"Happy Anniversary!" Lauryn said as she placed a beautifully decorated cake in front of Gaby that had 'Happy Anniversary Nick & Gaby' written in purple icing.
"This is perfect Lauryn, thank you so much," Gaby said as she bounced Victoria on her hip while she nibbled on a homemade graham cracker.
"No problem."
"Where is Elijah?" Lauryn asked as she kissed Victoria's cheek causing her to giggle.
"At home, he's hanging out with Nick today, for some reason he won't let him out of his sight."
"Aww, that's too cute," Lauryn said with a laugh. "I can't wait until this little one gets here," Lauryn said patting her ever growing stomach.
"I know me too," Gaby said as she rubbed Lauryn's stomach.
"I heard Nick has a big surprise for you."
"That's what he keeps saying, I keep waiting for him to let it slip but he's pretty tightlipped about it."
"Good, I told him that he better not ruin it."
"Do you know what it is?
"No, but I know it's something good," Lauryn said as she packaged up the cake.
"Call me when you find out what it is," Lauryn said handing the cake to Gaby.
"Will do," Gaby said as she left the bakery. When Gaby got home twenty minutes later, she found Nick in the living room with Elijah sitting on his shoulders having fun beating Nick's head like it was a set of bongos.
"Aww, I think little Ricky is ready to go on tour," Gaby said with a laugh as she put Victoria down and she stood up on her wobbly legs before taking a few steps toward her father before reverting back to a crawl and pulled on his pants leg.
"She's going to be walking soon Lucy," Nick said before Gaby gave him a quick peck on the lips.
"I know," Gaby said rolling her eyes, not even wanting to think about what it was going to be like when the twins started walking, they got into everything as it was already.
It had been seven months since the 'Chicago Incident' which it was being called by Gaby, and once they got back to New York, the first thing Nick did was quit his job. Even though Stewart was dead and the firm was under the managing partner Nick refused to work for the company that was associated with a man who had used him as a pawn to fill his pockets. Nick decided to start his firm with the help of Ian and a generous loan from his and Gaby's parents. Being his own boss, Nick had a lot of spare time which he spent at home to helping Gaby with the twins. Nick even encouraged Gaby to leave the house and take her writing to different places around the city for inspiration leaving him alone with the twins, and he truly got a feel for what it was like for Gaby while he was gone.
"You have to see the cake Lauryn made us; it's beautiful."
"I do not doubt that it is," Nick said as he took Elijah off of his neck and sat him down next to his sister who was busy playing with her singamajig doll that Nick insisted that she have.
Gaby walked into the kitchen and checked on the dinner she was making. Lauryn had tried to get Gaby to let her babysit her god-children, but Gaby didn't want to hear it, and Nick agreed. To celebrate their first year married Nick and Gaby opted to have a quiet evening at home with their children. After dinner, Victoria had a melt-down, and Nick struggled to put playful Elijah to bed, finally when the twins were asleep Gaby collapsed onto the living room sofa, and Nick followed suit.
"Happy anniversary," Nick said with a laugh as he stroked the soft skin on Gaby's shoulder. He fingered the long scar on her arm that would forever remind him of the night he almost lost the most important thing in his life.
"Happy anniversary," Gaby said kissing his lips before lifting herself off of the couch and disappeared from view, when she came back she handed him a wrapped box.
"What's in it?"
"Open it and find out."
"I hope it's the Victoria's Secret that you won't be wearing tonight. If you catch my drift" Nick said wagging his eyebrows up and down.
"I always catch your drift, now open it." Nick opened the box and inside was an envelope with his name neatly scribbled on it, and he looked at Gaby questioningly.
"Well, the first year is paper." She said with a giggle. "Open the envelope Nick.", Nick opened the envelope and inside was a set of Giant's season tickets."
"No way!" he said sounding like a little boy on Christmas.
"Season tickets on the fifty-yard line?"
"Yup,"
"You're the best," Nick said as he kissed Gaby.
"I take it you like it." Gaby said with a smile when he finally let her go."
"Of course I do, and I'm going to show you my appreciation," Nick said as he lifted Gaby up.
"Wait a minute where's my gift?" she asked as Nick carried her up the stairs.
