Celestial Love (Anthony Rizzo)

.83. Loved You Forever

Anthony

Although it sucks that I didn't get invited to the all star game this season this also gives me time to go home for a little and relax. From 2015 up until now there hasn't been much of a break between spending all star weekend in Ohio or San Diego and the long post season runs. It was nice to be able to spend some extended time with Celeste and focus on us for a while. Hang out with each other before the baby gets here. Florida was far enough away from the life we knew but close enough that if we needed to get back quickly we could.

So we unpack the few bags we brought with us and turn in for the night. Traveling is hard when you're not pregnant so I know Callie was ready to relax. I thought flying would be a little easier because it's quicker but just being in a airport is a headache. I didn't want to spend the whole vacation in the house but there's no point in going anywhere tonight.

We crawl into bed before finding a movie to pass the time. It was a long day already so I was going to order us a pizza and some wings while we find what to watch. It was only 9 but most nights we were in bed by now anyway.  We plan on getting as much rest as we can while we still could.

"Ugh, I got a headache" Celeste sighs as she rubs her head. I start to frown because I know there isn't a thing I could do to stop the headache from coming. She's doing everything she can to make this easy for herself and the baby but she's growing a human. She's going to get a headache and besides some Tylenol there isn't much I can do to take that away.

"Come here" I says as I wrap my arms around her. I pull her into me and her head rests on my chest. A small smile comes up on her face as she closes her eyes for a few seconds. My hand softly caresses her cheek as I find myself thanking god for this woman in my life.

"I know I'm going to miss being pregnant but I can't wait until Stella is here. And out of my ribs" she sighs.

"You like being pregnant" I question.

"I do. People usually give me a seat on the bus or free food. While the swelling sucks my skin is glowing and I have been craving a lot of fruits and veggies that give me energy. Plus I have a little table to eat in bed" she smiles.

"Well I'm happy you're enjoying it. Kicked ribs and all" I tease.

Our food gets here and I lay it all out on the table in front of the couch. We eat the entire pizza and wings all by ourselves. Celeste's headache goes away letting her relax a little more and the night was turning into a good one. Nothing special was happening but I got to do nothing with my favorite person and I loved it.

Once Celeste was full enough she pulls up her shirt to expose her baby belly and I rest my head on it. My fingers run across her soft skin as I admire her. She always had the softest skin. My favorite thing in the world was to roll over in bed and hold her stomach. I look forward to it every single night.

Not too long ago you couldn't even tell she was carrying a child and now she looks like she is almost a few weeks away. She was embracing the stretch marks and applying oils to try and keep her skin healthy but it's inevitable. There was no way around some of these things but she wasn't avoiding it. She was soaking up every bit of pregnancy and that includes stretch marks and belly rubs.

I softly press a kiss on her stomach and I feel Stella move inside. My lips pull tight against Celeste's skin as I keep my eyes closed a little while longer. Moments like this are rare, when I feel so close to my girls. And I know baseball is where I belong but right here this is where I want to be.

"You know I love you more than anything, right" I ask her as I lift my head off her belly to look at her.

"I have an idea" she teases.

"I'm serious. Long before we ever got together I loved you with every cell in my body. I could physically feel it in my bones. It was like my body got heavy whenever you were around. The weight of the world was that much more because I knew what it meant for you to be with me. And I thought it was just me being nervous or never knowing what to say to you. But it was not the burdens I was carrying rather me trying to hold back my love because I knew that if I let it show there was no going back. And parts of me wish I never withheld such a beautiful part of me. The best parts of me really. Part of me wishes I told you the moment I knew how much I loved you and why it was because of this feeling only you gave me I wanted to go on. But I know that if I did you would suffer and I would suffer and neither of us could be happy.

But I've loved you forever. Or so it feels like it. I think part of me always knew I was going to be with you" I explain.

"That was quite a beautiful confession, I always adored your words. All you're missing is a ring lover boy" she jokes as I smile.

"In due time. I kinda figured you don't want to worry about a wedding when you're growing a whole human inside of you. As if that's not stressful and tiring enough. Plus, if we wait long enough between the proposal and the wedding Stella can be the flower girl and running around the reception with her cousins" I say.

"That would be a lot of fun. I would give anything to had been at my parents wedding even if I was too young to remember it. Just to be a part of such a display of something you can't see. To feel such a love like they shared. I think it'll be really nice for little Ella to be a part of that for us" she claims.

"All she will know is the rarest and strongest from of love" I promise her.

"And what's that" she asks.

"Celestial love" I say.