Life Can Do Terrible Things // Ben Bruce

22. Hopeless With Man Things

Song: Butterfly- Crazy Town

Picture: Ben Bruce gif (I love including gifs in stories)

[APOLOGIES FOR ALL THE TIME SKIPS. ONE WILL HAVE TO GET USED TO IT]

~TEN WEEKS LATER~

ISSY P.O.V

Can time please hurry up and turn 4:30? I would thoroughly enjoy leaving here right now. My fingers clattered noisily at my Mac's keyboard, the new release I was reviewing blaring in my ears. I hoped that as soon as I had finished this, it would be my ticket to leave. I did finish all my work after all. I pressed down forcefully on the full stop key, leaned back and sighed happily. I had finished my entire day's workload with twenty minutes to spare. I chewed on my lip, fingers dancing over my protruding sixteen week pregnant belly. I'm sure Jason would let me leave early; I had finished everything and I had to pick Ben up from the airport. He was coming home for a good while now. I shoved myself out of the desk recess and waddled to Jason's office, Annie watching me with her cute chocolate stare.

I walked straight up to the brown door with Jason's name plated in silver on the front. My knuckles knocked lightly on the smooth wood four times before I heard him usher me inside. I poked my through the door and gave him a beam, which he returned instantly.

"What can I do for you Issy?" He asked.

"Um, I was wondering if I could leave early. Everything is done and I have to be at the airport by 5." I chewed down on my full bottom lip, anticipating his answer.

"Of course you can! Tell Ben I say hi." He threw his black ballpoint pen across the desk and gave me a wave.

"Thanks! Remember I'm not in tomorrow, I have a baby doctor appointment." I waved enthusiastically before shutting his door, dancing back to my desk.

I shut down my computer and picked up my studded black handbag off the floor. I threw my phone, wallet and keys back into the vessel and shoved my sunglasses on my head. Annie had been watching me the entire time and only cottoned on to my leaving when I waved.

"You get an early mark?" She asked, standing up slightly to kiss my cheek.

"Yep. Gotta pick up the babydaddy." I insisted.  "Remember I'm not in tomorrow, going to have my first ultrasound with Ben."

"Have a good time babe. Give Father Dearest my love."

I saluted her to show that I understood and walked down the halls of cubicles.

I waved goodbye to everyone on my way down to the parking lot, feeling a little popular. (It's the baby belly. Everybody loves a pregnant woman). I got in my car and started to play Butterfly- Crazy Town quite loudly. Everyone has their guilty pleasure songs and this is definitely mine. The traffic was light, taking me no time to get to my house. I arrived outside at 4:30pm and cut my engine before ripping the keys out of the ignition. I locked up my car then dashed up the porch to the front door, unlocking it and stepping inside. I set my bag down on the counter and kicked off my black Mary Jane heels while undoing the button on my light wash jeans. I opened the fridge and twirled out the jar of green pimento stuffed olives. I grabbed out a fork from the cutlery drawer and started to scoff them down, the preserving juice dancing across my tastebuds.

Pregnancy has really been messing with everything lately: my eating habits and my emotions mostly affected. I have been eating olives, capsicum and tomato like they're the only foods on earth. For the entirety of last week, all my meals consisted of those foods. I am always so happy lately, nothing can bring me down. No matter what, I'm always chilled and calm. I've only been angry once and that was when my car broke down three miles away from a gas station and I had no phone service and no olives. The last time I saw Ben was ten weeks ago when I told him I was pregnant. I stayed on the bus with him for three days and flew back out when I felt bad for leaving Brandi that long. Ben and I didn't let slip to anyone in the band, crew or our families about my pregnancy but we promised to tell when I hit ten weeks. We held a massive Skype call six weeks ago to tell everyone. Everyone nearly had heart attacks when I flashed the ultrasound photos. Ben and I told his family in a three way Skype call and his mother apparently (according to a text from Bex) didn't stop crying for three hours. Brandi and Monique have been my main supporters and helpers during this entire time.