"Mike? Are you home?" Carrie shouted, stepping into their house and putting her purse on the table.
"Upstairs!" He shouted in reply.
Sighing, Carrie wobbled her way up the stairs, her hand on her aching back.
Seven and a half months pregnant and she had been in the studio all afternoon trying to record a song for this country gospel album they'd asked her to be apart of. Her whole body was sore, especially her back.
"How was it? Did you get it recorded?" Mike asked, greeting her with a kiss at the door of their bedroom.
"Yes, finally. But this child is killing me." Carrie cried, flopping back into their huge bed.
"I'm sorry babe." Mike said sympathetically. He sat down beside her on the bed and watched her as she sighed, closing her eyes and putting her arm over her face.
"My back hurts so bad and my feet are so swollen I can hardly walk." Carrie's voice cracked as she spoke, tears filling her eyes.
She was absolutely exhausted from the day. She'd been standing for practically two hours straight and it had killed her body.
"Do you want a massage?" Mike offered, rubbing her arm gently.
"Oh my gosh, would you?" Carrie popped her head up, looking her husband in the eyes.
"Of course love." He smiled. "Get out of those uncomfortable clothes and lay down."
Carrie's heart fluttered at how sweet her husband was.
She took her sweater and leggings off, laid down, and propped herself up around pillows on her side, a position a friend had showed her that was perfect for massages during pregnancy.
"What hurts the worst?" Mike asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"My lower back. And my feet." Carrie sighed.
Mike covered her back with lotion and started on her lower back, using the palms of his hands to gently work out the stress.
Working his way up to her shoulders, he could feel the knots that had built up from the stress.
"Mmm, that feels so good." Carrie moaned. She hadn't realized how much her body really ached until now.
Carrie was so used to being active and constantly on the go and was determined not to let this pregnancy change that. She wanted to keep working. She wanted to continue working on the album, doing shows, writing music. She wanted to run and exercise like she used too. She wanted to continue being herself, but she quickly realized she couldn't with a baby growing inside her.
Although she could hardly stand, she had been determined to finish recording the song today but now regretted it deeply. She was so uncomfortable she didn't know how she was ever going to make it another month and a half.
She was pulled out of thoughts when Mike hit a tender spot on her spine.
"Sorry, sorry." Mike apologized when she flinched and her body tensed up.
"It's okay, keep doing that please." She moaned when the palms of his hands kneaded the sides of her lower back.
He continued to do this motion for a couple more minutes as he felt her body begin to relax more and more.
His thumbs rubbed circles into the skin just above her butt to relax her clenched muscles.
"Do you want me to keep doing this or move to your legs?"
"Mmm, you can do my legs now." She said with a smile.
Carrie sat up, pulling a t shirt on over her bare upper half and propped herself up with pillows so he could access her feet easier.
"Oh gosh, I haven't shaved in a long time I'm sorry." Carrie laughed, embarrassed by her hairy legs. Usually they were always perfectly smooth and soft, but it had become so hard to shave with her belly and it was winter so she rarely did it anymore.
Mike just chuckled and kissed her leg. "I don't care babe."
He massaged her Achilles Tendon muscles with his fingers and worked his way up the outer portion of her leg and back down multiple times. His thumb pressed into the ball of her foot, trying to reduce the swelling.
Watching her relax and become at ease made Mike happy. He knew she was struggling with this pregnancy and that it was only going to get harder as she gets into the last couple weeks. He wished more than anything he could take all the hardships she was dealing with away, but since he couldn't be made sure he did everything he could to help make it easier.
Looking up, Mike realized she'd fallen asleep while he worked on her feet. Chuckling, he put a blanket over her and kissed her forehead, leaving her to get some good rest after a long hard day.
