Ready to Run

Chapter 24

Lexi's schedule continued to be full. Recording, working on the house, and a new activity: modeling. As soon as the world knew that Lexi West was pregnant, the requests from maternity brands and stores began to arrive. Emma, who had taken a well-deserved three-week vacation after the boys left on tour, began fielding the calls as soon as she returned.

Lexi took a contract with a very well-known brand sold in Europe and North America, perfect for optimum exposure. She would do three, maybe four photoshoots between December first and mid-March, when she was due. Lexi enjoyed the first session and was thrilled with the small wardrobe she took home.

Rory did a fantastic job searching for Jack's Christmas gift, finding a company that made 18 karat gold pendants with a map of the globe on one side and the coordinates of a special place on the other. Lexi chose the club in Florida, finding the exact coordinates of her bungalow's veranda. She also bought a gold chain, in a beaded dog tag style, that suited it perfectly.

She visited Jemima, asking if her grandson would meet with her to help choose some albums for Tom. Clive was six and a half feet tall and rail thin, the complete opposite of his doting grandmother. He had heard Lexi's voice online and was eager for her album to come out.

"You're going to be a star, you know?"

"People keep telling me that, and sometimes I believe them, but usually I just think they're crazy."

He promised to do some digging and have a collection ready in a week. When she went back to pick it up, he presented her with twenty rare and interesting records, all to Tom's taste, which Clive knew well.

Lexi also wanted to give Tom something a little more personal, and found a set of fine silk pocket squares that she had embroidered with his initials. Feeling that she should give Jack more than just the pendant, she had three couture dress shirts, in pastel pink, blue, and green, embroidered with his initials on the pockets. All three colors looked good on him, and he did like to be a bit dapper.

She tucked a gift certificate for a full day at the hottest London spa in the breast pocket of a decadent robe for Mary. Daniel would receive box seat tickets for the rest of the season to see his favorite team play, and a subscription to three different football magazines. There was a spa day for Emma, and initialed handkerchiefs for Phillip. She was at a loss for Nigel, until she mentioned him while she was collecting Tom's records at Jemima's Jumble.

Clive went digging in the storeroom for a few moments before returning with a one eighth scale model antique phonograph that had been decorated to within an inch of its life with rhinestones, glitter, faux pearls, and anything else small and shiny that one could imagine. It was glorious, and perfect.

When she began to shop for the boys she hit dead end after dead end. Nothing was quite right. Finally, she did what any woman stumped for a man's gift should do. What she had done for Jack. She called their mothers.

Ewan loved warm fuzzy socks and needed new slippers. He would receive one pair of couture slippers and ten pairs of frivolous socks. Fyn missed the food he ate when visiting his family in Ghana, and there was a very good but pricey store in London that carried many of his favorites. A year of monthly treat baskets were ordered.

And then there was Lukas. His mother laughed as she answered, "He likes the ladies, Lukas does. He's always liked the ladies. I suppose he likes football as well, especially the ladies' teams. There's that one, oh what is her name? Lola, I think. She's his favorite." After consulting with Rory, Lexi had a plan: a life size autographed cutout of Lola in a very skimpy version of her team uniform and a mammoth box of condoms. Perfect.

Lexi picked up some kitschy trinkets for her friends in the US, and an exact replica of Minerva McGonagall's wand for Principal Weber. She debated giving a gift to Jenny for weeks. It had been nearly six months since that terrible evening, six months without any contact, and Lexi still couldn't think about it without wanting to cry.

In the end, she chose to remember the years of inseparable friendship. She also chose to hope that the gift basket from one of London's oldest perfumers, full of bath and body items in Jenny's favorite cherry blossom scent, would be enjoyed and not discarded.

*****

She continued to send belly photos to the boys and Tom. When she spoke to Jack he sounded tired, and his reports were the same nearly every call. They flew or took a bus overnight, did interviews during the day, performed in the evening, and then did it all over again.

From time to time the band was able to visit the city they were in, but that usually turned into a circus of screaming girls. They went to a record store in Barcelona to sign CDs before they were put on the shelf, but the fans found them and mobbed the store. Security had to lock the band in while the riot squad was called in to disperse the crowd.

Lexi listened, soothing him when he was cranky, always staying upbeat and finding silly stories to tell him about her day. He liked hearing about her recording sessions and was happy that she and his mom had had a good visit. She told him about calling the boys' mothers to help with Christmas gifts and he had a good laugh about Lukas' present. As their five day furlough approached his mood seemed to improve, and soon they were saying goodnight by phone for the last time.

*****

He sank to his knees and started talking to the baby as soon as he walked in the door. She was content to run her hands through his hair, which had been cut in a way that brought it all forward, layered around his face. Lexi thought it was a little contrived, but he had an image to project.

When he was finished conversing with Wee West he stood and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her upturned face. "I've missed you fiercely, Lexi." He kissed her mouth, running his hands up and down her spine. "It's been so long."

In the bedroom, he pulled her shirt over her head then stopped, hesitating as he had his first in person look at her belly. He laid a hand over it, then moved it slowly over the steep curve.

"You're sure it's alright to...?"

"Yes, I'm sure. We just have to do a few things differently. You lie down," she said, straddling him. "This should work just fine."

*****

The band gathered at Lexi's house, along with Phillip, Emma, and Nigel, to exchange gifts before going to their respective homes for the holiday. She had the market down the street cater, complete with American style Christmas cookies. They didn't taste quite right to Lexi, but everyone else thought they were wonderful.

The boys loved Lexi's gifts, everyone laughing as Lukas unfolded his new girlfriend. Emma and Philip were touched by her thoughtfulness and Nigel was nonplussed by the blinged-out gramophone.

The boys had chosen not to exchange gifts; they had all been under too much pressure on tour. Lukas, Fyn, and Ewan had, however, eked out enough time to find something for Lexi. It was a framed, poster-sized photo of Lexi singing at the opening show, in the spotlight, with the band on either side, all looking at her with big smiles. She cried a little and thanked them a lot.