To Believe In Promises (Tumbling Down trilogy - DM fanfic)

Something's Wrong (Ch.40)

Once I'm done talking to Tyler, I decide to get some rest. I turn on the TV to get my eyes tired, but can't seem to sleep. After 45 minutes of tossing and turning, I get up. My feet take me over to the dresser, and I strain to get to the second-to-bottom drawer. When I finally can reach, I pull out a sweatshirt and instinctively bring it to my nose. It just barely has a scent, but it has one. And I immediately dress myself in the brown fabric.

The smell, which I try to hard to keep from disappearing, is the only thing that calms me. The smell that is so faintly what I remember to be Tyler lulls me to sleep.

~•~

It's a long, seemingly endless wait until my due date. I know I may not give birth exactly on that day, but it's an estimate that I have to be aware of.

When it hits October, the day seems to keep shouting out at me. The baby moves around so much even though there's no more room for that. It hurts but it's so calming at the same time. I just hope my baby healthy at this point. That's all I want. And believing that he or she will be perfectly fine is the only thing I can do to keep my nerves at a minimum.

My final visit to the doctor is today. A week before I'm due. Mary drives me and Tori insists on coming with me, since she did for a little while, before she went to camp. Mary decides to stay for the appointment too, which never happens. Once I'm in the office, I calm down a bit. Nobody is there to look at me, even though I'm totally aware nobody is.

Dr.Richards: Ah! Miss Tori is back! Good to see you again!
Tori: You too.
Dr.Richards: And you are?
Mary: I'm Mary Stranton, the baby's grandmother.

Hearing her say that seems so out of place. Mary isn't old by any means. But the word grandmother has such a connotation to it and implies she's old. But it also makes things seem extremely real. Mary will be a grandmother. Tori will be an aunt.

And I'll be a mom.

Dr.Richards: Wonderful to meet you! Now I must ask, for the sake of the baby of course, are you on the mother's or father's side of the family? If you don't mind.
Mary: Not at all! I'm the father's mother. Tori is his sister. The father is still very much in the picture, and Mackenzie has been staying with us.
Dr.Richards: That is fantastic and all, though he has not showed up to any appointments.
Me(defensively): He came to the first one! He's away right now. We plan on raising the baby together.
Dr.Richards: Alright, that is quite fine. I just wanted to bring it up in case situations have changed.

I nod, even though I still feel offended. I shouldn't though. She wants to help the baby just like I do.

We go through the normal things we do every time, but I'm advised to be careful and be as relaxed as possible until the baby comes. And when I get home, I do just that. By napping, which seems to be all I do nowadays. I tell myself it's because of the pregnancy, but in the back of my mind, there's the memory of a girl who always hid out in this very room and napped to get away from pain.

I pray that isn't happening again.

~•~

Mary: Are you sure you'll be okay?

I roll my eyes.

Me: Mary, for the millionth time, I will be fine! How long will you be-
Mary: I just have to run some errands and pick up Tori. That's should take me 90 minutes at the very least! I prom-
Me: See? Only an hour and a half. I'm gonna go sit on the couch and watch something, probably fall asleep. By the time you get back, I will still be on the couch.
Mary: If you're sure.
Me: Oh my god, I'll be fine.