The Gift
Chapter 25
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"Look at your little tummy," Brian said, giggling as he kissed Lainie's naked belly. She was now almost 14 weeks pregnant, and she was beginning to show a little. Brian rested his cheek against her skin and hugged her waist as they laid in bed. Lainie rested with pillows behind her against the headboard, and read "What To Expect When You're Expecting."
"This is scary stuff," she said quietly, pulling her glasses down to the end of her nose and looking down at Brian.
"What's scary?" he asked, looking up at her.
"This. You know, I haven't really given much thought to exactly how this baby's gonna get OUT of me before," she said, wrinkling her nose. "This is gonna be painful. And I'm gonna be all mangled... down there."
Brian laughed aloud. "Oh,I hope not. I kinda like your 'down there' area."
"You, sir, are a pervert," Lainie laughed, bopping him on the head with the book.
"You think we can tell people now?" Brian asked. "I mean, you're pretty much out of that danger zone, right?"
"Yeah. But do you really want everybody to know?"
"Well, it's gonna be kinda hard to hide soon, isn't it?"
"Yeah. You're right. I'm getting fat," Lainie said, rubbing her stomach, a frown clouding her delicate features.
"Not fat. Pregnant," Brian said, kissing her stomach again.
"You know we go for my second prenatal visit tomorrow afternoon. We'll get to hear the heartbeat," Lainie said, rubbing Brian's head absentmindedly as she read her book.
"Cool! I can't wait." Brian watched television while hugging Lainie's stomach. "So... are you still not speaking to Nick?" he asked quietly.
"Brian, I don't want to talk about Nick, ok? I've had it with him. I know he's your friend, but until he grows up, I really don't to get too close to him," she responded. Nick's comments about her relationship with Brian nauseating him just irked her. Nick always acted like the victim, and it just pissed her off. Maybe it was just her hormones, but she just couldn't get it out of her mind.
"So who do you wanna tell first?" Lainie asked.
"Well, normally I'd say Nick, but..." Brian's voice faded out.
"Brian," she said, looking down at him, "call him. You can tell him if you want to. I promise it won't bother me, ok?" She smiled to let him know she was telling the truth. Brian smiled back up at her, and she could see the twinkle in his sweet blue eyes. She loved the way his eyes crinkled around the edges when he was really smiling. Not those fake picture-taking smiles, but real smiles. Her Brian...
"Can I call him now?" Brian asked hopefully. He sounded like a little kid asking if he could go see Santa Clause.
"Yes. You can call him now," Lainie laughed. Brian jumped off the bed and ran downstairs to call Nick. Lainie closed her eyes and took her glasses off. Her head was hurting. She had been having so many headaches while she was pregnant. Again, it must be the hormones. She placed her hands on her stomach and rubbed lightly. Her little baby was in there. Her little Brian Jr. She laughed. Of course, there was no way to know for sure, but she just had a feeling this baby was a boy. She couldn't wait to hear his heartbeat. And to feel him kick. She smiled to herself.
Brian came back upstairs smiling. "Nick and Kevin said congratulations," he said, flopping back down onto the bed. "I'll call AJ and Howie in a little while."
"Was Nick upset?" Lainie asked.
"Nah. I don't think so. I think maybe he's finally starting to come around," Brian said, kissing her lips.
"Let's go to bed," she said, taking off her glasses and closing the book.
"Ok," Brian giggled. "I can't wait for tomorrow."
"Me either," Lainie laughed.
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Brian sat beside Lainie in the doctor's office, holding her hand nervously as he watched all of the other very pregnant women enter the office.
"Are you gonna be that big?" he asked quietly.
"Probably. Why? Will you stop loving me if I get like that?" she laughed.
"Heck no. But DANG! Look at that lady's stomach! How does it keep from exploding?"
"Skin stretches honey. That's why we get stretch marks," Lainie said, squeezing his hand.
"Are you gonna get stretch marks?" he asked.
"Hopefully not, but probably," she replied.
"Lainie Littrell to the room 9 please," the voice on the intercom said. Lainie and Brian got up, and a few people watched them walk across the room. She could see a couple of the women whispering. They obviously recognized Brian. Lainie smiled. Yep. They just couldn't go anywhere without people staring and pointing.
Lainie hopped up on the table and Brian sat down in the chair in the corner. He looked around nervously at all the equipment in the room.
"What the heck are those?" he asked, looking horrified.
"Those are called speculums," Lainie laughed.
"What on earth do they do with those? Or do I really wanna know? They look like duck-bills," Brian said, still looking sick.
"Well, they stick the duck-bill into the coochie and crank it open so they can check everything out in there," Lainie laughed.
"Oh gosh, I don't think I wanted to know that," Brian said, shivering. "I'm so glad I'm not a woman."
"Me too," Lainie laughed. "People would wonder how the heck I got pregnant if you were a woman."
"Ha ha. Funny," he said, rolling his eyes. The door opened and the handsome Dr. Richmond walked in.
