Chapter 69

Lexie stretched as much as she could, Jon’s arm and leg held her in place. Turning her head she looked at the clock on the nightstand.  They had to check out of the hotel by one and their flight would be at three.  Lexie and Jon had sat up and talked wedding plans, Jon had even called Matty around midnight to ask him about security.  Jon was a cuddlier, after making love, he would cuddle her close until they fell asleep. 

She could hear Stephanie rattling around in her room.  She must have ordered room service because the smells were wafting in to their bedroom.  Something didn’t agree with her stomach, wiggling out from under Jon’s arm and leg, she barely made it to the bowl.  Dropping to her knees and hugging the bowl she retched.

Jon was woken to the sound of someone throwing up.  Jumping up he rushed in to try and help.  Holding her hair back with one hand he held her forehead with the other.

“Steph, Steph” Jon called his daughter.  “Call room service, saltines and Ginger ale, have them rush it, please.”  This brought back memories, many a morning he held Dorothea’s hair, while she had morning sickness.  “That’s it Lex, deep breathes through your mouth.” 

When she got control over her stomach she sat back, Jon was there with a wet cloth for her. 

“Oh my God,” she wiped her face. 

Jon reached for a bathrobe off the back of the door, quickly covering up, Stephanie knocked on the door. Jon handed her a glass of water to rinse her mouth out.

“I got recovery supplies.”  She called through the door.

Opening the door, Jon stepped back and let her in.  Handing Lexie an open pack of crackers, holding a glass of Ginger ale.

“Nibble the crackers, they really help.”  Jon told her as he took the glass from Stephanie.   

“Boy does that bring back memories. Mom had bad morning sickness, after Jake she swore that he was the last.  Then Roe came along and she was pissed.”  Stephanie leaned on the doorframe watching Lexie eat crackers.

“She threatened to drive me to the urologist when we left her doctor’s office.”   He could laugh about it now without covering his crotch.  “How are you doing now Lex?” Jon asked her as he noticed the color returning to her face.

“Better, my stomach has stopped rolling.”  She closed the toilet lid and climb up off the floor and sat on the lid.  “Not the best way to wake up, that’s for sure. It gets better right?”

“We’ll talk to the doctor, he might know.”  Jon sat down on the rim of the tub.  “But I would say No, you can ask Dezi she could tell you.” 

“Look, I’m all packed, I’ll go down to Robbie’s room, come get me when you two are ready to leave.”  Stephanie said as she pushed off the doorframe “Are we flying back with you or commercial?”

Jon smiled, he knew the kids loved to fly in the plane, Vickie spoiled them rotten.

“That’s up to Lexie, you might want to fly back with me.”  Jon got up off the rim and went over to help her up.

They headed back to their room. 

“I might just do that.  So we are flying home in Jovi Air?”  She sat on the end of the bed eating another pack of crackers.  “Can Robbie,” She started to ask, but Jon jumped in.

“Only if he keeps his hands to himself.” Jon laughed.

“He’s just excited you’re going to let his partner dress you for the wedding.”  She told him laughing.

“I don’t know about that Lex.”  Jon pulled on his jeans and went over to Lexie and took a bite of cracker.  “We’ll talk about this later.”

The flight home was not without a few trips to the bathroom.  It was a good thing Jon called ahead and had Vicki stock the kitchen with saltines and ginger ale.  They dropped off Robbie and headed home.  Lexie watched Jon texting on his phone and Stephanie behind them was clicking away on hers.

“What would you two do without your cell phones?”  About that time hers went off.

“Pot meet kettle.” Jon mumbled as she pulled out her phone.

The driver let them off at the curb, unloading bags and suitcases Jon called up for the boys to come down and help.

“Hey Lexie,” Jesse said as he grabbed the shopping bags with the awards in them and his dads go bag.  “Looks like you cleaned up.”

Romeo came and told his dad all about the football game he had missed as he dragged Lexie suitcase into the elevator.

Jake stood holding the door as they piled into the elevator.

“Lexie, you got,” Jake started to say, but stopped at the evil eye he was getting from his father.

“What Jakey?” Lexie leaned on Jon as they rode in the elevator.

“You’ll see.” He gave her the Jovi grin and she laughed. 

“You didn’t spit far there dad.” She laughed. “I hope this one takes are you too. 

Jon joined her laughter.

The kids let her enter first, she stepped to find two dozen roses in shades of pink and one in deep red.

“Oh they’re beautiful.” She went over and drew a deep breath from the pink ones.  She had tears in her eyes.

“Lex,” Jon went over and took her in his arms. “It’s all hormones sweetie.” 

“Lexie okay daddy, why did she cry?”  Romeo asked Jon.

“Oh Romey, I’m just lucky to have your dad and you guys.”  She tried to stop the tears. 

“Let’s go get Pizza.”  Jon took control of the emotional situation, Lexie went over and hugged him.

“Thank you, just another reason I love you.”  She gave him a quick kiss and they went for pizza.

They were due at the OBGYN at two, Jon was to be at the Rock at sound check. They went early and did a quick sound check. They were due to play the Today Show on Thanksgiving morning and then head to the river house for a family dinner.

Morning sickness was still her morning wake call.  Dezi had come right over when they got the news.  She was such a big help, telling her what to expect.  Mr. and Mrs. Bon Jovi were excited at the news, John Sr. waited to let Jon tell his mom. 

