Careless Mistake
by Kelli
Part 61
March 2006.......
Mackenzie walked over to the couch and picked up her doll.
"Baby," she said. She found the doll's brush and started to brush it's hair. This is how Britney found her.
"There you are. What are you doing? Oh, you're brushing your baby's hair?" she asked as she sat down on the couch next to where Mackenzie was leaning.
"Mmhmm," she said, nodding. "Baby hungwy," she said, looking sincerely at her mother.
Britney ran her fingers through Mackenzie's silky curls.
"Ohhh, well are you hungry too?"
Mackenzie shook her head. "No, baby hungwy."
"Well, you've got your toy kitchen upstairs, why don't you get some food for her there? Want me to go with you?"
"I go," Mackenzie said as she headed upstairs.
Britney stood up and followed her.
"Hand on the rail," she ordered as Mackenzie started up the stairs.
Justin started to head downstairs with a pair of sweats and a tshirt on. "Whoa. I guess I'll let you by," he said, running back up the few steps he had jogged down. "You okay?" he asked Mackenzie.
"Okay," she said as she reached the top.
"How about you, mommy?" he asked, trying not to chuckle at her flushed face.
"When did she get so fast?" she asked, panting a little bit. "I need a nap now. What time is mama coming over to help set up for the party?"
Justin gave her a quick kiss on the lips.
"In about an hour. You can rest if you want, I'll keep an eye on Mackenzie."
She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against him.
"She's going to feed her baby."
"Yum, what's on the menu?" he smiled.
"Something plastic," she said with a wave of her hand.
"Mooommmyyyy, baby bah-bah!" Mackenzie yelled.
Britney started to turn to go to her room, but Justin stopped her.
"You go that way, I'll find the baby's bottle."
"Thank you."
Justin walked into Mackenzie's play room.
"Well, where did you put it?" he asked, looking around the room.
She pursed her lips together and looked in the cabinets of her play kitchen. Finally she found the bottle in the stove. She sat down on the floor and started to feed her baby. Justin sat down on one of the small chairs and watched his daughter. Very soon they'd have another one running around but right now he couldn't believe she was two today. She was so grown up, doing big girl things. She was growing up too fast.
"What's today, Mackenzie?" he asked, smiling at her.
"My biwfday," she said, not looking up.
"And how old are you?"
"Two," she said, holding one hand up with two fingers.
"Very good. You're getting to be so old."
"Am not daddy," she giggled. "You old," she said pointing at him.
"I'm old?" he asked, touching his chest.
She smiled and nodded.
"I'm old?" he repeated as he slowly stood up and walked over to her.
She started to giggle and scoot back on the floor as he approached her.
"I'm not old," he playfully said through his teeth once he caught her, "you are." He proceeded to tickle her, causing her to laugh loudly and start to scream. "Okay, shhhh," he said, hauling her up on his lap as he sat on the floor. "Don't wake mommy up."
"Mommy?" she asked looking around.
"Yeah, mommy's taking a nap so she can get ready for your party."
"My biwfday pawty," she said, pointing to herself.
"Yep. Do you know who's going to be here today?" he asked.
"Who's going to be hewe today?" she repeated.
He nodded.
"Gwandma and gwandpa....."
Justin nodded.
"And gwandma and gwandpa.....ummmm," she put her finger on her mouth as she tried to think of who else.
"Aunt Jamie Lynn and Uncle Bryan and Aunt Lauren with your cousin Evan...."
"Evan," she said excitedly.
"Yes, Evan. You like him, don't you? I bet he's gotten so big since the last time we saw him."
Mackenzie nodded.
"Baby," she said, throwing her arms out.
"Okay. Why don't you get your baby and we'll take her back downstairs? I'm going to start decorating....or something."
~*~
"Come on, let's go wake mommy up," Justin said a few hours later as he and Mackenzie walked into the room.
"Mommy!" Mackenzie yelled pretty loudly.
Britney didn't budge.
Justin picked Mackenzie up and put her on the bed. She crawled over to Britney and started to shake her shoulder.
"Mommy, wake up," she said.
Britney turned over so she was on her back and threw her arm over her eyes.
"What?" she asked groggily. "Oh God, the party," she said, trying to sit up suddenly, but her pregnant belly wouldn't let her.
"Calm down, it hasn't started yet," Justin chuckled. "It's time to get ready though."
"But the decorations...." she started to say as she slowly sat up.
"I got most of them up. Your mom is downstairs now finishing up," he said, touching her leg.
Mackenzie started to jump up and down on the bed. She was giggling so much that she lost her balance and started to fall on Britney's stomach but Justin caught her just in time.
"Whoa there. Come on, you need to get ready too."
"No........mommy," she said, trying to get down.
"Go on, I'll be in to do your hair," Britney said.
They left the room and Britney sat there for a minute. She was still so tired. Maybe a shower would help her wake up.
"Why haven't you moved?" Justin asked from the doorway.
"I'm so groggy," she said, wiping a hand down her face. "Carry me to the bathroom," she teased by holding her arms out.
Justin chuckled. "You won't smack me with a pillow if I say I can't do that anymore, will you?" He walked to her side.
"No....I wouldn't want to hurt you anyway."
"Has he been kicking a lot today?" Justin asked, putting his hands on her stomach.
"A little. Yesterday he was very active."
"He's excited. He knows it's his sisters birthday."