"Hi, uh.. Brian? I'm Dr. Richmond. I'm Lainie's doctor." He shook Brian's hand, and Brian raised his eyebrow at Lainie. He obviously recognized how cute the doc was.
"Nice to meet you," Brian said, then sat back down.
"So... Lainie, how have you been feeling?" the doctor asked, pulling Lainie's shirt up and feeling her stomach.
"I've been ok. The nausea's getting better, but my head's been hurting pretty bad," she replied.
"That's just the progesterone in your body. That'll get better in a few more weeks," he said. "Ok, ready to hear the heartbeat?"
Lainie and Brian both nodded. The doctor took out the Doppler stethescope and squirted some jelly on Lainie's belly. He ran the wand over her stomach and suddenly the room was filled with the most precious sound Lanie and Brian had ever heard... the rapid whoosh whoosh whoosh of their baby's hearbeat. Lainie looked up at Brian and smiled.
"Oh wow," Brian said softly. "Is that... the baby?"
"Yep. That's your little one," Dr. Richmond laughed, letting them listen for awhile. After he finished the exam he helped Lainie off the table.
"Ok, Lainie. See you in a month! You should be in maternity clothes by then," he laughed. Lainie's eyes got big.
"You're kidding," she said, "That soon?"
"Oh yeah. That soon. I wouldn't be surprised if you couldn't wear your regular pants in another two weeks or so," he said, as he walked out. Lainie turned to Brian and began to cry.
"What's wrong, baby?" he asked, hugging her.
"I dont' know," she wailed. "I don't wanna wear maternity clothes."
"Oh, baby," Brian said, trying not to laugh. "You'll look so sweet in maternity clothes."
"But you won't love me anymore," she cried. "You won't want me anymore when I get all big and pregnant."
"Of course I will," he said, smiling. "You're the most beautiful woman in the world, and I love you so much. I will always want you."
Lainie sobbed on his shoulder for several minutes until the nurse came in to check on them. Brian looked up at her helplessly.
"She'll be ok," the nurse said, patting Brian's shoulder. "She's just a little emotional. Her hormones are going crazy. You'd be surprised if you knew everything that's going on in her body right now. She's a human life support system."
"I know," Brian said. "Lainie, come on, baby. Let's go on home."
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Lainie's pregnancy was passing by quickly. Very soon, maternity clothes were a necessity. Brian had insisted that she go to specialty shops to get them. The ones in the regular stores just looked so drab. He wanted her clothes to be as beautiful as he thought she was. One afternoon, in the 26th week of Lainie's pregnancy, she sat cross-legged on the floor in what was to be the baby's nursery, thumbing through a catalog of nursery themes. Brian stood in the doorway, watching her silently, smiling. Her hair was pulled up on top of her head in a pony tail, and she was wearing a pair of denim short overalls with a white t-shirt. She had her glasses on, and a pencil behind her ear. She had a determined look on her face.
"You're beautiful," he said quietly. She jumped like a scalded cat.
"Brian! You scared the shit out of me," she laughed, clutching her hand over her chest.
"Sorry," he said, laughing. He sat down beside her and looked at the catalog. "So... what's it gonna be?"
"I like teddy bears," she said. "How about this one? With the baseball playing teddy bears?"
"What if it's a girl?" he chuckled.
"It's a boy. I'm 100% sure," she said, smiling. "You will have a son, Brian Littrell."
"But a girl would be just as good," he laughed.
"Maybe next time. This time, you're going to have a son," she said, sounding very confident.
"Ok, baseball teddy bears it is..." Brian laughed. "Listen, Laine. We've gotta go to New York for a few weeks. We've gotta lay down the rest of the tracks the the new cd. I shouldn't be gone more than 3 weeks or so."
Lainie looked at him, and her lower lip began to tremble. "Can I come with you?" she asked.
"Do you think that'd be a good idea? I mean you don't have very much time left, and there's so much to do with the nursery and everything."
Lainie looked down. "I know. You're right. But I guess that vow we made never to spend a night apart didn't mean shit, did it?" she said, struggling to get up. She stomped out of the room and into their bedroom, where she slammed the door behind her. She stripped off her clothes and went into the bathroom, where she soaked in a warm bubble bath for an hour. Brian came in quietly and sat down on the edge of the tub.
"I'm sorry, baby. But this is my job," he said quietly. "You knew it when you married me."
Lainie looked up at him with narrowed eyes. "Yes, it's your job. I understand that. I have a job too, remember? But damn it, Brian. I want you here with me. Why can't you do what you need to do at THIS studio? Why does it have to be in New York?"
"You don't understand," he said, shaking his head. "The producer is in New York. All the sound techs are in New York. The studio that Jive wants us to use is in New York. I have no control over it. Please understand."
Lainie was quiet for awhile. She rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers. Her head was killing her again. "So you're all going, huh? When are you leaving?"
"Nick, Howie, and I are leaving Friday. AJ's leaving next Tuesday. Kevin's not leaving til next Friday. He's got some kind of spread to do for People's Sexiest guys or something," he sighed.
