Luke.Craine: ily sm more than you'll ever know.
I was laying on the couch, cuddling and sleeping with Waco. I wasn't fully awake but I also couldn't sleep. Pregnancy insomnia was sadly a really thing. I was still tired and needed rest all the time though.
I heard Luke walk over and kneel down in front of me. I really didn't wanna get up right now but could tell I was going to have to.
"Hey, Holls. You gotta get up." Luke said, gently waking me.
"Ugh, why?" I groaned.
"We're meeting my mom at the country club. Remember?" He reminded me.
"Yup." I groaned in response.
I did not remember whatsoever.
"Well get ready because we have to leave in twenty minutes." He said, walking off the kitchen.
My eyes popped open and I saw that he already dressed up and ready, wearing khakis and a button up.
"Dude why didn't you wake me up sooner." I asked, jumping off the couch and towards the bedroom.
"Sorry. I wanted to let you sleep in." He answered.
I ignored him and started digging through my closet. Literally nothing fit anymore, I lived in Luke's boxers and t-shirts.
Right now, I was really regretting that we had agreed to meet Luke's mom, Addeanah for lunch.
I was regretting ,even more, that we agreed to meet her at her country club.
Because now I had to take off my baggy t-shirts and put on something nice.
I picked out one of the few nice, loose dresses I owned. It was a green and white floral print.
It looked cute and really accentuated my baby bump, the baby bump that I once dreaded to show off but now loved.
I quickly brushed out my knotted, blonde hair then put it in a loose half up, half down style. I slapped on some foundation, blush and mascara and decided to call it a day
The last small thing I did was add a small pair of tiny pearl earrings, a Christmas gift from Luke.
"Told you you'd have enough time." Luke said as I put on a pair of white slip on sneakers.
No way, you would be catching me wearing anything else than flat shoes during this pregnancy.
"Yeah, but it's nice to be able to take my time." I pointed out.
"Well you look very beautiful." He told me, "Practically glowing."
"That's baby girl talking." I said, grabbing my purse and checking to see if I had everything.
"Well like I said, you look beautiful." He insisted.
"Thank you." I settled on saying.
He nodded.
"You ready to go?" He asked, swinging his long key lanyard around his wrist.
"Yep, got everything." I asked.
"Yeah, wait. Before we go, did you take your prenatals?" He asked me.
He was always and I mean always on me about all this pregnancy precautions. I found it kinda cute how he was so concerned with this baby. He just so caring and gentle and wanted her safe. I loved that about him.
"I did indeed." I repeated, "While I was getting ready, I did."
"Alright, let's get going then." He said.
So we did. We grabbed our key and phones and hopped into the car to go to meet up with Addeanah.
The car ride went by decently quick, it was a good ride although I was feeling a little nauseous. I was always the type to get sick on car rides so the whole pregnancy thing didn't help.
Either way, we made it to the country club just fine.
We found Addeanah pretty quickly. She was sitting on a patio next to a large golf course. The spot was tucked away and not necessarily obvious. Only few people were sitting near her.
My guess, she was a regular here.
When we sat down with her, she greeted us with a hug. She told us she wanted to catch up and even ordered food and drinks already.
Though, she ordered several things I wasn't able to eat nor drink. I don't think did on purpose but who knows.
Either way, I just stuck to my iced water.
"What's going on with you? How are you, Hollis?" Addeanah, Luke's mom asked me.
I slightly pushed in my chair, resting my arms on the table.
"I'm good, I'm really really good, thank you. My clothing line actually drops in a few days and I'm graduating soon. And as you know, we found out it's a little girl." I explained, filling her in.
"Things are good." I finished saying, "How about you?"
And so then she filled me in on everything recent in her life. I loved Luke's mom, she was really sweet. But she tended to ramble and meddle a lot.
It definitely wasn't intentional but you still needed a lot of patience.
I suppose a lot of people in my life were like that.
"Did you guys pick out a name yet?" Addeanah asked us, with a curious smile.
I picked up my glass of water and took a sip.
"No, not yet." Luke answered, "We both throw out names and here and there but nothing too serious yet."
"You guys are gonna have to figure one out soon." She commented.
"I know, seriously." I said, peeking over at Luke.
He caught my glance and have me a smile, I felt his hand move over and rest on top of mine.
I smiled at that.
"How many weeks are you now? Twenty-four, twenty-five weeks?" She asked Luke and I.
I looked at Luke, weirdly enough he had these baby dates measured down better than me. I could blame it on pregnancy brain but truthfully, I was never good at dates.
"Twenty-six actually, twenty-seven in two days." Luke corrected.
"About two and a half more months to go." I chimed in.
