Fate || BENNIFER

In Progress

Jennifer's P.O.V

We opened the packaging, sorting through the dozens of pieces of wood and small parts, trying to separate them all and keep them organized. We were already laughing as it no longer seemed the easy and relaxed activity we had planned for our morning.

I watched with a smile on my face as Ben tried to put together the white crib. He had been at it for an hour, following the instructions carefully as he laid out the pieces and tried to make sense of them. I noticed how focused he was, and I marveled at his determination to get it right. I took in the way his forehead wrinkled with every instruction he read, and the occasional furrow in his brow when things didn't go as planned.

Suddenly, a piece of the crib fell, startling Ben, and he let out an exasperated sigh.

"Everything okay?" I sat cross-legged on the floor beside him.

"I'll get it done, don't worry." A smile spread across his face.

I watched him as he continued to sort through the screws and nails, occasionally glancing at the instruction booklet that I kept flipping through.

"This shouldn't be that hard." I said as I turned the page, only to get more confused by the complex diagrams.

Ben mumbled his agreement but didn't look up from the pieces he was holding.

"All this work only to end up letting him sleep in our bed to avoid the night crying." The amusement in his voice was obvious as he denied with his head.

"We can't let that happen." I said with the seriousness it deserved, emphasizing every word.

"I can feel the end of our sex life near." He said theatrically.

"Oooh... Don't be dramatic." I barely contained my laughter. "We won't let that happen either."

"We'll put a Do Not Disturb sign on the door." He joked.

"That's not gonna stop him from crying." I laughed.

"I guess we'll just have to get creative and find other ways to have fun." He shrugged comically.

"Like playing board games or watching a movie?" I teased.

"That's not exactly what I had in mind..." He said in a sarcastic tone.

I giggled, then leaned in to give him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Let's finish building this." I said.

He nodded, but couldn't resist leaning in for one more kiss before we continued.

Together we grabbed the first pieces of the crib and started putting them together, working side-by-side. Our concentration only broken occasionally by the sound of our laughter.

"Look at that, it's done." I said with a smile.

My back was sore, and probably more than his, but the crib was finally finished. We both stared at it with a sense of accomplishment.

"I need a shower, a long one." He said stretching. "Are you coming?"

"I'll be right there." I said as I let go of his hand so he could go.

I walked out of the half built nursery and paused at the threshold. I glanced around the room, taking it all in. The crib was in place against the wall, but it was empty, devoid of blankets or other accessories. Everything was a work in progress, but I could feel the love and effort that had already been put into the room.

As I turned to leave the room, I felt a flutter in my belly. It filled me with immeasurable joy to think that the baby didn't want to leave.

"We'll be back soon." I placed a hand on my belly and closed the door behind me.