Chapter 51-52

“There are swim trunks and all the clothes you need in your dress and closet Brayden,” Jamie says. I loop my arm around her waist and lean my head on to her shoulder, “Thank you for all this James, I think this will help a lot with our move.” “That’s what we’re hoping for sis,” she says rubbing my back, “Now let’s go hang out! I want to feel on your belly!” We walk out of the room, leaving Bruno and Brayden to explore the room, when I peek in Kensley’s room she is on her swing. “That is seriously the most precious room ever,” I say as we start walking down the stairs. 

We sit down on the couch and Tahiti’s hands go straight to my belly, pushing around trying to get the baby to move. “Okay so what are we having? I want to start working on that nursery!” “We don’t know! Julie said she knew for sure but we decided to wait till we get to Hawaii and find out with the whole family!” We hear Bru coming down the stairs and we all turn to look at him, “What do you think Bru?” Jamie asks. “Well Julie said she knew without a doubt what the baby is, so I’m going to say it’s a boy and he has a big ol’ ding-a-ling like his pops,” he comes around the couch and gets on his knees in front of me, rubbing my belly. “Bruno, you are crazy,” Jamie says. “You said girl last time Bru, you even came up with her name. You can’t switch teams now,” I say laughing. “Wait! You already have a name picked out if it’s a girl?” 

“Yeah, we have a name, and I’m not telling your nosey ass either, not until we know for sure. I don’t want to jinx it,” I say. Just then I feel a little bump and look up at Lace, her eyes are wide. “Did you feel that?” “Baby is getting strong! That was a lot stronger than last time,” I say. “It does that every time we talk on the phone Bru, it likes your voice, or the way I respond to your voice.” “Try it Bru,” Tahiti says, “sing something.” I start singing our song, and the girls put their hands on Lace’s belly, sure enough the baby starts bumping around in there, “Look at that! My youngest fan!” “So Lace, you wanna go out for a bit?” Jamie says. Lacey looks over at me, “All of us?” “No just you and the girls, I’ll stay here with the kids, Eric is gonna come over and hang.” “Are you sure Bru? I’ll take Kenny with me.” 

“Well that’s up to you but, I was gonna take them out to the pool,” he says smiling, “Go have some girl time.” I turn around and call Kensley to come down, when she gets to us she climbs into Bruno’s lap. “Kenny we are gonna go out, do you want to go with us girls or stay here with Bruno?” She looks up at Bru and says, “I’ll stay here with Daddy,” Tahiti and Jamie both let out Awes. We get around and climb into the Suv. “Where are we going?” I ask looking out the window, it doesn’t matter, cause I really have no idea where we are. 

“going to look at baby furniture,” Jamie says, “we don’t have to know the sex to pick our furniture.” “Well after seeing Kenny’s room, I kinda want to go with something like that for the baby’s room, it’s so sweet and relaxing,” I say with a sigh. After a little while we pull into a parking lot and pile out. Around the corner is the cutest baby boutique I have ever seen! “But you guys! This place has to be super expensive!” Jamie and Tahiti both start laughing, “Bruno said you would say that, and that’s why we have his credit card, so don’t you even think about looking at prices.” 

We shop for a couple hours, picking out a beautiful white antique looking crib, with a matching dresser, and rocking chair. Tahiti talks me into buying a little bassinet for our room. I don’t look at prices for the first time in my life, I also don’t go to the register to pay, Jamie takes care of it. Next we go next door to a maternity store and I buy a couple outfits, nothing I own fits anymore. On our way home, it seems like it takes longer than it did to get there. I’m exhausted. I can’t wait to curl up in bed with Bruno. His bed, or I should say our bed, is like sleeping in the clouds. 

When we get back to the house, everyone is still in the pool. Ryan is in the kitchen throwing stuff together for the grill. “Hey Ry, do you want help?” “Naw, I got this, you go hang out. Brunz missed you.” I run my stuff upstairs and then head out to the pool, the kids are having so much fun, they don’t even care that I’m back. “Hey baby,” Bruno says walking up to me, “How did your shopping trip go?” “She did great, we picked out all sorts of cute furniture for the baby,” Tahiti says before I have a chance to answer. “I can’t wait to see it,” he says kissing me lightly. “Well good cause it will be here in an hour,” I say, kissing him again. The girls and I head upstairs to look at the room that will soon be our new baby’s room, deciding what to put where. 

