Sugarbaker's: Lover's Lane

Chapter 10: Family Times and Nursery Rhymes

It was now October and Julia entered her third trimester as she looked forward to all the holidays coming up especially since her family was coming to town with her mother coming from Tokyo and her son Payne coming home from New York.

She was really excited and bouncing on her heels as Charlene, Mary Jo and Suzanne came in through the door as they seen their boss peeking through the window.

"What are you doing?" Suzanne asked her.

"Payne is coming home and mother is coming here at any moment and I want to be the first one to hug them." Julia said.

"He's gonna think his mother and mother are both gonna think that you lost your mind when they see that you are peeking though the window like a crazy person."

"Suzanne, I have the right to be excited about my son and our mother coming home for a little while and I can't help it."

"You keep getting too excited and you're gonna have that baby right there where you're standing from bouncing up and down like that."

"It'll take more than her just bouncing up and down to have her." Charlene said.

"I beg to differ." Suzanne said.

"Standing up would be the most unbearable way to give birth to her." Mary Jo said as they heard a car pull up as Julia turned to them with a smile on her face.

"Anthony darling, Payne is here!" Julia said as he came out of the storeroom and rushed to her side.

Payne knocked on the door as Anthony opened it to reveal both his stepson and daughter-in-law standing there.

"Hey mom!" Payne said as Julia hugged him.

"Hey baby. How was your plane and car ride?"

"Long and exhausting."

"And Sylvie. How's my favorite daughter-in-law?"

"Wonderful. How are you doing?" Sylvie asked as she rubbed Julia's stomach.

"I'm doing great now that you're both here." Julia said as they all sat down.

"Come here Payne and give your Aunt Suzanne a big hug!" Payne got up and gave her one.

"You're still as handsome as ever."

"Well, everyone tells me I look just like my father." Payne said as Julia smiled, trying to hold her emotions in.

"You do look like your father, you have his eyes and his facial features." Charlene said.

"When he was born, everyone said he was Hayden's twin."

"He does, I mean you look at his baby pictures and your first thought is "Wow! Payne is Hayden's twin as a baby."

"He has his eyes."

"But Julia's bone and facial structure." Anthony said.

"Well enough about me and how are y'all doing?" Payne asked them.

"We're all doing fine sweetheart. How's life as a journalist?" Charlene asked as she always loved the idea of him being a writer.

"It's really good. Some days are good, some bad but all jobs are like that."

"How's the life of being an interior designer?" Sylvie asked her mother-in-law.

"It's great! We have a few big accounts now, more than I did a few years ago but it also has it's challenges."

"How's my baby sister doing?" Payne asked as he patted Julia's stomach.

"She's doing great too."

"Just two more months and she'll be here." Anthony said as he laid his hand on her stomach.