Unexpected (A Chris Hemsworth Fanfiction)

Chapter 25: Popped

   The following day... 

You know the phrase, careful what you wish for. Within twenty-four hours, circumstances changed from zero to one hundred. What happened next was form of karma being a bitch given how being on the tinier side of four months pregnant I joked about it with ambivalence. No matter the intent of my jest or inquiry, karma came a knocking. 

  "God! Come on!" I tried to zip up my jeans. They didn't budge and I groaned in response. I grew exhausted and crumpled to the floor, going flat on my back like starfish-- except I was unable to flare out my legs for the full comparison. My bump yesterday definitely looked more like bloat than being pregnant. I called it my panza as it appeared pudgier rather than firm like a pregnant belly. However, I had "popped" even more overnight so to speak, like the tits of the puberty Barbie that got discontinued. When you twisted Grow-Up Skipper's left arm, her chest grew outward, and her height elevated with it. In my case, I went from looking three months pregnant in the mirror to six months pregnant. I didn't think the change would be it be this big of an ordeal. Up until that point, my belly was concealed or not as noticeable. It only seemed to appear when I wore clothes that were tighter and hugged my body more. Instead, the bigger bump meant I'd have to give into the pressure of purchasing maternity jeans. It was a hard realization to say the least and further confirmation that temporarily my body wasn't my own.

"What is it, Love?" Chris asked from the bedroom with tender concern laced within it.

I cried out in defeat, "It's happened. I'm a fat whale now!"

    I heard footsteps and my boyfriend kneeled down to me, "You're pregnant, not fat. You're beautiful."

"Oh, stop it!" I yelled and whined like a toddler. "Just leave me here to grieve my body."

Chris did the best thing, he could: stay silent and stand patiently awaiting my next demand. There was no way to utilize logic or compliments to reason with me. In hindsight, this scene is probably one of the most embarrassing of my life. I had never struggled with self-esteem issues related to body image. I did not initially confront such a change with dignity or grace. There was a buzzing sound nearby and it got louder after Chris took out his phone from his pocket. He walked back into the bedroom for a moment and through my groans of pity, I heard, "Hello, Mum" and chatting in Australian slang that meant absolutely nothing to me.

   They went on for a bit and then he handed the device to me. I tried to get up, but inevitably gravity returned me to my beached position, "She wants to talk to you."

"Hi, Leonie," I told her. "What is it?"

"Oh," she replied, "Erin, I wanted to see if you'd like to have a girl's day. We could go for lunch and perhaps do some shopping."

I smiled, "That would be perfect...It turns out I'm going to need maternity clothes."

"Great! I'll have Liam drop me off around 11 and we'll go to the Grove."

We hung up and I began the process of letting go of my pride-- a more challenging endeavor than expected.

"Chris, could you help me?" I asked, flapping my arms up and down, "My days of getting up by myself are over."

At the Grove...

"Does this look okay?" I said unsurely. I drew back the curtain to the dressing room, wearing the first of a few ensembles we'd accumulated by strolling a maternity and baby boutique. The first was an olive-green A-line halter neck t-shirt dress that was light and comfy. Honestly, I needed the additional pair of eyes because I hated wearing anything and felt more suited to wearing a paper bag.