Save the Date (Modern Arrangements, #1)

"You have video cameras in their room?"

He nodded. "The monitors will be attached to all of the TV’s in the house just like the security cameras. Oh, and these…" he grabbed two portable, little, white boxes that looked like a thicker version of an iPhone. "These are the portable monitors. One controls all of the cameras." He had a big tech-geek smile on his face. I laughed.

"What?"

"You’re such a loser." I laughed louder.

"That’s just code for you love me." I raised an eyebrow at him. "I’ve got you figured out, Lillian Iverson. You’ve always loved me and ‘loser’ was just the code word." He acted smug.

"You wish, Iverson!" I poked his stomach and walked around the room, taking in all of the small details.

There was a rocking chair and a large, comfy reclining chair in the room between the twin’s beds. Their dressers coordinated with everything. It was such a pretty, but not overdone room. It was then that a noticed each bed had a swan with a pink or blue ribbon on it.

"Viola?" I pointed to the one with the blue ribbon and smiled at Aidan as he nodded. "I figured."

Sunday morning I was greeted with breakfast in bed. Pancakes. I swear I moaned with each bite, not that I could eat as much anymore. My stomach was so squished that I could only eat a small portion of my food before I was full, leaving me ravenous an hour or two later.

Aidan was getting dressed to go out with the men in his family while I ate.

"Hey." I said with a mouthful of pancakes. He laughed and walked over, kissing my syrup covered lips. "Here." I said after I swallowed.

"What is this?" He held up the brown, paper bag that I had just given him.

"It doesn’t look familiar at all?" I questioned.

"No.” He shook his head and reached into the bag, pulling out a book with a bright yellow cover, ‘Daddy’s Handbook for Dummies’. He burst into laughter. "Now I have a collection."

"You still have the other book?" I questioned with the fork hovering in front of my shocked face.

"Yeah, why wouldn’t I?" He shrugged. "It’s in the library, where this one will go."

"I figured you would’ve just tossed it or something."

"Nah, it was the first thing you gave me." He winked.

"Technically, the first thing I gave you was a drink." I winked back and he chuckled.

"Touché."

Phoebe appeared with her ‘approved’ baby shower clothing options. I chose the salmon-colored maternity dress. It hit just above my knees and had three-quarter length, loose sleeves. It was light and comfortable. Celia arrived in her perfect gloriousness and had me sit down so she could work on my makeup and hair.

"Quit fidgeting. I’m almost done." Celia scolded me.

"I can’t help it, I have to pee." I whined.

"Go pee and then get back here." She pointed toward the toilette and I was off. Once finished, I immediately went to the chair I had been in previously.

"Feel better?" She laughed.

"You have no idea."

Once she finished, we all walked downstairs together.

"Lilli!" Maggie ran up to me and hugged me before rubbing my stomach. "Hey babies, ready to get some goodies today?"

I laughed and rolled my eyes, catching sight of Abby. I smiled at her shy appearance. She was standing off from Viola, but staying close to her. Maggie took notice of where my attention was.

"Abby!" Maggie yelled with a smile. Viola gave Maggie the ‘behave’ look. She motioned for Abby to come over and I waved as she approached.

"Hi." She said meekly.

"You look fantastic" I praised her in her tiny, little dress. She smiled and smoothed herself out.

"Viola and Maggie got it for me." She smiled at me.

"We still have plenty of shopping to do." Maggie gushed. "We haven’t gotten your room set up yet." The excitement in Maggie’s voice was undeniable.

"Lilli!" My head snapped up to my mother’s voice.

"Mom?!" I put my arms out and she moved to me quickly.

"Oh, baby, you look fantastic." She smiled at me and rubbed my belly.

"You never said whether you were coming or not." I slightly lectured.

"Well, I’m here." She put her arms up in the air like she had a spotlight on her. I smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Lilli." Viola walked over smiling and placing her arm over Abby’s shoulders.

"Viola, I am so excited about Abby. I hadn’t heard that you had made any final decisions." I smiled.

"It was a little sudden. When Abby finally called to talk to me about everything, well, it just felt right." She squeezed Abby’s shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

After greeting a few more people, I really had to sit down. I was seated at the head of the room like Elora had been. I finally took a second to look atound, there were swan decorations everywhere. It was done tastefully, but I still had to fight an eye roll when I saw the swan ice sculpture. Clearly, it was Viola’s decision to chill the mimosas that were being made.

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