she had seen her son joking around like that.
 
Not since before Leslie died.
 
She knew that she had Jenna to thank for that, and she had just acted like a first class idiot towards her.
 
Trying to make up for it, Diane turned back to Jenna.
 
She wanted to take an interest in this pregnancy and show both of them that she would be there for them.
 
"How far along are you?"
 
Diane asked.

"I'm not sure.
 
I have an appointment to go back this week to find out.
 
My guess would be that I'm only a few weeks along, but I really don't know."
 
Jenna told her.

"Well, if you need anything, be sure to let me know.
 
Even if you need someone to go to the doctor's with you or whatever, just ask."
 
Diane offered.

Jenna's heart swelled.
 
"Thank you.
 
That means a lot to me, especially since I lost my parents a while ago."
 

"Well mom, we better get going.
 
We're anxious to show Emma her new room.
 
We were up late last night working on it.
 
If you need me, here's our new number."
 
He said as he wrote Jenna's phone number down on a piece of paper for his mother.
 
"And, remember, the baby is a secret for now!"

"Got it!
 
Congratulations guys, and I sincerely apologize!"
 
Diane said, the look of shame in her eyes told just how sorry she was for her outburst.

Nicholas gathered the kids out of the back yard and packed everyone into the Xterra after a final goodbye from everyone to Diane.
 
During the short drive back home, Nicholas told Emma and Colby that him and Jenna had a surprise for them when they got home.
 
The kids chatted about it excitedly the rest of the way, wondering what it was going to be.

Nicholas and Jenna sat them down in the living room when they reached the house and told them that him and Emma would me moving in and living with Jenna and Colby.
 
Both of the kids cheered, enjoying the fact that they would be having sleepovers every night.

"But that's not all.
 
Emma, you have a brand new bedroom.
 
Jenna worked really hard to make sure that it was something you would like.
 
Are you ready to see it?"
 
Nicholas told her.

"YEAH!"
 
Emma shouted as Nicholas and Jenna led her and Colby up the stairs.

They stopped outside of the closed door to the former guest bedroom.
 
Nicholas told Emma to close her eyes before he opened the door.
 
Seeing her eyes closed, he turned the handle of the door and slowly exposed the room behind it.
 
Colby's shout of how cool it was got Emma so excited that she opened her eyes so she could see it.

Emma walked into her room slowly as she looked around, silently.
 
The walls were painted an ocean blue, with bright colored fish and seahorses painted all over, as if they were swimming.
 
Hanging in the corners were fisherman nets with big seashells and stuffed animals from the 'Finding Nemo' collection.
 
Her toy chest had been painted to look like an underwater treasure chest, and there was an aquarium next to it with real, live fish in it.

Jenna began to worry as Emma walked around her new room quietly.
 
She touched all of her furniture, her new bedding, and the painted walls.
 
Panic started to set in when Jenna saw Emma's face.
 
'
Oh no!
 
She hates it!
 
I try to do something nice for her, to make her feel like this is her space, and she hates it!
 
Wonderful job, idiot
!'
 
Jenna thought to herself.

Just when Jenna was about to let the teary flood gates flow, she realized that there was little arms wrapped around her waist.
 
Jenna looked down to see Emma hugging her tightly.
 
She looked over at Nicholas who was smiling proudly at his two favorite girls with tears in his eyes.
 
He gave her a small nod, helping Jenna to realize that it was ok to breathe again.

Jenna bent down to Emma and took her in her arms.
 
"Do you like it?"
 
Jenna asked softly.

"I love it.
 
This is my most favorite room ever!"
 
Emma told her, then whispered, "Thanks Mommy."

Jenna felt her eyes filling with tears again as she tilted her head back and rolled her eyes up to try to avoid letting those tears fall.
 
Luckily, Colby broke the tender moment before the waterworks started.

"Can we have fish for dinner?"
 
He asked, laughing as he ran over and jumped on his mother and Emma.

Emma somehow got him into a headlock and began giving him a noogy, thoroughly frustrating Colby.
 
When he finally escaped, he started fixing his hair with his hands.
 
"Do I need to school you too?
 
Don't mess the 'do!"

"Yeah, like I'm afraid of you!"
 
Emma teased.

Jenna and Nicholas watched as the two kids verbally sparred.
 
Finally deciding she'd heard enough, Jenna pulled Colby out of the room to give Nicholas some time alone with Emma, to show her where all of her stuff was, and to make sure she was ok with living there.
 
Jenna dragged Colby to his room to have a similar talk with him, to see how he felt about Nicholas and Jenna moving in.
 
She told him that he was to listen to what Nicholas told him, and that Nicholas had the same ruling powers as Jenna.
 
