August 17th, 2011
6:47 pm
The Crow's Nest - fancier restaurant just outside of Evergreen


It had been wonderful to see his mother and sister. In the past few months, family had developed into the most important portion of his life. Though under heart wrenching circumstances, a visit was a visit all the same. His mother was already doing better, and Parker kept in close touch with both her and his sister. They’d both be just fine, that was for certain. Though the visit had been nice, he’d missed home. He missed sleeping in his bed, tinkering on his cars and curling up next to his wife every single night. While in Vegas, he’d missed a very important event – Erin’s twenty fifth birthday.

Parker had called, said happy birthday at least twenty times and made his wife promise that she’d let him make it up to her. He had made reservations for them, and he’d told her to dress up. They left the house on time (a miracle really) and when they arrived at the restaurant, Parker moved around to open the door for her with a charming smile. “I told you I’d make it up to you.”

He really detested cleaning up, but there he was clad in khakis and a forest green button up. One hand slid into his pocket, the other clutched Erins hand. Upon reciting his name, they were shown to their table. Parker sat across from her, soaking this all in. Her belly was apparent to him over the top of the table and he couldn’t help the way his lips twitched up every time he took it in. For something so unexpected, it’d truly been a blessing.

“What’re you and the baby having tonight?” He asked as his eyes gravitated to the menu, pondering. “I have no idea at all what I’m in the mood for.”
It was time to cherish going out to a dinner just the two of them. Though they were equally thrilled for their little girl to make an appearance, it also meant changing diapers and dealing with a crying baby. They could handle it, but it certainly wouldn’t be effortless. Erins due date was a little over a month away. It was closing in rapidly now, the days flying by. By request, he’d managed to clear a couple days off with Shane after the baby arrived so that he could help Erin rest and settle them all into a routine that would make things at least slightly simpler.

It was less than two months to her due date, so when Parker had insisted that they dress up so he could take her out for a nice birthday dinner, Erin had initially balked. She'd gained almost forty pounds during the pregnancy and instead of feeling cute and pregnant, now she just felt fat. Especially since Parker had been gone for two whole weeks, and she'd wound up drowning most of her loneliness in food. At 34 weeks pregnant, not even Parker could tell her she wasn't big. He still maintained that he found her stunning, always, which made her feel better. And Erin would have gone to the end of the earth for her husband, so dressing up for dinner, she decided eventually, wasn't such a big task. Once she'd gotten dressed, doing her best to match his dark green shirt and khakis, they got in the car and headed off to the restaurant. It was a place a little outside Evergreen, which was a nice change for Erin. She smiled as they walked in, thinking that Parker had really gone all-out for this belated birthday gift. Then again, she was his wife, she was heavily pregnant with their child (and hadn't been too rash or emotional so far, really), and he had been gone on the actual day of. Her real birthday was August 6th, but Parker had been in Las Vegas helping his mother recover from a moderate stroke. She guessed he felt like he had to make it up to her, but Erin wouldn't have cared if he hadn't. She knew Parker loved her. That was all that mattered.

They had a reservation, so they were seated quickly. "You really didn't have to do all this," she protested, but the glowing smile on her face said how much she really did appreciate all the extra effort. "I mean, it's wonderful. But I don't care if we missed my birthday; I'm just glad you're home." Erin looked at the menu, giggling when he asked what she and their daughter were having. Some people said they were eating for two when they were pregnant... in Erin's case, it more often felt like the baby was eating for her! Or at least controlling the menu choices. This restaurant had some fancier dishes, but Erin knew what they all were from her cooking experience, so she sorted out the ones she liked quickly. She took her time, honestly just wanting to savor the evening out, just the two of them. Erin knew that when their daughter was born evenings like this would be a lot more rare. Even though they loved each other to death, it would be different. Challenging. But they could handle it. She snuck a quick glance at Parker over the top of her menu and grinned. "Hmm... I think we're leaning towards the chicken francaise. Not sure, though. The beef bourguignon is gonna be a strong contender, too." She winked. "Normally I'd say chicken hands down, but I think the baby disagrees. Do you see anything you like?"

