Dried and Dying Roses (BWWM)

Thirty Eight: Unless the Word that You Heard Is a Word that You Said.....

Thirty Eight

 

Christmas went a little different than planned. Instead of having the holiday at their house like they did with Thanksgiving, Adrian and Isa decided to make their rounds to their families, as was traditional.

Isaline was a nervous wreck, gripping the present for her parents in her lap tightly as they headed to her paternal grandparents' house where Christmas and usually Thanksgiving was held each year. Not only was she telling her mother and father that she was pregnant, but her grandparents and select aunts, uncles, and cousins as well, everyone was going to know. Then after that, she was going to meet Adrian's extended family, and that terrified her.

What if they didn't like her?

The only people new there that she would know would be the one year old Lenny and his parents Malcom and his wife Dena. They let Lenny spend the night, and loved Isa just as Annaleigh did.

Adrian was cruising at what Isa felt was the slowest pace his nice car had ever gone, and with every mile that they ate up, Isa felt even sicker.

"Everything will be okay, baby," Adrian told her, rubbing her thigh so gently that Isa had no choice but to calm down. She was thankful of Adrian's touch.

She couldn't bring herself to respond, only taking his large hand I her smaller one after he rested it lightly on her belly. She couldn't wait until little Peanut started to kick.

It was irrational, but every morning, Isa woke up, and ran to the mirror, lifting her shirt if she had one on, and checking to see if her stomach had grown any. It had, but only enough for her and Adrian to notice, which she didn't want. She wanted to be showing, like showing to the point where she didn't look like she had just eaten too much for dinner that day, or like she was bloated.

She wanted real proof that she was pregnant.

She wanted to feel Peanut kicking around in her.

She wanted to know that he was definitely a boy, and not just have the feeling.

She wanted to meet him already, God damn it! She still had almost exactly eight months left, and the nine weeks that had passed felt like nine eternities instead.

She wanted to hold him in her arms, see how beautiful he was.

When they walked into the quaint house that belonged to her grandparents, Isa froze the second they got to the first step of the porch. Adrian stopped as well, "What's wrong?"

Adrian didn't get a real answer; Isaline flung her arms around his neck, burying her face into the side as she breathed in his scent, letting it wash over her and calm her down as his large hands rubbed at her back in comfort, his soft lips pressing to her hair.

The sound of the obnoxious yipping that Isaline had loathed since she was four and the rabid-not really- animal had bitten her had her pulling away from her boyfriend in seconds, screaming, "Nana, get him!"  As she glared at the monster through the closed screen door.

As Isaline had requested, the dog-Prince- was lifted by her Nana and carried out of the room. Isa only entered the house when Jean, her Nana had announced that Prince the Lhasa Apso dog had been locked in his room.

Upon opening the door, Isa was pulled roughly into Jean's arms, her face littered with kisses before she let her go, assessing her body as she said lowly, "Your Daddy told me about what happened with you, and the man that saved you. I take it that's you?" Her hazel gaze settled on Adrian who nodded with a smile, reaching out for the woman's hand, "Adrian Lew. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Ford."