Love Without You (3 page)

For their honeymoon Josh and Jessica just took 3 days and went to stay in the mountains so they didn't really go far. After they got back they invited Jessica’s Mom over for breakfast and told her that they were taking her on a trip. The three of them were going on a cruise to Mexico. Seven days and six nights of nothing but being pampered with massages and shopping were the best of the best and they could hardly wait. They could hardly wait and Jessica’s Mom was excited. They had been on several cruises before and they loved them. And they really needed to get away from everything. So in three weeks they would be going away for a week and they couldn't wait. They shopped and planned and plotted and every day they got more excited. Finally the day came and they flew to where they boarded the ship.

The Carnival Cruise line was boarding as they went up the gang plank and they took their luggage to their stateroom. They upgraded their room so Brenda could have an adjoining room to theirs. They didn't want her to think that they were going to ignore her on this trip. This was for her too and they intended to make sure she had a great time. After changing clothes and the ship getting underway they took a tour of the ship and saw just about everything there was to see. They even talked to the captain and he invited them to his table that night for dinner. When Brenda changed for dinner she was a vision of loveliness. Her blonde hair framed her face and her outfit was beautiful. A red satin dress with gold sandals and she looked like an angel. Jessica and Josh couldn't believe the transformation in her and she was just the perfect traveling companion, not intrusive at all.

Dinner was so much fun at the captain’s table. They dined on lobster for dinner and for dessert they had a peach sorbet that was delicious. Everything was great and the conversation was very interesting and Brenda seemed to make a big impression with the captain. After dinner they went for a walk on the deck and looked at the water and watched the moon dance on it. The shimmering effect it had on the water was mystical and it t
urned into a night to remember.

That was just one night on the cruise; the rest of it was just as good. They played and ate and when they docked they toured and walked and study the history of the port they were in. Basically they did anything that the three of them wanted to do anytime. When they were tired they slept and when they weren’t tired they went out and Brenda kept up the pace with them without a struggle. They had a terrific time together and Jessica learned a lot more about her Mother than she knew before and so did Josh. Bur then there was time for Jessica and Josh as a couple too. Brenda made sure of that. There were times when she would make an appointment so that she would be busy so Josh and Jessica would be forced to be alone. One night the captain invited her to a special dinner just her so it gave Jessica and Josh time to have an intimate dinner alone. There was something for everyone.

Then the last night of the cruise Brenda got a surprise gift from Jessica. Jessica brought it to the table and when Brenda opened it she cried. It was a pair of baby booties. Yes Jessica was pregnant! How exciting and how happy everyone was. She was already three months along so she felt sure she would carry it before she told anyone. This was the end to the perfect vacation. Tomorrow they would go home but now there was something exciting to go home for and even Brenda had something to live for now.

When they got home and life settled down they started planning for the baby. Their guest bedroom was turned into a nursery and Josh painted the walls a pale aqua color and Jessica stenciled some Disney characters on the walls and Brenda made the baby a quilt out of cross stitching. It turned out to be cute and by the time the 7th month came they were ready. All they had to do now was wait on the baby and that was hard to do. Jessica had quit her job and she went for long walks on the beach every day to pass the time. Brenda would come over and keep her company when Josh was working. She and Brenda became addicted to chocolate ice cream and it had to be a staple that was bought before anything else in the house. Jessica loved grilled cheese sandwiches and ice cream and Brenda helped her get what she craved, every day.

When the time was near Brenda helped Jessica pack her bag for the hospital trip and then they waited and waited and waited. When the baby was six days past due the doctor told them that they would induce on the following Monday. That was on Thursday so they just had the weekend to go so at least they knew she they would have a baby. They chose not to find out what the sex of the baby was so they still didn’t know if it was a girl or boy. That would be a surprise to.

They were having dinner on Friday night when the contractions started but they decided they were so far apart that they wouldn't call the doctor until they were closer together. They waited and called Brenda and told her to come that it would be soon. Within the hour they called the doctor and as they were going out the door Jessica’s water broke and she was definitely in labor. Tonight was finally the night they would get to see their baby and they were so excited. Josh’s parents would also meet them at the hospital. It was a first for all the grandparents and Jessica couldn’t help but think about her Dad and wished he was there tonight to be with Brenda.

It wasn't long before they got their wish. It only took four hours of labor for Jessica before Alexandria Kendal was born and had won the hearts not only of her parents but of her grandparent’s as well upon the first breath of her body. Her grandparents on Josh’s side cried when she was born. And Jessica, Josh and Brenda all cried. It was an emotional day and all of them were glad it was over. Jessica would be staying in the hospital with Josh till the next day and then she would get to go home with Alexandria. Josh couldn't get over how beautiful Alexandria was and how much she looked like Jessica. Everything had gone great with Jessica having the baby she was just tired so everyone was relived about that. Jessica planned on sleeping now when Alexandria went to sleep and so did Josh.

The next day Josh and Jessica took their little miracle home. She was definitely a miracle and a pretty one too. Brenda came over that day and helped out with fixing lunch and dinner and of course holding Alexandria.

Alexandria was a happy baby and not a crier. She didn't get to upset except when she needed to be changed or was hungry. Other than that she slept or just laid there and sucked on her fist. She wouldn’t take a pacifier but loved her fist and would make lots of noises with it. As she got a little older she would lie in her crib and make noises like she was talking to herself. Someone was always talking to her so she was around adults all the time. By the time she was toddling around she was talking and saying real words. She was a beautiful little thing that thought the sun rose and set in her Mama and Daddy. Her hair was blonde and she had blue eyes and if you looked hard enough at her you could see Jessica looking back at you. She was so tiny she was still in petite clothes and in some preemies until she was almost two years old. She wasn't malnutrition she was just a tiny person but cute as a button.
She and Jessica and Josh were inseparable and they took her everywhere with them, whether they went on bike rides or whether they went to the store.

She didn't know any children her age but if she wasn't with her parents she was with Brenda so by the time it was time for her to start to school she was very smart and had a very vivid vocabulary and could also read. Brenda and Jessica had taken special care to help Alexandria learn to read. The teachers were impressed and Josh and Jessica were proud parents.

They finally got to build the dream house on their property Jessica’s Dad left them. It was everything they had ever thought about having and as a special treat they build a Mother in Law Suite attached to the house for Brenda. She sold her house and moved in with Jessica and Josh. It sat up on a hill close to the beach and you could hear the ocean from any part of the house. It was a real beauty and had everything they wanted. Jessica knew her Dad would have been pleased.

Josh had gone on to school and gotten a degree in architecture so he did a lot of the pans for the house and understood what was going on when they were building it. Jessica never went back to work. She stayed home with Alexandria after that.

When Alexandria started to school Jessica found out she was pregnant again. This time they hoped for a boy and they got it. Thomas Jay was born and they were one big happy family. Alexandria took good care of her baby brother and wanted to hold him all the time. She would rock him long periods of time and sing to him. Usually it would be You Are My Sunshine. She thought he really loved that song not realizing that it was the sound of her voice that he liked so much. She was a great sitter for him she just wouldn’t leave him alone and wanted to do everything for him. She didn’t want him to ever do anything for himself she wanted to do it all for him.

Josh and Jessica continue to have a great relationship and love each other very much. Brenda still lives with them and they just have the two kids. They are very content and happy with what they have and are very grateful for the life they have been blessed with.