Lainie nodded. "Ok. Do what you have to do," she said quietly.
"Laines, don't be like this," he whispered. "You know I'd love for you to go, but I just don't think it's a good idea."
Lainie nodded and looked down at her belly protruding out of the water. The baby shifted and kicked, making the water move. Lainie laughed a little. Brian put his hand on her stomach, and the baby gave another strong kick.
"I love that feeling," he said quietly.
"Me too," she whispered, placing her hand on top of his. She looked up at him and smiled. "I love you."
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Lainie sat back on the couch with her feet propped up. She was feeling grouchy. Brian had been gone for two days, and she was bored. She missed him. He made her laugh, and she couldn't remember the last time she had laughed. She didn't feel like cooking dinner. She just wanted to throw something. She pulled a pillow from behind her back and threw it across the room. It didn't make her feel any better. She sighed loudly and went into the garage, where she pulled out a box of Brian's old baseballs. She went into the backyard and began to throw them at trees. She laughed at herself. She actually laughed. She was actually a pretty awesomepitcher. If it weren't for her big belly, she'd be much better.
"Hey, you're pretty good," Kevin said, leaning on the door frame behind her.
"Oh, hey Kevin," Lainie said, turning to him. "I didn't know you were there." She immediately blushed.
"Obviously," Kevin said, smiling slightly. "Your form could use some work, but you've got a good base to work with."
"Oh thanks. Maybe it has something to do with this massive stomach sticking out in front of me. Ya think?" Lainie laughed, dropping the ball back into the box.
"Hmmm. Maybe. But I think the tummy thing is a good look for you," Kevin laughed. "Now come on, and let's go get something to eat. I promised Brian I'd look after you til I leave on Friday."
"Oh, so now he's got somebody checking up on me, huh?" Lainie asked, shaking her head. "He's such a worry wart."
"Nah. He just wants to make sure you're ok," Kevin replied, putting his arm around her. "What'll it be tonight, pregnant woman? Are you in the mood for chinese? Japanese? Italian? McDonalds?"
"Hmm... you buyin'?" she laughed.
"Ohhhh I guess I could do that," he said.
"Well alrighty then," she said, smirking up at him. "Japanese it is."
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"This movie's stupid," Lainie complained, snatching the remote roughly out of his hand. "Let's watch something else."
"I like this movie," Kevin said, snatching the remote control back from her.
"Jerk," she muttered.
"Ohhh you're just being hormonal," Kevin said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"And you're being an asshole," she replied, her eyebrows arched high. Kevin laughed and put his arm around her, pulling her close. She rested her head on his shoulder, and they watched Battlefield Earth, over Lainie's strenuous objection.
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"This is a great room," the petite brunette said softly, running her hand over the oak mantle over the fireplace. "I've never seen a hotel room like this before."
"Yeah, it's pretty cool," Brian said, glancing around nervously. He had just met the girl at dinner, and here she was in his room. What the hell was he doing? What was he thinking??
"So," she said, sauntering up to him," what do you wanna do?" She draped her arms over his shoulders and smiled seductively. Brian's hands were shaky as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He tried to smile, but it was hard to do. He was so lonely. It had been almost two weeks since he had seen Lainie... Oh God... Lainie... his beautiful pregnant wife. Just then, the brunette's lips found his, and she gave him a soft kiss.
"Brian," she whispered, "nobody has to know but us."
Brian tentatively kissed her back, as her hands roamed under the back of his shirt. She parted his lips and her tongue snaked into his mouth. Brian groaned as her hands moved around to his stomach, then down between his legs. She rubbed the mound of hard flesh through his jeans, making him draw in a deep breath. They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Brian jumped back like he had been shot.
"BRIAN!" Nick yelled. "Open up, man!"
"Oh damn," he whispered. "Just be quiet and maybe he'll go away."
"Ok," the girl whispered, giggling.
"BRIAN!!! It's an emergency! It's Lainie! OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR, BRIAN!" That was AJ, Brian thought. Oh shit....
Brian ran to the door and flung it open wide. "What's going on?" he demanded. "What's wrong with Lainie."
"Andi called," Nick said. "Lainie's in the hospital, man."
"What's wrong with her?" Brian yelled, trying to keep his composure. AJ looked past Brian at the brunette standing in the middle of the room, her lipstick smeared onto her cheek.
"Andi said something about a abruption of something... the pla... placenna..something like that. Hell, I don't know. All I know is you gotta get home like NOW," Nick said. He then noticed the girl in the room. His eyes narrowed and he looked back at Brian.
"I won't ask right now, but later, you're gonna have some explaining to do," Nick growled. He turned on his heel and went to tell Kevin and Howie that Brian would be leaving that night. Brian chased him down the hall to try to explain, but Nick shrugged him off. He turned and gave Brian the most evil look Brian had ever seen.
"I told you, man, I don't wanna hear it right now," Nick said through clenched teeth. "But later, you'd better have a damned good reason why that woman was in your room. And if you think your wife won't hear about this, you're fucked in the head."
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26