Careless Mistake
by Kelli
Part 54
Mid September 2005.......
"One pregnancy test," Justin announced as he walked into the family room. He stopped when he saw JC and JC's girlfriend, Shelia sitting with Britney. "Oh......hey," he kind of chuckled.
Britney hid her smile with her hand. "Hi."
"Hello there," JC chuckled. "Looks like we've reached an awkward moment you didn't really want anyone to know about yet."
"No....it's not that," Justin started. "Well, yeah, it is that. It's just a test," he shrugged, looking at the bag in his hand.
"I think it would be great," Shelia added with a smile as she looked at Britney.
Britney smiled back.
"Well.....we won't keep you then. I just stopped by to see if you'd listen to this and let me know what you think. They want it for a soundtrack for a movie," JC said, handing Justin a tape.
"Okay, cool," he said, looking at it in his hand.
"Good luck," he said, slapping Justin on the shoulder as he and Shelia left the room.
"Bye," Britney said.
Shelia turned around and waved at them.
When they heard the door close, Justin rubbed his forehead. "I didn't see his car......"
"He usually parks down farther, it is hard to see it there when you pull up into the driveway," she said.
"I'm sorry if you didn't want anyone to know....."
"Justin, JC's a good friend, I don't think he's going to go call the National Enquirer."
He chuckled. "I know but....."
"Well....I guess I'll go take it," she said standing up and walking over to him.
He held open the bag and looked inside. "I got three different kinds. I've never bought these before so I didn't know...."
She touched his hand, which made him look up at her. "We'll do this together. I didn't have you with me the first time."
"No, things were a lot different then."
She nodded and took the bag from him.
"Were you scared last time?" Justin asked.
They were sitting in their bedroom, waiting for the clock to hit eleven-thirty-seven.
"Well last time I took one of these it's when I forgot the birth control on our little vacation....but I didn't really think there was a chance I was pregnant then, so that doesn't count. But the time before that? Yeah. I was terrified. I had no idea how you were going to react. I needed to make decisions about how I'd react to your reaction."
"What do you mean?" he chuckled.
He turned his body toward her and pulled her so that she was sitting in between his legs. He wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Well, I needed to be prepared for any kind of reaction from you. Whether it was anger or disappointment or happiness....."
"You really thought I'd be angry?"
"No, I didn't think that, I just wanted to be prepared."
He nodded. "So when you found out.....what went through your mind?"
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I was happy and sad at the same time. I had feelings and emotions that I didn't know existed. It was overwhelming....so maternal. But I was scared to death. Of course everything concerning our careers went flashing through my mind."
He kissed her temple.
"Then I needed to decide how to handle everything. That's why I didn't tell you at the VMA's. We were both too distracted that weekend."
"You should have let me helped you handle it...."
"But you were part of what I needed to figure out."
He spread his palms out over her stomach. She smiled and entwined her fingers with his.
"So, once my mind was clear and I had made a few decisions, it was easier for me to tell you. I was prepared no matter what you decided."
"You had to have known I wouldn't leave you," he whispered against her hair.
"No, I knew you wouldn't. I didn't know what your gut reaction was going to be, though. I had had time to adjust to it, you didn't."
"I think I handled it pretty well."
She chuckled. "Yeah actually, you did."
He looked at the clock.
"It's time," he said.
She reached over and grabbed one of the sticks off of the nightstand. She closed her eyes and brought it so that they both could see it, but she couldn't open her eyes.
She felt him squeeze her tighter and kiss her temple but didn't know what that meant. Did it mean he was relieved because she wasn't pregnant or did it mean he was happy that she was? There was only one way to find out. She opened her eyes.
She smiled and felt the tears well in her eyes.
He was happy that she was.
"Brit?" he questioned.
"Yeah," she said, trying not to cry.
"You okay?"
She nodded. She reached over and picked up the other two sticks. They were both positive as well.
"Wow," she said.
"Wow is right," he said, rubbing her stomach. "And I get to be here for every single minute of it this time."
She turned her head and stared into his eyes.
"You're happy?"
"I told you I would be....it's a miracle. There's nothing more special than creating another child with my wife."
She shook her head a little as a tear slipped down her cheek. "God I love you.....what did I do to deserve you?"
He kissed the tip of her nose.
"Don't say that.....we deserve each other. We're meant to be."
She nodded and let another tear fall.
"I guess I'll call and make a doctor's appointment."
"So you're, what......about six weeks pregnant?"
She thought about it for a second. "That sounds about right...or almost six weeks."
They sat in silence for a few moments, both taking in that they were going to be parent's of another child.
"Do you want a girl or a boy?" Britney asked.