"Ah, so exciting." She grinned, I could tell she was genuinely excited about the whole situation, unlike my mother.
"I know. It's all going by so fast." I commented.
"And what about the wedding, have you two settled on a date yet? Before or after the baby's born?" She asked.
"We actually have." I answered, "October sixth, the baby should be three months by then."
"Oh, so the baby can be there." Addeanah commented.
Luke added, "And it'll be a better time for Hollis. Easier to get around, she can drink and eat anything, etcetera, etcetera."
Addeanah nodded, "Smart idea. That's what we did when I had Ambrose. A wedding while pregnant seemed like a total nightmare to me."
"Oh God, seriously." I said, taking a sip of my drink.
I could feel the paper straw start disintegrating at the touch of my lips.
"Plus we're moving everything into the house right now so it's gonna be chaotic before the baby gets here." Luke told her.
"Oh, I'm so happy for you two. Everything's gonna work out so great." She smiled.
.....
"That wasn't too bad, huh?" Luke asked, while we walked to the car.
"Nope, not at all. I love your mom." I said, opening up the front passenger side door.
"I know. I just didn't know how you felt with all the questions." He shrugged.
I put the buckle on and readjusted my loose blouse, "It was whatever. I mean she just wants to stay updated on our life, why not let her?"
I realized that might have come across as too harsh, I quickly added, "Thank you for helping answer all of it though. The pregnancy brain struggle is real."
Luke laughed as he pulled the car out if the wide parking lot, "She was right about one thing. We should really try to figure out a name for her."
"I love when you do that." I smiled, leaning back and resting my head on the headrest.
"Huh?" He asked, confused.
"I love when you call the baby her or she. It just makes it seem so much more real." I confessed
"Oh." He nodded, "I'll make sure to do it more often then."
"Names, though." I said, bringing it back up, " I have a few on a little list but you're right, we do need to get on with it."
He nodded, "Let's here them then. I have a list too but hit me with yours first."
Smart idea. We could, after, add the ones we both mutually liked to one list and go from there.
"Alright." I said, pulling out my phone and getting into my notes app.
"Noah, Georgia, Lilith, Ruthie." I started, reading the first four on the list.
"Lilith and Georgia. Uh, no." He said right off the bat.
"Okay, woah. Rude." I said, shaking my head.
"I like Ruthie, though." He said, "I just don't love it. Read some more."
"Anabella, Parker, Cleo, Emaline, Grier." I said, naming four more names off of the list.
He paused, keeping his eyes on the road but I could tell her was thinking.
"I like Grier but I feel like it might not fit her." He said, finally, "Same thing with Cleo."
"Parker, Emaline and Anabella, though." He continued, "I like those for her."
"Me too. We would call her Bella and I'm still working on the nickname for Parker." I explained to him.
"Yeah, those can stay on the official list, for sure." He said.
"Your turn." I said, "Hit me with some names."
I asked him, "Need me to go into your phone and the list or-"
He interrupted, "Nah, I have them all memorized."
Oh my heart.
That made me feel so so happy.
I smiled, "Alrighty."
"Elliana, Coraline, Wren, Eloise, Hayden." He named off.
"Wow, wouldn't have thought of you as the classic names type of guy." I joked.
"I'm a man of many mysteries."
"Indeed you are." I nodded.
"So what do you think?" He asked me.
"I like Elliana, Eloise and Hayden." I announced, "We can add those to the list.'
"Yeah?" He asked, with a big toothy grin.
"Yeah."
Elliana, Parker, Hayden, Eloise, Anabella, Ruthie, Emaline.
The names that my baby girl might soon go by.
....
Luke and I got back to the apartment about a half an hour later. All the usual cars were scattered across the long big apartment building parking lot.
We pulled up to the normal parking spot that we always did when I saw a familiar car.
A very familiar car that I didn't expect to see around here.
I moved my fingers the handle on the car.
Locked.
"Luke, unlock the car." I said , abruptly.
"Why in a rush? It is the bab-" He asked and then he looked over at the familiar car.
"Oh." He said and then the locker popped up.
I grabbed the keys and jumped out of the car, my back slightly aching.
I rushed up the stairs, that making my back ache just as much, if not more. I got up to the final stairwell, wondering why I hadn't just taken the elevator.
And then I saw it.
Not it but her.
Sitting, back leaned up against my front door.
She had a little white CVS bag and a pie on her lap. I could see through it, prenatals and a blueberry pie.
She craved blueberry pie when she was pregnant with me.
"Mom?" I asked, "What are you even doing here?"
I wanted to stay stubborn but then I realized there was no point.
She automatically got up and eyed my big stomach, then she walked up me and pulled me into a tight embrace.