Chapter 982: Holiday Plans
Chapter 982: Holiday Plans
The following morning, Tom and Lucy stood side by side in the bathroom, brushing their teeth as they prepared to go down for breakfast.
Tom watched Lucy in the mirror, his gaze warm as he took in her sleepy eyes and her tousled hair. She seemed lost in thought, her movements slow and relaxed, not even noticing the way he was looking at her.
When they finished, they walked back to the bedroom together. Tom couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow as he watched her slip into her outfit for the day.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked, pulling on his shirt, his eyes never leaving her.
Lucy smiled, glancing over her shoulder at him. “Just about last night’s party,” she began, buttoning her blouse with a far-off look. “Life is full of surprises, you know? You never can tell what direction your life is going to go. From time to time I just find myself thinking about how much has changed, about all the people around me who care so much. If someone had told me I’d be part of such an incredible group, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
Tom’s face softened. “It’s amazing to see how far you’ve come. I mean, just look at you now,” he said with a grin. But before Lucy could respond, her phone buzzed loudly on the nightstand. The sound made them both pause.
Lucy reached for the phone, her lips curving into a knowing smile when she saw Sonia’s name on the screen. “It’s Sonia,” she informed Tom as she slid her finger across the phone and brought it to her ear.
“Good morning, Sony!” Lucy greeted warmly, sinking into the bed.
On the other end of the line, Sonia’s voice was playful, tinged with mild annoyance. “I can’t believe you all left without waking me last night,” Sonia complained.
“I’m sorry, you looked exhausted and I didn’t want to disturb you,” Lucy said softly.
“Exhausted? Me? Never! I wasn’t exhausted!” She denied fiercely.
Lucy laughed softly. “Well, you looked so, Sony. You always complain about how you’re unable to sleep comfortably these days. When you fell asleep I didn’t have the heart to disturb your sleep. I’m so very sorry for letting you sleep so soundly,” Lucy said dryly.
“Whatever. I wasn’t exhausted,” Sonia muttered, still sounding a little miffed but playful.
“You were definitely exhausted, Sonia,” Lucy replied with a chuckle. “Baking a baby is a lot of work, you know. You’re allowed to doze off whenever and wherever.”
Tom, who was listening with amusement from the other side of the room as he brushed his hair, raised an eyebrow, stifling a laugh as Lucy shot him a playful glance, her eyes sparkling.
Sonia groaned, though the sound was laced with affection. “You’re starting to sound like Bryan.”
“Well,” Lucy said, her voice softening, “he’s not wrong. You need all the rest you can get. You will thank me for not waking you the next time you complain about not having a good night’s rest.”
Sonia sighed dramatically. “Fine. You’re right. But still, I didn’t want to miss out on the party and spending time with you all. We barely get time to do this.”
“I know,” Lucy agreed, her tone more gentle now. “But there’s plenty of time. Besides, there is the Christmas Eve party and the family vacation. There is plenty of time to hang out.”
“Well, you’re right about that. But I was hosting the party, remember?”
“Everyone could see our hostess was exhausted and needed to sleep,” Lucy countered.
“I wanted to spend more time with Mia too. It’s not like she is joining us on the vacation. She’s spending the holidays with Jeff and his family. And you know she is returning to Sogal with Jeff,” Sonia said, and Lucy rolled her eyes.
“You can spend time with her before the travel. Talking about the holidays, have you and Bryan made up your mind on coming over here for the holidays?” Lucy asked, changing the subject.
“Yeah. That was actually why I called. I just gave my housekeeper the permission to travel for the holidays. We will be coming over tomorrow. Are you still setting up your Christmas tree today?” Sonia asked curiously.
“Yes. I’m so excited about it. This is the busiest Christmas I’ve had,” Lucy said, and Sonia giggled.
“Tell me about it. But I’m looking forward to Christmas Eve the most,” Sonia whispered conspiratorially.
“Me too. I can’t wait,” Lucy said with a grin, her excitement clear.
“When are your parents coming over? Desmond and Evelyn will be here on Tuesday,” Sonia said and Lucy nodded.
“I think they are coming together. My parents are also arriving on Tuesday,” Lucy said, and Sonia smiled.
“That’s cool. What about Jade? Is she moving in too? Or is she spending Christmas with Harry and his family?” Sonia asked, excited at the idea of spending the holiday with everyone. “Yes, she is spending Christmas with Harry and his family since they won’t be coming on the vacation with us. Aaron is taking Jamal to visit Dawn, Candace is spending new year with Matt’s family, and Andy says she will be with Alex and Mari,” Lucy said and nodded as Tom signaled to her that he was going downstairs and she could join him after she was done with her phone call.
“I’ll make sure your room is ready,” Lucy said as she glanced at the time. “I have to go down for breakfast now. Tom’s probably wondering what’s keeping me,” Lucy said, and after a few more moments of conversation, they hung up.
Lucy quickly applied a touch of makeup, popped in her contacts, and then headed downstairs.
“Sorry. That took longer than expected,” Lucy said as she approached the table, and Tom rose to pull out a seat for her, making her grin.
“We are not in public,” she said, and he raised a brow.
“And who said I only have to treat my lady right when we are in public?” He asked as he kissed her cheek, and she giggled as she slid into the chair.
“How is Sonia doing?” Tom asked as he took his seat.
Lucy shook her head, her eyes gleaming with amusement, “Pregnancy has made her almost a different person. I can’t even imagine how much more motherhood is going to change her.” Tom chuckled, reaching for a piece of toast. “That’s why it’s good to have as much fun as you can before all of that comes along,” Tom said and Lucy laughed, narrowing her eyes at him. “Why does that sound like you’re trying to say something to me?”
Tom chuckled, raising his hands in defense. “I’m not trying to say anything.”
“Uh-huh,” Lucy teased as she bit into a bread slice.
A comfortable silence settled between them as they ate, and after a few moments Lucy spoke again, “You know, what I’m most grateful for about Sonia’s changes? It is Bryan,” Lucy said,
and Tom raised a brow.
“What do you mean?”
Lucy paused as she tried to put her thought into words, “It’s almost like Bryan is changing along with her to suit her need at every stage. And I love how he makes her feel so beautiful and sexy despite the weight she has put on and the size of her nose,” Lucy said with a giggle. Tom laughed at that. “What is he supposed to do? Stop thinking she I beautiful and sexy? That’s the normal way a man should treat his pregnant partner…”
“Well, it should be, but it is not. I once had a pregnant colleague at my last office, who was obsessed with weight loss during pregnancy, because her husband wouldn’t stop telling her that she looked fat and ugly. He even threatened to divorced her if she didn’t go back to her original size after the baby comes. I’ve also heard stories of men treating their partners poorly. So, take it from me when I say it’s a big deal that Bryan is this way with Sonia. Especially a celebrity of his status,” Lucy said, and Tom leaned back, nodding slowly.
“If you say so. But you can trust me to make you feel even more special if you ever decide to
have a baby with me.”
Lucy raised an eyebrow, a sly smile playing on her lips. “How do you always seize the opportunity to sneak stuff like that into our conversations?” She asked, and he chuckled.
“I’m just saying you don’t have to worry about looking all nosy or whatever,” Tom joked, and
she giggled.
“What do you mean looking all nosy?” She asked, and Tom grinned.
“Your nose could take up ninety nine percent of your face and you’d still be more beautiful
than Beyoncé to me,” he said, and she giggled, shaking her head.
“Keep it up. Maybe some day soon you will convince me,” she said, and Tom chuckled.
“I hope it is soon enough.” He grinned, his eyes twinkling with hope.