Morgan was sitting on Kris’s couch with her feet propped up when Kevin came over and gave her a quick kiss.
“I’ll be back shortly, sweetheart; your sisters’ flight is due in shortly. You’ll be ok til I get back?”
“Kev, I’ll be fine! I doubt these three,” she indicated Kris, Tessa and Diana (curled up at her feet as usual), “will even let me sneeze by myself!” she laughed. “Just remember not to tell my sisters about our surprise, ok?”
“I wouldn’t dream of telling them. We’ll be back soon. I love you, too, Bridget,” he said as he leaned down and kissed Morgan’s five-month pregnant belly.
“Ouch! Well, I have the distinct feeling that this will be a daddy’s girl! She always kicks harder when you leave!” Morgan laughed. “Now go! The sooner you get home, the sooner she’ll quit kicking me!”
Shortly after Kevin left, AJ, Brianna, Kylie and the newest addition – two-month old James Michael arrived.
“Hey, little girl! How are you feeling?” AJ asked as he leaned down and kissed her cheek, then leaned down and kissed her belly. “Hey, baby girl. You treating your mom, ok?”
“OW! No, dammit she’s not! I wish you guys would stop that! She knows all of your voices, apparently! And what’s this with you all kissing my belly?”
“I think seeing a pregnant woman just brings out the softer side of men. Here, Alex, take your son. My arms are getting tired,” Brianna said as she handed off the child to her husband, then sat down next to Morgan.
“You finally made it, AJ!” Nick said, coming in from the patio.
“Uncle Nicky!” Kylie squealed, causing the baby to whimper.
AJ sat down in a chair across from the women. “Kylie, honey, let Uncle Nick take you to the kitchen to put J’s bottles into the refrigerator, ok? Then you can go outside to play a little while since it’s nice.” To Nick he asked, “You don’t mind watching her for a little while do ya, man?”
“Not at all, AJ. We’ll even take Diana out from under your feet, Morgan, if she’ll leave your side for a while.”
“Ok! Come on, Uncle Nicky!” Kylie said, grabbing Nick’s hand and pulling him to the kitchen.
Morgan let out a soft sigh as Kylie left the room. “I’m sorry, Brianna; I just don’t know how you can deal with a five-year-old AND a newborn! I’m just so tired all the time and I haven’t even given birth yet!” she laughed.
“I was tired all the time, too, with J; when I was pregnant with Kylie, I wasn’t even half as tired. So, what has the doctor told you?”
“She said I’m doing well. I still have to be extra careful, though considering all the problems I’ve had in the past. But, I’m gaining the weight I need to, I’m eating right and taking care of myself. Tessa has pretty much been running the shop by herself the last month. I was going in for a few hours, just to do the books, you know, just so I wasn’t so bored at home. That came to a quick stop when I got sick at work and couldn’t catch my breath. I go back for another check up in a week.”
“Well, if you need me for anything, you know all you have to do is call,” Brianna smiled.
“I know, thank you!” Morgan said hugging her friend.
An hour later, Kevin and Morgan’s sisters arrived at Howie & Kris’s beach house. When they walked in, they were introduced to the rest of the ‘Family’.
When Kevin walked in, he saw that Morgan wasn’t on the couch and Kris was also not present in the room. He leaned over to Tessa and asked, “Where’s Morgan and Kris?”
“Morgan had to go the bathroom. Kris went with her since she’s off-balance today. They should be back in a minute…there they are,” Tessa said, nodding in the direction of the hallway.
Kevin walked over to the two girls. “Mind if I take over, Kris?” he asked, smiling, wrapping his arm around his wife’s growing waist.
“Go ahead. I need to get into the kitchen to see how everything is coming along!”
As Kris walked to the kitchen, Morgan asked, “Where are they?”
“In the living room, meeting the rest of the ‘family’; I can’t wait to see their expressions when they meet this new family member,” he said as he put his other hand on her belly.
“Me, too,” she smiled up at him, placing her hand over his.
“Here they come,” Kylie squealed.
“Lower the voice, Kylie Renee; that’s the last warning. The next time, you go to a room,” Brianna said sternly.
Cassandra and Kimberly turned around to see their little sister walk into the room, Kevin’s arm protectively around her.
Morgan and Kevin walked up to her sisters and hugged them. Then she took their hands and put them on her belly. “This little girl is the surprise that Kevin and I had for you.” She smiled when she saw their faces light up when they felt the baby move.
“A girl? What are you going to name her?” Kimberly asked.
As tears filled her eyes, Morgan told them, “Kevin and I thought long and hard about it; we chose the name Daniel if it was a boy, Bridget if it was a girl. We decided to name her Bridget Skylar Richardson.”
“It’s a beautiful name, Morgan! We wouldn’t ask you to change it for the world!” Cassandra said, hugging her baby sister.
