Hi, I'm submitting this story for the Valentine's Day 2021 Contest!
Please pay attention to the tags. This is a
*GAY MALE*
romance between two consenting male adults. If that's not your cup of tea, I will not be offended if you decided to read another story.
For those familiar with Micah and Jo, here is an updated story four years into their relationship and on their second wedding anniversary. Some other familiar faces show up in this story as well, but it is told from Micah's POV.
I hope you enjoy it. Please don't forget to vote and comment!
-KK
~~~~~
"Hey I got a surprise," Jo said as he walked into the bedroom, startling me.
"Oooh!" I squealed and hid my outfit under the suitcase before I turned around. "Joseph!" I yelled and touched the center of my chest. "You scared the shit out of me."
He looked like he wanted to say something, but instead asked curiously, "What are you doing?"
"Packing," I said nonchalantly. He started coming closer to the bed but I met him halfway and put my hand on his chest. "Oh no you don't! You will not ruin the surprises I have in store for you this weekend."
He smiled and kissed my lips. "It is red and sexy?" he asked slyly.
"You won't find out until tomorrow," I replied, batting my eyelashes at him. He put his face in my neck and growled, making me giggle. "Wait, you said you have a surprise for me!"
He lifted his head up. "Oh. Right." He said, "Change of plans. We're going-"
"Noooo!" I raised my hand up, already annoyed. "You promised, you
promised
that I got to make all the plans for our Valentiniversary-"
"Please stop calling it that," Jo said quietly, rubbing his temples.
"-and you were just going to supply the car service for where we're going and how we're getting there so you do not get to come in at the last minute and change all of my plans after I worked so hard to arrange a room at the cutest bed and breakfast in the smallest state of the world-
"That's not accurate."
"-now you're going back on your word like I expected you to do because you just don't know how to let go and let me take over and that's just not fair." I put one hand on my hip and glared at him.
He held up his phone and showed me what looked like two barcodes for something. "My client just snagged us two tickets to the Shawn Mendez and Camilla Cabello concert, The Lovers Tour, at Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut."
I gasped loudly and grabbed his phone. "Joseph!"
"I figured since we have to pass through Connecticut to get to Rhode Island, maybe a quick stop tomorrow night wouldn't derail your plans too much." I looked up at my husband of almost two years, speechless. "Oh course, if you don't want to gooooo..."
"Oh em gee, we're going!" I said happily and threw my arms around his neck. He pulled me close and put his tongue in my mouth greedily and I moaned on him.
"Hmmm... as much as I want to right now, I have to check on Alicia and finish packing so go make dinner."
He gave me a look. "Do you really need to check on Alicia?"
"Yes," I said with a bit of an attitude. I know he thinks I'm being overbearing but the woman is carrying our baby so I need to make sure she is eating right, sleeping right, getting enough exercise and she has no stress in her day.
He knew not to say any more. "Okay, Micah." He kissed my cheek and left the room.
I called Alicia on videochat. "
oye chica, ¿qué pasa?"
I greeted her.
"
Nada
, just setting down for dinner. You?"
"We're good, just getting ready for our trip. You have the number to the place, right?"
"Yes, Micah, I have the phone number and address."
"Okay good. So what did you do today?" I asked as I continued to pack.
"I went to work and-"
"It's icy outside, did you walk or take the bus?" I asked. I wasn't looking at the phone but I could feel her eyes rolling at me but I don't care. One slip and fall and my whole world could be shattered.
She sighed audibly. "I walked in my snow boots. I'm only a couple of blocks from the health center, Micah. I'm fine." Alicia is a physician assistant at a nearby clinic in Wynnewood, a few miles from our house.
"Okay, but call for a car service if you need to. We're paying for it for a reason."
"I know, Micah. And I'm thankful."
"So what's for dinner? Getting enough fiber?"
"Micah."
"I just want to make sure you're having healthy bowel movements," I said seriously.
"Okay Micah, listen up." I watched her adjust herself on the phone. "I'm 11 weeks pregnant. If you're going to harass me every single night about what I'm doing, what I'm eating and how I'm shitting, it's going to be a long 29 weeks. I've done this twice before, remember? Once with my own daughter and once as a surrogacy, just like I'm doing for you. I know what I'm doing. Can you please relax?"
"I'm relaxed," I pouted. "It's just... it's really important to me that you're healthy and the baby is healthy."
"I know honey, I know. And next week we get to see for ourselves how healthy he or she is. And find out if it's a he or she."
"Ooooh I'm so excited," I said, dancing around. "Jo is rooting for a boy but I wouldn't mind a little girl with soft baby hair that I can play in all day."
"Micah," she said with amusement.
"I know, I'm gonna feed it too," I said with a smile, making her laugh.
"You're going to start coming to the parenting classes at the clinic, right?" she asked. I rolled my eyes. "I'm serious! There is a lot to learn, more than just how to change a diaper. Have you decided if you're getting a nanny or wet nurse?"
"Nanny, no. I want to do it all myself. Wet nurse, I'm considering. If not that, then getting donated breast milk. I want my baby to have the very best and the healthiest start."
"Okay. When we go for the 3D ultrasound next week, let's talk about it some more with the lactation consultant."
"Okay, that sounds good."
She delved into some textbook related information on caring for a newborn. Having a medical professional be your surrogate birth mother is the best thing, She comes with so much knowledge. Also picked her because she's an afro-latinx like me, and comes from a big family. Between our gene pools mixing, me and Jo's baby is going to be ethnically just like me.
Alicia got pregnant with the first insemination, like it was meant to be. I think that's why I'm so nervous all the time. It was too perfect. It's like I'm waiting for something to happen and I'm not sure what it will be yet. But Alicia always knows how to flip the conversation and calm my nerves down talking about the fun baby stuff. After a half an hour she yawned.
"I saw that. Go get some rest, Chica, I'll call you tomorrow."
"Isn't tomorrow your anniversary?"
"Our Valentiniversary?"
She laughed. "Yes. That."
"Yeah, and-"
"Do not call me, Micah. I promise you I will not pick up the phone. Go do your thang with the hubs and I'll see you on Friday."
"Okay, you're right. But if I call-"
"You won't. I'm already texting Jo so he knows to keep you away from your phone all day. I'm sure he'll find a way." She winked, making me roll my eyes to the top of my head and smirk. "Bye, Micah."
"Bye, Alicia."
I hung up and finished packing my suitcase. I sighed and looked around the room. Pumbaa was happily laying by the fire in the bedroom with me, chewing on a plastic bone but when I climbed on the bed he instantly climbed up the bed with me and tried to sit in my lap. Although I got him for Jo, he's kinda my dog.
I rubbed his belly and thought about the last four years of my life. Jo walked into my cafe on a Thursday morning one day in May and changed my entire life. We had our highs and lows, mostly highs and one really really bad low, but we came out of it stronger than ever.
Randy, Jo's deceased cousin and my friend, popped in my head. Randy's passing was hard on everyone but his spirit lives on through all of us. If it wasn't for Randall we would have never met, because the only reason Jo moved back to Pennsylvania was to be closer to him. And if it wasn't for Randy's persistence, we wouldn't have gotten back together after we had that devastating break up. I owe him everything.
"Thank you Randy," I whispered to the quiet room. I let a few tears drop and wiped them away.