"I know I didn't have to," Parker replied with a smile, "but I really wanted to. For your birthday, and because i'm so happy to be home with you every night." He hadn't slept as well when he'd been in Vegas, worrying about his very pregnant wife. Every day he'd feared that Erin would call him frantically to tell him that she was in labor (even though she would've been having the baby extremely early, it didn't eliminate his worries).

Parker contemplated his wifes choices, and grinned a bit bigger at the mention of their daughters desires for food. "Both sound extremely good at least," he admitted. "I'm feeling a steak tonight, it's been awhile since i've had one, might as well treat us both a bit. It's a special occasion," he said softly.

The restaurant was busy, but still relatively quiet. Parker liked that, it gave him the chance to appreciate his surroundings, and his company. Things were changing, that was for certain. The past year had been one hell of a roller coaster ride. He'd gone from a lonely alcoholic with an abusive history, to a loving and caring husband and soon to be father who'd been clean for over a few months. The past was the past for a reason, but the future seemed ever bright.

"I'm so excited for her to be born," Parker said honestly, "although I think you're going to be my hero going in with no pain meds." Erin had made the decision to endure a natural birth, and though it made Parker nervous, he had all the faith in the world that his wife could succeed.

"I'm glad you're home, too," Erin said with a smile. "Or, we are." One hand was constantly resting on her tummy under the table, not that anyone else in the restaurant could see, but Parker undoubtedly knew it was there. It was very, very rare that she was ever not touching her stomach, from the point she'd started to actually show until now. Anyway, him being home was occasion enough for them to come out for a nice dinner; Parker being home, and his mother's hope for a full recovery, her birthday, and their upcoming due date. They had plenty of reasons to celebrate. And why shouldn't they? They were the Perfect Match, after all, and although they were saving that money and not throwing it around, they could definitely afford a nice dinner every once in a while. He mentioned a steak, and Erin nodded happily. "Get a steak, we have a lot to celebrate! And for some reason red meat is sounding really good tonight. I think the baby's really pushing for the beef bourguignon. I just hope they make it right..." She trailed off into quiet, but her mind was made up and she closed the menu, putting it aside. Taking Parker's free hand again, Erin sat back in her chair, smiling at her husband.

She was going to be his hero, huh? Well, she could live with that. Erin laughed brightly, giving his hand a little squeeze. "I like to think I'd be your hero even with the epidural! I have been growing your baby for the last eight months, after all." She winked, teasing. "Anyway, I just don't want her to come out all stoned on pain meds. Women have been having babies without an epidural for thousands of years. Our bodies were made for this. I was made for this. I just hope I don't cave halfway through." She grimaced. Erin knew there was a 'point of no return', so to speak; a moment where they'd ask her one last time if she wanted an epidural and after that it wouldn't be possible to give her one. She wanted to go through with the natural birth, but she hoped she wouldn't freak out halfway through. She didn't say any more on the subject though, because at that point the waiter came over to take their order. As soon as he'd taken their order and offered them a wine list (which they denied), he returned to the kitchen, leaving husband and wife to enjoy each other's company.

“Steak it is,” he confirmed and held onto her hand, enjoying the way that she smiled at him like he was the greatest man around. It was a simple fact that he wasn’t the perfect man. He cursed, he probably spent too much money toying with his cars and he was a recovered alcoholic. He had demons, that was for certain, but he felt like the perfect man when Erin smiled at him like that. Nothing else mattered, not a single thing. “It should be good, this place is pretty well recommended,” he commented as he glanced around, his thumb stroking her hand, “and if it isn’t good, we send it back.”

