Sugarbaker's: Lover's Lane

Chapter 17: New Years!

Julia was busy nursing the baby when Charlene and Mary Jo came in, giddy over the fact that New Years Day was about to be here as Anthony threw Julia a cheshire smile over at the conversation the women were having.

"Good mornin' ladies." Anthony said.

"Morning Anthony." Mary Jo said as she laid out her sketch pad and materials.

"How's one of our favorite girls doin' today?"

"Good. She just had breakfast and now, I gotta go pick Bernice up so she can go grocery shopping." Anthony said as he walked over Julia and kissed her and their baby.

"Did you get the list that I wrote?"

"Yes I did. I'll see y'all later."

"Bye!'' All four of them said.

"How's Anthony like being a father?"

"Oh, he loves it!" Julia said as she burped her daughter and walked behind the kitchen counter to retrieve a cup of coffee.

"What are y'all's plans for New Years?" Charlene asked.

"We're going to stay home and have a little party, just the three of us."

"Are you doing anything that afternoon?"

"Well, not that I know of but I know another little lady of ours is having a birthday."

"Yeah, it's hard to believe she's not really a baby anymore."

"She's gonna be two which is so hard to believe."

"I know." Charlene said.

"Never did I imagine two years after I gave birth did I imagine you and Anthony gettin' married and having a baby." Charlene said as Julia looked at her and smiled.

"Well, I never imagined it either but we did and now, I would not change anything." Julia said.

"How are you healing?" Mary Jo asked her.

"Just fine. I have a doctor's appointment Wednesday for a check up for me and her both."

"Ya know Julia, I know you and Anthony haven't discussed it but have y'all thought about having another child in the future?" Charlene asked her.

"No, I haven't Charlene but I don't think we will." Julia said.

"Has he ever said how many children he wanted?"

"He said two but considering he thinks of Payne as his son too and we have Presley. I don't know if we'll have another baby."

"I'd ask him." Mary Jo said.

"I will but it'll be awhile before I even think about having another child. She's almost two weeks old and I am still healing from my cesarean section."

"Well, maybe that's something to ask Anthony during new year's."

...

New Year's Eve- That night

Anthony and Julia were sitting on the couch, watching 'Dick Clark's New Year's Celebration' on TV when a certain topic came into her head as Anthony was in the kitchen, preparing their snack and drink,k sparkling cider with black eyed peas with cornbread for good luck.

"Honey, do you need anything while I'm in the kitchen?"

"No darlin', I'm good." Julia said as Presley was wide awake and staring at her mama, smiling.

"She seems pretty happy." Anthony said, carrying the tray with their condiments on it.

"It's because it's almost a new year and we have so much to be thankful for." Julia said as he sat beside her.

"Is that a smile that says I can't wait to keep mama and daddy up all night or a diaper change?" Anthony asked her as she still continued to coo at her parents.

"That's a sleepy smile. She's been fed her supper so I'll put her in her bassinet when she falls asleep." Julia said.

"So, I was wondering if you wrote your new years resolutions down?" Anthony asked her.

"I did." Julia said.

"Can I hear them?"

"Sure."

"I wrote mine down too."

"I was curious to know as what you wrote down whether it was new years or future resolutions." Julia said as they sat down with their list of resolutions written.

"My first resolution is that I want to try to be the best wife, mother and boss I can be." Julia said as Anthony smiled at her.

"My first resolution is identical to that as I wanna try to be the best husband, father and business partner because I feel like I lack in one department." Anthony said.

"You don't lack in any department hun. I could try to be more expressive."

"You don't have to change for anyone baby, we just had a baby and we're both tryin' to get used to it." Anthony said as Julia stared at him.

"Speaking of babies, do you want another one?" Julia asked him as he gave her a puzzled look.

"Well baby, don't you think it's too early?"

"Not right now, I mean when she get a little bit older?"

"I would like to have another child but do you want to have another baby?" Anthony asked her as pursed her lips.

"I do." Julia said with no hesitation.

"I do too." Anthony said as Julia smiled.

"But for right now, we already have two children that we love more than anything and I am so happy." Julia said.

"I love you baby." Anthony said as he kissed her.

"I love you too darlin'." Julia said as she kissed him back.

...

It was almost midnight and they laughed and reminisced about old times and the times that they were the happiest.

"And when you entered law school, my was I so proud of you." Julia said.

"That's the day I said I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life."

"I was just in shock because you wanted to be with me."

"Nobody but Dondi ever made me feel like I was ever enough and the day you hired me was the moment I felt like I actually belonged somewhere in this society." Anthony said.

"And it won't be long and you'll be graduating." Julia said.

"Those late nights with you studying will pay off but if you ladies go to jail again over something that one of you find intolerable, I don't know what I'd do."

"My days of intolerable actions are over, I promise." Julia said as she checked on Presley.

"I hope so. I'd hate to get a call and to find out that my wife and my friends are in jail over something viable."

"The only thing that I hated is when they set up that pornography stand at the end of our street. I mean, there are children and young teenagers who live on this street." Julia said.

"You ran into that stand three times my dear."

"I just hated seeing that. It still makes me sick to my stomach thinking about it."

"I don't think they'll put it on this street again."

"They better not." Julia said.

...

The countdown was on as they all counted down.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one... Happy New Year!" Anthony and Julia counted down as the ball exploded with confetti and whatever else on the Times Square in New York.

"Happy New Year baby." Anthony said.

"Happy New Year sweetheart." Julia said as they kissed.