Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi

Весса.

The wedding had gone so well, and I was beyond thrilled. It was the day after, and at the moment, I was eating a hearty breakfast and thinking about the wonderful time I had. We had to plan for a honeymoon! I couldn't wait to talk to James about that.

Madeline entered the room, humming a tune and giving me a huge smile. "Becca!" she exclaimed. "You were so beautiful at your wedding. I am so happy to have been there, thanks for having me. The kids had a ball, too!"

"I noticed!" I said, beaming right back at her. "Thank you so much for helping to watch them during the wedding. I'm really glad they weren't too much trouble. I was so happy to have our family there."

"They were angels!" Madeline exclaimed, taking a seat in front of me and helping herself to a plate of eggs as well. There was whistling from the kitchen, which prompted me to get up and set ourselves up with some tea. I brought in a cup for Madeline as well.

I sat down, taking a sip of tea, and thinking about what happened. "They were very well behaved, I am so happy about that. James and I want to take them to the park sometime, and get them meeting people in public more." I frowned, still worried about the mafia issue, though.

Madeline said, "That's a great idea! You could go to a restaurant too, or watch a show at the theater. Think they could sit still for that?" She then added, "Thank you for the tea. I adore how you always set it up, darling."

I nodded, thinking things over. "That sounds like a good idea. They could enjoy a movie! I don't know if Dahlia would be willing to sit still that long, but I don't mind missing part of a movie to give it a try a few times. Won't ever develop that if they don't learn!"

"This is true!" Madeline said. "Granted, I like the park idea. It gives you more freedom to leave the area and go someplace quiet with far less angry looks," she said with confidence, clearly having experience in the matter!

"Oh, that is very nice, you make a good point. We could practice by building a playscape in the back of the compound, come to think of it. The yard is big enough!" I said, smiling. James had mentioned such an idea recently, and I loved it. "Wonderful idea, darling!" Madeline said. After another few bites of her breakfast, she asked, "What are you going to do for your honeymoon? Have any idea where you want to go?" I smiled, furrowing my brow in thought. "I have to talk to James more about it. We'll probably start planning for a week from now, if that is all right with you, since you will be watching the kids. Security will be increased here, so that won't be a concern," I said. Madeline gave a chuckle at that.

"Oh, darling! I have never felt unsafe here, not since the incident, so don't you worry. I am just fine with watching the kids still while you go on your honeymoon. You deserve to enjoy yourself, after all!" she said with an even bigger smile now. I felt warm and fuzzy, beyond happy to have such a supportive person here. She was turning into a good friend, and I was grateful after the incident that had really made me wary of nannies in general. It felt as though the past was finally staying where it belonged. In the past.

"I'm so happy about that," I said, letting out a sigh. I took a sip of my tea, trying to think of a good place to go on a honeymoon. Somewhere tropical, I decided. I would love to lie by the beach, maybe snorkel a bit. We couldn't go anywhere or do anything too exciting since I had the baby on the way and was frequently tired. Laying by the beach under the sun and listening to the waves, maybe reading a nice book or five, would be wonderful. "I want to go somewhere where there's a beautiful beach and have a chance to relax a bit. I don't think I've been able to relax enough even if things have calmed down lately!" I said, thinking of all the issues that were finally fading away. "Yes, you deserve to get some rest, Becca darling! I think that's a wonderful idea. I know the Seychelles are a spot I hear mentioned a lot in my friend group. There may be turtles hatching at this time of year, which is amazing to see!" she said. I grinned, thinking about that. I could get pictures and dazzle the kids when I returned, maybe get a few souvenirs as well. I loved her train of thought, and said, "That's lovely! I'm going to look that up today. Thank you so much, Madeline." With that, we finished breakfast and tea, chatting about plans for the honeymoon and ideas for what Madeline will do to entertain the children. A few new family movies came out this year, and she was going to show them to the kids. Something I very much approved of!

The idea of a tropical honeymoon had me buzzing with excitement. I couldn't wait to relax on a beautiful beach, so romantic, with James. We could kiss at sunset, and maybe even have a bit of sex on the beach. Hopefully, it wouldn't get too sandy.

