Sunday, December 26th, 2027

Bliss's POV

"Well, this trip is surprising already. I really do have a surprise for the family." Layla, Kam, and I walked to the living room.

"How are you feeling about being pregnant again?" Kam asked.

"I'm excited and nervous. I'm nervous because of my age and of Shane's reaction. I'm 35 years old and will soon turn 36. But, I am excited because I love kids. I always have but didn't think I would have any because of my independence back in the day."

"Girl, please. Shane will be fine. You'll see. He loves kids as much as you do. Plus, you have me, Layla, Andrea, Lesia, Adrian, and Nana Margie to help you through your pregnancy. We are going to make sure you stay relaxed and as calm as you can."

"Kam is right, Bliss. This is a happy time for you and Shane."

"Oh, no! I have the fashion show in February. I'll have to call Ashton. I won't be able to model regular outfits."

"Don't worry, Bliss. Maybe some companies will need models for their maternity lines. And, who better to do it than you. It would be a boost for you and the company."

"And, I'll have to tell Raquel so I can get my dress adjusted. That means Grayson will find out. Ugh, I can't stand him."

"We can't stand Grayson either. Listen, we are here to relax. So, let's get our tea and relax."

*******************

Monday, December 27th, 2027

Layla's POV

Bliss, Kam, and I dressed incognito so Bliss could go to the local hospital. Bliss was able to get an appointment under a fake name. I'm sure she gave the doctor her real name. Kam and I are waiting for her in the waiting room. Shemar and Gianni came with us.

"Kami, hopefully, no one recognizes us."

"I agree. It would ruin the surprise. I can't wait to see the look on Shane's face."

"I can't wait to see the look on Adrian's face. She is one of the most amazing and supportive women I have ever met."

"She really is. I love being in her presence. The kids love her too."

"My kids love her too. I see Bliss coming our way."

"Ladies, it's official. I'm pregnant. Let's go get something to eat."

"I agree."

******

Bliss, Kami, and I went to a Caribbean restaurant on the resort grounds. We've already ordered our food and are waiting for it to come to us.

"The doctor said I am two months pregnant, and my due date is July 24th, 2028. I have already set up an appointment to find out the baby's gender. My appointment is February 9th, which is three days before we sail off on our cruise to Barbados."

"I'm happy for you and Shane, Bliss. Congratulations."

"Thanks, Layla."

"I see our waiter coming with our food."

******

"I'm glad we rented another SUV because we needed it. Look at all of our bags," Kam said as we clutched our stomachs, laughing.

"I've never been to St. Lucia before, so I'm going to enjoy it. We might have to ship some things home. That way, we don't have a load to carry home."

"That's a good idea, Bliss. So, any idea how you're going to surprise Shane?"

"When we talked on the phone on Sunday, Pilar said they have a surprise for me. So, Shane is doing something with the kids. Maybe they'll fix dinner or something. I'm going to give everyone a gift, but Shane's will be the biggest surprise."

"I wish we could be there to see it."

"The guys probably will fix something for all of us. You will be there."

"Sweet. Let's get these packages sent back to Miami."

*************

Tuesday, December 28th, 2027

Cris' POV

Ryan and the kids are coming over for pizza and games again. The kids had so much fun that we thought it would be nice to have another game night. Plus, we wanted to keep the kids occupied so they won't keep asking us when the ladies are coming home. Isabella and Gabby have both asked me every day is it Saturday yet. I talked to Shane earlier today, and he said Junior does the same thing to him. The kids love their mama.

Tomorrow, Janiyah and Graeme invited us to go with them to Disney World. The kids are excited about that too. Disney is their favorite place to visit.

The pizzas are done. We are having wings, fries, and burgers too.

I'm guessing Ryan and the kids are here because I heard car doors closing. About five minutes later, a trail of running kids came outside through the patio door - Dakota, Dalton, Kekoa, Bella, Angelo, Gabby, Natasha, and Logan. The older kids, along with Ryan, were right behind them.

"Thanks for inviting us over, Uncle Cris. I have wings. Natasha and I made cookies too."

"You're welcome, Braelyn. Are you keeping up the tradition of cookie-making with Natasha?"

"Natasha misses mom the most, so I wanted to do something to cheer her up. She has asked me and Ryan every day about when mom is coming home. I miss her too, but I also understand that my mom deserves this vacation with Aunt Bliss and Kam."

"Oh, before I forget, Marco is coming over tonight. He has a surprise for you, Rocco, and Dia."

"Sweet. I can't wait to find out what the surprise is going to be. Where should I put the wings?"

"We're going to eat on the patio tonight, so let's walk over there."

I whistled to get everyone's attention. "Over to the patio table. It's time to eat."

Dia's POV

I sat next to Braelyn at the table. "You know you have to bring wings at every family event, right?"

"Yeah. Even Logan loves them. I made some honey barbecue ones, and the twins loved them."

"We should open a family fast food place. Dad is teaching Rocco and Devin how to make pizza, you can make the wings, and I am learning how to make my Nonna's pasta dishes. After college, of course. Natasha likes to bake so she can make the cookies. Speaking of college, I started looking. I know it's early, but I wanted to get a head start on looking into courses."

