Jaylyn and Nick

For the first time in almost nineteen years of marriage; today was the first time in all that time Nick and I were able to act like newlyweds. Back when we had gotten married and were on our honeymoon, we didn’t get the chance to be like most newlyweds. It was the typical warm mid-August summer day for Washington. I was two months pregnant with Jayla and dealing with the incessant bout of morning sickness. JD had gone out with Hannah and Leah, they had planned to be out for the entire day in order to be ready leave for Georgetown in a week or two. Jayden and Jocelyn were spending their day as well as the next few days with their cross-country teammates at a meet in West Virginia.
That morning I woke up to pure silence. Thankfully the morning sickness was beginning to subside which was an added bonus. I lay in bed with Nick and waited for him to come around. It was odd to have peace and quiet in the house when there had always been something going on in the house since the girls were able to take care of themselves.
What had surprised me somewhat was that my morning sickness had subsided before it subsided when I was pregnant with JD; it even subsided well before it had when I was pregnant with Jayden and Jocelyn. At this point I was waiting for Jayla to start kicking, she was definitely doing things well before her sisters did; which made me think she was gonna walk long before her sisters did. Before I knew it, Nick was up and was completely entranced by me.
“Did I ever tell you how gorgeous you look when you’re pregnant?” Nick asked.
“This would be the millionth time that you’ve said that, hun.”
“So what do you want to do today since it’s just us?”
At that point I had rolled over onto my stomach to face Nick better.
“Is that okay for you to be lying like that while you’re pregnant?”
“Relax, the baby is the size of a grape. I’m only 8 weeks pregnant, not 40 weeks. She is fine.” I said.
“Bet your sister isn’t lying on her back.”
“My sister has yet to reach her eighth week and she is pregnant in her sixties, of course she is going to be doing things differently than I am. This also her first and only pregnancy; I have had two pregnancies. I am more of a veteran than she is.”
To avoid upsetting me further, Nick changed the subject as I changed positions.
“So what do you want to do today since it’s just us?” Nick asked again.
“I don’t know what I want to do. All I know is its a lot different being pregnant at forty-five than it was when I was twenty-five and twenty-nine.”
“That doesn’t answer my question, Jay.”
“I just want to stay home and relax. Spend some time with you. We never got to act like an actual newlywed couple on our honeymoon cause we conceived JD. I want us to have that time we didn’t get to have.”
“Your wish is my command.”
“Cute.”
“So what’s the first thing you wish to do as the new Mrs. Nickolas Balboa?” Nick asked as he winked at me.
I just shook my head and played along.
“I would like to take a shower.”
“Together or alone?”
“What do you think?” I said with a mischievous glint in my eyes.
“Tell me when you want me to come in.”
Nick lay in bed and as usual I had left the bathroom door open. Just from where I stood in the bathroom I could tell that Nick was enjoying watching me undress, especially when I was taking my Victoria’s Secret pj’s and spaghetti strapped tank tops off with the remainder of my sleepwear.
A little while later Nick had joined me in the shower and we had Eric Church’s Hell on the Heart playing. Nick would only sing the chorus of the song since he knew that would make me smile. Once we were done in the shower we sat down and watch Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. By the time we got to Will Turner being stabbed by Davy Jones, I had instantly started crying when Elizabeth began to cry. Whether it was my hormones fueling the tears streaming down my face or not, the thought of losing your spouse; in a movie or in real life always bothered me. I guess the thought of ever losing Nick had always been in the back of my mind due to our chosen careers, but along with that idea the thoughts of being a single mom to four girls as well as a widow was something I never wanted to come true.
Nick saw that the scene had upset me and squeezed my hand.
“Don’t worry you won’t lose me, ever.”
“I better not.”
“You won’t, now let’s finish watching the movie; the good part is coming up.” Nick said.
Of course Nick was talking about the scene after Will Turner was stabbed by Davy Jones where Will and Elizabeth were reunited long enough to have a brief honeymoon before Will had to return to the Dutchman for a decade.
“Just remember one thing for me.” I said.
“Remember what?”
“Forever and For Always.” I said as I nestled into Nick’s arms to watch the rest of Pirates of Caribbean: At World’s End.