Seize the Day

After the little incident with Valary, everything had been going just fine. I still didn't understand exactly why I flipped my shit so hard, but I apologized for it pretty much every day.

The boys went back out and finished their US tour, and finally we were all back home, cozy and together in Cali. Matt and I were elbows-deep in planning our wedding. It's quite difficult to plan for a wedding when the bride has no idea what size she'll be when the big day finally rolls around. All of the bridal salons I visited suggested going with two sizes bigger than what I wore before this alien parasite Sea Monkey had implanted itself into my belly. Great. Just what I need to hear, as I'm getting bigger and fucking bigger by the minute, I'd thought to myself.

As it was, I spent way too much time obsessing over it every morning as I was getting dressed. Matt told me each morning how beautiful I was, even though I'd already gained nearly 30 pounds. You've got that glow, and it's gorgeous, he said. And every time, I rolled my eyes. He really was trying, though.

"You ready, baby?" Matt called from downstairs. I was doing my morning ritual of freaking out over which pants weren't going to fit today. I was trying everything in my power to hold out as long as I could before I bought any maternity clothes. Sadly, I was beginning to realize I wasn't going to be able to wait much longer. Today was our ultrasound, the one that was going to tell us if we were having a mini-Vivenne or a mini-Mattycakes. On top of the usual freaking out, I was exceptionally nervous on this occasion.

"Yeah, I'm coming," I said. I finished getting dressed, coming to terms with the idea that I was going to look horrible in whatever I threw on. I slumped down the stairs, to see him standing there with the biggest, goofiest grin on his face. He pulled two gorgeous irises from behind his back. One had been colored blue, one pink.

"I couldn't wait to find out, I wanted to give these to you now." He smiled and leaned over to kiss me.

"You're a goober," I said, taking the flowers.

"And you're gorgeous," he replied.

"Shut up." I kissed him back, trying not to grin myself. "Ok, fine," I said finally. "Thank you, sweets. They're beautiful. Now let's go see what species this alien thing is!"

Neither of us really talked much in the car on the way there. We were both nervous, for some reason.

"Have you thought about names?" he asked me quietly.

"A little," I said. "Nothing concrete. How about you? Do you have any ideas?"

"Same," he said. "I've not really come up with anything I totally love yet."

"I'm sure that when it's time, he or she is going to have the perfect name." I squeezed his thigh. "Ok, here we go," I sighed, as we parked in the doctor's office lot. "Are we ready to stop calling him or her 'Sea Monkey' yet?" He chuckled and grabbed my hand as we walked in.

"Vivienne Iverson," the nurse called when it was our turn to go back. Matt chuckled and flashed his dimples at me.

"Not for long," he whispered. I rolled my eyes, but laughed with him.

The ultrasound technician went through the usual routine, pointing out eyes, hands, feet and so on. Finally, the words we'd been waiting for. "Do you want to know the sex?"

"Yes!" Matt yelled out the answer before I could even think about it. Both the tech and I laughed at his enthusiasm.

"Well, wait, honey," I said, biting my lip. "What if we wait, and make it a surprise for everyone? Us included?"

"Oh," he stammered. He stared at the floor. "Well, I guess we can do that. If you really want to."

"I don't," I laughed. "I just wanted to see if you'd be ok with it if I did!"

He narrowed his eyes. "You're terrible," he groaned.

The tech and I laughed again. "Anyway, what do we have in here?"

"It's a girl," she said cheerily.

"And how sure of this are we?" I asked. "I know a lot of people plan heavily one way or the other, only to find out they were dead wrong."

"Um, I hate to say this, but your darling baby girl is not at all, in the least, even a tiny bit modest." She proceeded to point out obvious anatomy, while my precious bundle was flashing her lady bits to the camera.

"Oh, Jesus," I said. "We're going to have to watch her, babe."

"She'll never leave the house," he sighed. "Ever."

As we were walking out to the car, I squeezed Matt's hand. "So?" I inquired. "A girl. What do you think about that?"

"I think she's going to be the most amazingly spoiled little girl ever." He brought my hand to his lips. "And that she's going to have to be just as gorgeous as her mother." He opened the door while I waddled into the car.

