Sequel: On and On ›
The Good Life
Chapter 44
“Joe, calm down. Quit fidgeting.”
We were at the doctor’s office for the four month check up. Joe had woken up at 5:00 this morning and hasn’t been able to sit still since then.
“I can’t help it. I just want to know what’s in here.” He said running his hand across my stomach that had grown quite large in the past month. I smiled. “I know…soon.”
“Jonas.” I heard the nurse call. Joe grabbed my hand and practically dragged me out of the chair and into the exam room. I laid on the table and shut my eyes, waiting for the doctor. I heard Joe’s shoes padding across the room, back and forth.
“Joe, honey, come here.” He walked over and stood next to me and placed his face over mine, “Hmm?” I grabbed his hand and intertwined our fingers. “It’s going to be fine.” He smiled and pecked my lips, “I know, I’m just excited.”
The doctor walked in and pulled his chair and the monitor up next to me. “Ready for this you two?” He asked smiling at Joe and I. Joe beamed at him nodding his head up and down. I chuckled a little along with Dr. Nikels and replied, “We’re very ready…we’re so excited.” He picked up the gel and lifted my shirt, rubbing it in with the sensor, he got close to the screen. After a few minutes he spoke up, “Everything looks really good and where it’s supposed to be.” I smiled up at Joe and he began moving the wand again. Joe’s grip on my hand tightened and I bit my lip…waiting. “And it looks like you’re going to be having…”
Joe beamed down at me, his eyes shining with anticipation as I turned to watch the doctor who was tilting his head back and forth. It felt like ages before he finally spoke, “It looks like it’s going to be a girl.”
I ripped my eyes from our baby on the screen up to Joe whose beaming smile had settled into a warm and loving one. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “A girl.” He whispered into my ear. I ran my fingers through his hair, letting the joyful tears collect in my eyes, “A girl.” I whispered back.
We decided to keep the news to ourselves…We didn’t want it to get out. Our baby is the one thing that I want to keep between Joe and I but it seemed to be all the media wanted to know about. We weren’t telling anyone. This is information that could wind up in anyone’s hands. Plus, the whole family decided to take bets and see who was right. It was quite hysterical if you ask me.
--
The next couple of weeks went by pretty uneventful. The morning sickness was dying down which I was grateful for but my stomach was growing bigger and bigger every day. Joe and I set up the nursery how we wanted it, and bought decorations and knick knacks that were suitable for a baby girl. The nursery had been set to off limits for everyone except Joe and I and it was absolutely killing Denise. She wanted to know more than anyone but we wanted to make it a surprise.
We were both standing in the kitchen cooking dinner together when Joe’s phone rang. I took over stirring the pot of alfredo while he answered it. I watched him, talking in small, ‘Mmhmm’s’ and a few random ‘Yeah’s’. It was a manager or someone. He looked at me and scrunched his face and rolled his eyes. ‘Kill me.’ He mouthed. I grinned and turned back to the pot.
“No, that’s too long…I don’t know…It’s completely up to her…If she wants me to stay…I’m staying…I’ll see…I’ll call you back…Okay bye.”
“Ugh.” He groaned, running a hand through his hair. “What did they want?” I sighed. “They want us to go to New York, do Letterman and Regis and Kelly, make a few appearances here and there, maybe the Today Show. Just let people know what we’ve been up to.” I nodded, “When?” He shrugged, “Couple weeks.” I went back to stirring the pot, “How long?” He set his chin on my shoulder, “They want three weeks so we can spread it all out…but I’m not leaving you that long.”
I smiled and turned my head to kiss his cheek. “It’s okay…I’d rather you not be gone that long…but if that’s what they need you for…It’s alright.” He moved the pot from the burner and turned me around in his arms, pulling me to him, pressing our bodies together, which was not easy to do because of my stomach.
He wrapped my arms around his neck and rested his against the small of my back. I wove my hands in his hair and smiled and shut my eyes when I heard his voice, filling the kitchen, echoing off the walls…
You are my love
You are my life
My heart and soul
The truest friend I've ever known
You are my world
All of my dreams
My fantasy, my rea—
He stopped abruptly, “Whoa.” My eyes snapped open and I smiled at him, “You felt that too?” He grinned and kneeled down, rubbing his hands along my stomach. “Hey baby girl…are you excited in there?” There was a faint kick on my right side and I placed his hand there. He kept talking and the tiny kicks continued. “Try singing.” I said softly. He smiled up at me and rested his hands on either side of my stomach and started singing again.
