Mommy Mouse (sequel to City Mouse)

Chapter 13: Early Days

Henry courteously closed the door so Mouse could wet the stick in privacy. She placed it on the counter, washed her hands and opened the door right after.

He came in, smiling, looking so much like Leo that almost hurt.

"You know that, even if it's negative, it doesn't mean I'm not?" Mouse asked. "It might just be too early?"

Henry nodded. "I honestly don't care," he told her. "I mean, obviously I care, but we found out, in the worst possible way, that we are capable of doing this, so I know there are no issues there, you know?" He lifted Mouse onto the counter, so they were eye to eye. He put a hand on her knee. "It's just a matter of time, and we're not on a schedule or deadline or anything, so?" He shrugged, hoping she'd mimic him, and she did, lifting her shoulders in that way she did, making his knees a little weak.

"Trying to make babies with you is so much fun, Mouse Cameron," he declared softly, moving to stand between her knees so he could kiss the tip of her nose.

"It is, it is," Mouse agreed with a grin, putting her arms around Henry.

She glanced down at the stick. "I think it's done," she told him. "You want to do the honors?"

"Sure." Henry cleared his throat and picked up the stick, looking at it over his wife's shoulder. She put her face into his neck, eyes closed.

Silence.

She finally gave Henry a little shake. "Well? Henry? Say something!"

He cleared his throat again. "I'm thinking how to put it," he finally said. "You're not supposed to startle expectant mothers, you know? Freak them out in any way?" He released her so he could look into her eyes as his words sank in.

"Really?" she gasped, giving him a huge smile.

"Yes ma'am," Henry responded, showing her the stick. A blue plus sign showed in the box, plain as day. His smile rivaled her own.

"Oh my god, Henry," Mouse sang out, leaping off the counter and into his arms like a monkey. She wrapped her legs around his hips, making him stagger and hit his back against the wall. "Haha! I can't believe it! How lucky are we?"

"Pretty damned lucky," Henry agreed, laughing as he hugged her back. Merry the cat stuck her head in the bathroom, checking what the commotion was about, then pulled it back out, presumably to go tell her sister about the crazy people.

Henry and Mouse went to bed, where they celebrated by making love twice before falling asleep.

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"How do you want to handle Leo?" Henry asked Mouse the next morning.

"What do you mean?" Mouse snuggled into his side. They were enjoying a few minutes of morning quiet before their son and his dog came to join them in bed.

"Well, when do you want to tell him, for starters? And what should we tell him?"

Mouse considered. "I guess we don't have to tell him, or anyone, for a while," she mused out loud. "I mean, something bad could happen, like last time, I suppose, and if we give everyone the good news now, we'd have to give them the bad news..."

Henry kissed her hair. "Right," he agreed softly. "There's no harm in waiting a little while, then. And when we do tell him, what should we say? I mean, when I went through this with Josie, he was a baby, he didn't understand anything, so it really wasn't an issue, you know?"

Mouse nodded, her hair moving against his chest. "He asked me, last year, who the baby's daddy was," she told Henry.

"He did? You never told me that. What did you say?" Henry sounded surprised.