He gave a nod as his laughter joined hers, “Alright, you have a point. You’re certainly my hero on that note.” A reassuring squeeze was given to her hand. “You’ll do fine, I’ll be right there so you can squeeze the heck outta my hand, and I won’t even laugh when you make all your grunts and screams, not much at all.” He was laughing again, and shooting her a playful wink. “Really though, you’ll do great. I’ll walk you around the hospital until you can’t go any more to speed up the process and I’ll keep a nice washcloth for your brow.” Delivery was a paired affair. Although Erin would be the one dealing with the pain and doing the pushing, Parker had every intention to help her out as much as he possibly could.

Parker ordered his steak, and he appreciated the way Erin politely turned down the bottle of wine. Before, the offering of alcohol would’ve put him on edge, made him feel uneasy. Now, Parker felt perfectly normal rejecting the alcohol. It did bad things to him, it made him a bad husband and a horrible father. He wouldn’t drink again. He never wanted his daughter to see him like that, it was bad enough that Erin had put up with it at all. “My time off as soon as the baby’s home is confirmed, to give us a little time to adjust and for you to catch up on sleep.” He glanced at his watch briefly and smiled. “And you have a surprise at home, Jane dropped it off for me.” Erins sister had hated him, to say the least. He couldn’t blame her. The alcoholic him was less than desirable. Since the discovery that Erin was pregnant and Parker had achieved sobriety, their relationship had drastically improved.

"I'm not going to be doing any grunting or screaming! At least, not too much anyway. I hope." Erin shrugged, smiling playfully. She was a first time mom, she really didn't know what to expect. She just hoped that her labor would go smoothly and nothing too dramatic or unexpected would happen. Every ultrasound they'd had after finding out the sex, Erin had had them double- and triple-check to make sure they were really having a girl, and she hoped she could rely on technology to be right. Otherwise they were having a boy and bringing him home in a pink dress to a bright pink room. She knew that wasn't going to happen, though. No, she was more concerned about things like needing an emergency c-section or something happening to their daughter before she managed to come out. Erin thought she wouldn't have been a good mom if she wasn't scared witless. But still, they'd read all the books and taken the Lamaze classes, and Parker was incredibly supportive. She squeezed his hand gently, knowing he could get her through this.

He didn't even blink when the waiter offered them a wine, which she declined for them. And even though Erin was used to this by now because Parker hadn't strayed from his sobriety since he'd finally admitted he needed help, she loved him more for it every time. It was true he was a better person when he was sober, although she didn't think he was that bad a person when he was drinking. He'd never hit her or even raised his voice, not even when he was totally drunk. And she had trusted him, he had never cheated on her or done anything to harm their marriage. The worst he'd done was say he was working late when he was really at the bar, and was that so bad? Sure, it was the start on a slippery slope to more lies, but he'd stopped himself before things got ugly. Erin respected him for that, and she knew he'd be a great father to their little girl. "I can't wait to meet her," she said. "And the time off with you will be nice, even if the baby cries the whole time. I'm glad you're going to be home with us, at least for the little bit." Then he mentioned a surprise that Jane had dropped off at the house, and Erin's attention shifted. She was, well, surprised! "A surprise for me? What is it?" If Jane had to drop it off, it must have been something big, or at least something he couldn't bring to the restaurant. But what? They already had their new, family friendly car.

"You didn't have to get me anything... I didn't need anything, and a nice dinner with you is more than enough. But thank you. I can't wait to see what it is!" She smiled, and was still smiling as their food arrived a few seconds later. Everything smelled delicious, but Erin resisted taking a bite and first lifted her water glass, tipping it in Parker's direction like she was toasting. "Happy 25th birthday to me!"

“You’d still look pretty, even when you’re screaming and grunting and cursing my existence.” Parker laughed playfully, taking a long sip of water. “Really though, it’ll all be fine. They deliver babies every day.” Easy for him to say, because he wasn’t the one passing a nearly ten pound baby through his ‘nether regions. But, women had been delivering babies since the beginning of time and with modern medicine, he was extremely confident that everything would go just fine. “I’ve got the breathing stuff down perfectly; I will be directing you like a trained professional.”