After a few moments, the kicks became more frequent and harder. “She likes your voice.” I said softly. Joe looked up at me from the kitchen floor. “This is amazing.” He breathed. I smiled down at him and he stood, resting his hands along my face and neck, his forehead pressed against mine, our eyes locked. “I love you.” He said, kissing the corner of my mouth. I wrapped my arms around his neck, “Love you too.” I whispered, tilting my head and pulling his lips to mine.
--
“Will you call me a lot?” I asked lying on our bed watching Joe walk back and forth from his closet to his suitcase that laid in front of me. He looked up at me through his bangs, “Of course.” He said crawling over to me and wrapping his arms around me. “All the time.” I sighed. “I’m going to miss you.” He pressed soft kisses along my jaw. “I’ll miss you too, but I’ll be back before you know it, mom said she’s going to come over and help you cook and stuff…make sure you’re alright.” I smiled, resting my hands on my stomach. “She’s going to miss you too.” He smiled and moved down so his head was level with my stomach.
“Hey baby.” He said softly stroking small circles. “Daddy’s going to miss you.” It felt like a bird was trapped in my stomach. “She’s going nuts.” I laughed. “She’s crazy about you.” He grinned. “Just like her mommy.” I smiled and pulled him back to me, “Mmhmm.” I hummed out before pulling our lips together. “You better finish packing, though. You don’t have much time.” I said after a few minutes. He groaned and pulled himself off the bed and finished filling his suitcase.
“I’ll try and get back as quick as possible…but if you need me here, call me…and I’m here…no excuses…you hear me?” I nodded and nuzzled into his jacket. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” I set my chin on his chest and looked up at him, “I would want nothing more than that…but that would be awfully selfish of me…so go, go and do what you have to do…and come back to me when you can.” He smiled and leaned down, rubbing his face against mine, “I love you.” I said softly into his ear, fighting tears. The past couple of weeks I’ve entered the emotional stage of the pregnancy which was such a pain. I cried about everything, commercials, movies, songs, it was crazy.
The tears refused to be held back and dropped from my eyes, sliding onto Joe’s cheeks. He pulled back, “Hey, hey. I though you were okay?” I smiled, wiping my eyes, “I’m fine, really. I’m okay.” The tears wouldn’t stop, and that just frustrated me. Joe was looking at me through furrowed eye brows. “Babe—” He was cut off by a honking horn. I looked up at him. “I’m okay promise.” I said pecking his lips. “I love you.” He said, his eyes burning into mine. “Remember, call me if you need me.” I nodded, “Bye, love you too.” He slowly let go of my hand and grabbed his suitcase, heading out the door.
I spent the whole next week at home, doing nothing. I didn’t want to go out by myself, without Joe. I didn’t feel the sense of protection that only he gave me. The farthest I went was the Jonas’ when Denise came to pick me up. Joe had forbid me to drive while he was gone, he didn’t want anything to happen to me. So I was confined to the house.
Joe called every day and kept me updated on what he was doing. Which talk shows he was doing, where he had interviews, if they were performing or not. I watched them on TV a few times, but it wasn’t the same…I missed him.
I woke up from a nap due to a pain in my back, I couldn’t get comfortable. I wasn’t having a good day, I was hurting and miserable and Joe had been gone for 9 days and I still had 6 to go.
I hadn’t heard from Joe all day so I called him, only to be sent to voicemail. I sighed and left my message, “Hey Joe, I just wanted to call and hear your voice and tell you I’m fine…and I miss you. The baby’s good too. She’s calmer than usual, though.” I sniffed back the tears threatening to escape. “Just—um—call me when you get a chance. I love you.”
I sunk back into the pillows, letting the tears escape. I turned to Kipp who was laying next to me. “Ugh, Kipp, I’m pathetic. This sucks.” I groaned. He stretched over and licked my face, whining. “I’m okay.” I breathed stroking his ears and wiping my face “I’ll just sleep.” I said pulling the covers over me. “I can’t believe I’m talking to the dog.” I mumbled before letting my eyes drift closed and sleep take over me.
