Blame It (Of Mice & Men)

To Be Loved

The fans freaked out over the picture. Some positive, some negative. I expected the kids to be happy; and most of them were, don't get me wrong. But when you're a pregnant woman with hormone issues, that handful of mean kids can really hurt your feelings.

I thought this to myself as I read through my twitter interactions, countless kids saying congrats, while a few told me I was ugly and they'd be happy I got fat so Alan would leave me. I locked my phone and put a hand on my belly where our little bean was growing. We were going to tell Julia tonight, and I was excited to see how she'd react.

Aimee's mom, Kimberly, texted me, letting me know they were on their way to drop off Julia. I plopped onto the couch, Alan sitting beside me and intertwining our fingers. "I just hope she's excited," I said, crossing my legs. "I'm sure she will be, babe. Don't worry so much," he said, kissing my temple. "I know, but remember that video of the two kids and when the parents announce they're having another baby, the kids start crying because they're sad? I don't want her to be upset," I said, frowning. "Oh come on," Alan snorted. "She's gonna be happy. I promise."

"BYE AIMEE!" I heard Julia yell a few minutes later. She opened the door and closed it, walking in the living room and tossing her backpack to the side. "Hey, Jules!" Alan said, pulling her onto his lap. She grinned and hugged his neck.

"Hey, daddy and I have something to tell you," I said, looking at Alan and smiling. "What?" she asked, looking between the both of us. "Mommy's gonna have another baby," Alan said. "That means you're gonna have a little brother or sister!"

She looked at me, and for a second I thought she was upset, but her face broke into a huge grin. "Yay! I've always wanted a baby sister! Or brother! I don't mind I just want one!" Alan and I laughed as Julia bounced up and down.

"When's it gonna be here? Do we go pick it up somewhere like we picked up Snow?" she asked, pointing to the fat cat that was laying in front of the fireplace.

"No, it's growing in mommy's tummy. So she'll have the baby. And when the time comes, we'll go to the hospital and a doctor will help us get the baby out," Alan said, trying to word things for her to understand.

"Well when is it gonna be here?" she frowned. I counted the months in my head. "It should be here next November." "Really? That's a long time to wait for a baby," Julia said. I laughed and she smiled a little. "Mommy can you come take a nap with me?" Julia asked after a few minutes of silence. "Sure, Jellyfish," I told her as I stood up and stretched.

She climbed from Alan's lap and I bent down to give him a quick kiss before following Julia up the stairs. She kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the bed, crawling underneath the giant mass of blankets. She laid in the middle and I climbed into the right side, laying beside her. "Mommy, I'm still gonna be loved too, right? When the new baby gets here?" Julia asked, turning on her side to look at me.

I kissed her forehead softly. "Honey, of course you will. Daddy and I will always love you. We'll love you and the new baby just as much as the other. The new baby will need a lot of help though, so do you think you'll be able to help us?" She nodded, a smile tugging at her lips. I kissed her nose and she snuggled into my chest, closing her eyes until her breathing got steady and I knew she was asleep, and I wasn't far behind.