She giggled. "Okay I think I can manage to get to the bathroom now," she said, standing up with his help.
He couldn't resist pulling her into his arms and kissing her.
"I needed to do that."
"Good, because I needed it too. Now let me go so I can hurry," she said, patting his arm.
~*~
"Don't you look lovely?" Lynne said when Britney joined her in the kitchen.
"Thanks mama," she said before kissing her cheek. "And thanks for helping like this. I just don't have the energy I used to," she said, rubbing her stomach.
"How is he treating you today?" Lynne asked, patting Britney's stomach.
"He's quieter than yesterday, that's for sure."
"I'm so glad you guys found out the sex. You need to show me what you've done with the nursery so far."
"Oh, of course. We just got the furniture a couple of days ago."
"Yeah, after we returned the last two," Justin said as he took a bite of a celery stick.
Britney glared over at him. "They didn't look right in the room," she said.
Lynne chuckled. "Well as long as you found some you're happy with."
Britney smiled and nodded.
"Where's the birthday girl?" Lynne asked. "She was taking a nap when I got here and I haven't seen her yet."
"She's in there playing with Jamie Lynn and daddy," she said, pointing her thumb over her shoulder.
Lynne set the towel she had in her hands down and went into the family room, which was decorated like a fairy tale castle. Mackenzie was already playing with her puzzles with Jamie Lynn, so she didn't see her grandma walk in.
"Hey there birthday girl," Lynne said as she squatted down next to the girls.
Mackenzie looked up and smiled. "Gwandma."
"Well, come here and give grandma a hug and kiss," she said, holding her arms open.
Mackenzie set the puzzle piece down and walked over to Lynne. They hugged and Mackenzie placed a big kiss on Lynne's cheek.
"Thank you. Okay you can go back to playing," Lynne said, gently swatting her butt as she turned around.
The doorbell rang again and Mackenzie looked up with a surprised look on her face.
Britney laughed. "Who could that be?" she asked her as Justin went to answer the door.
"Evan?" she asked, holding her arms out.
"Maybe," Britney said, nodding.
She waddled over to the sofa and sat down.
"Mackenzie.....look at who else is here," Justin said from the doorway as his mom and dad walked by him.
Paul set the present down on the table while Lynn walked over to where Mackenzie was.
"Hi ya'll," she said, looking around the room.
Everyone greeted both of them. Mackenzie stood up and gave Lynn a hug and kiss and then went to Paul who was standing right next to them. Lynn walked over and gave other hugs and said her hellos before settling down next to Britney.
"Forgive me for not getting up and hugging you," Britney said.
Lynn patted her knee before leaning over and hugging her. "You look wonderful. How do you feel?"
"Fine......very pregnant," Britney shrugged.
"Even very pregnant, you look beautiful," Lynn smiled at her.
Britney returned the smile. "Thanks. I need to hear that once in awhile."
"Hey," Justin said.
"Other than from you," Britney added and blew a kiss to him.
"I don't count?" he asked.
"You count the most but you always think I'm beautiful."
"Well, that's because you are," he shrugged.
"Oh God, this is getting sickening," Jamie Lynn said, rolling her eyes. "Mackenzie, how do you put up with this everyday?"
Everyone in the room laughed.
Soon the party was in full swing. It was mostly family and close friends who could make it in town so the room was packed.
Britney was trying to keep up with filling drink orders and trying to get the food out when Justin came into the kitchen to find her.
"I thought I told you to take it easy today," he said when he saw her leaning against the counter.
"How? These are our guests and they have to be taken care of," she said, starting to cry.
He walked over to her and wrapped her in his arms.
"Shhhh, that's why I'm here and both of our mothers offered to help."
He cupped the back of her head in his hand and started to sway back and forth a little. Her hands were pressed against his chest as she cried into his shoulder.
"I'm so tired," she said.
"I know. Go on....go back in the room and I'll take care of things."
She shook her head and stayed in his arms.
"I need to stay here a second."
"Okay," he said tenderly. "You want to go upstairs and take another nap? Everyone would understand."
She pulled away a little and wiped the tears from her face. "No, that would be too rude. I'll be okay."
Lynn walked into the kitchen.
"Do you need any help? Oh....I'm sorry."
"It's okay, mom. Can you take that tray of glasses into the other room?" he asked, nodding over to the counter.
"Sure." She stopped at the couple and touched Britney's back. "Why don't you go lay down and rest, if you need it?"
Justin smiled down at Britney.
"No, mom, I'm okay, really. Damn hormones," Britney said.
"You look tired...."
"I'll be fine for now," Britney nodded.
"Okay. Well you go sit down and watch your beautiful daughter act like a ham and we'll take care of this."
Britney started to cry again and wrapped her arms around her mother-in-laws neck.
"Thanks. Have I told you thank you for your son lately?" she whispered through her tears.
Lynn chuckled. "Not recently but you have enough before. You're both very lucky."
Justin could only smile at the scene before him and get a little embarrassed by the last part of the exchange. Britney touched his cheek before she kissed it and then walked back into the other room.
"You worried about her?" Lynn asked, filling a few more glasses with ice.
"A little," he said. "It's only natural."
"But the doctor says everything is fine, right?"
"Yeah. The only weird thing during the pregnancy was her not being able to fly so early in the pregnancy."
Lynn nodded as she picked up the tray. "Good. Now go enjoy your daughter's party."