"That's a cool idea. What did you decide to be?"

"I know my mom sacrificed her career to take care of the family, so I want to become a Dietitian, just like her. When I told them my career choice, she cried."

"I can believe that."

We heard car doors closing, which means Uncle Marco and Aunt Noeli are here. Junior and Sofia just ran into the yard.

"Sorry, we're a little late."

"We just sat down to eat our food, Uncle Marco." Sofia and Junior sat near Bella and Gabby. Once we passed the food around the table, we began to eat.

"So, Dia, Braelyn, and Rocco, I have a surprise for you all. Ashton and I were talking the other day about how Braelyn wants to become a designer and work with Layla. As we were talking, he brought up a company that is looking for teens to model their new line of clothing. So, if you guys would like to model next spring, the opportunity is yours to keep. You will be compensated. Cris, Kami, Layla, and Austin already said yes."

"Oh my goodness! I'm about to scream. Since mom and dad said it was okay, yes, Uncle Marco. I can save the money for college. Thanks, dad."

"You're welcome, Dia. Don't worry about college. That's already taken care of. You can use that money for yourself. We'll help you open an account."

Rocco was excited too. "Thanks, dad. I want to try it too. And, thank you, Uncle Marco."

Braelyn was just as excited. "I'm excited about the opportunity to model. Boy, my mom surely did keep that a secret. I have to thank her and my dad when they come home."

"She sure did. She knew this would be an amazing opportunity to get started in the fashion industry. And, the company loved the fashion line you did with Layla. The name of the company is Urban Vibes Clothing Company. So far, they have a teen line, male line, and female line. They are working on a kids line for babies, toddlers, children. I will be one of the models for the menswear line. Layla is one of the models for the women's line."

"Well, we sure did get surprised tonight. I can't wait."

******

Wednesday, December 29th, 2027

Bliss's POV

I feel like I'm ruining the trip. I've had morning sickness every day since the plane landed on Saturday. We have two and a half more days left of our trip. I told Kam and Layla to go have fun. We'll get together later.

I'm laying on the couch with my cup of tea on the coffee table. I ordered some soup from the room service menu.

Shane sent me a text that the kids are going to Disney. It will be Jordan's first time going to Disney. He's going to love it.

I heard a knock on the door, so I went to answer it. I saw a room service waiter with a tray and opened the door.

"Mrs. Landes, I have your order for you."

"Thank you. Come on inside." The waiter wheeled the tray into the room.

"I'll put everything in the kitchen for you." The waiter then rolled the cart into the kitchen.

After 10 minutes, the waiter came out of the kitchen. I gave him a nice tip.

"Thank you, and enjoy your trip."

"You're welcome. And, thank you."

The waiter then left the room. I went to the kitchen and fixed myself a bowl of soup and crackers. I put the rest of the food in the fridge. After that, I walked back to the living room to watch television.

************

"Hey, Bliss. We thought you would love this shirt for your surprise for Shane." Kami handed me a bag with a t-shirt that said, 'Surprise! I can't wait to meet you on July 24th, 2028."

"Oh my gosh, that is adorable. I love the baby feet imprint on it. How much do I owe you?"

"Child, you know better than to ask me that question. I know you said you were thinking of ideas, so this one is on Aunt Kam. I got you a cute box to put it in also."

"Thanks, Kam. I'll put the baby's sonogram underneath the t-shirt. Shane will see the shirt first, then the sonogram."

"Bliss, we wanted to take you out to eat. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine now. I had a huge bowl of soup with crackers and a cup of tea. I had cucumber and mint soup. I remember my mom saying that is one of the soups my grandma told her to eat. I'll go get a shower."

******************

Saturday, January 1st, 2028

Time is going by so fast. Today is officially a new year. Jordan will turn two at the end of the month. Shane and Pilar will turn six this year. And, the twins will turn five and start school in September.

I hope this baby is a girl because I saw the cutest name ever. And, it'll be something unique and different.

Kami, Layla, and I have a few bags, along with our luggage, to take on the plane. We did have to use both SUVs. Shane and the guys are going to laugh at us. I told him to bring the biggest SUV we have. When he sees what I have, he'll understand why I asked him that.

After checking out, we drove to the airport.

******

After getting clearance from security, we drove onto the runway. Marsha and Jimmy were waiting for us on the plane stairs.

Richard and two other gentlemen from the rental company followed us in a different SUV.

They loaded our bags onto the plane. Layla and Kam took their seat while I went to chat with Marsha and Jimmy. I told them about being pregnant again.

"Bliss, honey, don't worry. Shane will love your surprise. If you need any pointers about being pregnant in your late 30s, just give me a call."

"Thanks, Marsha."

"Congratulations, Bliss. Marsha's right. Shane will love it. Don't worry yourself. We both want you to have a healthy baby. We received the clearance to take off when you are ready."

"Thanks, Jimmy. I'll go sit down with Layla and Kam."

I'm going to be nervous anyway. We'll have six children under the age of seven when this baby is born. I really need to think about whom should I trust to run my company because my kids will always come first.

Well, back to Miami.

**************