I woke up and could see the sunlight through my eyelids. Something was brushing along my face. “Quit Kipp.” I grumbled swatting around my face. It stopped for a few moments and then returned; I frowned and grabbed at what was brushing along my face. When my hand came in contact with something that most definitely was not a canine feature, my eyes shot open.
“Joe?” I breathed, still clinging to his hand. “Hey baby.” He said softly “Wh-What are you doing here?” I asked, stunned. He smiled and freed his hand and continued stroking my face. “Your voicemail.” Was all he said. I continued looking at him expectedly and he laid next to me, pulling me to him. “I could hear it in your voice…you need me here with you.” I smiled, “I’ll always need you.” He brushed the hair from my face and kissed my forehead, “That’s why I’m here. You’re number one in my life. I need to be here for you…especially now.”
I smiled and pressed my lips to his in a long kiss. I pulled back, “I love you.” He smiled and rubbed his nose against mine, “I love you too.” We laid together for a little while before he leaned down and set his head on my stomach. “How are you baby?” He asked rubbing his hand around my stomach. The feeling that I loved returned. The excited kicks that she made just by hearing his voice, the same thing my heart did when he was around.
“So how do you feel?” He said propping himself up and looking over me. I sighed. “Better now. I’m just tired…I’m sleepy all the time.” I laughed. “It’s boring.” He laid back down and I snuggled into him. “But you’re okay? You feel fine?” I nodded into his chest. “I’m good…So how was your trip?” He tugged at the ends of my hair, wrapping a strand around his finger, “Long.” He sighed. “It felt like we never stopped…I forgot how exhausting that was, and I thought about you every second…that was distracting.” I laughed and hit his chest. “Shut up.”
He shrugged, “We taped Letterman before I left, it plays tonight…and Kevin and Nick are doing Regis and Kelly tomorrow.” I sat up and looked down at him. “Joe! You didn’t have to come back if you had stuff you still had to take care of.” He grinned and pulled me back down. “It’s fine, they can handle it. I wanted to be with you anyway.”
I pulled myself closer to him, snuggling into his side, “I’m tired.” I yawned, feeling my eyes getting heavy. “You can sleep, I’ll stay with you.” I closed my eyes and smiled. “Love you, Joe.” I mumbled. “I love you too.” He said kissing my forehead and running his hand over my stomach.
We were at the doctor’s office for the four month check up. Joe had woken up at 5:00 this morning and hasn’t been able to sit still since then.
“I can’t help it. I just want to know what’s in here.” He said running his hand across my stomach that had grown quite large in the past month. I smiled. “I know…soon.”
“Jonas.” I heard the nurse call. Joe grabbed my hand and practically dragged me out of the chair and into the exam room. I laid on the table and shut my eyes, waiting for the doctor. I heard Joe’s shoes padding across the room, back and forth.
“Joe, honey, come here.” He walked over and stood next to me and placed his face over mine, “Hmm?” I grabbed his hand and intertwined our fingers. “It’s going to be fine.” He smiled and pecked my lips, “I know, I’m just excited.”
The doctor walked in and pulled his chair and the monitor up next to me. “Ready for this you two?” He asked smiling at Joe and I. Joe beamed at him nodding his head up and down. I chuckled a little along with Dr. Nikels and replied, “We’re very ready…we’re so excited.” He picked up the gel and lifted my shirt, rubbing it in with the sensor, he got close to the screen. After a few minutes he spoke up, “Everything looks really good and where it’s supposed to be.” I smiled up at Joe and he began moving the wand again. Joe’s grip on my hand tightened and I bit my lip…waiting. “And it looks like you’re going to be having…”
Joe beamed down at me, his eyes shining with anticipation as I turned to watch the doctor who was tilting his head back and forth. It felt like ages before he finally spoke, “It looks like it’s going to be a girl.”
I ripped my eyes from our baby on the screen up to Joe whose beaming smile had settled into a warm and loving one. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “A girl.” He whispered into my ear. I ran my fingers through his hair, letting the joyful tears collect in my eyes, “A girl.” I whispered back.
We decided to keep the news to ourselves…We didn’t want it to get out. Our baby is the one thing that I want to keep between Joe and I but it seemed to be all the media wanted to know about. We weren’t telling anyone. This is information that could wind up in anyone’s hands. Plus, the whole family decided to take bets and see who was right. It was quite hysterical if you ask me.