Jenna wanted to make sure that Colby knew this was Nicholas and Emma's house now too.
 
Colby seemed fine with them moving in, and actually appeared to be happy with it.
 
Jenna wasn't sure if it was because he was happy to have one of his best friends living there or if it was because of a father-figure moving in, which was something sorely lacking in Colby's life.
 
Either way, Jenna was happy that Colby was so accepting of it.

Nicholas was having the same sort of talk with Emma in her room, saying that this was there house now too, and that Emma needed to listen to whatever Jenna said.
 
Emma was so overjoyed, and Nicholas knew that they were doing the right thing by moving in there.
 
He just hoped that the kids would be as accepting of the new baby as they were of the new living arrangements…in time they would find out.

Sunday night, Jenna and Nicholas tucked their kids into bed, together for the first time living together.  Though the only thing new for Colby was the addition of Nicholas, Emma would be sleeping in her new room in her new house for the first time.  Though she had spent many nights in the house, she had always stayed in the same room as Colby.  Now that she had her own room, she was a little nervous.

Jenna and Nicholas spent extra time with Emma when they said goodnight.  Jenna wanted to explain some of the noises that the house made so that Emma wouldn't be afraid in the middle of the night.  She explained the noise that the central air conditioner made when it kicked on, the way the vents on the roof sometimes made a noise when the wind blew, and the way the floor boards creaked when they were walked on.

Finally, Jenna showed Emma the noise machine that went with the room.  It had the sound of waves crashing on the beach, and suggested that if Emma was nervous about the unfamiliar noises, then she could turn on the sound machine and listen to the waves.  Emma like the idea of listening to the waves, so Jenna turned it on before they even left the room.  Though Emma was nervous at first, the sounds from the machine lulled her into a deep sleep.

*****

After a peaceful night, Jenna and Nicholas woke up when their alarm went off.  Almost as if it was on an alarm of its own, Jenna's nausea woke up too.  Nicholas followed her into the bathroom, trying to sooth her as her body revolted.  When Leslie was pregnant, she very rarely got sick, so the constant morning sickness that Jenna was experiencing was new to him.

The only thing he knew to do was rub Jenna's back and make sure that her hair was out of her face.  He got her a cool cloth for her face and poured her a glass of water for when she was finished.

"God, how can you stand to be in the same room with me when I'm getting sick?  I understand if you don't want to be here, I'd probably be pretty grossed out if I were you."  Jenna groaned after getting sick for what felt like the millionth time.  She didn't understand how or why Nicholas was being so supportive.  When she was with Kyle, he tried to stay as far away from her as possible when she had her morning sickness.  Most mornings, he would call to her from their bedroom and ask her to quiet down a little so he didn't have to hear her.

"Honey, you're having our baby.  I'm here to support you, good or bad.  Besides, what's a little morning sickness in a relationship?"  He said, trying to lighten her mood.  "I'm here because I want to be.  I promise you that you won't have to go through any of this alone."  Nicholas gave her a kiss on her forehead and started the shower for her, seeing that the nausea appeared to have passed.

"So that means you'll go to my appointment with me this afternoon?  I know they're going to do blood work, and I'm not a big fan of needles."  Jenna asked hopefully.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world.  I'll be right there with you, holding your hand.  I'll be at every appointment that is physically possible for me to make."  Nicholas promised.  "How about we take Zoey to lunch today too?  Will you be able to since you're taking time off from work for your doctor's appointment?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea.  I'll talk to my boss this morning and see if there's something I can work out.  We have actually been talking about a way for me to only work in the office part time, and work from home the rest of the time.  It might be a good time to finalize the details with that."  Jenna said.  "Are we going to tell Zoey about the baby?"

"Not yet, unless you want to.  I thought we were going to keep this quiet, and we've already told my mom and Vanessa and Nathan."  Nicholas said.

"I know, but you're going to have to find a way to explain all your absences to Zoey when you go to my appointments with me if we don't tell her."  Jenna pointed out.  "But, she's your assistant, so you decide either way."

Nicholas looked at Jenna as she prepared to get into the shower.  He smirked at Jenna then shook his head slowly.  "Fine, we'll tell her today at lunch.  How is it that you always get your way?"

Jenna laughed.  "I'm glad you're seeing it my way now.  Don't try to fight it and we'll get along just fine."

Nicholas laughed at Jenna and started chasing her around the bedroom and bathroom.  "You think you're so funny, huh?"  He reached out and caught her just as she was running back into the bathroom.  He pulled her to him and bent his head down to catch her lips in a good morning kiss.  Just when he anticipated that his lips would meet the soft caress of hers, an obstacle blocked the path between them.  Nicholas opened his eyes to see his lips connected to Jenna's hand.