It's been 2 years since the events of Love worth Staying for. Rosie and Charlie are stronger than ever. And with the coming of summer comes a big surprise for the rest of the Baker family.
The next day I found myself back over at the Baker house. Mom and Dad once told me that I spend so much time over there that I might as well think of it as my home away from home. And honestly that's how it always felt when ever I stepped through that door.
I sat down next to Mrs Baker as she conferenced in Charlie who was at work at the moment, and Lorraine who was hanging out with her friends. "Okay, Charlie. You're conferenced in with all of us and Lorraine." Mrs. Baker said. "Hi, Charlie." We all said to him. "Hey, guys, what's up?" Charlie said. "Yeah, I'm here. It's Lorraine." Lorraine said, letting us know that she was on the phone as well.
"We've got a surprise," Mr. Baker started to say. "Your mom and I rented the big house up in Lake Winnetka." I knew about that place, there's a club that I worked at while I was in school. And it's where Charlie proposed to me. I subtly touched the chain that held my engagement ring as the memory of that day played in my head. "Winnetka, that's my middle name." Kyle pointed out. "And Lake is mine." Nigel added on. "And it's where we're going to spend Labor Day, just like in the old days." Mr. Baker finished off. No surprise that the kids didn't look all that thrilled with their father's plans.
"Dad, I'm gonna be very pregnant then." Nora said as an explanation as to why her and Bud couldn't go. "Yeah, and I'm gonna be apartment hunting in New York in August." Lorraine said, and I could see Mr. Bakers face get sadder and sadder as more of his kids stated why they wanted to opt out of this trip.
"How come Nigel and me are named after our house?" Kyle asked his parents. "Good question," Mr. Baker said, "Your middle name is Winnetka, and Nigel, your middle names is Lake, because you two were conceived in that house." That was a little TMI. I just hoped it didn't lead to, "What does 'conceived' mean?" Kyle asked. Oh, boy, Mr. Baker should have really thought his answer behind their middle names out better. "It means that Mom and Dad..." "Had a conversation that we would discuss it much later when everyone could understand." Jessica started out to say, but thankfully Mrs. Baker intercepted her answer, saving the youngest Baker boys' innocence for another few good years.
"Kyle and me will go any place that has our name in it." Nigel stated. "Bingo! Come on." Mr. baker said, trying g to get everyone to join in." "Yeah, well I love the lake, I'm in." Charlie said. "I guess I can cancel a couple of gigs." Henry said. "Okay, we're in." Nora said. "We agree to participate," Kim and Jessica said together in that creepy but cute twin sort of way. "Come on, dudes. We'll bring the wakeboards. We'll totally dominate." Sarah said to the rest of her brothers in hopes they'll join in on the fun. "Okay, we're in." Mark said on behalf of his brothers. "Alright." Mr. Baker said, happy to have all of his kids on board, well not all yet. "That just leaves two people." Wait, two? I thought to myself as the kids tried to entice Lorraine. "Alright, you guys, here's the deal. I'll go to the lake if Dad stops nagging me about not going to New York." Lorraine said, at least she was determined to not let anyone get in the way of her dreams.
"Deal," Mr. Baker said after a little consideration, "Now the only one left is Rosie." "Wait, you guys want me to be apart of your family vacation?" I said feeling both honored and shocked. "Of course we do, Rosie." Mrs. Baker said as she put a loving hand on my shoulder. "You're just as much a part of this family as the rest of us." Well there was no way I could say no to that so, "Count me in." I said with a big smile on my face."Perfect! That's a Baker's Dozen we're all going to the lake!" Mr. Baker said.
Later that evening Charlie and I were having dinner at my parents house, ready to put our new plan into motion. Since we were going to vacation with his family, we figured that we would tell them all at the lake, and tell my family before we left. And as they say there's no time like the present. "So, Charlie and I have some exciting news." I said to my parents as we all were about to dig into dessert. But just as I was about to share the big news, the doorbell rang. "Honey, can you get that?" Mom said with a suspiciously exited look on her face. Ignoring it I went to the to to see "Miguel!!!!!" I shouted when I saw my at he door, in his army uniform.
"I thought you were still in Afghanistan," I asked him, he was in the army reserves as a mechanic. He's been in the army since he was 18 years old, was able to get a degree in mechanical engineering, and for the last three years was in active duty defending our country. "I got honorable discharge, I'm back to being stateside for good." He said as he pulled me in for a hug. If you're wondering hwy he's over at my parents house sharing this news, his parents died when he was ten and my parents raised him since then. so he's really more of a brother than a cousin.
"Well, I'm glad you're back. So much has changed since you were last home." I said as we made our way back to the dining room. "Including this ring on your finger?" he asked as he yanked my hand up to his face. Oh yeah that's right, did I forget to mention that since Charlie and I were planning to tell my parents about the engagement, I decided to put my engagement ring on my engagement ring finger? Oopsie.
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"Rosie, Charlie. What's Miguel talking about?" Mom said as she slowly got up to look at my ring, as if walking at a normal speed would set off a bomb. "Well, that's what we wanted to tell you, we're getting married!" I said. "What?" "Out of the question!" "I'm gonna be an uncle!" Mom, Dad and Miguel said at the same time.
"We got engaged couple of weeks ago, and we wanted to surprise you." Charlie said as he put an arm around my shoulder, though he looked like he wanted to run to the Canadian border thanks to the death glare Dad was throwing at him. "Dad, you can't forbid me from marrying Charlie. I'm twenty years old, and I can do what I want." I told him, both hurt and pissed off that he'd react this way. "And what do you mean you're gonna be an uncle?" I asked Miguel, wondering how he came to that conclusion. "Well, it seemed a little quick, so I just assumed..." he said as he realized that wasn't the case at all. "Rosie, you're pregnant?!" Mom said, now looking like she was about to faint. "I'm going to kill you!" Dad said to Charlie as he proceeded to chase him around the house.
It took almost an hour to convince Dad not to kill Charlie, and another two hours to concvince both of my parents that I wan't pregnant. We told them how we love each other and that we want to spend the rest of our lives together. I made sure to mention that we didn't plan to get married until a year or two, and that I still planned to finish school. But most of all I told them that wether they were on board or not, they weren't going to make me change my mind about marrying Charlie. They realized how serious we were and finally gave us the congratulations we were waiting for.
Just as Miguel up to hug me. I took off my shoe and hit him with it . "That's for almost getting the love of my life killed!" I told him. "How was I supposed to know that Uncle Tony was going to do that?" he asked incredulously. I hit him again. "And that was for thinking I was pregnant!" "Well, you're not a freshman, so I couldn't chalk up your weight to the freshman fifteen." He quipped, and even though I knew it was a joke, I chased him down, with Mom, Dad, and Charlie trying to stop me from murdering him. Don't worry I let him live.
(A/N: Hey guys. So here's chapter 2. I hope you liked it. Next chapter of course will be the Lake. Rosie and Miguel will be joining arriving to the lake with Charlie and Lorraine. I'll see you next chapter. TTFN, ta-ta for now!)
