'Til Death Do Us Part- Part 4 Me
For the six weeks we had left, Kevin and I talked to our managers and released a statement through Jive about the pregnancy and engagement.
When I heard that it'd been announced on TRL, I could almost hear the screams. In fact, I think I did from next door.
Then we went to the doctor and got the due date, which was sometime in mid-December. I grinned slightly when I told the doctor what I thought the date of conception was. My birthday (heh).
After the break, I released the last single off my most recent album, which was another duet with Darren Hayes. I'd been surprised when his manager called mine about another duet, but hey, I was more than happy to do it.
At the last minute, I'd chosen to release this one over another one, because this one was a ballad and the other one was a really fast dance song, and I knew that doing a video for a slow song would be easier and safer for me than a lot of dancing and moving around.
Kevin and the rest of the guys had to go to Europe to do some promoting. While they were gone, I shot the video, did a stint on TRL to premiere it. Darren was there with me. By that time, I had begun to show a little, since I was around my fifth month. Carson played his considerate VJ act and asked how I was doing. I wasn't too terribly fond of him- I couldn't believe MTV still had him. But I played nice.
After that, I went into the studio to record some songs, and basically take a little more vacation time.
When Kevin and the guys got back, they still had some business to do elsewhere. Halfway through my seventh month, Kevin finally got to come home and my doctor told me to really take time off, even stop recording until after the baby was born. I kept on recording until halfway through my eighth month, when the guys and doctor just about had to force me to stay home.
Finally, on December 20, I went into labor, very early in the morning. Eighteen hours of unimaginable pain (oh my GOD). I cursed Kevin; I knew I would, that's why I didn't want him in there.
But afterwards, he came in and held our daughter, named Christina Nicole Richardson (we went ahead and gave her Kevin's last name because it would've been a moderate hassle to get her name changed after we married). I was surprised that her eyes (when I saw them) were a greenish-grayish color.
"You've got strong genes," I said to Kevin a couple days after she was born. He just smiled, holding her in his arms. He was happier than I'd ever seen him.
When we brought her home, the rest of the guys came over to see her. AJ seemed to enjoy her the most, he held her the longest.
Near the end of January, Kevin and I started to make plans for the wedding.
"Kev," I said during a quiet time, "I know where I wanna have the wedding."
"Yeah? Where?" "A place in Tally, it's called Maclay Gardens. It's gorgeous. I'll show it to you when Christina can travel."
He smiled. "Got a date?"
I nodded, grinning slightly and leaning against him. "September 23rd."
He nodded. "Sounds good."
"You do know why I picked that date, right?"
He nodded again and kissed my forehead. "I do."
"Good."
Good Lord, I was tired. I closed my eyes and was asleep in minutes.

Kevin
When I realized Mary was asleep, I stood up and let her sleep. I knew she was exhausted- not that I blamed her.
I went back to the bedroom and looked in Christina's crib, leaning on it, carefully though, so I wouldn't tip it.
I was surprised that she had my eyes. I was sure her eyes were gonna be brown, since Mary's were. But they weren't; they were that greenish-grayish color, though the gray looked silver sometimes. She had long little fingers and long little legs. I was a little afraid she'd end up with my nose, but, for now, her eyebrows looked safe.
I smiled. I was the classic happy, proud new father. Nothing could go wrong, not in my perfect little world.

A couple months later, Mary, AJ, and I were up in New York, doing wedding stuff. Christina came with us, too. She was such a good baby, hardly cried or fussed.
After a couple days in New York, we all decided to go on TRL, just because we were there. We brought Christina.
"Is she sleeping?" Carson asked softly during a break. Mary nodded. She was holding her. AJ was messing with her little blanket.
"I'll try and get everyone to stay as quiet as possible," he said.
"Good luck," Mary muttered. I grinned. Just before we went out, I took Christina from Mary.
"You guys are gonna have to be super quiet for our next guests because, well, one of them is asleep."
Mary rolled her eyes. "Dork."
I grinned as Carson introduced us. We walked out to everyone going, "Aw!" instead of screaming.
When everyone quieted down again, Carson asked her name.
"Christina Nicole Richardson. Everyone write it down, remember it. In about 20 years, she'll be famous, and you all can say you knew her when she was in diapers."
The audience laughed, everyone trying to see her.
"Kevin is playing the role of the proud father well."
We did the TRL scene, and let some of the people in the audience see Christina, though Mary wouldn't let any of them hold her.

