Alaska

Chapter Forty

CHAPTER FORTY

"It's perfect," Lexi breathed.  She turned and wrapped her arms around Ashton's neck, planting a soft kiss on his cheek.

"I can't wait to meet your daughter," Ashton said, quietly.  "I really want to look after her, Lex!"

"Me too..."

For a while they stood in the room, thinking and imagining what it would be like when the baby was here, and how they would try their best to act like parents and put her to sleep together.  It was Lexi's dream, and it was in the palm of her hand...

***

Thirty-five weeks...

The next week passed in a flurry of baby-ness and wedding-ness.  Bianca was over practically every day, discussing last minute things for her wedding and both Patricia and Bill were fretting over the fact that a baby would be joining their household within a fortnight, so they took to baby-proofing the area and making sure that everything was in order.

On one particular sweltering day, Lexi woke up to a vast amount of sudden kicks coming from inside her belly.  Since her daughter had clearly grown a lot, the kicks were getting more and more painful and annoying but all the same, it was a pleasure knowing she was okay.

Ashton snoozed beside her, his head under his pillow and half the blankets baring his naked torso.  It was embarrassing when Patricia came in on some mornings and saw him in nothing but his boxers, but he claimed that it was the only way in which he could sleep.

Lexi grabbed her phone from her bedside table and groggily checked her inbox for any messages.  There were about six and they all bore the same message, which suddenly jolted Lexi into her senses.

"Oh, crap!" She moaned.

Ashton mumbled something that she couldn't understand and she began reading the texts.  The first one was from her grandmother and grandfather.

Happy Birthday dear Alexia!
Looking forward to seeing you soon.  We love you! Xxx

The next, was from Ariel.

Happy Birthday, girl.  Hope all is good in Penny! Enjoy ur day.

And Violet...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.  YOU'RE SEVENTEEN, BABE.  HAVE A FABULOUS DAY.  MISS YOU XXXX

How could Lexi have forgotten her own birthday?  How could she have forgotten that it was the thirteenth of July and she had just turned seventeen?  It must have been due to all the distraction that was going on in the Whitmore house, and clearly no one else seemed to notice either, considering no one had said anything to remind her...

Her last text message was from Katya, and it was the longest.

Hey babe.  Happy seventeenth!
We must definitely celebrate today.  I got back from Malibu last night.
How about we meet at the beach club in Harving for dinner at about six thirty and then we can chill on the beach with a few VIRGIN cocktails???  Feel free to bring Ash along.
Love yaaaa.

Lexi smiled.  Leave it to Katya to remember these things...  She quickly texted back a simple 'thanks' and 'okay' for the invite and scrambled out of bed to take a cold shower.

 When she emerged from her bathroom a quarter of an hour later, a large bouquet of different coloured flowers were sitting atop her bureau, along with a dark blue velvet box with a silver bow attached to it and a pink envelope.  Ashton sat on his side of the bed, tying his Converse shoes and ready dressed.