Settling in Seattle

Chapter 7- No One Has to Tell Me

"Morning." Mike walked into their room holding a wooden tray. Balanced on top was two cups of fresh, black coffee; two plates of pancakes, and a range of different toppings. He was watching his steps carefully as he made his way over to Rachel, who was propped up on her pillows, rubbing her eyes gently. She ogled the pancakes and laughed at Mike as he played a balancing act, dodging one of his pillows that had got plunged to the floor last night.

"Thank you love." Rachel said quietly, her voice hoarse from her lethargy. It was Sunday, so they didn't have to go to the clinic today. Instead, Rachel's parents were coming to visit. Robert had booked a week off back in New York, and Laura had recently retired. Mike had offered for them to stay; however, Rachel shot his idea down as soon as it was suggested. 

Mike placed the tray down on the bed, and handed Rachel her coffee, which she grimaced at.

"What?" He looked at her confused, never known her to turn her nose up at coffee.

"This decaf thing is really pissing me off. It's not even proper coffee. I love this kid and all, but this is the hardest thing I've done yet. No coffee or wine, it's like what can I have?" Rachel took a sip and gulped it down, it didn't seem as bad as she made it sound.

"You seem to be drinking enough of it." Mike sniggered at her, and she rolled her eyes. He picked up his plate of pancakes and drowned it in syrup, proceeding to neck it down. By the time he'd finished eating his, Rachel had finished displaying hers perfectly, dotting the strawberries and blueberries in an exact position, drizzling the syrup over carefully, and snapping a quick photo of her handy work. Mike shook his head and grinned, stealing one of the blueberries and sitting back on the bed.

"Heyyy!" She looked back to him and he avoided eye contact, looking completely innocent.

"I love you you know." She looked up from her Instagram feed and smiled at him and tucked into her crafted food.

"Yep I know."

"Mike, how are you?" Laura had followed him into the kitchen, and almost made him spill the water he had put in the coffee filter.

"I'm okay, thank you. Work's going great, we just won a big case for me." She looked at him concerned, and turned her attention to Rachel, who was chatting to her dad in the living room.

"So, were you planning to start a family this early on?" Mike had to double take. Did Rachel tell her mom? He had to carefully plan what he said next, she obviously knew, but how much did she know was the question.

"Rachel told you?"

"No one had to tell me. Mike, I'm her mother, I just know these things. Now I want you to tell me before I bring it up with her, was this planned?" Mike fumbled around getting the cups out of the cupboard, desperately finding excuses not to make eye contact with her.

"Uh, it wasn't exactly planned, but that doesn't mean it's not a good thing," He smiled thinking back to when Rachel told him. "No one knows yet, it's early on, and there are still big risks."

"I know how it works dear, just so long as you're sure." She smiled at him, almost accepting him.

"We are. I'll be with your daughter every step of the way, and make sure your grandchild will have the best upbringing they can have." Mike finally met his eyes with hers, and she picked up a mug of coffee, taking it with her into the other room.

The rest of the day was filled with a spontaneous family cooking event, in which Rachel and her dad seemed to enjoy the cooking, as Mike sat there being the only inexperienced one. Her parents had embraced Mike, and Rachel watched on as they built a relationship with one another, learning about a side of her parents she had never seen before. Especially her dad, a side in which he had respect for her and Mike. Once their roast chicken was in the oven, and the trimmings had all been prepared, they sat outside by the fire Mike and Robert made, and chatted about the happenings of Zane Specter Litt.

Mike glanced over at Rachel, she suddenly looked very pale and on edge. He tried to catch her eye in order to see what the problem was, but he didn't have time. She stood up abruptly and left, Mike heard her footsteps travelling up the stairs. Mike got up seconds after, following her back into the house.

"Excuse me."

Mike pretty much ran up the stairs to catch Rachel on her run away. He found her in their bathroom, leant up against the bath. Her hair was sprawled over her face, concealing it, her head rested on her arms, that rested on her knees. He could hear her small, almost silent sobs, and he knelt down in front of her and placed his hand on her back.

"Hey, what's up? You ran up here so fast I didn't have time to question the look on your face." He rubbed her back as she let more tears exit, and pulled her head up, staring directly opposite her. She let her head flop onto Mike, who had moved so he was sat next to her.

"I... I don't think I can do this whole pregnancy thing. It's so hard. I feel so sick, all the time." Mike encased her in a hug as she explained that she thought something might be wrong with her, as the sickness was supposed to stop around now.

"Hey, everybody's different. If you want we can see the doctor about it, but I promise you it's okay, there's nothing wrong with you." They sat with each other for a moment until there was a knock on the door frame. It was her mum. Mike let go of Rachel and told her he was going to give them a minute. She nodded as Mike rose and left.

"How many weeks?" She looked at her daughter's tear stained cheeks and held out her hand. She took it and pulled herself up, falling into a hug.

"Eleven. It wasn't supposed to happen, it just did. Then we decided we wanted this and it was okay. It's just hard."

'I know. There's nothing wrong with you love. I was the same. It stopped eventually." Rachel hated how vulnerable this baby made her. However, knowing that she wasn't in trouble with the baby eased her, and they both decided to go and eat the lovely meal they had cooked, even if she threw it up afterwards.

Late into the evening, Mike and Rachel had said goodbye to her parents and were led on the sofa, cuddled up together under blankets. Rachel's fingers danced around on Mike's arm. 

"I love you, and I know you're struggling, but it'll get better. I promise." Mike kissed the top of Rachel's head.

"It already has."