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Date Posted: 05:09:43 05/15/06 Mon
Author: Sunny
Subject: Here ya go...
In reply to: Sunny 's message, "Love - Part 4" on 05:08:38 05/15/06 Mon

Oh my God – there was no way this was really happening. What was I going to tell Keith? Tell Keith – wait – I couldn’t tell Keith… he had his career to think about… he was so busy, so popular now… he didn’t have time to be a father – he barely had time to be himself. I knew he wanted children, I think I knew that better than anyone, actually, but now? How was he supposed to do this now?

Obviously, not telling him wasn’t an option, but I needed time to think, I couldn’t do this now. I needed to go home… I needed Holly… I needed my mom… Mom – she’d died when I was only 10, I always missed her, but I missed her now maybe more than ever. I picked up my cell phone and called information, who directed me to a cab company, and I was told one could pick me up in 20 minutes. 20 minutes was good – Keith would still be in sound check, as best I could figure.

I called Holly while I grabbed one of my bags and placed a few of my things in it. There was no way I could take everything I’d packed for this tour, but I could get the important things.

“You’re what?!” Holly asked, shocked.

“I’m pregnant, Holly,” I said wearily.

“Well don’t sound so happy about it…”

“Hol, I’m really not in the mood for sarcasm, OK? Can I stay with you for a few days, please?”

“Stay with me? Whoa, whoa, whoa… slow down there. What do you mean: stay with me? What about Keith? How he does he feel about you leaving just as soon as you two find out you’re going to be…. Oh wait – you haven’t told him, have you?”

“No,” I sniffed, tears trailing down my cheeks.

“Hope, you can’t do that to him. He’ll worry, he’ll know where to find you… he’ll figure it out.”

“Then I’ll just go stay with Dad, back home.”

“What are you trying to do, get Keith killed?!”

“Dad’s met him before.”

“As your friend – not your boyfriend, and showing up on Dad’s door-step pregnant and in tears certainly won’t warm him up to your relationship.”

She was right, again.

“Since when are you so immature, anyway?” She asked.

“I’m not being immature, I’m just…”

“A coward?”

“Concerned! Look, I’ve gotta go, the cab will be here soon.”

“Fine,” she sighed, sounding as if she was giving up. “Call me when you get back to Nashville, I’ll come pick you up, but I really think you should stay and talk to Keith.”

“Thanks, Sis. I love you.”

“I love you, too. Be careful… and Hope, talk to Keith.”

We hung up and I sighed as I picked up my bag, wiping a tear from my face with my free hand. I left Keith a note, explaining that I was home, but he needn’t be worried, and that I’d call soon.

I walked out the door, making sure it was secured behind me. I was only a few feet from the bus when I heard Keith yell: “Hope!” Maybe if I ignore him, I can still get away, I thought, and kept walking. “Hope, what are you doing? Wait up!” He yelled again. I stopped, but didn’t turn around. He reached me and his labored breathing told me he’d been running. He put his hand on my shoulder, “Why do you have your suitcase out here?” He asked, confused. I was silent. “Hope?” More silence from me. “Hope baby, answer me.” He sounded concerned.

“I’m going home for a couple of days,” I answered, never taking my eyes from the ground.

“Home? Is something wrong?”

“No Keith, nothing’s wrong… I just need to think.”

“You can think here.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Of course it is. Hope, are you angry at me for something? Have I done something wrong? Would you please look at me?”

Slowly, I lifted my face to his. I was crying and would really rather he didn’t know that.

“Hope, baby, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong – and you haven’t done anything, I love you, Keith. I just… I need to figure something out.”

“I’m here to help you figure it out – whatever it is. And I know you too well for you to be able to get away with telling me that nothing’s wrong. I know full well that something is wrong. Why won’t you tell me?” I was silent. “Hope, please, whatever it is, let me help you.”

Maybe Holly was right. Maybe I should tell him. I was going to have to tell him sooner or later, anyway, why not do it now?

A yellow taxi pulled up to the gate and honked. I looked at it, then at Keith, then back to the cab. Leaving my bag at Keith’s feet I started toward the cab. I felt Keith grab my arm gently and I looked up at him, “I’m just going to send it away, I’ll be right back… we need to talk about something.” He simply nodded his head, looking relieved that I wasn’t leaving.

The cab driver wasn’t pleased, but refused to let me pay him for the drive to the venue. I walked back over to Keith and reached for my bag, but he grabbed it instead and I followed him onto the bus.

I sat down on one of the couches and Keith took my suitcase back to the bedroom. He returned seconds later and situated himself next to me. I turned to face him and he grabbed my hands. “What is it, Hope?” He began, sounding worried.

“Keith, I… uh…” I sighed and looked down at our hands, then back at up, locking my brown eyes on his blue ones. I started again: “Keith, I’m pregnant.”

I saw him open his mouth a few times, only to close it back without making a sound, finally managing a strained, “Pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“Like, with a baby?”

“Yes Keith, a baby.”

He looked at me, his eyes as round as dinner plates. “You mean, I’m, you’re, we’re… we’re going to be parents?”

“That’s usually how that works, yeah.”

“Are you sure?”

“The home pregnancy test was positive, but I still need to see a doctor.”