“What do you think she’ll be like?” he questioned, after Erin mentioned being excited to meet the baby. He’d always wondered this. In all the books he read, the baby usually mimicked the temperament of the mother. Since Erin was exceptionally calm and laid back, he hoped that this meant that their daughter would be a calm baby. Erins pregnancy had been pretty stress free, which he’d heard was also a contributing factor to a fussy baby. “I hope she looks like you.”

The time off was a blessing, and since they could afford for him to miss a week of work, Parker had jumped on the opportunity. He wanted to soak up everything he could, every moment they had together in that first week. He hoped that she wouldn’t cry, but if she did, he’d be right there comforting her every moment he had. The baby hadn’t even been born yet and she already had him wrapped around her little finger.

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise. And I know that, I wanted to, trust me I can guarantee you’ll love it.” He was confident in that fact, and he refused to say more. The food arrived, saving him the burden of avoiding the gift subject, and he raised his own glass to Erins toast. “Happy birthday to my very stunning wife,” he agreed, taking a long sip. “This looks wonderful.”

"I hope so," she said. Erin was pretty confident that every mom wanted to have an easy labor and delivery for their baby. And for themselves, of course. There were a lot of things that could go wrong, so she just hoped even if it took a long time, things just went smoothly. And Parker was great with her. She had every confidence he'd be great with the baby, too, but she knew he would get them all through it safely. She trusted him. Erin smiled and giggled when he said he was like a trained professional at breathing, but the question of who their baby would look like and what she would be like was more pressing. It was something she thought about a lot as the big day got ever closer. Would their daughter be a calm baby or a fussy one? What color would her hair be? They already pretty much knew she'd have brown eyes, at least eventually, because both of them did, too. But whose lips would she have, and whose cheeks, and whose nose? Personally, Erin hoped the baby looked like Parker, but more feminine, obviously. She'd never really considered herself pretty, but she wanted that for her daughter. She wanted boys -- nice, respectful, mature boys -- to fawn over her daughter. You know, after age 30 when baby Dow would finally be allowed to date. Or girls! Hey, Erin wasn't prejudiced. If their daughter someday fell in love with a woman, she'd be just as happy... as long as they still gave her some grandkids to play with.

"I hope she looks like you," Erin countered. "And I hope she gets a lot of your personality, too. I'm... too soft, and scared all the time. I want her to be able to fight for herself, like you can. I can't do things like that." It amazed Erin that Parker was so strong, and she wanted them to raise a strong daughter. Both parents had been through a lot, but Parker had fought back. He'd literally fought back. While Erin didn't want their baby to get into physical fights, she still wanted her to be able to stick up for herself... as a kid all Erin had done was run and hide, and it hadn't gotten her very far at all. It had almost cost her everything... and just when things had gotten to their worst, all the sudden the world turned around and gave her Parker. She smiled, clinking their glasses together as they toasted and taking a look at her food. Instantly her mouth started to water and she nodded in agreement that it looked delicious. She put the first bite into her mouth and sighed happily. Sometimes Erin missed working in a kitchen, because at home she simply didn't always have the ability to churn out food this good. She tried, though. And she was always comforted by the fact that staying home for the first few years of their kids' lives would give them what neither parent had had growing up. "This... is heaven," she sighed, swallowing the first bite. "You can have a bite, if you want. How's your steak?"

Parker listened to Erin speak, and shook his head from side to side. “Those are just the good. What if she gets the addiction gene?” he questioned softly. “It may not be proven but it’s whispered about, that it’s contagious. I’d rather her be like you.” It was hard for him to talk about it still, his problems. His entire life had been riddled with problems. His father beat his mother, hit him a few times and Parker put an end to it when he went after Caitlin. No one would touch his little sister like that, ever, not as long as he had any say in the matter. Caitlin had grown up without hate and restlessness in her soul. She was smart and pretty and popular. She had escaped the cravings for bad things, and while Parker drowned himself in a bottle and left town, Caitlin had graduated top of her class and denied everything bad in her life. “Fear’s not a bad thing,” he told her, “it keeps people honest, and real.” It was funny to him, that she didn’t think that he had fear. Parker feared more than he let on, every single day. Living on the streets of Vegas for a period of time made it easy to stand up for himself, but it didn’t stop the anxiety that rose in his throat when people stuck their hands deep into their pockets or raised their voices.

