Forever For You 🌷

9th May 2019

Izzy squeezed her eyes shut as soon as they opened in the rare chance she'd fall straight back to sleep, but after a minute of staring at the back of her eyelids, she knew it was no use and she exhaled grumpily, shifting her head against the pillow to try and soothe her discomfort. Her heartburn was more annoying than painful, but she also felt light headed so laid as still as she could to combat any dizziness and to stop herself from needing to pee.

The room was dark, somehow too hot even though she'd been cold when she'd last woken, less than an hour ago according to the alarm clock on her bedside, and she wanted nothing more than to fall back to sleep whilst she could, retain her strength, but she was too uncomfortable.

When she shifted in the bed again minimally, grunting as the baby inside her shifted, she could hear Alex's heavy breathing and the pattern of snores from behind her falter and then his hand was suddenly on her stomach, gentle, soothing, reassuring of his presence.

"Izz?" he drawled, his voice cracking, thick with sleep.

"Mmm?" she breathed, closing her eyes again as Alex stretched his fingers out over her bump and shuffled closer behind her.

"Are yeh awake?" he whispered, pressing a kiss to her back then her shoulder, unsure in his drowsiness where either was going to land. She smelled like a blend of chamomile, vanilla and lavender from the bath oil and body balm he'd brought her.

"Obviously..." she sighed.

"Strugglin'?" he responded quietly, feeling their baby shifting beneath his touch.

"Just a bit..." she said breathily, settling back into him a little, though in every movement she felt heavy, unsettled. "And he won't stop moving tonight..."

Alex pouted. "Maybeh 'e's joost excited teh meet us, honeh..."

Izzy laughed gently as Alex pressed his chest tightly against her back, draped his limbs over hers to comfort her and remind her she wasn't alone in this. She was slowly cooling down again and Alex's touch soothed her more than she could've predicted.

"Can I do anehfin' for yeh?" he mumbled into the dark, into her skin.

Izzy shook her head against the pillow. "No... just..." She placed her hand over his and let his fingers entertwine with hers. "Stay here for a bit..."

"Will do," he nodded, smiling faintly as he tried to fight the sleepiness clouding his brain. "I'm rehyt 'ere, Izz..." he yawned.

Izzy sighed with relief, comforted by his voice, closing her eyes again and hoping she'd manage to drift off now that his arm was around her, now that she could smell his lemony shampoo. She wasn't sure how she'd made so many nights without him whilst he was away on tour during her pregnancy, but was certain she much preferred the real thing to the body pillow Miles and Zara had brought her with Alex's face on.

By the deepness of his breath and stillness in his body, she was almost certain he was asleep again, but then he caught her off guard.

"'ey, me love..." he rasped quietly, smacking his lips together. "I've been finkin'..."

"Mmm?" she managed.

"Weh should get a puppeh..."

Without opening her eyes Izzy raised her eyebrows and exhaled in amusement, giggling quietly in disbelief at his tired mind. "Sorry?"

Alex giggled sleepily. "I said..." He took a deep breath in and stroked her hair which had come loose from her braid back from her face. "I fink weh should get a puppeh... Yeh can choose which one yeh want or wha'ever... but imagine Daiseh's lil' face when 'er Daddeh brings 'er 'ome a lil' puppeh...."

Izzy smiled at both the image Alex had painted for her and at his eagerness to grow their family, to always be a good dad and make his daughter happy, but she also couldn't deny that it was a lot more than they could probably handle right at this moment.

"Al, you're hardly here when you're actually working, so it'd be mostly my responsibility."

He pouted childishly against her back. "But Izzehhhh, I promise I'll 'elp as mooch as I can... It dun't 'ave teh beh rehyt this second."

She shook her head gently at how adorable he was and squeezed her fingers with his. "Well let me get this baby out first and then we'll talk about it, okay?" she promised. She could practically see Alex's lips pull into a pleased smile behind her.

"Alrehyt," he agreed with a chuckle.

There was a minute more of silence where she seemed to be on the verge of sleep, balancing on the edge of it, when he shifted his hand over her stomach once more and spoke again, his voice consumed with exhaustion.

"I were finkin' a Dalmatian," he mumbled. "Daiseh likes the spotteh ones in 'er picture book."