~

Hawaii is amazing, we’ve been here 3 hours now, and we haven’t stopped. Our first stop was Bernie’s house, to drop our stuff off and then to the venue, we unloaded there and did a quick sound check. The kids thought that was pretty cool. Then we ran to the florist and picked up 4 boxes of mystery balloons! Now we are sitting on the beach, Bruno and I in front of one box, Bernie and Bray in front of another, Kensley and Tahiti in front of another and Presley and Jamie in front of the last. Tiara is standing out in front of us with her camera. 

“Okay guys are you ready?” Tiara yells. All the boxes have been tied tight with string. All we have to do is cut and the balloons will be released. We all scream yes, “On the count of 3, 1…2…3…CUT THE STRING!” she yells! We all cut and boxes are opened, letting pink and purple balloons fill the sky! “It’s a girl!” I yell at the top of my lungs! I wrap my arms around Lace, and pull her backwards into the sand with me. “I’m so fucking excited Booty!” She’s laughing and kissing me, “Me too Bru, me too!” Jamie makes us get up and take a few pictures, Eric has saved a few balloons for us to hold. After we calm down, we head to my favorite place to eat, and have dinner, then we head off to my show! 

“Guys I have something for you,” Bruno says pulling out 2 sets of headphones, “I want you to wear these to protect your eats, you will still be able to hear everything, it will just make it quieter,” he hands them to the kids and we give him kisses and high fives and head out to our seats. “I’m so excited!” Bray says jumping up and down and dancing. “Me too, me too!” Kensley adds copying her brothers dancing. The band comes out and starts playing the opening music and soon Bru joins them, “That’s my Daddy!” The kids scream! They jump around and sing and dance throughout their first concert, Bruno sings Somewhere In Brooklyn for Kensley. 

At the last song we head to the back, and I collapse on the couch in the dressing room, the whole day has worn me out. Both kids are exhausted but they are too excited to feel it yet. I can see it in their eyes though. Bruno comes running back and the kids attack him, yelling at him at the same time, telling him how cool he is. “I love you guys, my happy little puppies,” he says tackling them onto the ground and attacking them with tickles. He scoops Kenny up and stomps over to the couch and throws her down, a little too hard. Hurting her. “Bruno, be careful!” I say pulling her into my lap. He sits down next to me and tries to pull her into his lap, but she wants nothing to do with him. “Kenny, I’m sorry baby, I didn’t mean to hurt you I was just playing,” he says smoothing her hair back. She just shakes her head, with her face buried in my chest. He knows she will get over it, so he kisses the top of her head, and gets up to gather his stuff. 

The kids fall asleep on the way back to Bernie’s, it’s been a long day, and we’re all worn thin. Bruno carries Bray in and puts him to bed, he doesn’t wake at all. Kensley on the other hand, is a crying mess. She wants to be held, and my back is killing me. “Kenny, please, I’ll lay down with you, but Mommy’s back is hurting. You need to give me a break.” I say rubbing her back. I try to lay her down but she screams at the top of her lungs. Bruno comes stomping in the room, “Can you please shut her up? I need some quiet.” “You’re kidding me right?” “Does it look like I’m joking, Lace I just gave my all on that stage, I’m fucking tired. Shut her up!” Bernie comes to the door and grabs Bruno by his collar, “Peter Gene Hernandez, I don’t believe I raised my son to talk to his wife like that!” She pulls him down the hallway.  

“What is wrong with you Brunito?” Mom says with that look in her eye. “I’m tired Ma,” I say looking down at my hands, knowing that wasn’t the right thing to say. She grabs my chin and pulls my face up to look in her eyes. “And you don’t think Lacey is tired? She has been caring for those children on her own, growing your child inside of her, working, stressing about a move across the country. You don’t think she isn’t stressed, worn out, needing a break?” “I don’t know Mom, I don’t know, she doesn’t tell me, she doesn’t complain,” I say trying to look elsewhere. “Peter, your eyes better stop straying. You know that woman better than anyone else, and if the rest of us can see how tired she is, then you surely can. You’re choosing to overlook it for your own selfish reasons. Having a family isn’t easy Brunito, I’ve told you this, I warned you before you asked her to marry you.” Like always Moms is right, I’m completely ashamed of myself. 

