Their Treasure [COMPLETED][UNEDITED]

Sixty Nine - Artemis

"OH- Fuckin hell" Nate walked in as I was laying on the floor and playing with the dogs. "Art!! You shouldn't be on the floor!" He held his hand out so I could get up and I sighed as poppy came and licked my cheek

I grabbed his hand and got up, he sighed and gave me a kiss before pulling me close

"You scared me art! I thought you were injured or something" he worried and a mentally awed at his worry for me. "Maybe we should talk to your work about maternity leave..." He hummed as he checked me over. Dandelion was staring up at me with her big eyes as poppy was trying to get her to play.

"Nate, I'm all okay. Promise. I don't think I should take holiday yet and maternity leave is probably best left for until I actually have them and need time to recover" i stroke his arms and he let out a stressed groan.

"Don't worry, they have me on light duty" I reassured him. I was on an afternoon closing shift today so wouldn't be leaving for another half hour "I'm only with the smaller animals. No Bears or Tigers." I pecked his cheek and he sighed before we wandered into the kitchen to grab a snack

"You done with your work?"

"For the morning. Ill drive you then get back and do some more" he didn't like letting me in the driver's seat now that I was getting further along.

"So I was thinking, if either of them is a boy we could name it like Oliver - how awesome would that sound? Oliver Bertoli-Pavladi Hartman?" He tasted the names and I immediately shook my head.

"We can't, thats the names of one of my exes and it doesn't feel right.... Speaking of them, maybe I should contact them again, or ask London to tell them how I'm doing? Or maybe that's not relevant and they don't care anymore" I sighed and he pulled me to his chest

"You're more than welcome to invite them for dinner or whatever. You deserve closure if that's what you want. And if they're cool I'm happy to have them 'round more " He offered and I shook my head

"Ill leave it. I don't want to pop up and stir things up again. Plus, what if the babies cause some distress for them..." he nodded in understanding

"Alright, I think they're going to be little girls anyway - it was a just in case scenario." He made me a lunchtime snack and walked me to the living room

"If they're girls what would you call them?" I asked, curious. He's believed they'll be girls since I started showing

"Jamie and Liula" he answered immediately. He'd been thinking about this for a while... "Either way, I'll be happy. Thank you for the opportunity" he bowed goofily before sitting next to me

"Liula...that's unique, I've not heard that before" I mention and a kick from inside me made me laugh

"They're fighting me again" I tell him and he sighed before resting his hands on my stomach

"Are you sure you shouldn't take holiday?" He asked and I smiled.

"It would be better for me to spread that holiday to extend my maternity leave, and still get paid a little, than to take it now and then have three months on minimal pay." I try to reason as he looks at me he's a sweet man, just cares a lot.

"I guess you're right, and when you go back I'll be here to look after the little ones." He smiled, excited for the future. I finished my snack before we headed to the car. I sat in the back to ease Nates anxiety and he drove me to work.

"Hey Art! Good to see you" my colleague, Rosa, smiled as she came over. "I hear you've been taken off carni's, given to the veggies." She smiled as she wandered over

"Yup, health and safety - can't run away from them safely so they reassigned me." I sigh and she hugged me

"Sorry, I know you love the carni's, but I promise you we're just as fun" she smiles. Rosa had worked here a few years longer than me and was usually only on the veggies. "Cmon, let's go and sort out the rest of the food, and you can catch me up on the mischief you've been up to!" I followed after her to the prep room to make some enrichment for the animals on her rota.

"It's been a while. I take it that stomach is the doing of that handsome man of yours?" Rosa chuckled as she came over to the tabletop with a large amount of fruits and veg

"Yep. They are the doing of my husband" I laughed and she dropped her jaw before slapping my shoulder gently and starting to slice fruit

"They?! Husband?! Wow girl!! Tell me how he proposed! And how he found out." And so I told her everything. She found it absolutely adorable how I told him I was pregnant that same time, and she was in awe at how sweet he had been.

"We ready to put these around?" I asked, holding up the enrichment balls I'd organised and putting them in the wheelbarrow. She did the same

"Yupp! Cmon, they're gonna be so excited" She laughed as she picked up the wheelbarrow and we headed over to the donkeys and goats. It was surprisingly quiet at the zoo which was nice, sometimes it was overrun with peoples misbehaving kids - especially when I worked weekends.

My kids will never act in such a manner

We went round and fed the animals, completed some talks and fixed the log toy in one of the enclosures before completing the tasks that were left until after the zoo closed.

When my shift was over I was thanking past me for asking to have reduced shift hours in the later months. Nathan was waiting for me at the gates and I flew over to him and gave him a kiss

"Evening, darling. How was work" god he makes my knees weak with that word.

"Was okay. I'm tired though. We still okay for tonight?" I'd asked him to accompany me to the movies tonight a few days back

"Yep! I even got the comfy seats" he beamed at his choice as we walked to our pickup truck. "y'know one day those girls are going to ask us why we keep such a beat up old car. I'm excited to tell them how much it means" a kiss on my cheek and then he was opening the door

"We are never ever getting rid of this truck." I confirmed. This truck held lots of memories, and I would likely have a breakdown if it ever had to be scrapped.

"Taylor?" He hummed his usual question at the radio and I nodded with a smile, he plugged in the aux before we drove back home to allow me to change.

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Posted: 12.07.2024

Aww!