CHAPTER FORTY
The honeymoon was magical. Sky and Meg spent their days sightseeing and biking, when they weren’t lounging on the beach or surfing the waters of the Pacific. They hiked the Na Pali coast, learned to surf, and went to luaus at night. It was a perfect two weeks, except for one thing: Meg forgot to pack her birth control pills.
“Crap!” She rooted through her suitcase, then her tote bag, before collapsing on the bed in the private villa after their arrival in Hawaii. “I can’t believe I forgot them.”
“What’s the big deal?” Sky snuggled up next to her, and took her in his arms. “We’re married, and we’re planning on having kids. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“Are you kidding me? We’re nowhere near ready to have kids. I want to enjoy being married first. We’ll just have to go to the store and get some protection for you.”
Sky’s face fell. “No way. I’m not going back to wearing a condom. We’ve already made love a few times since you realized you forgot the pills. And, besides, remember what you told me last year in Vegas.”
She furrowed her brows. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You told me it doesn’t always happen the first time, and that it’s not always easy to get pregnant.”
“Yeah, I know I said that, but…” Her voice trailed off while she searched Sky’s eyes.
He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. “I’ll make you a deal, baby. We’ll take our chances on this trip, and if you’re not pregnant at the end of the month, then you’ll re-start your birth control, and it can be up to you to decide when we try for a family.” His lips blazed a trail to her earlobe, then down her neck.
“You know I can’t resist you.” Her voice was strained and breathless, as Sky’s tongue reached her breasts, sending waves of pleasure crashing through her body.
“I was counting on that,” he said with a smile. “So, do we have a deal?”
She sighed, and rolled her eyes. “Yes. Deal.”
When they returned to Nashville, Meg counted down the days until she could take a home pregnancy test. While she had no symptoms, her monthly cycle had not started either.
Meg woke up with the sunrise on the morning she could take the test. I’ve never been late. Ever. This doesn’t bode well.
She peeled the covers off of her body, being careful not to wake Sky. Her knees felt weak, her heart raced, and her hands shook as she closed the door to the bathroom and turned on the light. She sat down on the toilet, relieved herself, and awaited her fate.
Three minutes later, Meg summoned the courage to look at the test stick, and her heart sank when she saw the plus sign. Positive. Crap.
Tears streamed down her face, and she began to sob. She had no idea how long she was crying on the toilet when Sky opened the bathroom door.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
She held the test up. “This.”
He examined the test stick. “This means you’re pregnant?”
She nodded her head as she began to sob all over again. “I’m so sorry.” She ran past him and flung herself onto the bed.
Sky followed her back into the bedroom. “Baby, why are you sorry? We’re having a baby. We should be happy. Right?”
Meg didn’t answer him, and continued to cry into her pillow. Her tears subsided and she calmed down when she felt Sky rub her back. She took a deep breath, and summoned the courage to turn over to face him. “I’m so afraid, Sky.”
“Of what?”
She swallowed hard. “I’m afraid that I’ll die, like my mother did, and that I’ll leave you to raise our child by yourself.”
He brushed the hair out of her eyes. “That’s not going to happen. We’re going to have lots of babies, raise them, and teach them right from wrong. We’re going to grow old together.”
She stared into his deep blue eyes. I’m afraid of something else too. I’m afraid having a baby will change our relationship. What if we’re never the same again?
By the time the Johnson Bishop Band resumed their tour the following weekend, Meg had full-blown pregnancy symptoms.
“Thank God we have our own bus,” she said, as she exited the bathroom after another bout of morning sickness. “We’d never be able to keep it a secret if we were still traveling with the rest of the band.”
“Yeah.” Sky grimaced as he handed her a sleeve of dry crackers and a bottle of water. “I’m worried that you can’t keep anything down. That can’t be good for you or the baby.”
She shrugged. “It’s normal.”
Sky shook his head. “You sure you want to go on a ride today?”
“Absolutely. I’ve never been to South Dakota, and I can’t wait to see the sights.”
“All right,” he said. “Let’s go.”
They strapped on their helmets and climbed onto Sky’s motorcycle. They rode through Sioux Falls, before turning towards Falls Park to see its namesake falls of the Big Sioux River.
“It’s beautiful,” Meg said, as they walked hand in hand along a paved path within the park. “I love traveling with you, and seeing the country together. I love our life.”
“I love it too, baby,” Sky replied, as he brought her hand to his lips for a soft kiss.
Meg was quiet the rest of the day. She tried to focus on the beautiful surroundings, and on enjoying the time with her husband, but nagging fear and doubt kept invading her thoughts. I don’t want our life to change. But it’s going to when the baby is born.
When they returned to the venue, they found the rest of the band members grilling hamburgers and hot dogs to celebrate Beau’s birthday. Everyone was gathered underneath a tent, eating and drinking beer.
Jack handed Sky and Meg beers as they entered the tent, but Meg declined and grabbed a bottle of water instead.
Meg looked around. “Where’s Becky?”
“She’s back in our bus,” Jack said. “She’s a little under the weather.”
“Oh, no,” Meg said. “Should I go check on her?”
“No…no, don’t do that. She’s resting. I’m sure she’ll feel all right later on.”
“Okay. I’ll just text her instead.”
As she was standing underneath the tent, the smell of the meat cooking on the grill overwhelmed Meg. She felt her stomach begin to roll, and waves of nausea overtook her.
“I’ve got to get out of here. The smells in this tent are making me sick,” she whispered to Sky, before making a beeline for their bus.
Jack watched as she ran away, before asking Sky, “Everything okay with Meg?”
He ran his hands through his hair. “Yeah. She’s also under the weather a bit. It’s a stomach thing.”
Jack’s eyes grew wide, and he began to laugh. “Becky was here earlier, and she had the same reaction – she left because she couldn’t take the smell of meat cooking. Do you think she and Meg share a secret?”
“It depends. Are you and Becky…um…expecting?”
“A little bundle of joy should be here in February. What about you and Meg?”
“We’re looking at February too.”
Jack let out a hoot, and patted Sky on the back. “Ever since we were kids, we’ve done everything together. Looks like we can add fatherhood to the list, buddy.”