𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐬 | 𝐂𝐨𝐛𝐫𝐚 𝐊𝐚𝐢

𝐗𝐋𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈 ... 𝑀𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠

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𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀 placed her hair in a Pamela Anderson updo and sat down on the couch and flipped through the Pioneer Woman magazine. Today was one of the days she felt like absolute shit. Not to mention, she was two months away from her due date.

Two months had passed since Stella and Johnny's wedding, and he and Robby were working for Aaron as ranch hands and making more money than they ever would back in the valley. Sam comes to visit from time to time, and she and August talk over FaceTime.

As for Robby and Hailey, if Robby isn't at home or at work, he's with her supporting her at the rodeos, as the two made it official.

As Stella continued flipping through her magazine, Stella reached across the nightstand to grab the her phone. She looked at the caller id which read, Dad ❤️

"Hello?" Stella said as she answered her father's call

"Hi honey." Nathan said on the other line. "Johnny said you weren't feeling to well. He's worried about you and so am I. Do I need to come over?"

"Well, I'll never say no to a visit from you dad." Stella smiled. "It's just one of those days where I feel like total shit."

"How's my granddaughter?" Nathan asked

"She's fine, she's been kicking, I can tell she got that from her father." Stella laughed

"As soon as I get finished writing this incident report, I'll be over there, okay?" Nathan said

"Okay daddy." Stella smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart." Nathan smiled.

After Stella hung up the phone, she got off the couch, and put on Donny & Marie: Featuring Songs From Their Television Show album, and Butterfly began to play.

As the song continued to play, Stella felt her daughter shift in her belly, and her eyes glazed over with tears. Moving to the recliner, she read her Better Homes and Gardens magazine while sipping her iced tea.

──────

"Here's another glass of iced tea." Nathan said as he gave Stella a glass of unsweetened iced tea. Nathan was true to his word and stopped by Stella and Johnny's on her way home to check on his daughter.

"Thanks daddy." Stella smiled as she accepted the tea, and took a sip

"How are things between Robby and Hailey? She seems to be a sweet girl." Nathan said

"Well, we've had her over for dinner a couple of times, and she's been respectful." Stella smiled. "He's with her in Fort Worth this weekend for the rodeo. I'm glad he's found someone he truly likes."

"Me too hon." Nathan said. "So is my granddaughter kicking?"

"She's pretty still right now. It's when I'm up moving around that she decides to kick." Stella said. "Isn't that strange?"

"It's not strange at all honey. All babies are different. You know, I've been thinking a lot about when you and your brother were babies." Nathan said

"Oh yeah?" Stella said as she turned to face her father

Nathan smiled and nodded. "Your brother might have been the only baby in the world that liked to sleep in, but you, you were always an early riser. Your mom used to tiptoe into the nursery as soon as she heard you stirring, most of the time, I would be dead asleep from working the night shift. But from what I could see, when I briefly woke up, she would carry you down stairs, with you in her arms, and she would sit in the rocking chair across from the window."

Flashback
— Fall 1991; Austin, TX

Ava walked into the nursery to find baby Stella stirring in her cradle. Smiling, the beautiful blonde picked her daughter up.

"Good morning, my little Angel." Ava smiled as she placed a kiss on her daughter's tiny hand, and baby Stella smiled up at her mother

After changing baby Stella and giving her a prepared bottle of breastmilk from the fridge, Ava carried her daughter downstairs in her arms, where the two sat down in the reclining rocking chair to watch the sun rise.

After putting in her favorite mixtape in her old radio, Ava and baby Stella watched the Texas sun rise over the ranch. After placing a kiss on her daughter's head and Stella clutching on to her mother's finger, Priscilla laid her head against her daughter's.

End of Flashback

"Babies change so fast at that age, and your mother and I knew that any morning might be the last time you or your brother ever let her rock y'all like that. So she made she go remember every little detail of those mornings." Nathan said as Stella smiled and ran her fingers over her baby bump 

Stella brought her father, whom she loved so much in for an embrace. She was scared shitless at the thought of being a first time mom, but she knew that it would all be ok. It's just one step at a time. The parents grow along with the baby. That's okay too.

"Thanks dad." Stella smiled as she embraced her father. "I needed this."

"Any time honey." Nathan smiled. "That's what I'm here for ."

──────

That night, Stella and Johnny, stood in baby Montana's nursery. Across from her cradle, was a wall adorned with photos of family and friends.

"I'm gonna go get dinner started." Johnny said, then kissed Stella's lips. "I love you."

"I love you too, hon." Stella said.

After Johnny kissed Stella once more, he left the room, and she placed her hand on her baby bump after baby Montana kicked, almost like a karate kick.

"Oh...quite a kick there. Troublemaker already. Don't tell me you want to get into karate like your dad?" Stella laughed, looking at the photo of Ava and Laura on the wall, she spoke. "It's okay baby. It's all okay. The angels are watching over you."