While Erin tried her food, Parker spent a few moments cutting his steak into pieces. It smelled wonderful, and juice rolled freely from the freshly cooked meat. His stomach growled in anticipation as he paused to pop a piece on meat into his mouth. He chewed in silence, swallowing before he responded to Erin. “It’s wonderful,” he told her, reaching his fork over the table to steal a bite of her meal. He winked playfully at her, trying the sample of her own dish. “That’s really good too,” he admitted, glad that he’d decided to take her out to a nicer restaurant.

Erin, though she tried to convince him otherwise, was nothing less than a queen in his eyes. She deserved every little thing that he could do for her, and that encouraged him to continue to provide nice things for her. He didn’t mind working while she stayed home with their baby. He wanted his daughter to grow up in a home filled with love, where she would never question her self-worth or capabilities. Silence covered the table as they each enjoyed their individual meals, eating until they could eat no more. When the waitress came by, Parker requested a box, turning his attention back to Erin. “Anything for dessert? We may have to take it to go, because I’m anxious to show you this gift.”

Essentially, he was worse than a child when it came to gifts. He’d been dying to tell Erin about her gift for the past two weeks, ever since he had worked out all the details and purchased it. Now, he would finally be able to see the look on her face when she saw it.

Erin frowned when her husband mentioned an addiction gene, the possibility that he could pass this on to their daughter through his DNA. Reaching over to squeeze Parker's hand gently, she shook her head. "Parker, even if it was proven addiction could be passed down like that, nothing's going to happen to our baby. You gave up drinking for her, for us. She's going to adore you, and that will make you the best role model she could have." If Erin herself had been braver, if she'd ever dared even a sip of alcohol, she knew it would have been just as easy for her to go down that road. She didn't know what had made the man who'd beaten her as a child so hard and cold, but she knew that the alcohol had made it numb for him. The years of abuse had pretty much killed all her sympathy for Craig, the same way he'd killed her and Jane's mother, but she did realize how addiction worked. For Parker it had been the same thing. The alcohol had hidden the pain of the memories of watching his father beat his mother and being beaten himself. He didn't talk about it much, but when he did Erin paid attention, and she knew. She squeezed his hand again, her thumb rubbing his skin gently in a vague circular pattern. "I just want to protect her," she said, and smiled. "It's easy right now because she's safe inside, she's not out in the world yet. But when she is, I don't want her to be fearless, because that's dangerous too. I just don't want her to be scared to fight for herself if someone tries to treat her like we were treated."

It was quiet while they ate, mostly because the food was so good, and Erin stole a bite of Parker's steak so they would be even. Everything tasted incredible, and Erin knew how to make it all. She felt one more pang of longing for the fact that she wasn't working anymore, although she was working on an idea for an online store. It had nothing to do with food because that was impossible to sell over the internet, but she found that the anticipation of being a mom gave her inspiration for lots of little projects. Even though the baby wanted the beef bourguignon, Erin couldn't finish it all, so she asked for a box also. When Parker asked if she wanted dessert, she shook her head and puffed out her cheeks, rubbing her tummy. "Oh, gosh, no. I'm stuffed. Me and baby are ready to go home. I can't wait for my surprise!" She giggled as the waitress gave them the check, not making any move to take it because she knew it was Parker's treat for her birthday. As he paid she leaned over to kiss his cheek with a smile. "Thank you, that was really nice. Baby appreciated it too." Once their check was returned to the table and everything was paid for, Erin took Parker's arm and the boxes and followed him to the car. She was practically bouncing with excitement to see her surprise at last!