He was silent for a few moments, obviously thinking this over. He never took his eyes from mine and I saw a realization hit. “You were leaving,” he stated slowly.

I hung my head, suddenly ashamed. “I was afraid to tell you.” I felt tears in my eyes again.

He put a finger under my chin and gently lifted my face to meet his. “Afraid? Sweetie, why would you be afraid?”

“I thought you’d be mad. You’re so busy right now, with the touring and everything… and you’re career is still sky-rocketing. You have all of that to think about...”

He cut me off. “Hope, listen to me. You,” he said, placing his hand on my cheek, “and this,” he said, moving his hand to my stomach, “are more important to me than any of that.” I saw a tear slip from his eye and I reached a hand up to brush it away. “Hope, you, you’re carrying our child… that’s the best news anyone has ever told me, I could never be angry about that – ever.” I actually felt my love for him increase. He really was a wonderful man. “You know me better than anyone, and you, of all people, should know I couldn’t ever be angry at you for this… and it is half my fault,” he stated, grinning at the last part.

“I know, Keith. I was just so worried. It was a bit of a shock to me too. I’ve been sick feeling last few days, but part of me was still thinking that maybe it was just some sort of a virus. I mean we aren’t even…” I stopped, looking down and blushing.

“Engaged?” He finished for me, obviously amused at my slip and the embarrassment it brought me. “Hey,” he said, lifting my face again, “since when do you get embarrassed around me?” I didn’t respond, but gave him a weak smile. He sighed, “Hope, there’s something I need to show you. I wanted to wait until Thanksgiving, maybe even Christmas, but I think now might be even better. Wait here.” He walked toward the back of the bus and disappeared. He was gone only a few minutes, and when he returned, he was carrying a little black, velvet-covered box. He sat back down next to me. “I bought this two weeks ago, and like I said, I was going to wait – somehow, the holidays seemed like a more appropriate time to give it to you… or, well, hope that you accepted it, anyway.” He opened the box to reveal the most beautiful diamond ring I’d ever seen. He got up off of the couch and moved in front of me before kneeling down onto one knee. “Hope, I love you more than I’ve ever loved another person. I know that we haven’t been dating for very long, but we’ve down each other for nearly 14 years… sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself,” he laughed. “I can’t imagine life without you and I don’t want to know what it’s like. I want to continue waking up next you every morning and kissing you each night before I go to sleep. I don’t want to live another day that doesn’t include you… and at risk of sounding corny, I want to know what forever feels like. I want you to be my wife and,” he paused, rubbing my stomach, “I want you to be the mother of my children. I can’t put into words how much you mean to me or how much I love you. Hope Danielle Howard, will you marry me?”

He was crying and I could feel tears streaming down my face. I didn’t even have to think about it: “Yes, of course!”

He slid the ring on my finger as I grabbed his face and pulled him to me, bringing our slips together into one of the most passionate kisses we’d ever shared.

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Replies:

[> [> Gotta love a happy ending! Thanks, Sunny... -- bird, 19:09:46 05/15/06 Mon [1]


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[> [> [> Teehee... there's one more chapter... I should have it posted some time tonight. -- Sunny, 19:40:43 05/15/06 Mon [1]


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[> [> Last Chapter Epilogue thing -- Sunny, 20:09:02 05/15/06 Mon [1]

Keith began a four day break three days later and we returned to Nashville, where he attended my doctor’s appointment with me. Another test verified that I was, in fact, pregnant – one and a half months along, to be exact. The surprise came when the doctor did an ultra-sound:

“Twins…” Keith said, barely audible, staring at the screen.
“You’ve got good eyes, Mr. Urban,” the doctor told him, smiling. I grabbed Keith’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze – he looked a bit like a deer in headlights. I wasn’t surprised – I’d gained a significant amount of weight for someone not very far along in a pregnancy and there was already a very subtle difference in how my abdomen looked. Most every generation of my family – on both sides – had twins, though Holly had managed to escape it somehow.

I attended the CMA Awards along side Keith and his mother a month later and Keith announced his fatherhood-to-be on the red carpet while chatting with Katie Cook from CMT. I don’t think he actually meant to, since he hadn’t mentioned to me that he intended to, but instead, let it slip. He was so excited – like a kid waiting for Christmas. He’d already bought guitars for both the kids, even though it would be a few years before they’d even know what one was, much less be able to play it. Keith didn’t care.

We married at a small ceremony in a Nashville chapel, surrounded by only our family and closest friends. I was nervous about being a pregnant bride, but Holly helped me to find a very beautiful and very flattering dress. Keith made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. We spent two weeks in Hawaii for our honeymoon – some where neither Keith or I had ever been.

On June 11, 2006 – two weeks early – Jacob Keith and Mary Rose Urban joined the world. Other than being a bit small, they were perfectly healthy… and absolutely beautiful. Keith counted all of their fingers and toes three times each until he was sure they were all there… he was nervous about holding them, but quickly became comfortable with it. He was a great father. The kids and I traveled with him as often as we could, and he spent as much time as was feasible at home with us.

Keith and I were very happily married for 53 years – parting only briefly when God took me from him. Keith followed me two years later.


THE END (for sure this time, lol)


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