122 - Two Stooges

Mommy and Me

August 15, 2012

Exciting family news, Poppies!  Maxwell Francis Bongiovi was born at 5:00 yesterday evening, only one week late.  Cousin Max and Aunt Desiree are doing great.  Not so sure about Uncle Matt, though.  He’s been running back and forth between his house, Grandma Carol’s (where Bella and Rocca are staying) and the hospital since Max was born.  I think he’s a little tired. 

As for you and me, kids...  We’re in the home stretch.  The doctor says you aren’t technically scheduled to arrive until September 18^th, but you could come at any time and be perfectly healthy now.  So, could we move this along please?  I’m swelling up like a puffer fish, I have rolls on my swollen ankles and this heat is absolutely killing me.  I can barely move around the house.

On the bright side, I got to tell your daddy “I told you so” for getting the nursery finished so early.  There’s no way I could finish it now. 

Uncle Richie is coming for a visit this weekend.  His new solo album is finished and he wants to share it with us before the release date, which, coincidentally enough, is September 18^th.  Daddy’s excited for him, but he’s also excited for the band’s new album they’re going to finish recording while Uncle Richie is here.  He loves it when the boys come to play with him.

Big sigh.  Even though Richie’s the only one actually staying at the house, it still means that we will have all of your “uncles” underfoot this weekend – along with your brothers.   That’s way too many guys in the house, my darling daughters.  I might have to see if Aunt Riley or Suzy want to come for a visit, too.

Would you like to know a secret?  I actually like having people in the house – even if they ARE a bunch of boys.    I should go make sure Margaret remembered to get extra pantry supplies to feed the troops…

❧❧❧

“Whassup, Stormy?”  Richie loped into the kitchen, hooking one finger in the handle of the refrigerator and popping the door open with one sharp tug.  His shaggy head disappeared behind the stainless steel barrier for a moment before he resurfaced with a bottle of water. 

Sheridan glanced up from her iPad and iced tea with a little smile.  She supposed he was never going to let go of that nickname, but she was getting used to it.  More importantly, she was getting used to him.  Gone was that little bit of tension that had come when he entered the room, brought on by uncertainty as to what he was going do or say next.  He was genuinely a good guy, who occasionally had problems.  No more, no less.

Once she realized that, she was grateful to resume the comfort that they’d shared before the ‘incident’ in his kitchen.  Because of his closeness with Jon, he was going to be a part of their family’s lives and it was nice to feel good about that.

“Just trying to find some suggestions on comfortable sitting positions for a humpfront whale.”  She shifted on the chair and adjusted the lumbar cushion at the dip of her spine.  “My back is killing me today.”

Richie snorted and propped himself up against the island and crossed his ankles as the blue bottle cap spun closed under his fingers.  “Humpfront whale?  Sounds like something Lemma came up with.”

“He doesn’t get credit for that one,” she sniffed haughtily.  “David isn’t the only quirky mind around.”

“Kinky mind?” the man in question crowed cheerily as he stepped into the room and also dipped into the refrigerator for water.  “Did someone call me?”

Richie’s open hand whipped out lazily, his knuckles hitting David’s ribcage with a dull ‘thunk’.  “Not kinky, ya perverted fuck.  Quirky.  Stormy called herself a humpfront whale.  She was being quirky.”

“Damn.”  The curly headed man’s expressive mouth arched downward in disappointment.  “There was humping and I missed it?  The boss man and his fuckin’ work ethic is seriously cramping my exquisite timing.”

Sheridan rolled her eyes and was preparing to offer up a catty retort when a sharp pain on the right side of her stomach sucked a loud push of air from her lungs.  Both men’s faces went serious and they took a step toward her with concern. 

“Stormy?  You okay?”

Oh my God.  Was that a contraction?

She sat very still with her hand on her stomach, fearful of moving.  It was with only the slightest inclination of her head that indicated she was fine.

“Sheridan are you sure?”

Feeling nothing else amiss after the long pause, she leaned back into the chair and pivoted her face toward David.  With a curious cock of her head, she asked, “Excuse me?  I think that’s the first time you’ve ever called me by my actual name.  Who are you and what have you done with the Slinky-headed smartass that usually resides in that body?”

“Oh I see how you are!  It was a pitiful attempt for attention and sympathy.”  He waggled one finger at her in front of a suspiciously squinted eye.  “Don’t be playing the false labor shit, girlfriend.  It ain’t cute.”

“Yeah, don’t be messing with us,” Richie concurred.  “I don’t know nothin’ about birthin’ no babies, Miss Scarlett – and don’t fuckin’ wanna know, thank you very much.”

“Oh yeah, because I want two of the Three Stooges bringing my daughters into the world,” she laughed just before her belly rippled painfully for a second time.  This time she withheld the gasp, but her hand tightened fiercely around the iced tea glass she had just reached for. 

Oh my word.  I think I’m going into labor…

“David, where’s Jon?”

Peering at her from beneath a furrowed brow, he offered slowly, “In the studio with Teek.  Why?”

Her chin tipped up and she looked from David’s blue eyes to Richie’s brown, her mouth set in a flat line as fear fluttered its wings inside of her.  She wasn’t ready for this.  It wasn’t time.  She was supposed to have a full month left to prepare herself! 

Well, your daughters have different ideas and you don’t get the luxury of a meltdown until they’re taken care of.  Get a grip!

“Would you go get him please?” she requested, carefully keeping her voice both calm and even.  “Tell him I’m sorry to interrupt, but I'm pretty sure he's about to be a daddy again.”