Part 1:

I Can’t Do It

“I can’t do it Kevin, I can’t” Lily screamed, her fingernails digging into the flesh of his upper arm as another contraction powered forward.

“You can do it baby, just push.” Kevin smoothed Lily’s sweat dampened curls from her forehead his mind moving a million miles an hour at the thought of seeing his child make its’ way into the world.

“It’s too hard.” She moaned. “I can’t.”

“Lily look at me.” Kevin commanded pulling her face into his hands. “You can do this.”

Shaking her head Lily blinked back fat tears.

“Lil.” Opening her eyes Lily locked eyes with Kevin, instantly mesmerized by the incredible power of love for her and their unborn child reflected back at her in his eyes. Pushing as hard as she could she let out a blood-curdling scream.

And then it happened.

Like magic the tiny infant pushed his way slowly from his mother’s womb, a sneer on his face his eyes opened wide as if to say “I’m not so sure I’m going to like it here.”

Stumbling backwards his heart racing, Kevin thought he might pass out at the powerfully overwhelming feeling of seeing his son for the first time.

The nurses moved in tandem in the background, as the doctor lifted the baby up and onto his mother’s chest proclaiming the squealing infant to be the picture of health.

Kevin gently brushed a forefinger across the damp, downy black hair on the boy’s head and suddenly the squealing stopped, replaced by the pure joy of an infant knowing that its’ Daddy was nearby.

“You did it Lily.” Kevin whispered into her ear tears welling in his eyes. “He’s here, he’s right here and he’s beautiful.”

“Kevin.” Lily sobbed as he covered her face with loving kisses. “I love you so much.”

After a few precious moments of bonding, Kayden Jameson Richardson was whisked away. The nurses proceeded to wipe him down, weigh him and chart all of the vital statistics before he was taken upstairs for his first bath and some time in a warming machine that Kevin playfully referred to as the spa.

Lily lay back in the large hospital bed, looking like Snow White with her pale pink cheeks and wild dark curls falling all around her on the crisp white linen sheets. Kevin loved her that he was sure of.

And nothing in the world would ever change that.

* * *

It was almost one year ago to the day Kayden was born that Lily and Kevin first met.

Kevin was spending some time vacationing in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. It was after another breakup with Kris, something about her needing time to think and him needing time to grow up. He’d heard it all before, too many times to count and he was so sick of it.

His mother had encouraged him to go on the St. Thomas vacation, and she was kind but firm when she said it was time for him to find a girl who would love him with no strings attached. And in her opinion Kris was not that girl.

Sitting on the beach, surrounded by white sand and beautiful exotic women in tiny bikinis Kevin realized that maybe his mother was right.

Lily Vance was working as a bartender at the posh island resort where Kevin was staying.

Lily had grown up in one of the ritzier sections of St. Thomas, her father a third generation banker, and her mother a concert pianist. She had always led a privileged life with everything from money and cars to her prep school education handed to her on a silver platter. So it came as quite a shock to her family when on her twenty first birthday she announced that she had finally come to the conclusion that she wanted to experience real life for a change instead of being sheltered from it.

Much to her parent’s disgust she had taken the job at the resort, first as a cocktail waitress and then as a bartender at the beach bar. She had to admit that the job had been a blast, mixing with all sorts of different people on a whole new level from the socialite ways she had become accustomed to.

It was at the beach bar that she and Kevin had first become acquainted. Pulling up a stool he flashed her a cheesy grin asking for a gin and tonic. She teased him that gin and tonics were for old perverts, convincing him instead to try one of her special concoctions.

When she presented him with the two-foot tall glass of sparkling blue liquid complete with chunks of fresh pineapple and an umbrella he took one sip and proclaimed himself to be in love. Whether it was with her or the drink Lily couldn’t be sure.

Kevin spent the rest of the afternoon by her side buying drinks for the other patrons as well as for himself in an effort to keep a conversation flowing between the two of them.

Kevin had an ease and confidence about him that she had never seen in any of the men she had dated before. She liked his sense of humor and his piercing green eyes, and by the time she walked him back to his hotel room drunk and spewing love poems into her ear she knew she was hooked.

* * *

Kevin stayed on in St. Thomas for two months whooing Lily the old fashioned way with long walks on the beach, days of shopping and evenings dining at the most exclusive restaurants in St. Thomas.

When he finally received the call to return to the states to work on some promotion for the new Backstreet Boys CD Kevin left reluctantly vowing to return as soon as he could to make Lily his bride.

Lily had taken Kevin’s vow of marriage in good humor. She knew from their long talks that Kevin had been involved in a long and tangled relationship with a dancer in Florida named Kristin. The two had gone up and down, back and forth and never seemed to be able to make things work between them.

Lily told Kevin that she refused to be his rebound girl so she pressed him to talk to Kris once he returned to the states and make things final between them before making promises to her about their future together.

Kevin had only been gone for three weeks when Lily missed her period and began to have serious suspicions that she was pregnant. After six frantic home pregnancies tests all coming up positive she made a trip to her family doctor to have the news confirmed…….

She and Kevin were going to have a baby.

