The arrival of Jon and Vicki's bundle of joy couldn't have come at a better time for Liv, although admittedly her need for a little urgent time to herself had come about purely because of a conversation held with her fiance over the top of said baby's head. Of course, that time was rather limited to when Johnny was on call with the fire service, but she'd been managing to juggle things so far.
Like now, for instance. Johnny had been called away to handle yet another fire in the Old Temple District, and Liv had snatched the time to get a little more headway on her plans. She was sitting on their bed, surrounded by brochures and notes made in her own distinctive handwriting, talking rather earnestly on the phone to her sister.
"Yes ....no, I know it's short notice," she was saying through a mouthful of pen. "Will you stop trying to talk me out of this, please" I want to do it, and you are going to help me, or I'll ask Sue to do it instead."
There was a remarkably able bit of backpedaling on the other end of the phone, and Liv smirked to herself as suddenly Lucy became as helpful as can be. She didn't often put her foot down with her sister, and it was highly gratifying when Lucy jumped to obey every time she did.
"Okay, this is what I need you to do," she told her sister, flipping to a page in her notebook marked To Do. "You need to go shopping -" She paused to let the excited squealing die down, laughing at her sister's excitement. "Clothes, woman, for you two, and the other two. I'm sorting us out at this end; I can also do the accommodation and the fine detail from here - yes, for you too, I'm not going to make you camp out somewhere, you ninny." Liv snorted with laughter at her sister's minor complaint, her eyes scanning the list. "Oh ....can you or Steve pull some strings and make this all legal and stuff for us" And I need to borrow your husband for the night before to spring the real surprise."
She could hear a pen scratching at the other end, deeply touched to realize that Lucy was taking her seriously enough to write down this long list of what she wanted and hoped for. "No, I don't mind about color, but something summery. Oh, and um ....about that other thing ..."
She jumped suddenly as she heard the thump of Johnny knocking on the kitchen window. "Bugger, I have to go, he's back," she apologized to her sister. "I'll call you later, okay' Okay! See ya!"
With a hurried swipe of one arm, she pushed everything off the bed into a shoe box, which in turn was tucked in plain sight among every other shoe box in her side of the closet before skipping out of the bedroom to the kitchen to let her flaming fiance back inside. Flushed and grinning, she blew him a kiss, and set about being as innocent as possible for the remainder of the day. After all, he already knew that there was a surprise coming. She wasn't giving away just what it was. Not yet.
Like now, for instance. Johnny had been called away to handle yet another fire in the Old Temple District, and Liv had snatched the time to get a little more headway on her plans. She was sitting on their bed, surrounded by brochures and notes made in her own distinctive handwriting, talking rather earnestly on the phone to her sister.
"Yes ....no, I know it's short notice," she was saying through a mouthful of pen. "Will you stop trying to talk me out of this, please" I want to do it, and you are going to help me, or I'll ask Sue to do it instead."
There was a remarkably able bit of backpedaling on the other end of the phone, and Liv smirked to herself as suddenly Lucy became as helpful as can be. She didn't often put her foot down with her sister, and it was highly gratifying when Lucy jumped to obey every time she did.
"Okay, this is what I need you to do," she told her sister, flipping to a page in her notebook marked To Do. "You need to go shopping -" She paused to let the excited squealing die down, laughing at her sister's excitement. "Clothes, woman, for you two, and the other two. I'm sorting us out at this end; I can also do the accommodation and the fine detail from here - yes, for you too, I'm not going to make you camp out somewhere, you ninny." Liv snorted with laughter at her sister's minor complaint, her eyes scanning the list. "Oh ....can you or Steve pull some strings and make this all legal and stuff for us" And I need to borrow your husband for the night before to spring the real surprise."
She could hear a pen scratching at the other end, deeply touched to realize that Lucy was taking her seriously enough to write down this long list of what she wanted and hoped for. "No, I don't mind about color, but something summery. Oh, and um ....about that other thing ..."
She jumped suddenly as she heard the thump of Johnny knocking on the kitchen window. "Bugger, I have to go, he's back," she apologized to her sister. "I'll call you later, okay' Okay! See ya!"
With a hurried swipe of one arm, she pushed everything off the bed into a shoe box, which in turn was tucked in plain sight among every other shoe box in her side of the closet before skipping out of the bedroom to the kitchen to let her flaming fiance back inside. Flushed and grinning, she blew him a kiss, and set about being as innocent as possible for the remainder of the day. After all, he already knew that there was a surprise coming. She wasn't giving away just what it was. Not yet.