"Is this a good surprise?" she asked, holding his hand in the car all the way home. "A present for me, or something for the baby? Either way it's like a present for me, I love baby stuff." Erin laughed, but it was true. She couldn't stay away from the baby section of every store she went into, which was probably why they had so much stuff for their first baby. But it would be worth it, and they were planning on more. So it was fine, in her book anyway.

"No one will bother her," Parker promised, "not while i'm around." No one would give their daughter a hard time or hurt her in any way. It was unrealistic, yes, but Parker was hellbent on making it a reality. After everything he had gone through in his childhood, and everything that Erin had experienced in her own, the last thing that Parker wanted was for their innocent little daughter to have to be put through anything similar. They were off to a good start. She wouldn't be around alcohol or violence, only love.

Erin was bubbling with excitement, and Parker gently squeezed her hand on the ride home as she questioned him. "It's for you mainly, and the baby too really." A smile crossed his lips, handsome features turning to admire her. "I think you'll love it," he told her, leading the way inside. He set the boxes on the counter and motioned to the living room. "Go sit, i'll bring it it."

He moved into the spare room, smiling at the surprise and carefully picking it up into his arms. As he stepped into the living room, he called to Erin, "Close your eyes." He waited until she obeyed before standing before her and carefully depositing the gift into her waiting arms. "Happy birthday."

The gift was alive, and warm and fuzzy. The puppy squirmed in Erins arms, whining softly. Parker was impressed she had kept as quiet as she had. "She knew it was a surprise too apparently, as quiet as she was." Dark eyes swept over the two of them, seated on the couch. "I know, I know, a puppy and a new baby. But, she's already halfway house trained and she's very smart." The puppy wiggled in her grasp, tiny pink tongue darting out at Erins awaiting face. "She's nine weeks old, and she doesn't have a name yet, I saved that for you," he informed as he opened the closet to pull out the dog bed and toys that Jane had stashed for him.

"I bought her food and dishes, and there's a crate for her in our bedroom now," he continued. "And I hope you love her because I think we need a pet." Maybe he had rambled a little. He really wanted Erin to be pleased with his decision, and not disappointed.

Erin smiled and held Parker's hand as he led the way into the house, the picture of a happy wife. When they got inside and he set the boxes down on the counter she immediately started looking around the living room and kitchen, trying to make it look as casual as possible as she looked for her surprise. He had probably hidden it, and she knew she guessed right when he had her sit on the couch and told her he would bring the surprise out. "Okay," she said, grinning, and sat down to wait. He disappeared down the hallway towards the bedrooms, and Erin tried to look after him for a second but she couldn't see around the corner. She really had no idea what her surprise was going to be, but the suspense was killing her! It seemed like minutes later, but really it was only a few seconds until Parker called out to her to close her eyes so he could bring it into the living room. Giggling, Erin obliged, shutting her eyes tight and putting her hands in her lap so she could receive the gift. A moment later, something touched her hand... something warm, and furry, and alive! Erin opened her eyes to see the sweetest little Shetland puppy she had ever seen in her life, looking up at her with dewy brown eyes and whining quietly, and her jaw dropped. "Aww!" she cooed, scooping up the tiny animal for a cuddle. "Awww, she's adorable!"

She wasn't even quite to worrying about having a puppy and a newborn at the same time yet when Parker brought it up, and Erin had to momentarily stop smothering her face in the puppy's downy fur to listen. Now that he mentioned it it did seem like a lot to handle, but just as quickly he was telling her that the puppy was already partly housebroken and smart. It was at this moment that her surprise got bored and started licking her face, which had Erin going from semi-seriousness (it was hard to be totally serious with something that adorable squirming around on your lap) to delighted giggles all over again. She started to try to calm down so she could talk, but Parker was on the move again, retrieving dog toys and a bed from the closet and informing her that there was a crate for the puppy in their bedroom. Once he'd finally stopped rambling he looked a little nervous, and Erin realized it was because he thought she might not want a puppy at the same time as they had a new baby. Cradling the puppy in one arm so she could use the other for leverage, she pushed herself to a standing position and walked over to her husband. "Of course I love her!" she insisted, smiling brightly. "How can you not love this little face? She's so cute! I can't believe you did all this without me even noticing." Erin held up the puppy for emphasis, who, upon seeing Parker, tipped her head and whined plaintively. Looking at the puppy she grinned, it was just such a cute dog!