--
The next couple of weeks went by pretty uneventful. The morning sickness was dying down which I was grateful for but my stomach was growing bigger and bigger every day. Joe and I set up the nursery how we wanted it, and bought decorations and knick knacks that were suitable for a baby girl. The nursery had been set to off limits for everyone except Joe and I and it was absolutely killing Denise. She wanted to know more than anyone but we wanted to make it a surprise.
We were both standing in the kitchen cooking dinner together when Joe’s phone rang. I took over stirring the pot of alfredo while he answered it. I watched him, talking in small, ‘Mmhmm’s’ and a few random ‘Yeah’s’. It was a manager or someone. He looked at me and scrunched his face and rolled his eyes. ‘Kill me.’ He mouthed. I grinned and turned back to the pot.
“No, that’s too long…I don’t know…It’s completely up to her…If she wants me to stay…I’m staying…I’ll see…I’ll call you back…Okay bye.”
“Ugh.” He groaned, running a hand through his hair. “What did they want?” I sighed. “They want us to go to New York, do Letterman and Regis and Kelly, make a few appearances here and there, maybe the Today Show. Just let people know what we’ve been up to.” I nodded, “When?” He shrugged, “Couple weeks.” I went back to stirring the pot, “How long?” He set his chin on my shoulder, “They want three weeks so we can spread it all out…but I’m not leaving you that long.”
I smiled and turned my head to kiss his cheek. “It’s okay…I’d rather you not be gone that long…but if that’s what they need you for…It’s alright.” He moved the pot from the burner and turned me around in his arms, pulling me to him, pressing our bodies together, which was not easy to do because of my stomach.
He wrapped my arms around his neck and rested his against the small of my back. I wove my hands in his hair and smiled and shut my eyes when I heard his voice, filling the kitchen, echoing off the walls…
You are my love
You are my life
My heart and soul
The truest friend I've ever known
You are my world
All of my dreams
My fantasy, my rea—
He stopped abruptly, “Whoa.” My eyes snapped open and I smiled at him, “You felt that too?” He grinned and kneeled down, rubbing his hands along my stomach. “Hey baby girl…are you excited in there?” There was a faint kick on my right side and I placed his hand there. He kept talking and the tiny kicks continued. “Try singing.” I said softly. He smiled up at me and rested his hands on either side of my stomach and started singing again.
After a few moments, the kicks became more frequent and harder. “She likes your voice.” I said softly. Joe looked up at me from the kitchen floor. “This is amazing.” He breathed. I smiled down at him and he stood, resting his hands along my face and neck, his forehead pressed against mine, our eyes locked. “I love you.” He said, kissing the corner of my mouth. I wrapped my arms around his neck, “Love you too.” I whispered, tilting my head and pulling his lips to mine.
--
“Will you call me a lot?” I asked lying on our bed watching Joe walk back and forth from his closet to his suitcase that laid in front of me. He looked up at me through his bangs, “Of course.” He said crawling over to me and wrapping his arms around me. “All the time.” I sighed. “I’m going to miss you.” He pressed soft kisses along my jaw. “I’ll miss you too, but I’ll be back before you know it, mom said she’s going to come over and help you cook and stuff…make sure you’re alright.” I smiled, resting my hands on my stomach. “She’s going to miss you too.” He smiled and moved down so his head was level with my stomach.
“Hey baby.” He said softly stroking small circles. “Daddy’s going to miss you.” It felt like a bird was trapped in my stomach. “She’s going nuts.” I laughed. “She’s crazy about you.” He grinned. “Just like her mommy.” I smiled and pulled him back to me, “Mmhmm.” I hummed out before pulling our lips together. “You better finish packing, though. You don’t have much time.” I said after a few minutes. He groaned and pulled himself off the bed and finished filling his suitcase.
“I’ll try and get back as quick as possible…but if you need me here, call me…and I’m here…no excuses…you hear me?” I nodded and nuzzled into his jacket. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” I set my chin on his chest and looked up at him, “I would want nothing more than that…but that would be awfully selfish of me…so go, go and do what you have to do…and come back to me when you can.” He smiled and leaned down, rubbing his face against mine, “I love you.” I said softly into his ear, fighting tears. The past couple of weeks I’ve entered the emotional stage of the pregnancy which was such a pain. I cried about everything, commercials, movies, songs, it was crazy.