"How do you feel about splitting her last name?" I asked him, after a couple of quiet moments on the drive home.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, I think I've got a name, but I really want her to have both of our last names." I shrugged. "You might think it's weird."

He eyed me for a second, but nodded. "What?"

"Alice," I said, smiling a little sheepishly. "It's cheesy, but she's going to make our lives a wonderland. Alice Olivia Sanders Iverson."

He took a couple of moments and thought it over. "I love it. Alice." Then I saw realization flash across his face. "Her initials!" he nearly shouted.

I grinned at him. "Yeah," I said. "A-O-S-I."

"As in," he began, as we pulled into the driveway.

"Art of Subconscious Illusion," I finished. "Like I said, it's cheesy, I said, ducking my head. "It's cool if you think it's weird. I totally under..."

"V, shut up," he said, taking my face between his palms. "I love it. Alice is a beautiful name, and I love that you want to give her those initials."

"I'm glad you like it," I said. I kissed him. "So, Pops. We're having a girl!" I squealed.

"That we are, Momma," he laughed back. "And I cannot wait."

"Can we not dress her in stupid girly pink frilly lacy shit?" I groaned.

"Whatever she wants, baby," he said. "But until she can make up her mind, whatever you want."

"Good." I nodded forcefully. "My daughter will have as many Tonka trucks and GI Joes as she does Barbies and ponies."

He laughed. "If she's anything like you, baby, she'll probably end up making GI Joe cut off Barbie's head and run over it with the trucks."

I giggled. "My luck, she's going to be the prissiest, girliest kid on the planet. Cheerleader, ballerina, all of that. I won't know how to handle her!"

"We'll figure it out, I'm sure." He came around to my side of the car and knelt at my door. "Hi, Alice," he cooed at my belly as he ran his hands over the bump there. "Daddy loves you." I couldn't help but smile hugely.

Just then, for the first real time, I felt her kick. I'd felt the little flutters as she wiggled around before, but this was the first real, big movement. And she'd kicked right where Matt''s hand was. His eyes got huge, and I knew that he felt her as well.

"Holy fuck!" he shouted. "Did she... Was that... Wow. She just kicked, didn't she?"

"Yep, that's my baby girl," I sighed, running my hands over my belly as well.

Grinning bigger than I'd ever seen, he helped me out of the car and followed me up the sidewalk.

When I entered the house, everyone started cheering and clapping. The guys and their girls were all sitting in our dining room waiting for us.

"Don't you all have things to do today?" I scoffed.

"Fuck no!" Jess ran over to me and put her hands on my belly. "So, what is it? Do I have a niece or a nephew in there?"

Michelle and Jessica were close behind her. I stepped back and held up my hands. "You know the rules," I said. "No one touches the bump unless invited to do so."

I looked over the girls' shoulders to Brian. "Synnamon," I called to him with a wink. It was the newest in my arsenal of nicknames for him. "C'mere." His eyes lit up as he nearly pushed Michelle and the Jessicas over to get to me. "You may now touch the belly," I laughed. He slowly reached his hands out. "Uncle Brian, meet Alice. Alice, this is your crazy Uncle Brian." As if in greeting, she kicked Brian's hand as well.

"Whoa," he breathed. "She just kicked!"

I nodded, as everyone else came in close. "Ok, fine. Take turns, get in close, feel the fat lady's tummy," I laughed. "Everyone, I want you to meet Alice!"

They all took turns patting my belly, and talking to her, calling her by name. Very nearly every time anyone said "Alice," she kicked and wiggled almost as if she already understood.

"Alice, huh?" Zack said, after we'd all settled in the living room. "I like it. But you know what this means, right?"

"What's that?" I asked, yawning slightly.

"She's going to have to have a fucking kickass nursery," he grinned. "Mushrooms, tea party, Cheshire Cat, the works."

"Already ahead of you, Baker," Matt piped up. "We'll discuss later. For now, though, get the fuck out. All of you," he added with a laugh. "It's naptime for the Sanders family."