Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"How are you feeling?" Sebastian asked from the bedroom doorway, clad in pyjama bottoms and a top that would likely be shed when he went to sleep later.
Valentina smiled from her place on the bed, surrounded by a dozen pillows that would make sleeping marginally better for her. "I'm feeling... I'm feeling great, Seb," she told him, letting her hand rest upon her stomach with a smile. "He's almost here."
"Almost." Seb repeated, mirroring her smile. "Do you want anything?"
Laughing, Valentina shook her head. "I'm fine, Seb, honestly." She let her eyes flutter close, her smile still there. "I'm just ready for him to get here, I'm also ready to be able to sleep without the aid of a thousand pillows."
"Less than a month to go." She opened her eyes as Seb leaned against the door frame, letting his head hit the wood with a sigh. "You sure you don't need anything?"
"I can get up and walk if I need something, you know?" She said. "Do you need anything?"
"Nah, I'm fine," he chuckled. "I'm just— I'm worried, I guess. I'm afraid that I'm not going to be a good father to him."
"Sebastian." She sat up properly. "You are going to be a wonderful father, and he is going to love you so much, alright? You've more than proven that to me over these last few months. You're already a great father to him, don't you realise that? If you weren't, you wouldn't be here, with me, right now."
Seb remained silent, his gaze focused on the wooden floor. Valentina sighed, then pushed half of the pillows onto the ground. The sound of the pillows hitting the ground prompted Seb to lift his gaze to the woman, his eyebrows knitted together.
"What are you doing?" He asked, gesturing at the pillows.
"Making room for you," she said with a shrug, then patted the empty space the pillows left behind. "Come on. You're staying here tonight."
"I've been staying at your place for the last two weeks, Val," he chuckled, but pushed himself away from the door frame nevertheless.
"Shut up, you idiot." Val rolled her eyes. "You're staying here, in my room, tonight, okay?"
"Do I have a choice?" He asked as he approached the bed.
"Would you really say no to the woman carrying your child?" She retorted, raising a brow at him as he came to a stop at the side of the bed.
"I guess not," he sighed, sitting beside her.
"Good. Now, get uncomfortable, because I'm not being the only one unable to get to sleep tonight," she huffed, lying back again.
"Do you mind if I take my shirt off?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at her.
"Seb, I've seen literally all of you." Her hand found her stomach again. "This little guy is proof of all that."
"Yeah, yeah," he huffed, lifting his shirt over his head and throwing it amongst the discarded pillows.
Seb lay back against the pillows, pulling the covers up over his waist with a laugh. He turned his head to look at her, a soft smile lighting up his face. Val, mirroring his smile, reached over and took his hand, bringing it to rest upon her stomach.
"You're a brilliant dad, Seb," she told him, "Don't ever tell yourself different."
Hours later, Valentina and Sebastian finally fell asleep. She was curled around him, her head rested upon his chest and her arm draped across his middle, and his arm was wrapped around her shoulder, his free hand still pressed against her heavily pregnant stomach.