I got up from the dining room table and entered the office, making a few notes to look up some good honeymoon spots when I got back. Right now, I had a doctor's appointment to check on the baby! I was a bit nervous, but so far everything had been going well.

James met me at the front of the compound, leaning forward and giving me a tender kiss. He wrapped his arms around me in a hug, and asked in my ear, "How has your day been, love? Ready for your appointment?" He was joining me for every one now.

"It's been wonderful! Madeline and I talked about a good place to go for a honeymoon. Oh James, I'm so excited. I was thinking a beach would be nice. Somewhere relaxing, what do you think?" I asked him, leaning back and giving him a huge smile.

James thought about this for a moment, then nodded. "That sounds perfect, just the right fit for us. Do you have an idea where you'd like this tropical spot to be?" he asked. He reached up and moved a strand of my hair from my face, causing me to close my eyes and lean into his touch.

"Yes," I breathed. "She suggested Seychelles. We can see some turtles there and take some pictures for the kids. I'd love to watch a sunset with you," I added, thinking about that and nearly bouncing with excitement.

"I can't wait, Becca," he said, leaning down to steal another kiss and causing me to blush deeply. We went outside and got into our car, with security at the wheel while we rode in the back. I leaned against James, my heart pounding. "What's the matter?" he asked, nudging me and giving me a frown of concern. "Nervous, as usual? I think the baby will be just fine. You always get so worried regardless, though, huh?" he asked, reading my mind.

I nodded, grinning sheepishly and rubbing the back of my neck. "Any number of things could go wrong, so I always think about the worst-case scenario. Especially after all that we've been through. But things are looking up, and I'm so happy, James."

James nodded, glancing away from me for a moment in an odd way. I opened my mouth to question what was wrong, but he just nudged me again and leaned over, giving me a kiss on my cheek. "We'll be living in peace and happiness now, Becca. Don't you worry."

That eased me a little bit, though, of course, I still worried a bit about the baby, and hoped they would be alright. Not that there had been any signs otherwise, of course. We got out of the car and walked into the hospital. Once more, I passed by several families being loud, either cheering or weeping. At times, there were more than a dozen people waiting outside rooms, chatting loudly in the hospital. I was grinning from ear to ear at this, once again reminded about how wonderful it was.

Family being here for each other, so loudly supportive, may annoy some people not from around here, but it didn't bother me. James remained neutral on the matter, while I was touched. I wished my parents were as supportive. My father, unfortunately, still had a stick up his ass about James. Talks with him didn't go well, though I tried my best. I shook that thought out of my head as we were directed into one of the rooms. The gynecologist entered, giving us a huge smile.

"Hello again, Becca! James! Or should I say, Mr. and Mrs. Valentino? Congratulations on the marriage," she said. Though she had come across as judgemental at first, she seemed very supportive at this point. I was at ease with her. "Thank you so much!" I said, sitting down on a chair and preparing for some tests. James took his usual spot in the corner, looking relaxed and happy. The gel was spread on my belly so that the doctor could use an ultrasound and check on the baby.

I watched the black and white image on the screen, a bit scratchy and hard to see, like every ultrasound image before it. To me, anyway. The doctor knew what she was seeing! As she identified the baby's head and body, I gave a little, happy squeal.

"They're developing well!" she said, giving a huge smile. "Do you want to do some tests to see the sex, or were you planning on it being a surprise?" she asked. I didn't have any expectations or specific wants. My smile widened.

"A surprise," I said. "We will pick out a few names for both genders, then decide when the time comes." The doctor nodded in agreement, and from James's light smile, he liked that idea as well. We got the typical health talk, and a few of my questions were answered.

The baby was healthy, with no issues, which caused my heart to sing. I felt very warm and happy. Everything was looking up! On our way home, I gave James a huge kiss, wrapping my arms around him with glee.

"A healthy baby is a happy one!" I said, my voice dripping with enthusiasm. We had nothing to worry about, and for that, I was overjoyed.