The tears refused to be held back and dropped from my eyes, sliding onto Joe’s cheeks. He pulled back, “Hey, hey. I though you were okay?” I smiled, wiping my eyes, “I’m fine, really. I’m okay.” The tears wouldn’t stop, and that just frustrated me. Joe was looking at me through furrowed eye brows. “Babe—” He was cut off by a honking horn. I looked up at him. “I’m okay promise.” I said pecking his lips. “I love you.” He said, his eyes burning into mine. “Remember, call me if you need me.” I nodded, “Bye, love you too.” He slowly let go of my hand and grabbed his suitcase, heading out the door.
I spent the whole next week at home, doing nothing. I didn’t want to go out by myself, without Joe. I didn’t feel the sense of protection that only he gave me. The farthest I went was the Jonas’ when Denise came to pick me up. Joe had forbid me to drive while he was gone, he didn’t want anything to happen to me. So I was confined to the house.
Joe called every day and kept me updated on what he was doing. Which talk shows he was doing, where he had interviews, if they were performing or not. I watched them on TV a few times, but it wasn’t the same…I missed him.
I woke up from a nap due to a pain in my back, I couldn’t get comfortable. I wasn’t having a good day, I was hurting and miserable and Joe had been gone for 9 days and I still had 6 to go.
I hadn’t heard from Joe all day so I called him, only to be sent to voicemail. I sighed and left my message, “Hey Joe, I just wanted to call and hear your voice and tell you I’m fine…and I miss you. The baby’s good too. She’s calmer than usual, though.” I sniffed back the tears threatening to escape. “Just—um—call me when you get a chance. I love you.”
I sunk back into the pillows, letting the tears escape. I turned to Kipp who was laying next to me. “Ugh, Kipp, I’m pathetic. This sucks.” I groaned. He stretched over and licked my face, whining. “I’m okay.” I breathed stroking his ears and wiping my face “I’ll just sleep.” I said pulling the covers over me. “I can’t believe I’m talking to the dog.” I mumbled before letting my eyes drift closed and sleep take over me.
I woke up and could see the sunlight through my eyelids. Something was brushing along my face. “Quit Kipp.” I grumbled swatting around my face. It stopped for a few moments and then returned; I frowned and grabbed at what was brushing along my face. When my hand came in contact with something that most definitely was not a canine feature, my eyes shot open.
“Joe?” I breathed, still clinging to his hand. “Hey baby.” He said softly “Wh-What are you doing here?” I asked, stunned. He smiled and freed his hand and continued stroking my face. “Your voicemail.” Was all he said. I continued looking at him expectedly and he laid next to me, pulling me to him. “I could hear it in your voice…you need me here with you.” I smiled, “I’ll always need you.” He brushed the hair from my face and kissed my forehead, “That’s why I’m here. You’re number one in my life. I need to be here for you…especially now.”
I smiled and pressed my lips to his in a long kiss. I pulled back, “I love you.” He smiled and rubbed his nose against mine, “I love you too.” We laid together for a little while before he leaned down and set his head on my stomach. “How are you baby?” He asked rubbing his hand around my stomach. The feeling that I loved returned. The excited kicks that she made just by hearing his voice, the same thing my heart did when he was around.
“So how do you feel?” He said propping himself up and looking over me. I sighed. “Better now. I’m just tired…I’m sleepy all the time.” I laughed. “It’s boring.” He laid back down and I snuggled into him. “But you’re okay? You feel fine?” I nodded into his chest. “I’m good…So how was your trip?” He tugged at the ends of my hair, wrapping a strand around his finger, “Long.” He sighed. “It felt like we never stopped…I forgot how exhausting that was, and I thought about you every second…that was distracting.” I laughed and hit his chest. “Shut up.”
He shrugged, “We taped Letterman before I left, it plays tonight…and Kevin and Nick are doing Regis and Kelly tomorrow.” I sat up and looked down at him. “Joe! You didn’t have to come back if you had stuff you still had to take care of.” He grinned and pulled me back down. “It’s fine, they can handle it. I wanted to be with you anyway.”
I pulled myself closer to him, snuggling into his side, “I’m tired.” I yawned, feeling my eyes getting heavy. “You can sleep, I’ll stay with you.” I closed my eyes and smiled. “Love you, Joe.” I mumbled. “I love you too.” He said kissing my forehead and running his hand over my stomach.