"In our room," He said carrying her through the threshold of the bedroom before placing her in the middle of the bed. Nick walked into the closet and Gaby stripped off her baby food stained oversized t-shirt, leaving her camisole on. She pulled her hair out of its ponytail and gave it a quick shake to help it fall into place before lying on her stomach and propping her chin in her hand trying to look as sexy as possible. Nick walked out of the closet holding a black document tube and stopped in his tracks when he looked at Gaby. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders which he loved to plant kisses on in the morning as she sent him a smile that almost brought him to his knees. He wanted her right then and there forget about the damn gift.
"Is that my gift?" she asked as she sat on the edge of the bed.
"Yeah but its gonna have to wait." He said placing the document tube against the nightstand before capturing her lips. Gaby's squeals of protest quickly turned into soft moans as Nick's tongue swept into her mouth, teasing hers. Nick gently nudged Gaby back as he wrapped her legs around his waist never breaking the kiss.
So much for my gift. Gaby thought as Nick attacked the soft spot on her neck rendering her defenseless.
The next morning Gaby woke up to Nick singing The Beatles All You Need Is Love while he was in the shower. Gaby knew she had to be in love with Nick to wake up to his screeching every morning with a smile on her face.
"Bless his heart," Gaby said with a laugh as she rolled onto Nick's side of the bed and buried her face in his pillow. Nick walked out of the bathroom as he finished his song and Gaby propped her head up on her hand and watched him dry off. Memories of last night clouded her mind, and she quickly shook her head knowing that it was only a matter of minutes before the twins would be up and ready to start their day.
"Like what you see Mrs. Gregorio?" Nick asked as he flexed his chest muscles and Gaby rolled her eyes as she slid out of bed.
"I was just wondering how long it was going to take for you to stop admiring yourself," Gaby said as she walked past him and into the bathroom.
"Don't act like you weren't just staring at my sexy body," Nick said as he pulled on his boxers and rubbed his chest making Gaby laugh.
"How did I ever marry such a douche bag?" Gaby mumbled as she started to brush her teeth.
"Well I wasn't a douche bag last night now was I?" Nick said kissing Gaby's shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her waist and Gaby rolled her eyes as she rinsed her mouth out.
"As I recall Mr. Gregorio you still have a gift to give me," Gaby said staring at Nick's reflection.
"Didn't I give that to you last night?"
"No," Gaby said as she turned around and faced Nick. "Can I have my gift now?"
"Wasn't my luxurious love making the best gift you could ever receive?" Nick asked, and Gaby just stared at him deflating his ego.
"Fine," Nick said letting her go and walking out of the bathroom. Gaby followed behind Nick, and he handed her the document tube. Gaby unscrewed the top and slid out the long sheets of white paper. She unrolled the papers across the bed and stared at them.
"Blueprints?" she said looking at Nick as she tried to figure out what was going on.
"Yes, sweetie blueprints," Nick said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and looked over her shoulder as Gaby stared at the layout and realized that it was a floor plan for a house.
"These are layouts for a house."
"Yup, and not just any house, your house,"
"What?" Gaby asked turning her head to look at him so fast that she almost got whiplash.
"It's the blueprints to your house that I designed for you and would like to have built with your permission of course," Nick said as he turned Gaby around to face him.
"You wanna build us a house?"
"Yes."
"Are you serious?"
"Dead serious," Nick said with a smile and Gaby squealed as she wrapped her arms and legs around him.
"Oh Nick I love it," she said before she kissed his lips and hugged him. Gaby couldn't believe how Nick could still surprise her the way that he did. Never in a million years did she imagine that she would have a husband who loved her so much that he would risk his life for her and then turn around and want to build her dream house when she should be in his debt forever. It may have been a mistake that night she slept with Nick, but it was the best mistake she ever made. Victoria's crying came through the baby monitor as Nick's pushed Gaby's nightgown up her thighs.
"Your child beckons you," Gaby said running her finger through Nick's hair.
"Victoria, the ultimate contraceptive," Nick said with a sigh as he placed Gaby on the bed before shrugging on his t-shirt.
"She knows that her daddy is up to no good," Gaby said with a laugh as Nick left the room. Gaby slid off of the bed and walked into the bathroom rotating her left arm trying to work the tightness out of it. Gaby closed the bathroom door and stared at herself in the mirror as she thought about how much her life had changed. In a year she had become a wife, a mother, and in her opinion full-fledged adult. She had come a long way in such a short time, and so did Nick, and she was looking forward to becoming an even better person with Nick by her side.