"Janet, come on."
"Toni, stop pulling me." Toni got Janet out of bed and led her downstairs.
"I'm sorry, baby. Come on." Janet groaned as she tried to put her shoes on. She was in the sixth month of her pregnancy and her belly had grown rapidly. It wasn't a shock, she ballooned up with Gabby too, but it was just a drag at times.
"Okay." She stood up and took Toni's hand as they left the room. "What do you want me to see that's so important?"
"Come on, you've been cooped up in that room since the trial."
"Because my feet hurt and I want to rest. It's bad enough that I had to go to that trial everyday to watch that crazy chick justify her actions. Now your child is resting hard against my bladder and back. I'm tired." Toni held Janet down the stairs.
"Well, you can lay down after this."
"You damn straight I will." They reached the bottom of the stairs and Janet caught her breath.
"How you feeling?"
"I'm good. Just need to catch my breath a little." Toni rubbed her back and helped her gather herself. "Let me know when you're ready."
"I'm good to go."
"Alright." Toni led her to the living room and put her on the couch.
"You brought me out of the room to sit on the couch?"
"Just wait. Jeez." Toni left out of the room and came back in with a big box. "Happy Birthday, baby." Janet was confused.
"Today's not my birthday." Toni sighed.
"Check the date." Janet looked at her phone.
"Oh my god. It's my birthday. I completely forgot." Toni chuckled.
"Well, I didn't." She sat the box in front of Janet.
"What is it?"
"Open it." Janet took the wrapping paper off and Toni balled it up as she went. When all the paper was off she took the lid off. Inside was a bunch of smaller presents on top of one box. Janet laughed.
"You're so extra." She opened the first one. "Ohhh..." It was a set of earrings and in the next box was the necklace to match. "I saw these at the mall a few months ago."
"Yep, your eyes lit up and everything, so I bought them that day."
"And you saved them all this time."
"I knew you'd love it." He moved to sit next to her. "Keep going." The next present was in an envelope. Opening it, Janet saw that it was a gift card and an appointment card.
"What's this?"
"The gift card is purely symbolic, but the appointment is to a tattoo parlor. I had some research done and this artist is the best one we could find for your very first tattoo." Janet's face lit up. She had always wanted to get tattoos but was scared of getting infected. "And I'll pay for it."
"As you should." Janet moved on to the next gifts. All of them were things that she wanted or things that Toni just thought she'd like. Now they were onto the last big box. Toni pulled it out for her and sat it in front of her.
"I saved the best for last." Janet opened the box and immediately started freaking out.
"Oh my god. Oh my god." She pulled out a pair of platform sneakers. "Where did you find these? They're sold out everywhere."
"I have my ways." Janet smiled big as she looked at her new shoes.
"Thank you so much, baby." Janet hugged and kissed Toni all over her face. "I love you so much."
