Giving Up

Chapter 11

James got Kay to take Lillie shopping and out to lunch so that he had time to surprise her and get the nursery finished before she came home. Now that they knew they were having a girl, he went out and bought two different shades of pink paint. He stopped by Jacksons storage shed, and painted all the furniture a light pale pink. Then he went to the house and painted the walls of the room a darker shade of pink. After painting all day, and continuing to text Kay to keep stalling, he was finished painting. He just had to go check to see if the furniture was dry so he could bring it back and set it up.

After what seemed like forever, James sent a text to Kay letting her know that he was ready for her to bring Lillie home. He was trying to be patient, making sure that everything was ready. His mom had already bought a bunch of neutral colored clothing and went out to buy a ton of pink as soon as they had gotten the news. James made sure all the clothes were folded and put away, and the changing table was already sat up with a bunch of newborn diapers, wipes, burp rags, and a bunch of other supplies his mom had helped him with.

Lillie was exhausted after Kay dragged her all around shopping. They shopped for themselves, for the baby, and for Jamie's birthday that was coming up in two weeks' time. They had lunch, went to get their nails done, got haircuts, went to different craft stores, and had dinner. Lillie was so happy to be home, and all she wanted to do was go in and collapse into her bed and snuggle with her fiancé. She couldn't figure out why Kay had been so antsy all day.

Kay led Lillie into the house to find James standing at the door waiting. He grabbed Lillie and gave her a big kiss and wrapped a blindfold around her eyes. "Baby, I have something to show you." He took her by the hand and led her down the hall. He seemed so excited that she wisely decided against complaining about how tired she was and let him have his fun. He placed her in the doorway of the nursery and took the blindfold off of her.

Lillie opened her eyes and just stared at the pink walls and the light pink furniture. The baby's room was perfect for a little girl. It was everything Lillie had dreamed of. She walked into the room and sat in the middle of the floor just looking around, and she started crying. They were happy tears mixed with tears of melancholy. Lillie had been so scared since she found out she was pregnant, but with everyone doting on her and expressing their happiness about the baby, she hid her fears behind smiles. She couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Jamie wasn't the father of the baby. He said he would be there, but would he stay with her?

James and Kay left Lillie alone in the nursery, and after about an hour she decided to make her way to bed. She climbed in next to James who was reading a book, and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her and turned so they were face to face. "I have a few things I wanted to talk to you about." He whispered in her ear. When he knew he had her full attention, he continued. "So, since my accident, I'm not working with you anymore and I spoke to Jackson today. He just purchased a new building uptown, and is planning to open a new restaurant. He wants me to start helping him with the bar and grill while he is opening the new restaurant, then he wants me to manage the new place." He smiled big at her.

"That is amazing honey. I am so glad that you will be able to help your brother, and that we will be able to pay the bills." She leaned into his chest and listened to his heart beating. For some reason, as soon as she was in his arms her fears faded away. She knew as soon as he held her against him that he would never leave her. 

"Also, I want to talk about our engagement. I want us to be husband and wife before the baby arrives. If we are married, they will automatically list me as the father on the birth certificate. I don't want to have to fight to be acknowledged as her father. I'm already her father. Plus, I don't want to wait very much longer to be your husband. I love you, and I just want to be married to you." James kissed the top of her head and wiped the tear from her eye.

"I will work on getting something planned, baby. I am going to look like a whale in a wedding dress." James placed his hand on her belly and reassured her that she was still the most beautiful girl in the world.

The week passed by fast and James started his job working for Jackson. He was working side by side with Kay trying to run "JACKSONS BAR AND GRILL" and Jackson was showing him all of the different paperwork he was going to have to know to manage the place. While he was busy learning everything he needed to learn, Lillie was busy planning his surprise birthday party for the following week. She was going to give him a birthday he would never forget.

Every day after work, Lillie came home to an empty house. Every day, she walked down the hall and sat in the nursery and talked to her tummy about how nervous she was. Her pregnancy seemed to be going so quickly, and she was afraid that she wouldn't be a good enough mom. She worried about James, and about how everyone would react if he wasn't the father. She also tried to think of baby names she liked. Whenever she brought it up to James he told her that he trusted her judgment and that whatever she settled on, he would love.

After Lillie dragged herself out of the nursery, she sat down on the sofa with a folder and a notebook and started placing calls. After an hour on the phone, she sat down on the computer and looked for the perfect recipes. She wanted James to have the perfect birthday party, and she planned on cooking all the food by herself. While at the computer, she also sent out emails to different family members to let them know of the upcoming event, and its importance to stay a secret.

Lillie gave James a huge hug when he got home from work, and insisted he tell her all about his day. After he explained all the different things he had done, she told him she wanted to talk to him about plans for his birthday. "I was thinking that since you have been through a lot, and now you're working a lot between "JACKSONS" and here, I want you to go out and have guy time. I talked to Seth and Jackson, and they are taking you to the races." She smiled big, because she knew that James loved the races.

"Baby, I would rather spend my birthday curled up in bed with you." He pulled her in to his body and kissed her with a passion that she hadn't felt from him in a while. Before she could argue with him, he took her down to the bedroom where he slowly undressed her and kissed every inch of her body. He laid her onto the bed, and brought her to point of pure ecstasy all before he even made love to her.

After they were done making love, Lillie snuggled up to James and laid her head in her favorite spot on his chest. She rubbed her hand up and down his stomach, and kissed him by the collarbone. Right before drifting off into a peaceful sleep, she whispered "You are going to the races for your birthday. We can spend time together in bed any night. You will spend the day at the races, and have the evening with me."