And Baby Makes...?

Chapter 3

Samantha seemed content after we'd all spoken with her.   We tried to get her excited about the baby. As excited as we were. She seemed a little wary, but definitely much more okay with the prospect of being a big sister.

She came out onto the stage a few more times when I wanted to introduce her which meant, to me, that bringing her onstage for her birthday would maybe work.

On her birthday, June 27, we all woke up as usual. We started our day and we're sitting around eating breakfast. Samantha was quiet, but not overly so.

"Hey," Josh said, as we were cleaning up from breakfast.

"What?" I said, playing along.

"Isn't there something going on today?"

"We have a show, some press and a meet and greet. Why?"

I looked over at Samantha. She looked at us, a slight look of disappointment on her face.

"You two, it's not that," Jenna said.

"No. You're right. There's something else," I said, trying to look pensive.

Jenna sighed.

"You two," she said. "You have the worst memories."

"I can't remember. What's so special about today?" I asked, sitting down beside Samantha.

"Any idea?" I asked her. She shrugged.

"Summer solstice?" Josh asked.

"Wait! I remember!" I said and pulled Samantha to me. "It's your birthday!"

"Happy birthday!" Josh and Jenna said.

"I thought you forgot. I mean, I wouldn't have been surprised. Stanley kinda, never..." Samantha trailed off.

"Samantha," I said. "We could never forget you, your birthday, nothing. We have a whole bunch of stuff planned. Mom's going to take you out for lunch, and stuff."

"Lunch and 'stuff'?" Sam asked, her eyebrow raised.

"Yeah. Lunch. And stuff," I smiled.

Samantha had no idea Brendon and Sarah, Zack and Kala and Debby had flown out to meet her and Jenna for lunch. Josh and I would be there too, but she was going to think that we had press and meet and greets and that we'd celebrate her birthday later.

We gave Sam one of her birthday gifts at breakfast. We'd gotten her a framed picture of her onstage with me on the first night, before the debacle with the baby. I'd had a tour shirt and a ticket added and we thought maybe she'd want to put it in her room at home.

"This is pretty cool," she smiled.

"It's not your only present," I said. "It's just one."

"Hmm. I dunno. This year you got me a whole new family, and then you got me new aunts and uncles. And now a new baby brother or sister. What more could I possibly need?" she smiled.

At lease she seemed to be warming up to the idea of a baby sibling.

"Yeah. But you have to share all that with other people," I reasoned. "You should have some stuff that's just yours."

Josh handed her another small gift.

Sam smiled and opened it. It was another game for her Switch.

"Thanks Uncle Josh," she smiled and gave him a hug.

"Try not to beat that one too quickly, huh?" He said. She'd plowed through the games she already had.

Samantha laughed.

Once we were all done breakfast, we cleaned up, tossed out the wrapping paper from Sam's gifts, and stowed the picture frame away so it would stay safe as we travelled.

Jenna and Sam started preparing for their day. We were in Chicago and the two of them were going to do some sightseeing before lunch. Sam was interested and excited. She'd definitely caught the travel bug, now that she'd seen outside of Ohio.

They put together a day pack and Sam grabbed a ball cap and some extra insulin, just in case. Jenna had her camera and the two made sure they had their passes so they could get in and out of the gates.

They went off on their day, and Josh and I made preparations.

"She's going to have a heart attack," Josh said to me as I texted Brendon and Debby to let them know the girls had left. They were going to come meet here at the venue, help me decorate the bus for Sam, then someone from the crew was going to go out and pick up a cake I'd ordered for during the show when I'd surprise her on stage with the fans singing her 'Happy Birthday'.

"Maybe. But it'll be worth it. Besides by the time they're back here, she'll have already been surprised at lunch. Jenna is going to make sure they don't come back before lunch. She's got museums planned and she wants to take some photos of Samantha for us and to commemorate her first birthday with us," I said.

Within the hour, Brendon and the gang were at the bus and we were wrapping their gifts to Sam as well as decorating the bus with steamers and balloons. Brendon and Sarah were so excited to see Sam again. As were Debby and Zack and Kala of course, but Sarah had seen Sam when she was really sick, and at her absolute worst. They were excited to celebrate something great when Sam was doing so well.

"How did she take the news about the baby?" Sarah asked.

"Not well at first," I admitted. "She thought we were going to get rid of her. Stanley told her that's what we would do if we got pregnant. But we reassured her and she's come around."

"She did run, though," Josh said. "But only to the bus. Which is good. Because Buffalo isn't a city I'm that familiar with."

"Poor kid," Sarah said. "Her birth father really messed her up, huh?"

I sighed.

"Yeah. We still have some work to do. But all in all, she's doing so well," I said.

We finished getting the bus decorated and then it was time to head ti the restaurant for lunch.  We were all excited to surprise Samantha.