To Have Loved...

Summer Abroad - 2

After landing in St. Petersburg, Russia, we checked into the hotel and decided to take a couple of days to just rest and sight see. We arrived around suppertime, so several of us went to a restaurant nearby to eat and then decided to hit the pool at the hotel. While sitting in a lounge chair, my phone started ringing.

"Hey Stacy," I answered the phone after seeing her name come across the screen.

"Hi Sarah, how are you? I haven't heard from you in a while and I wanted to see how things are going," she said.

"Oh my God Stacy, things have been amazing. I can't believe everything I've gotten to see and experience so far."

"That sounds wonderful sis. Maybe someday the two of us can travel together somewhere."

"I'd really like that and if we come back to Europe, there are so many places I want to take you. If you think Chicago is huge, wait until you see Paris," I chuckled over the phone. "So how are you Stace? How is the baby?"

"I'm feeling pretty good, other than the fact that I have to pee all the time and I sleep more than I ever have before. The baby is doing really well, in fact, we just had our 20 week ultrasound and she is right where she needs to be."

"She? As in, she's a girl?" I asked excitedly.

"Yes, she is a girl. You are going to have a niece," Stacy laughed.

"That is so cool Stacy, I can't wait to meet her."

"We can't either. I think Jake is more excited than I am that we are having a daughter. I was sure he wanted a boy more."

"She'll have him wrapped around her little finger, just like we have Dad," I laughed. No matter how old I am, I think I will always have Dad wrapped up.

"She certainly will," Stacy chuckled along with me.

"Did you tell Mom and Dad yet?"

"Yeah, I called them just before calling you to give them the news. They told me you should have been arriving in Russia today, but I wasn't sure what time it actually was."

"It's about 9:00 or so at night, but we are sitting out by the pool right now just relaxing this evening. Tomorrow we are just hanging around the hotel before resuming our tour."

"Well you have fun and be sure to send pictures when you can. I've enjoyed getting the post cards you've been sending."

"I will and I have more to mail out shortly. Love you. You take care of yourself and my niece and give Jake a hug from me."

"I love you too Sarah and I'll pass that hug on. Bye sis!"

"Bye Stace!" We hung up the phone.

"What's got you so excited over here?" Justin came up sitting beside me.

"My sister just told me that she is having a baby girl," I said looking at him. Justin just finished his sophomore year and has become a good friend over the last several weeks.

"Oh, that's cool," he said. "You going to join us in the pool?"

I shook my head. "No, not tonight. I just want to relax right here."

"OK," he said and cannon-balled into the pool splashing me in the process. As he resurfaced, he looked at me and laughed as I shook the water off of me giving him a disapproving look.

A short time later, I went back to the room and got ready for bed. The girls came in a bit later and we all settled in for the night. We didn't have to be up early tomorrow, so I planned on sleeping as long as I could.