Kevin faithfully called her every night after returning to the states, flying her up to visit him the weekend after the doctors had confirmed the pregnancy, a piece of information she chose not to share with Kevin over the phone.

When he met her at the airport Kevin was all smiles presenting her with a huge bouquet of her favorite peach colored roses, twenty two of them to be exact, one for each year she had been alive. He also gave her a gorgeous pendant with twenty-two rubies in the shape of a starburst and the romance quickly picked up right where it had left off in St. Thomas.

Kevin whisked her away to his beautiful mansion on the water where they were greeted with a candlelight dinner from a prominent Tampa eatery and a string quartet playing them love songs as they ate and drank champagne well into the evening.

Later, curled up beside each other on the deck the moonlight streaming down on them as the sound of the waves crashed on the sand below Lily told Kevin the news.

“Kevin we’re going to have a baby.” She said the words so softly he had to ask her to repeat herself as he sat up pouring himself another glass of champagne.

“We’re going to have a baby.” She jumped as the champagne bottle crashed to the deck. Then there was a split second of silence as her heart crept up into her throat before Kevin finally said in a broken whisper.

“Thank you.”

* * *

Kevin told no one but the four other guys about the baby, making the decision to keep it quiet until the time was right to announce it to the world.

Nick had been elated, A.J. stunned, Howie confused and Brian filled with questions. Did Kris know? Would Kevin be marrying Lily? Was he going to at least tell the rest of his family the news?

“I’m happy cuz’, why can’t you just accept that?”

“It’s just that this is all happening so fast Kevin, you just met the girl?” Brian knew firsthand all of the turmoil’s that Kevin had faced in his relationship with Kris he just wanted to make sure that his cousin wasn’t running from one problem into the arms of another one.

“It’s fate Bri, it’s a blessing. Someday you’ll know what I’m talking about. Someday it will all become clear to you.”

* * *

The new CD was released and a tour was announced. Kevin had been desperate to hammer out a schedule that would allow him time off to return to St. Thomas for doctor’s appointments, ultrasounds and baby showers. He was determined not to miss a thing and the guys understood, agreeing to work with him on a schedule in private before presenting it to management so that there wouldn’t be any arguments or disagreements that might give his current situation away.

Lily had chosen to return to St. Thomas for the duration of the pregnancy to be close to her family, none of whom were too pleased with her current “condition”.

But her mother and father slowly warmed to the match after meeting Kevin and learning of his love and commitment for their daughter, growing even more pleased when they learned Lily would be quitting her bartendning job to house hunt and nest for the impending arrival.

* * *

It was in between tour dates on one of Kevin’s journeys back to the island that he and Lily stumbled upon a gorgeous plantation home on the water that they decided would be perfect for raising a family.

The fifteen room home was surrounded by lush greenery, a man made pond with quaint wooden rowboats painted in bright primary colors, and a stable that would house up to a dozen horses. While the inside of the home came complete with a ballroom for entertaining, a study with a fireplace, as well as a glass walled conservatory that could easily be converted into a sunny playroom for their children.

Once the ultrasound had confirmed that the baby was a boy Lily went about painting the nursery in swirling blues and pales yellows as an extension of the gorgeous St. Thomas water and bright sky and together she and Kevin stenciled the name KAYDEN JAMESON on the wall with love.

* * *

And now here they were just a few months later the three of them Kevin, Lily and Kayden Jameson.

A family.

As the last few members of Lily’s family staggered out of the hospital still on cloud nine, Kevin phoned the final few people on his list to give them the wonderful news.

“Son of a bitch Kev, I can’t believe you’re some kid’s Daddy!” Nick yelled into the phone with a laugh.

“Why the hell not pee-wee, I’ve been playing Daddy to you for years.” Kevin shot back the both of them falling into the easy banter of old friends.

“I miss you Kev when are you coming back to Florida so that we can see that little boy of yours?”

“Why don’t you get your ass out here to St.Thomas.” Kevin reached down to stroke Kayden’s cheeks as he cooed in his mother’s arms. “Since when did I ever have to twist your arm to come and hang out on the beach?”

“You know what, I’m going to call the guys and see if any of them want to come down there with me this weekend.”

“Sounds good kiddo, we’ve got plenty of room at the house. Kayden will have to get to know his crazy Uncle’s someday and I figure the sooner the better.”

Hanging up with Nick Kevin tipped back in his chair watching Lily and Kayden and wondering how the hell he got so lucky.

Glancing at his watch he had some things he needed to prepare before Lily and the baby came home in the morning.

“Babe,” he noticed that Lily kept closing her eyes, he could only imagine how exhausting the day had been for her. “The nurses are going to come back and take Kayden to the nursery so that you can get some rest.” He stood up taking the tiny blue blanketed bundle from her with a smile.

“I’m going to run home for a few hours and I’ll come back in the morning to pick you both up okay?” Lily nodded her eyes drifting closed again, a smile on her lips.

“I love you Lil.” Kevin whispered leaning down to kiss her soft pink lips. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too Kevin.” She mumbled fading into a deep slumber just as the nurse crept in signaling to Kevin to follow her so that they could put Kayden back in the nursery and Lily could get some well deserved rest.

***

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