A Shade Lighter {Sequel To A Shade Darker}

{Chapter Forty Five}

The Shower Of A Baby

December 1st, 2018

Lenore

I couldn't seem to shovel food into my mouth fast enough during breakfast, my stomach had been growling and complaining of hunger for over an hour.

I could her Ashley chuckling at me from her spot at the end of the kitchen table where she was breast feeding Kate. But when Mike talked about his daughter, her name automatically switched to Katie.

That being said, Mike didn't seem to care much about his breakfast, but more about his daughter's and exactly just what she was eating.

"Slow down, Lenore. You'll get a stomach ache if you eat too fast"

I finished the bite of food that was in my mouth before replying.

"But I'm starving, nothing seems to be enough to satisfy me"

Before I could complain too much longer, Lucile had sat a fresh steaming apple pie in the middle of the table.

My mouth watered. As I reached for it, Lucile took my hand gently away.

"Gotta let it settle first, child. Then you may eat"

I frowned a little and finished the rest of the food on my plate.

Before I could do it myself, Billie had stood, let out one of his famous beaches that had me raising my brow at him, and then came over to clear my plate into the sink.

"So, Lenore. You're moving along just fine, aren't you?" Liz spoke up from beside me.

She bounced Violet on her knee and I smiled at the little dress I had made her during some of my free time between working.

I followed Liz's gaze down to the growing mound of what was Billie's child beneath.

I felt a blush creeping to my cheeks and tucked hair behind my ear.

"Mm hmm, I guess so"

Liz patted my shoulder and left her hand there while she looked over at Ashley. The two shared a smile and then the gazes of the women went to Lucile with her hands on the back of my chair.

Mike let out a groan, eyes rolling. When Snow came crawling over, he put her on his knee.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Liz asked, raising her eyebrows playfully.

It seemed like everyone but me had caught on.

"A Baby shower!" The two girls screamed in unison when Mike had mumbled the same.

I could hear Billie turn the water off from the sink and his footsteps come over.

"Yeah, let's do it. What better way to announce me being a father than throwing one of those things?"

"You being a father? Excuse me, but if we're throwing a baby shower it's to announce me becoming a mother"

Billie chuckled with Ashley and put his hand to my cheek, stroking under my chin with his thumb. He looked down at me with loving, happy eyes.

"See? She loves the idea already!"

"Woah, woah, woah. I never agreed to throwing any baby shower, and as a matter of fact, I don't think I'd like to have one"

I crossed my arms over my chest and then increased them as soon as Lucile had laid the knife a fork down for me to cut my piece of Apple pie.

Ashley and Liz nodded together.

"Great! We'll go ahead and make all the arrangements" Liz said.

"Mike,think you can handle writing out a list of invitations?" Ashley asked before Mike stood quickly and plopped Snow down in her lap.

He took Kate from her and carried her carefully in his arms.

"I think Katie has a dirty diaper, I should go take care of it"

"It's Kate!" She called after him, shaking her head.

She sighed deeply.

"I swear that man does anything to disagree with me. I name her Kate, just Kate. And he has to call her Katie. Okay, if I wanted her to be named Katie, I would've named her that. And now he bails when I need his help!"

Liz put a hand on Ashley's shoulder and I watched as she bounced Snow a little too quickly on her knee.

"It's okay, really..." I said, licking the apple pie off my lip. "I don't really need a baby shower anyways. You know big groups aren't my thing"

Ashley stood defiantly and with a sigh and determination in her eyes said:

"Oh, you're getting one. And Mike's sending out those invitations no matter if I have to strangle him"

Billie wrapped his arms around my shoulder from behind and asked softly in my ear.

"Are you excited for your baby shower?" I rolled my eyes but smiled as I went to shove another bite of pie into my mouth.

He quickly bent his head down and took the bite off my fork then laughed as he dodged my swat.

He licked his lips before following in the direction of Ashley down the hallway.

"I'm just going to make sure no shovels come out, that's all" He assured me before disappearing.

I sighed as I finished the rest of my pie and me and Liz got to talking again.

"Do you really not want the shower, Lenore? If so, I'll go find Ashley and tell her to cancel. But really, I think if you went along with it you'd have a lot of fun"

I thought about it for a minute and though I knew it wasn't my kind of thing to get excited about, I knew Ashley did, and that she loved to plan events.

"No, it's okay. I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun doing it. There's no need to cancel"

Liz smiled at me at patted me on the back.

"Good, we'll all be looking forward to it"

I was finishing my second piece of apple pie when Ashley came back out and the faint smell of make cologne followed her.

Liz was smiling at her when I put my plate in the sink. Billie must've been off doing something else.

Before I could speak too fsste though to ask, he was next to me again drying the dishes.

"And just what exactly were you doing back there all alone, Ashley? Bribing Mike to do your dirty work?"

Me and Billie were looking at each other but listening intently on the conversation.

"You Elizabeth, have a wrong mind. We simply made a deal, that's all"

"And sealed it with what, a handshake?"

I could almost see the smile on Ashley's lips.

"Something like that"

There was small laughter as Liz asked.

"So, did Katie get that diaper change Mike so badly needed to do?"

Ashley didn't correct her on the name this time when she answered.

"Mm hmm"