Justin chuckled softly. "I don't care...."
"Me either."
She sat up and turned around so they were facing each other.
"Mackenzie's going to make a great sister."
He nodded. "She'll be two by then, right?"
Britney looked down at her flat stomach and rubbed it. "Yeah....she'll have just turned two. Oh God," she said, panicking.
"What?" he asked, grabbing her arm.
"How are we going to deal with the terrible twos and a newborn?"
Justin sighed with relief and sat back. "You scared me."
"Well, it's something to think about."
"It's a little late to worry now, isn't it?"
Mackenzie started to cry so Britney stood up.
"I'll go get her."
"She's probably hungry."
Britney got Mackenzie and brought her back into the room. She was sucking her thumb and resting her head on Britney's shoulder.
"Don't do that," Britney said, pulling her thumb from her mouth.
Mackenzie pouted and held out her arms toward Justin. "Da da."
He took her from Britney.
"Uh oh, she's playing the good guy/bad guy card already," Justin said. "You hungry, angel?"
Mackenzie nodded her head and tried to put her thumb back in her mouth but Justin stopped her. She let out a small cry and then stopped when she realized it was a loosing battle.
"We'll have to get one of those books that tells us how to tell a one and a half year old that she's going to be a big sister," Britney said, running her fingers through Mackenzie's loose curls.
"I'm sure I have one somewhere," Justin chuckled. "See, I knew buying all those books would come in handy one day."
Britney smiled at him. She leaned in and kissed him, keeping her hand on the back of Mackenzie's head.
"Let's go eat," she said when she pulled away.
"Eat," Mackenzie repeated.
"Did I tell you they want me to remix that song we did for your soundtrack?" Justin asked. They were sitting in the family room, watching TV.
"No. It's been about a month since we recorded that. What happened to them needing it "right now"?"
He shook his head. "Who knows. Anyway, I want you to come with me in case you need to redo anything."
"Okay," she sighed. "We should go on a trip....just the three of us."
"What brought that on?" Justin asked.
"I was just thinking about how much time we have left doing nothing and a trip popped into my head."
He moved his arm around her so that his fingers gently brushed her upper arm.
"What did you have in mind?" he asked.
"Do you think she'd like Hawaii?"
They were both staring at their daughter who was playing with her puzzle on the floor.
"I really don't think she'll care," he chuckled.
"Hmmm, maybe we should just go visit the condo in Destin, then. We can still relax but be away at the same time."
"That sounds like a wonderful idea."
About a week later....
"Well Britney.....Justin," the doctor said as he reentered the examining room, "you are indeed about six weeks pregnant now. Congratulations."
"Thank you," Britney said. She couldn't keep the huge smile from her face. Justin squeezed her hand.
"I've prescribed a few vitamins I want you to start taking. You can see the receptionist to schedule your next appointment."
"Thank you, doctor."
"Usually I give the spiel about taking care of yourself and not putting too much stress on yourself but you already told me you have some time off so that will be good for you.....for both of you," he said, glancing down at her stomach.
Britney nodded.
"Now, if you have any questions during your pregnancy, don't hesitate to call my office. Second pregnancies are usually a little bit different than the first. Don't expect things to be exactly the same way, okay?"
Britney nodded again. "I've already noticed a few different things, but I just assumed it was because I figured out I was pregnant quicker this time."
"That might be but your body might not be as sensitive this time or you might be more nauseous or less nauseous. It all depends."
"More emotional or less emotional....." Justin added.
"Let's hope for less," Britney said.
"I totally agree with you on that," he chuckled.
"Any questions right now?" the doctor asked.
Neither Justin or Britney could think of any so they scheduled their next appointment on the way out.
"Now it seems more real," Britney said on the way to their car.
"Yeah, in a way it does."
"Let's go out to lunch and celebrate," Britney said, once they got into the car.
"Okay.....where to?" he asked, starting the ignition.
"How about The Ivy?"
"We have to decide when we're going to tell people," Britney said once their orders were taken.
"We have to tell our mom and dad's now."
"Well, of course. But I was thinking more along the lines of other family and friends."
Justin glared out at the parking lot where he saw some photographers hanging around.
"Hopefully we can keep it to ourselves before they find out in US Weekly or something," he said, shaking his head and then nodding toward the photographers.
"Don't even think about that."
"You're right."
"I'm going to call Kelly and see how Mackenzie's doing," Britney said, picking up her cell phone and finding Kelly's number in memory.
They continued to enjoy their lunch together, celebrating their pregnancy with two glasses of white grape juice. Next item on the agenda, deciding when and how to tell their moms.