Chapter 120 Honeymoon Plans
JASON'S POV
I was sitting at my laptop looking at honeymoon destinations when Caitlyn walked into the room. She looked tired. Her ankles were swollen and she was walking more slowly these days. Seven months pregnant and the baby was getting bigger. Taking up more space. Making everything harder for her.
"What are you doing?" she asked sitting down carefully on the couch next to me.
"Looking at honeymoon options," I said. "I know we said we would wait until after the baby is born but I thought maybe we could do something small. Something close."
"Jason we do not need a honeymoon," Caitlyn said. "I am huge. I can barely walk. I cannot travel right now."
"I know you cannot travel far," I said. "That is why I am looking at places close by. Within an hour or two. Somewhere we can drive to."
"Like where?" Caitlyn asked. She sounded interested now. Curious.
"Like this," I said. I turned the laptop so she could see. It was a cabin by a lake. Small. Cozy. Surrounded by trees. "It is only an hour away. We could go for a long weekend. Just relax. Spend time together before the baby comes."
Caitlyn looked at the pictures. Scrolled through them. There were photos of the cabin interior. A fireplace. A big bed. A kitchen. A deck overlooking the lake.
"It is beautiful," she said. "But are you sure? What if I go into labor while we are there?"
"There is a hospital twenty minutes away," I said. "I already checked. And you are not due for another two months. The doctor said it is safe to travel as long as we stay close."
"You asked the doctor?" Caitlyn said.
"I called her office yesterday," I said. "Wanted to make sure it was okay before I started planning anything."
"You really thought this through," Caitlyn said.
"I did," I said. "I want to give you a honeymoon. Want to take you somewhere. Make you feel special. But I also want to keep you and the baby safe. So this seemed like the perfect compromise."
Caitlyn looked at the pictures again. I could see her thinking about it. Weighing the options.
"How long would we go for?" she asked.
"Just a weekend," I said. "Friday to Sunday. Three days. We can rest. Sleep in. Cook together. Take walks by the lake if you feel up to it. Just be together."
"Just be together," Caitlyn repeated. "That sounds nice."
"So is that a yes?" I asked. "Can I book it?"
"When would we go?" Caitlyn asked.
"Next weekend," I said. "If the cabin is available. Is that too soon?"
"No," Caitlyn said. "Next weekend is good. I do not have any therapy appointments. No doctor appointments. Nothing planned."
"Perfect," I said. "So can I book it?"
"Yes," Caitlyn said. She was smiling now. "Book it. Let us go on our honeymoon."
I pulled her close and kissed her. "This is going to be great," I said. "Just you and me and the baby. Away from everything. No stress. No worries. Just us."
"Just us," Caitlyn said. "I cannot wait."
I booked the cabin right there. Paid for it. Got the confirmation email. It was done. We were going on our honeymoon.
"What should we bring?" Caitlyn asked. "Do we need to pack food? Or are there restaurants nearby?"
"There are a few restaurants," I said. "But I was thinking we could cook. I can make your favorite meals. We can eat on the deck. Watch the sunset."
"That sounds perfect," Caitlyn said. "Way better than going out."
"I will make a grocery list," I said. "We can shop on Thursday. Get everything we need. Then Friday morning we leave."
"Okay," Caitlyn said. "I am excited. I have never been on a real honeymoon before."
"You did not have a honeymoon with Hayes?" I asked. I tried to keep my voice neutral. Did not want to upset her by bringing up her ex.
"We went to Hawaii," Caitlyn said. "But it was awful. He spent the whole time on his phone. Doing business. Ignoring me. It did not feel like a honeymoon. It felt like a business trip that I just happened to be on."
"This will be different," I said. "I am not bringing my phone. Well, I am bringing it for emergencies but I am not going to be on it. I am going to focus on you. On us. On enjoying our time together."
"You promise?" Caitlyn asked.
"I promise," I said. "This honeymoon is about us. About celebrating our marriage. About being together before the baby comes and life gets crazy."
"Life is going to get crazy isn't it?" Caitlyn asked. She put her hand on her stomach. "Once the baby comes everything is going to change."
"It is," I said. "But in a good way. In the best way. We are going to be parents. We are going to have this little person who depends on us. Who needs us? Who loves us?"
"I am nervous about that," Caitlyn said. "About being a mom. What if I am not good at it? What if I mess up?"
"You are going to be amazing," I said. "I keep telling you that. You are going to be the best mom."
"How do you know?" Caitlyn asked.
"Because I see how much you already love this baby," I said. I put my hand on her stomach next to hers. "You talk to the baby. You make sure to eat healthy. You go to all your appointments. You read all the parenting books. You are already being a great mom."
"But what about when the baby is actually here?" Caitlyn asked. "What if I do not know what to do? What if the baby cries and I cannot figure out why?"
"Then we figure it out together," I said. "We are partners remember? We are doing this together. Neither of us knows what we are doing. But we will learn. We will make mistakes. But we will also love this baby more than anything. And that is what matters."
"You are right," Caitlyn said. "We will figure it out together."
"Exactly," I said. "Now stop worrying about the future and focus on the present. We have a honeymoon to look forward to. Three days of just us. Relaxing. Being together. Making memories."
"Making memories," Caitlyn said. "I like that."
The baby kicked and we both felt it. Strong kicks. The baby was active today.
"Baby is excited too," I said.
"Baby is always excited," Caitlyn said. "Especially at night when I am trying to sleep."
"Baby takes after me," I said. "I was a night owl too."
"Great," Caitlyn said. "So I am going to have a baby who does not sleep. That is just what I need."
"We will handle it," I said. "Whatever happens we will handle it. Together."
"Together," Caitlyn repeated. "You keep saying that."
"Because it is true," I said. "We are in this together. For better or worse. In sickness and in health. All of that. We made those promises. And I meant every word."
"I did too," Caitlyn said. "I meant every word of my vows. I am going to
love you and choose you every single day."
"And I am going to love you and choose you every single day," I said.