"She does need a name. I guess I'm just going to have to think about it for a couple of minutes. In the meantime... are you sure you want a girl dog? You're gonna be surrounded by girls before you know it!" It was true, he had a wife, and a daughter on the way, and now even Parker's dog was a girl. But Erin was just kidding, because there was no way she was giving up this adorable puppy now!

Parker just smiled and breathed a small sigh of relief as Erin swooned over the puppy, who was enjoying the attention and loving immensely. "I had help," he admitted. "Jane took her for me while we went to dinner. I didn't have the heart to leave her here all by herself." He was soft, yes, he was worried about leaving a puppy alone. Announce it to the world, Parker Dow had lost all levels of his manliness.

"The name's all up to you. And of course, I love my girls," he confirmed, taking a seat next to Erin on the couch. The puppy wiggled excitedly, obviously recognizing him from earlier on in the day. He accepted the furry bundle into his hands, gently rubbing over her head with a small grin. "She doesn't seem to bark a lot, she just whines like that," he told Erin as he referenced the earlier noise.

He released the puppy, watching her walk around on the couch. She seemed to remember that she now had the attention of actual humans, and she dashed back onto Erins lap, front feet resting on Erins stomach as she strained to reach Erin with her kisses. "The breeder said that they make wonderful family dogs. They don't get very big, and she'll shed in clumps. She'll need to be brushed, but I figured that wasn't a real big deal." IN comparison to having a dog that would shed tiny little hairs everywhere, a Shetland Sheepdog seemed much more logical.

"And I never got to have a pet growing up. I want our kids to grow up with animals," he admitted. This would be a dog that would be easy to manage. She would grow and prosper with Lilly. "We never talked a lot about how you feel on the pet front. I may be a sucker for animals," he informed her. He then leaned over, his face inches from hers. "And you, i'm a big sucker for you."

Erin was really trying to listen to the explanation of what having this little furry beast in their house for the next (hopefully) ten or fifteen years was going to be like, but it was really difficult when the puppy was standing with two paws on her big belly, trying to lick her face. She kept dissolving into fits of giggles, ruffling the puppy's fur with her fingers. It was true, she and Parker hadn't talked about getting a pet much -- or ever -- but she loved animals. Especially dogs, though she liked cats too. For pets, anyway; her favorite wild animal was a giraffe, and the nursery down the hall featured a stuffed giraffe rocking horse for the baby. "All up to me, huh?" she said about the name, thinking for a moment. "How about... Ruby? I like it, and it's different from the baby's name so it won't be a tongue-twister. What about you?" Here she addressed the dog, picking her up so she could look into those dewy brown eyes again. "What do you think of being called Ruby, huh?" The puppy whined, then yapped once and wagged her tail -- and subsequently the whole back end of her body -- furiously. Erin laughed, leaning into Parker and letting the puppy down to jump all over them both. "I think she likes it."

Closing the distance between them, she kissed her husband firmly on the lips once, then twice. "I love her. I love pets. I was going to ask you if we could get a dog way back before we found out I was pregnant, and I was too shy... and then after we found out I guess I just never thought to bring it up." She rubbed her belly the way she sometimes did when she was thinking, giving a glance to the dog who sat primly next to her, panting. "We can handle it. She's just too cute to say 'no' too." Smiling at Parker, Erin tilted her face up to kiss him again. "And I'm a big sucker for you, too."