Me
I left Christina at the hotel with Kev while AJ and I went to see about my wedding dress.
"Getting one designed is my last resort," I told AJ as we walked into a bridal shop.
"What size jeans are those?" he asked, eyeing me. I raised an eyebrow at him.
"Same size they were before I got pregnant."
"How did you get your figure back that fast?" he asked, sounding amazed. "Christina's only a little over three months old."
"I worked my ass off- literally speaking." I grinned at him and he laughed.

It took us three days to find the wedding dress. I mean, the dress. It was very simple, traditional and not overdone at all [writer's note: think Kristin's dress]. AJ agreed.
"Very nice," he murmured, nodding. I loved it. I looked at the price and bit my lip. AJ saw my expression and stood up.
"Mary, this is your wedding. You shouldn't even think about prices. You only get this once to get it perfect, let it be perfect. You're getting this dress." He gave me a look.
"But it's so expensive..."
He sighed, put his hand on waist, and yanked the price tag off the dress.
"AJ!" I hissed, glaring at him. He handed me the tag and grinned.
"Now you hafta get it."
I gave him a look.
"Mary, will you just get the damn dress? You know you want it. Kevin would love it. You love it. I love it. Everyone else will love it. Get it, or I will."
I raised an eyebrow, grinning slightly.
"Fine." I handed him the price tag. "You can buy it."
I went back in the fitting room, grinning at AJ's surprised expression.
"I wasn't really serious!"
"You said you would," I called out to him as I got dressed. I heard him groan.
"Why'd you have to take me seriously?" he whined as I stepped out. I handed him the dress and smiled.
"'Cause I always do."
He sighed. "You're too much."
"Hey, you're like a father, in a weird sort of way. You gotta contribute."
He grinned. "I guess." He looked at me. "You were just waiting for me to offer to pay for this, weren't you?"
I smiled and kissed his cheek. "Of course."
"You're too much," he said again, grinning.
"I know."
After AJ paid for the dress (and I thanked him a billion times), we left the shop and went back to the hotel. Kevin tried to look in the bag, but AJ held it away from him and I put my arms around him.
"I wanna see," he said. I smiled.
"Not yet. Wait 'til the wedding."
"Let be there some element of surprise. I paid a fortune for it," AJ muttered. I poked him and Kevin laughed quietly.
"AJ paid for it?"
AJ nodded, looking sad. "I said I would, but I was kidding."
I grinned and Kevin laughed again.
"The sad thing is, she'll only wear it once. 'Cause it won't fit after you two's second kid."
I smacked him as he laughed.
"AJ, can you watch Christina? Mary and I need to go somewhere."
"Sure can. After all, I am the godfather."
"The way you say it, you sound like a hit man," I muttered. He grinned at me.
"No smoking in here, no loud anything-"
I rolled my eyes. "Good Lord, Kev, he knows, he's not an infant, nor is he stupid. C'mon." I grabbed his arm and pulled him from the room.
"You're so willing to leave her with him."
I looked up at Kevin. "Jesus Christ, I trust him. He may be a little crazy, but he's not stupid. You should trust him, too, you've known him longer anyway."
"I guess... but she's so little..."
"Don't worry, Kevy, okay? AJ will keep her perfectly safe. He knows how to feed her and change her, okay? She's fine. He's fine. They're both fine."
He finally smiled and I kissed him.
"Lord, I can't wait to see you when she's 16 and dating," I said, walking down the hall.
"Huh? Wait a minute, we haven't discussed this, she's not dating until she's 21."
I laughed. "Kev, you're way too uptight."
"I'm a dad."
"I know."
"When did you start dating?"
"When I was 16. And you know you were dating by then, so just relax."
He sighed and I grabbed his hand.
"C'mon, baby, don't worry about Christina right now. We need to worry about our rings, okay? AJ's with her, she's fine," I said, rubbing his chest lightly. He finally nodded and put his hands on my waist.
"Okay." He kissed me, then I pulled myself from his arms and dragged him out of the hotel. Our body guards followed close behind.
"We don't have to get gold, right? I hate gold."
Kevin laughed and I grinned, grabbing his hand again.

Part 5
Part 3
Index
My stories
Home