I’ve managed to calm Kensley down enough that she is just laying there whining now. After a few minutes Bernie comes in and lays down on the other side of her. “Lacey, you go relax, watch some TV, go down to the beach, take a bubble bath anything you want to do. I got Miss Kensley, I’m gonna sing her to sleep,” she says rubbing my arm. I kiss Kenny’s head and lean over her to kiss Bernie’s cheek, “Thanks Mom,” I say climbing up. I’m rubbing my lower back as I’m coming out of the door. Bruno is standing right there, “I’m sorry Booty,” he says reaching for me. “I don’t want to talk Bru,” I say waving him off. I waddle to our room and collapse on the bed. Bruno comes in following me to the bed, and grabs a pillow, lifts my leg up and tucks a pillow in between them. He lays down next to me and starts rubbing my lower back. It feels so good that I can’t help but moan out. I don’t know how long he rubs my back for, but when he is done, I’m comatose and pain free. I’m so close to falling asleep, and I’m not fighting it. Right before sleep takes ahold of me, I hear him whisper, “I’m sorry Lacey, I love you so much.”

I wake up to the sun hitting me in the face, when I look up at the clock it’s only 9:30, but I hear the kids running through the house so I get up. Lacey, doesn’t even move, I’m letting her sleep in, we leave this evening. I throw on some shorts and a t-shirt and creep down the hallway. The kids are climbing into chairs at the table, and my mom is placing plates of fruit in front of them. I tip toe to the edge of the room and get down on my hands and knees, crawling the rest of the way. “Booo!” I whisper as I get between them. “Daddy!” They yell! I shush them and pick Kensley up and put her in my lap. “You guys are eating my favorite breakfast.” I say picking up a slice of mango. “Quit playing Bruno, I’m trying to feed these starving precious children,” Mom says swatting at my hand. I get up and head to the fridge, pouring myself a glass of orange juice. “Hurry up monsters, let’s go play at the beach.”

I wake up feeling refreshed; I lay there for a minute and then roll over and look at the clock. Its 11, no wonder I feel better, I just slept for 10 hours. I get up and take my clothes off and change into a pair of shorts and a loose t-shirt and walk through the house, it’s empty. I call Bru, but he doesn’t answer, walking to the back door, I see why, they are down on the beach. I grab a bottle of water from the fridge and head down to join my family. “Booooottaaaayyyy,” Bruno screams, as soon as he sees me, he throws his shovel down and comes running to me. “Morning Bru,” I say, giving him a light kiss. “You okay?” “My hips hurt, just normal pregnancy pains, I’ll be okay.” He helps me walk the rest of the way and I sit down on the blanket next to Bernie. “Thank you for getting up with the kids,” I say to both of them. “You don’t have to thank me, it was my pleasure.” Bernie says hugging me. For the next hour I watch the kids run in and out of the water, I get in a little bit too, and then everyone starts to show up. 

“Come on kids,” I say, pulling Lacey up off the ground. I chase them to the house, and spray them down with the hose to get all the sand off of them, when I’m done I look up, and realize that Lace has only made it halfway to the house. “Guys go run in the house and take a shower, alright? I’ll be in to check on you in a minute.” I shoo them inside and then run back to Lace. “You okay babe? You look like you’re in pain,” I say grabbing ahold of her. Mom’s walking on the other side of her. “I’m fine Bru, just a little uncomfortable,” she snaps. “Mom can you go check on the kids, I sent them to shower.” We make it to the house and Lace stops and slowly sits down on a bench outside. “Lacey, something is wrong with you, please tell me, I can see it all over your face, you’re hurting. Are you having contractions?” I’m starting to get worried, she hasn’t complained this whole pregnancy, she never complains about anything really. “No Bru, It’s just my hips, I had this problem with Kensley, every time I would go to the Dr. they would say that everything was fine, I was just super uncomfortable.” I take her face in my hands and rest my forehead against hers. “Promise me, if there was something that wasn’t normal you would tell me.” “Bru, I promise, I wouldn’t do that, I wouldn’t put myself or the baby in harm. If I thought that it was a big deal I would tell you.” I kiss her passionately and help her up into the house. 

We spend the rest of the day, doing Christmas stuff, exchanging presents with the family, eating a huge meal, that Bernie wouldn’t let me help with. I basically spent the day on the couch, rotating a heat pack and an ice pack. We have a late flight out and we are only staying in L.A. for the night, spending most of our Christmas on a plane to fly back to New York. But for now we are just enjoying the time spent with Bruno’s family. I’m so blessed to have every single one of them in my life.