They were seated in the waiting room, of course Jon was incognito with ball cap and his glasses. He got a lot of quick looks, but no one approached him.

“It says here that, if my calculations are right, our baby is the size of a kidney bean and webbed fingers.”  Lexie was reading one of the booklets in the holder by their seats.  She showed Jon the small picture on the page she was reading.

Jon smiled and looked at the picture.  It wasn’t new to him, he had been through this four times.  But it was new to her and he would be excited for her.

His phone buzzed for a text.  Pulling his phone out of his jacket pocket, he read the text.

“That’s from Dezi, you have a fitting for your dress tomorrow.”  Jon turned the screen so she could read it.

“Tell her I’ll be waiting.”  She told him as she added another free booklet to her bag.

“Okay, I’m taking the boys for a tux fitting in the afternoon, after school.”  He said as he tapped the text into his phone.

“Jon, I thought you guys were wearing suits?”  She pulled a cracker pack out of her tote.

“You girls are wearing sort of formal dresses, we should wear tux.”  He reached for a cracker.  By the time she finished morning sickness he would have put on a couple of pounds.  He suddenly got cravings for crackers when he heard her rattle the cracker package.  This was new to him, he had never gone through this with any of his kids.

She had taken some drawings to Kenneth and to Vera Wang since they were close by.  She had designed it when she was a teenager about Stephanie age.  Kenneth said he would come up with a mock up, said it was promised to would look like her design.

“Madison, Alexis Madison,” the young nurse called her name and held the door and Lexie and Jon went in. 

“Dr. Sally, is with another patient, we’ll set you up, do a little look see, and you’re what about 12 weeks.”  The nurse was too giddy for Jon.  

“If my calculations are right.”  She followed the nurse down the hall to one of the ultrasound rooms.  “I might be off a week.”  She told the nurse. 

After a blood pressure and temp check she was given a gown to put on.  While the nurse was out, Jon got up and looked at the posters on the wall and waiting for Lexie to get the gown on.

She sat on the table and Jon sat on the rolling stool.  Lexie thought Romeo was with her when Jon started to roll around the room.

“Jon, I think Dr. Sally plans to use that.”  She tried to sound mommyish.  When he rolled up to the table and flipped up the gown to kiss her belly she rolled her eyes.  “Romeo Jon, get off Doctor Sally stool.  If you are a good boy I’ll buy you one for the studio.”

Jon stopped the rolling stool and put it back at the end of the table and went and sat in the club chair.  “One that goes up and down?”

“Yes Jon, one that goes up and down.” She leaned back on the wall, she had to pee.

“And rolls, it has to roll.” Jon told her.  “Butter Leather black seat, well padded.

“Jon we’ll get you the Cadillac of seats.”  She lightly touched her tummy, she had started to have to let her jeans out and her breast were getting larger.  Jon seemed to like that, well the bigger breast made him smile.

At the knock on the door the tech came in.  “Dr. Sally wants us to get started, he’ll come and look in.” he didn’t want to alarm her if there was a complication.  He brought in the machine and started to warm it up.

Soon the lights were dimmed and the machine hummed.  Warm Jell was applied to her little belly. 

“Let’s hear momma’s heart,” She moved the wand over her stomach and a loud heartbeat was heard.  “Very nice momma, now before I turn on the screen I need to ask, do you want to know what you’re going to have?”

Lexie looked up at Jon, there was a twinkle in his eye.

“Stephanie would love to know, she threatened to move in with your mom if it’s another boy.” Lexie told him.

“Well for big sisters state of mind, we better find out.”  Jon laughed.  “We knew what we were having before, it was Dorothea’s idea, how to plan the bedroom interior.  But it’s up to you.”

“We won’t be able to tell yet, we just put it in your folder.  Actually Dr. Sally has us change the color of the folder for unknowns.”  The tech moved the wand along.  “Ah we have a heartbeat.”  She told Lexie and Jon.  “Hum?”  She moved the wand again.  You could hear the heartbeat, but the tech kept moving the wand out and back.  “I’ll be right back.”  Lexie looked at Jon.

“Something is wrong.”  Lexie told Jon.

“You don’t know that, maybe there is a problem with the machine.”  He took her hand and tried to keep her calm.

“It was working fine until she tried to hear the baby’s heartbeat.  I’m scared Jon.”  She felt the tears start to well up.

“I’ll go find out’s wrong.” He let go of her hand and was about at the door when it opened.

“Well, let’s what has my tech rushing to find me.”  Dr. Sally came into the room.  “It’s about time we got to see you Miss Lexie.  After the rush in Chicago, I thought I would see you when you got home.

“Is something wrong Dr. Sally?”  Lexie asked.

“This must be daddy.” Dr. Sally held out his hand.

“That would be me and soon to be husband of Lexie.”  Jon shook the doctor’s hand.  “Jon Bon Jovi.”

“Well double congratulations, let’s listen to the heartbeat.”  Dr. Sally followed the techs maneuver’s starting with her heartbeat.  “There’s mommy and now.” He moved the wand down. 

“Sounds like an echo.”  Lexie said as they listened to the heartbeat.

“Yeah, it does sound like an echo.”  Jon agreed with Lexie.

“Want to see why?”  He turned on the screen and turned it so Jon and Lexie could see.